Tile and Stone Estimating and Takeoff Services

We quantify tile and stone from your finish schedule and details — area by tile type and size, with setting materials, membranes, substrate preparation and trim quantified against the referenced TCNA installation detail — delivered as an editable Excel workbook with the marked-up plan set.

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What We Take Off

A tile estimate is an assembly estimate. The specification points at a TCNA detail, and that detail names the substrate, the crack isolation or waterproof membrane, the mortar, the grout and the movement joints — each a separate material with its own coverage rate. Tile is the visible layer and frequently not the largest cost, and on large-format work the substrate preparation needed to meet the flatness requirement can be the biggest line in the package.

Tile and stone by areaseparated by type, size and format, covering ceramic, porcelain, quarry, natural stone, glass and mosaic, since each differs in material cost, cutting difficulty and setting rate

Large-format tilequantified separately, because the flatness tolerance, the mortar coverage requirement and the lippage control it demands are all different from standard format

Floor and wall tile kept apartwall tile sets slower and needs different support, and combining them at one rate misprices both

Setting materialsthinset and medium-bed mortar by coverage rate for the tile size and substrate, with large-and-heavy-tile mortar identified where the format requires it

Groutby area, joint width and depth with cementitious and epoxy grout separated, since epoxy costs several times cementitious and installs at a fraction of the rate

Substrate and backercement backer board, membranes or mortar bed by area, against the TCNA detail the specification references

Waterproof membraneby area in wet areas with the curbs, thresholds, corners and drain flashing detailed individually, since these are where shower and wet room failures occur

Crack isolation membraneby area where specified over concrete, which is a separate product from waterproofing and priced separately

Substrate preparationgrinding, patching and self-levelling by area and depth, against the flatness the tile format requires rather than the slab as specified

Uncoupling membraneby area where the detail calls for it, common over concrete and over heated floors

Movement and expansion jointsby linear foot with the sealant and backer, located per TCNA EJ171, which is a specified requirement and not an optional refinement

Trim and edge profilesby linear foot and type, covering bullnose, metal edge profile, transitions, corner profiles and Schluter-type systems, each counted individually

Base and coveby linear foot with coved and straight base separated, since a coved tile base is a different operation

Pattern and layout wastequantified against the specified pattern and room geometry rather than by a flat percentage, because a diagonal or herringbone layout wastes far more than a straight set

Niches, curbs, benches and thresholdscounted individually as constructed assemblies, since each is slow, detailed work well above the surrounding rate

Sealing and finishingnatural stone sealing by area and coat, grout sealing where specified, and any specified enhancement

Radiant heat interfacewhere a heated floor sits under the tile, the mat or cable coverage, the self-levelling encapsulation and the sequencing it requires

Attic stock and protectionthe specified overage quantity and floor protection through the remainder of construction

How Tile & Stone Quantities Are Measured

Every quantity below is reported in the unit the scope is actually bought and bid in — not converted into a single convenient unit that hides where the cost sits.

TileSF by type, size and formatBy format as well as type. Large-format porcelain and a mosaic sheet at the same area are entirely different installations.

Setting mortarbags by coverage rateCoverage varies with tile size, trowel notch and substrate. A large-format tile consumes several times the mortar of a small one per square foot.

Groutbags or units by joint sizeBy joint width and depth, with epoxy separated — it costs several times cementitious and installs far slower.

Backer boardSFBy area with fasteners and joint treatment, where the TCNA detail calls for it rather than a membrane.

Waterproof membraneSF with details EAArea plus each curb, corner, threshold and drain flashing counted, because that is where wet areas fail.

Substrate preparationSF by methodAgainst the flatness the tile format requires. Large-format needs a flatter substrate than most slabs are finished to.

Movement jointsLFPer TCNA EJ171 with backer and sealant. A specified requirement, not an optional refinement.

Trim and edge profilesLF by profileCounted individually. Metal edge profiles and bullnose are different items at very different rates.

BaseLF, coved and straight separatedA coved tile base is a separate operation from a straight cut base.

Niches, curbs and benchesEAConstructed assemblies, counted. Each is slow detailed work far above the surrounding area rate.

Wastepercentage by layoutStated by pattern. A diagonal or herringbone set wastes substantially more than a straight set in the same room.

SealingSF per coatFor natural stone and where grout sealing is specified, each coat counted.

Who This Is For

General contractors carrying this trade directly, or checking a subcontractor's number before it goes into the bid.

Subcontractors pricing their own scope in this division.

Developers and owners validating a number they've already been given.

Material suppliers and distributors verifying a customer's order.

What You Receive

An itemized Excel takeoff, organized by division
A marked-up plan set — every quantity traces back to a location on the drawings
Labor, material and equipment split out separately
Waste and overage factors shown as visible line items
An assumptions and exclusions schedule

Marked-up tile & stone plan crop

What Moves the Number on Tile & Stone

Tile format and the flatness it demands. Large-format tile will not lay flat on a substrate finished to an ordinary tolerance, and lippage between adjacent tiles is a visible defect that gets rejected. Meeting the flatness requirement means grinding or self-levelling, and on a big floor that preparation can be the largest line in the package — larger than the tile.

The TCNA detail the specification references. That reference names the whole assembly: substrate, membrane, mortar type, grout and movement joints. Two floors of identical area referencing different details are different scopes and different costs. Estimating from the area and the tile price alone ignores the document that actually defines the work.

Setting material coverage. Mortar coverage is driven by tile size, trowel notch and substrate flatness, and large-format tile with a medium-bed mortar consumes several times what a small tile does per square foot. Coverage rates are published; assuming one bag rate across all formats is an avoidable error.

Epoxy grout. Where a specification calls for epoxy grout — common in commercial kitchens, food service and healthcare — the material costs several times cementitious and it installs far more slowly, with a shorter working time and more labor per square foot. Substituting mentally to a cementitious rate understates both halves.

Wet area detailing. Showers, wet rooms and food service floors are the failure-prone conditions in this trade, and the cost is in the curbs, corners, thresholds, drain flashings and the membrane continuity between them. These are counted items, not a percentage of the wet area.

Pattern and layout. A straight set, a running bond, a diagonal and a herringbone in the same room produce materially different waste and materially different labor. Pattern is specified on the finish or pattern plan, and it belongs in the takeoff rather than in an average waste factor.

Small rooms and cut density. Tile labor tracks cuts and perimeter as much as area. A floor plan of many small bathrooms has far more cutting, more trim and more setting-out per square foot than a single large open floor of the same total area, and no area rate distinguishes the two.

What We Need From You

A complete set is ideal, but rarely what exists. Send what you have — we will tell you at quote stage what can be quantified firm and what has to be an allowance.

Architectural floor plans with room numbers and reflected ceiling plans where wall tile runs full height
Room finish schedule identifying tile type, size and location
Finish or pattern plans showing layout, pattern and setting-out origin
Interior elevations for wall tile extents and heights
Specification section for Division 09 tiling, including the referenced TCNA detail numbers
Wet area details — shower, curb, bench, niche, threshold and drain flashing
Plumbing drawings for drain locations and types
Structural information on slab construction and any known flatness tolerance
Details for movement joint locations, or confirmation that EJ171 governs

How It Works

1 Send your plans — PDF, DWG, DOC, images or ZIP, up to 100MB per file.
2 Get your quote — a flat price for the scope with a delivery date, confirmed in writing.
3 Approve — nothing starts until you confirm.
4 We take it off — quantities from the drawings and schedules.
5 Delivery — workbook, marked-up set, assumptions schedule.

How Pricing and Turnaround Work

Every project is priced individually from your drawings. Send the plan set and you get a flat quote for the scope before any work starts — no hourly billing, no open-ended engagement.

Turnaround depends on the size of the package and how many trades are in scope — which is why you get a firm delivery date with your quote rather than a generic promise.

Tools and Standards

Takeoffs are produced in Bluebeam, PlanSwift, Trimble, STACK, organized against CSI MasterFormat divisions — this scope is specified under Division 09 — Finishes (09 30 00 Tiling).

Quantities and assemblies are read against the published standards that govern this trade, because the standard is what decides whether two apparently identical items are actually the same line item:

TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass and Stone Tile Installation — the detail numbers most specifications reference directly
ANSI A108 — installation of ceramic tile
ANSI A118.4 / A118.11 / A118.15 — modified dry-set mortars and improved mortars for large and heavy tile
ANSI A118.10 — load-bearing bonded waterproof membranes
ANSI A118.12 — crack isolation membranes
ANSI A137.1 — specification for ceramic tile, including facial dimension and warpage
TCNA EJ171 — movement joint requirements, which are mandatory rather than advisory

Pricing is built on RSMeans cost data localized to your project's market, then reconciled against current supplier quotes and our own completed project costs. Every estimate states its pricing basis and the date it was priced.

Why Tile & Stone Is Estimated Wrong

Substrate preparation for large-format tile missed. Large-format tile has a flatness requirement most slabs and walls do not meet as built, and grinding or self-levelling to close that gap can exceed the cost of the tile on a large floor. It does not appear on any drawing and it is the most consistently underpriced item in modern tile work.

The assembly priced as tile plus a rate. The referenced TCNA detail names a substrate, a membrane, a mortar, a grout and a movement joint requirement, each with its own coverage and cost. Pricing the tile and applying a rate for everything else means nobody can tell which parts of the assembly were priced at all.

One mortar coverage across all formats. Coverage varies substantially with tile size and trowel notch, and large-format tile with medium-bed mortar consumes several times what a small tile does. The rates are published, so assuming a single bag figure across a mixed-format project is an avoidable and predictable shortfall.

Movement joints omitted. TCNA EJ171 requirements are mandatory, and movement joints in the field of the tile and at every perimeter and restraining condition are a real linear quantity with backer and sealant. Leaving them out understates the estimate and produces an installation that will crack.

Wet area detail carried as a percentage. Curbs, benches, niches, corners, thresholds and drain flashings are constructed assemblies, each slow and each a potential leak. Counting them is straightforward; allowing a percentage on the wet area square footage prices none of them properly and hides whether they were considered.

Flat waste factor across all patterns. A herringbone or diagonal layout in a small room wastes far more than a straight set in a large one, and mosaic sheet behaves differently again. A single percentage is wrong on most of the rooms in a mixed project.

Related Estimating Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you quantify setting materials separately from tile?

Yes. Mortar by published coverage rate for the tile size, trowel notch and substrate, and grout by joint width and depth with epoxy separated from cementitious. Large-format tile consumes several times the mortar of a small tile per square foot, so a single bag rate across a mixed-format project is a predictable shortfall.

Do you price to the TCNA detail?

Yes — the referenced detail is what defines the scope. It names the substrate, the membrane, the mortar, the grout and the movement joint requirement, and two floors of identical area referencing different details are genuinely different jobs.

Do you include substrate preparation for large-format tile?

Yes, and it is frequently the largest line in the package. Large-format tile will not lay without lippage on a substrate finished to an ordinary tolerance, so grinding or self-levelling to reach the required flatness is quantified against the format rather than assumed away.

How do you handle wet areas and showers?

Membrane by area, then every curb, bench, niche, corner, threshold and drain flashing counted individually. These are constructed assemblies and they are where wet area installations fail, so they are counted rather than covered by a percentage.

Do you include movement joints?

Yes, per TCNA EJ171, by linear foot with backer and sealant. They are a mandatory requirement rather than an optional refinement, and an installation without them will crack regardless of how well the tile was set.

How do you calculate tile waste?

By pattern and room geometry rather than a flat percentage. A herringbone or diagonal layout wastes substantially more than a straight set, small rooms waste more than large open floors, and the basis is stated by area so it can be checked.

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