Measuring and waste Factor

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Normally when I do measuring for the shop, I measure quite exact in square footage for vinyl planks and tiles. The shop knows that and adds on a percentage.
That works out well for full size rooms and larger areas.
How about small areas? This is a new home and it has five areas that will have Cortec Stone installed. The tiles are 12x24 so I can imagine the waste factor being rather large since you have to offset them 50%
The downstairs in this home has a single bathroom with a full surround bathtub unit in it.
Normally I would multiply length by width and subtract approximately the tub/shower area then let them add a percentage on.

Instead of doing it that way on this bathroom, I just multiplied length by width and called it good. I think the waste factor doing it this way would work fine.

 

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Depending on how by many boxes of tile it took to do the bathroom that I just showed above, you could probably add one box or subtract one box based on the shower / tub area.
However the upstairs has a weird shaped master bath area and two other bedrooms.
Normally I would take each of these areas and divide them up into smaller rectangles, then add them together to get square footage. Like I mentioned previously that would give me a very exact number for them to add on a percentage.
Another way to do these would be to draw the entire area up into one big square or rectangle and then subtract the square footage of the cutouts. Either way, it usually comes out about the same.
Here's the other four rooms upstairs that will receive this Cortec Stone, 12x24 tile.
Master bath, two small bedroom baths and a laundry room.

Am I better to just add all of my exact measurements together then add a percentage?

If so, what kind of a percentage for a 12-in by 24-in tile in these small areas? Because of the offset I can see a lot of waste.
Whatever happens, we can't run short on this job because the material is going to be ordered and will probably not be installed until after the first of the year.

 

[C.J.]

You definitely need to bump up the waste factor with large pattern tiles. Don’t remember the exact percentage but 20%, maybe 25%. So what if you have an extra couple, maybe even 3 or 4 if the installer is good, that’s better than being short one. Believe me I can make a couple boxes disappear if need be. Being short just fudges the whole thing and you may be responsible for whatever you’re short so definitely err on the side of more than less.

Now on to why you need to bump up the waste factor. Take the room that you have marked 9’1” by 9’1”. With a 12x24 tile you will need 100 sq ft to do that bathroom where as the square footage of that room is 81 something sq ft. That’s about 25% waste.

5 tiles is 10’. Next row will have a 50% offset I imagine. That 11” cutoff from the first row falls short of a half tile. Can you use it somewhere else, maybe, but depending on the layout it just may end up being waste.

Then you gotta factor in the other direction. 9’1” leaves 11” of fall off. Can you use that somewhere else, again maybe but you can’t count on it.

I’m sure if I was actually on that job I would find a way to lower the amount of waste I had. One of the harder lessons I’ve learned is it’s not what I can do, it’s what the guy on the job site can do. I’ve had to lessen my expectations of other installers and prepare for the dumbest outcome.

 

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I was thinking about adding one foot all the way down one side and one foot all the way across the top. Since it's 12x24, like you said, if it's 1 inch beyond halfway the piece could end up as scrap.
Normally I measure the room up and then subtract the cabinet area and the tub area. This is new construction and they don't even have the sheetrock on yet.
I'm not going to subtract the cabinet or vanity area because I know that the flooring will be put down before the vanity is put in place.
Decided not to deduct the vanity and tub area. The tub is about 18 SQ ft or less.
That would equal one additional foot allowance down the entire side of the room.
This is speaking about the master bath.
Going to figure all the baths and laundry at actual room size including the tubs, then lump em together then add 10 or 15%
Planks are going everywhere else in the house.
In those areas I only subtracted for the fireplace and stairwell. The cabinets and island(s) will most likely be installed on top of the planks..... Contractor is installing, were just supplying material.
I measure fairly exact and I think she adds 10%. So far it's working out great.