About this calculator
Full grid takeoff for a suspended ceiling: tiles, main runners, long and short cross tees, perimeter angle and hanger wires.
How it’s calculated
Main runners run across the width at 4 ft centres. Long cross tees span between mains every 2 ft. For square tiles, short tees split each bay. Wall angle runs around the perimeter.
Worked example
With these inputs:
- Room length
- 20 ft
- Room width
- 16 ft
- Tile size
- 2 × 2 ft
- Waste allowance
- 5%
the result is:
- Ceiling tiles
- 84 tiles
- Main runner rows
- 3
- Area
- 320 sq ft
Tips from the trade
- Centre the grid so the border tiles at opposite walls match and are more than half a tile wide.
- Hang a wire every 4 ft along each main, and within 6" of each splice.
Results are estimates for planning and pricing. Check quantities against your drawings, the manufacturer’s data and the building code adopted in your province before ordering.