When installing a new roof or deciding to replace an existing roof, it is essential to choose the right type and amount of roof tiles so that the project is finished on time and within budget. One of the most common issues when tiling is that homeowners aren’t sure how many roof tiles they’re going to need. Many professional roofers will confirm that this isn’t always a straightforward calculation.


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How do I work out how many roof tiles I need?

How many roof tiles you need for a project is dependent on which tiles you’re purchasing. Because they vary in size and specification, this determines how much coverage each type of tile offers. For example, if your tile preference specifies a minimum 115mm headlap (the amount a tile is overlapped by the tile two courses above it), you’ll need more of them than if you opt for tiles that have a minimum headlap of 75mm. Roof tile manufacturers make this easier by stating the number of tiles per metre squared.

Whilst measures like pitch, batten gauge and tile size factor into how much coverage is achieved, the calculation to work out how many roof tiles you will need is relatively simple. First, find out the area of the roof. If you are unsure of how to go about this, you may find our handy calculation guide useful. Next, calculate how many tiles you’ll need with this formula:

Roof area (m²) x tiles per m²

Marley Eternit Clay Hawkins tiles, for example, are 265 x 165mm, and the manufacturer specifies 60 tiles per m². So, to find out how many tiles you need for this range, you’ll do the sum:

57.76m² x 60 = 3,465.6

To be on the safe side, we recommend rounding up to the nearest ten. In this instance, we would suggest 3,470 tiles to be sure there are enough tiles to complete your project. Apply the above calculation with your requirements to work out how many roof tiles you need for any tile type. Below are the details for some of our best-selling roof tiles.


How many Marley Eternit roof tiles do I need?

Popular with our customers, here are the details for five of the Marley Eternit roof tile ranges with their size, pitch suitability and pallet coverage. This will allow you to calculate how many roof tiles you need, whether you’re installing them on a vertical dormer side or a 45° pitched roof. Shop for Marley Eternit clay tiles here or for Marley Eternit concrete tiles here.

Tile RangeTile SizePitch100mm Roof Gauge115mm Vertical GaugeTiles per PalletRoof Cover per Pallet
Clay Hawkins Tiles265 x 165mm30° – 90°60 tiles/m253 tiles/m21,26021 m2
Clay Ashdowne Tiles265 x 165mm35° – 90°60 tiles/m253 tiles/m21,15519.25 m2
Clay Acme Single Camber Tiles265 x 165mm30° – 90°60 tiles/m253 tiles/m21,26021 m2
Clay Acme Double Camber Tiles265 x 165mm35° – 90°60 tiles/m253 tiles/m21,26021 m2
Concrete Plain Roof Tiles267 x 168mm35° – 90°60 tiles/m253 tiles/m290015 m2


How many Redland roof tiles do I need?

Redland concrete tiles and Redland clay tiles are another range of popular products. Use the following information to work out how many roof tiles you need for your project.

Tile RangeTile SizePitch35° – 89° Tile Qty90° Tile QtyTiles per Pallet35° – 89° Cover per Pallet90° Cover per Pallet
Concrete Plain Roof Tiles266 x 165mm35° – 90°60 tiles/m252 tiles/m276812.8 m214.7 m2


Still not sure how many roof tiles you need?

Shop all of our roof tiles, including tiles from Dreadnaught, Cembrit and Forticrete.

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