ORDERING & INSPECTING TILE

(Make sure to read Essential Tile Tips first)

CLIENT-SUPPLIED TILE: Most of our clients, including builders, architects, designers, and homeowners, prefer that we purchase and provide the tile so we take responsibility for calculating, ordering, inspecting and delivering all tile, grout, caulk, sealer, sealants and trim pieces. If you prefer to purchase directly, please read onward.

TRADE PRICING: When we order from a vendor with whom we have a trade relationship, we often receive a trade discount (excludes mass warehouses like Home Depot, Lowes, Floor & Decor, etc. who do not offer trade pricing). We extend our trade discount to our client before adding our mark up, so the client still benefits whenever trade discounts apply. Our mark up includes our responsibility for tile and related products, quantitative take-offs, calculating overages, ordering all materials, plus freight, tax, and white glove delivery. Many vendors may only offer curbside delivery if you order directly from them. If you opt to take responsibility to order your own tile products, but want us to deliver them for you, please advise us and we can add white glove delivery to our labor estimate. Labor estimates will include only labor-based installation materials such as Ditra, Durock, thinset, waterproofing membrane, drains, subfloor heat (when specified).

CALCULATING & OVERAGE: Order quantities include the actual square footage plus tile overage necessary based on surface area (floor vs. walls with multiple planes), cuts, layout, tile size, tile-specific attributes (some tiles incur higher waste factor), and the size and format of your space. If you are ordering, you can consult your vendor for product-specific details. If there is any hand-selecting (cherry-picking), please order extra for this. No installer wants to have to use the bare minimum and have to cut so sparingly that we cannot optimize cuts, or use the least desirable pieces because of lack of material. Ordering enough tile for a solid installation is even written into the TCNA Handbook. Skimping on tile has it’s price, and it’s usually not pretty to see it or pay it.

ATTIC STOCK: Keep extra tile! It is like an insurance policy. Make sure to include overage for future attic stock. After tile is cut and installed, you should have leftover tile from the same lot so if there’s ever an issue (like flooding, storm or personal damage, moving an outlet or cabinet or appliance) you won’t have to retile the whole space. Builders, architects, and specifiers of tile request that attic stock remain for the client after the job is complete. Tile is generally not returnable for special order purchases, which applies to the bulk of our client’s selections. We recommend you do not discard extra boxes of tile. Please keep them! We are hired often to replace an entire surface area because the client did not have enough attic stock to make a small adjustment, addition, or most often, to remedy unforeseen damage or changes. We tell you this to save you money and invasive demolition and retiling later.

EXPECTATIONS: If you are the one ordering your own tile, especially custom or special order tile, we advise that you get a control sample. For tiles with known variation, order multiple samples. The photo at the top of this page shows the variation in one color of beautiful handcrafted tile. One of the most desirable qualities of natural stone and hand-glazed or hand-crafted tile is its shade and texture variation, and often unique quirks and irregularities. Know the attributes of your tile before ordering.

ORDERING ERRORS: With so many local and online vendors, ordering mistakes do happen. If you discover an error with your order, please notify us immediately so we can adjust our installation schedule. We will prioritize you once your correct tile arrives. We are accustomed to dealing with scheduling surprises in the construction industry.

LOCAL DELIVERY & STORAGE: We pick up from most local vendors, and charge a white glove delivery fee of $200 – $300 per truck load per vendor, depending on circumstances and vendor.  If you need your tile stored by us or your vendor, please advise us as this will entail a storage fee. Our delivery fee is based on anticipated time for wait, loading, checking inventory, and on current fuel prices. We offer delivery as a courtesy, but encourage our clients to check with their vendor to see who provides the best delivery and storage option for them. Please remember, an average car can hold up to about 150 SF of tile in the trunk. If you order tile directly and your order is less than this, you may consider picking it up yourself, but make sure you have a place to store the tile and ability to carry it in.

FREIGHT & BREAKAGE: Don’t confuse “freight” with “delivery.” If you see a “freight” fee on your invoice from your local tile vendor, this means you purchased something they do not stock. “Freight” refers to the transport (usually by truck) from the vendor’s supplier to the vendor’s warehouse. Many local brick and mortar vendors will not drop ship the tile directly from their supplier to your home, and they must inspect each order before it’s delivered or picked up from their warehouse. Online vendors generally drop ship directly to you, so make sure to let them know if your tile is going to a residential address, and not a warehouse. Check for breakage within 24-48 hours of arrival, as it is extremely common when shipping direct to consumers. Some online vendors use common carriers who are not trained in how to pack, ship, and handle fragile products like tile, even when the vendors pack and pad their tile cautiously.

INSPECTING FOR ACCURACY: Occasionally, even your local tile vendor may overlook a broken or inaccurate tile order. Furthermore, nobody is familiar with each and every piece of inventory in the warehouse. This is why it is so important that you inspect your order before it’s installed. Only you will recognize and know what you ordered and anticipated. The warehouse personnel will not. Try to have your control sample available to match up to your tile order when it’s in. The warehouse will only check that the order matches the packaging on the box (most of the time). If you feel your order is wrong or the “lot” does not match what you had ordered, let the vendor’s order department know immediately. If you didn’t order a control sample, ask to compare a piece of tile from your order with a sample tile or sample board from the tile showroom (preferably the same one you were shown when you ordered). When ordering from online companies, always request a sample prior to placing order. 

ACCEPTANCE: Acceptance of tile is more than just receiving it. Remember to keep your mind open if your tile does not match your original sample. It is much more important that your tile order matches and coordinates with the area where it’s going to be installed, than it match exactly to the control sample. Try not to cling too tightly to what you thought you were getting. Tile is art. Of course, you should make sure you are fully satisfied with your order BEFORE it gets installed. Just make space for acceptance and openness. We’ve been doing this for decades, and have seen many “unexpected” orders of tile turn out to be better suited than the original selection!