Suspended Ceiling Calculator: Office, Shop and Arcade Fit-Outs Made Simple
Pricing a suspended ceiling for an office, shop or amusement arcade fit-out means counting tiles, main tees, cross tees, wall angle and hanger wire, and it's easy to come up a box short or over-order by a pallet. Our free suspended ceiling calculator does the counting for you. Enter the room size, pick your tiles and grid, and it gives you a full parts list with live trade prices that you can add to your basket in one go. Here's how it works, with three worked examples.
Step 1: Measure the room
- Measure wall to wall at ceiling height, not at floor level. Skirting, boxing and out-of-square walls can make the floor figure misleading.
- Take the longest length and the widest width in metres (for example 6.00m x 5.00m). For an L-shaped room, split it into two rectangles and run the calculator for each.
- Measure the drop, the gap from the soffit (slab or joists) down to where the new ceiling will sit. The calculator uses it to work out hanger wire. 0.4m is the default.
- Note anything in the way: columns, light fittings, air-con cassettes and access hatches. You can leave those tiles out on the layout drawing.
Step 2: How the calculator works it out
The calculator draws the grid on a plan of your room, centres it so the cut tiles at opposite walls are the same size, and then counts each part:
| Part | How it's calculated |
|---|---|
| Ceiling tiles | Full tiles plus cut border tiles, plus your waste allowance (5% by default), rounded up to full boxes |
| Main tees | Runs at 1200mm centres across the room, cut from full-length main runners with offcuts reused where they fit |
| 1200mm cross tees | Clipped between the main tees at 600mm centres, including the cut pieces at the walls |
| 600mm cross tees | Only for 600 x 600mm tiles. They split each 1200 x 600 opening in two |
| Wall angle | The room perimeter, cut from full lengths |
| Hangers and wire | One hanger at least every 1200mm along each main tee. Wire = hangers x (drop + 0.3m for twisting) + spare |
| Insulation pads (optional) | One 600 x 600mm pad per 600 x 600 tile, and two pads per 1200 x 600 tile |
It also picks the grid direction that uses the least material, shows the border cut sizes, and flags if a tegular tile needs a 24mm grid. Tap any tile on the drawing to leave it out for a light fitting or column, and the totals update straight away.
Worked example 1: a small office (6m x 5m)
A typical small office or meeting room at 30m², using Rockfon Artic+ A24 600 x 600mm tiles (Class A sound absorption, A1 fire rating) on the matching Rockfon T24 grid, with a 0.4m drop and 5% waste:
| Part | Needed | Buy | Price ex VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling tiles (70 full + 20 cut) | 95 tiles | 3 boxes of 32 | £395.85 |
| Main tees (4 runs of 5m) | 6 lengths | 1 box of 15 | £73.95 |
| 1200mm cross tees | 42 | 1 box of 45 | £73.95 |
| 600mm cross tees | 48 | 2 boxes of 45 | £73.90 |
| Wall angle (22m perimeter) | 8 lengths | 1 box of 40 | £136.95 |
| Hanger wire (20 hangers) | 15m | 1 coil | £17.95 |
| Total | £772.55 |
Adding 50mm insulation pads above each tile adds 95 pads (£312.55). If you choose the 1200 x 600mm version of the same tile, you need fewer tiles (48) and no 600mm cross tees, but still around twice as many pads as tiles: 97 pads for 48 tiles.
Worked example 2: a small shop unit (8m x 4.5m)
A narrow high-street retail unit at 36m², where budget matters more than acoustics. Using TVS Fissured 600 x 600mm tiles (A2-s1,d0 fire rating, up to 99% RH) on a USG Donn DX24 grid:
- Tiles: 72 full + 40 cut + 5% = 118 tiles, so 8 boxes of 16 (£311.60)
- Grid: 7 main tees, 55 x 1200mm and 59 x 600mm cross tees, 9 lengths of wall angle (£357.65)
- Hanger wire: 21 hangers, 16m, 1 coil (£17.95)
- Total: £687.20 ex VAT
Narrow rooms create lots of cut tiles (40 here), which is why the waste allowance matters.
Worked example 3: an amusement arcade or leisure unit (12.5m x 9.4m)
Arcades are larger and open-plan, and they're noisy: machines, music and people all at once. A Class A sound-absorbing tile makes a big difference to how the space feels. The ceiling void also carries lighting, cabling and air-con, so you want tiles that lift out easily for access.
At 117.5m², using Rockfon Artic+ A24 1200 x 600mm tiles on the Rockfon T24 grid:
- Tiles: 114 full + 54 cut + 5% = 177 tiles, so 12 boxes of 16 (£1,259.88)
- Main tees: 7 runs of 12.5m, 25 lengths, 2 boxes (£147.90)
- 1200mm cross tees: 168, 4 boxes (£295.80). No 600mm tees needed
- Wall angle: 43.8m perimeter, 1 box (£136.95)
- Hanger wire: 77 hangers, 57m, 1 coil (£17.95)
- Total: £1,858.48 ex VAT
Tap out the tiles where recessed lights or air-con cassettes go and the tile count drops.
Prices are live ex VAT trade prices at the time of writing (October 2026). The calculator always shows today's prices.
Tips for a better result
- Allow for cuts. Keep at least 5% waste, and go up to 10% for small, narrow or irregular rooms or if you're cutting round lots of obstructions.
- Pick the tile for the room. Offices and arcades benefit from acoustic tiles such as Rockfon Artic+. For sound passing between rooms, a denser tile like TVS Mineral dB helps. Most mineral and stone wool tiles are A1 or A2 for fire. For mezzanines, OWA Mezz Pro is designed for fire-rated systems.
- Moisture and hygiene. For staff kitchens, washrooms, clinics and food areas, use a wipe-clean tile like TVS CleanCare or TVS Healthcare. Read more in our CleanCare guide.
- Match the grid to the tile. Square-edge tiles suit 15mm or 24mm grids. Tegular tiles must match the grid width (T24 for 24mm). Don't mix main tees and cross tees from different grid systems. Browse our ceiling grid.
Delivery and minimum order
Suspended ceiling orders (tiles, grid and wire) have a £150 ex VAT minimum. Delivery is £35 ex VAT under £350 ex VAT and free from £350 ex VAT, to mainland England and Wales. All three examples above qualify for free delivery.
FAQs
How many ceiling tiles do I need for a 6m x 5m office?
With 600 x 600mm tiles it's 90 tiles (70 full and 20 cut), or 95 with 5% spare. That's 3 boxes of 32 Rockfon Artic+. The calculator gives you the exact count for your tile and box size.
How many main tees and cross tees do I need?
Main tees run at 1200mm centres and 1200mm cross tees at 600mm centres. 600 x 600mm tiles also need 600mm cross tees. As a rough guide, a 30m² room needs about 6 main runners, 42 x 1200mm and 48 x 600mm cross tees.
How much hanger wire do I need?
Allow one hanger at least every 1.2m along each main tee. Each hanger needs the drop plus about 0.3m for twisting. A 6m x 5m room with a 0.4m drop needs about 15m.
How many insulation pads go on a 1200 x 600 tile?
Two. Pads are 600 x 600mm, so each 1200 x 600mm tile takes two side by side.
What are the best office ceiling tiles?
For most offices, a Class A sound-absorbing tile with an A1 or A2 fire rating, such as Rockfon Artic+, controls echo well. Add a denser tile or insulation pads if sound is carrying between rooms.
Can you help with a larger fit-out?
Yes. Email us the list from the calculator or call 03330 908479 and we'll quote the whole ceiling.
Ready to price your ceiling? Try the suspended ceiling calculator or browse our full suspended ceiling tiles and grid range.