Large Format Tile: Sizes, Thickness and Weight From 18x36 to 48x48

Large format tile is tile with at least one side 15 inches or longer.

By that definition 12x24 is the smallest large format; it is covered in our other tile guides, so this guide runs from 18x36 to 48x48, with 8x48, 12x48 and 18x48 as a separate group of long formats. A bigger tile means fewer joints across a floor, so the surface looks closer to one continuous plane, and within one series it also means heavier pieces and fewer tiles per box. This guide compares real large format tiles from our range by size, thickness, box and weight, with the looks alongside the numbers.

In short: 24x48 porcelain is the most varied big format here, in marble, limestone, travertine and concrete looks; 32x32 to 48x48 squares cover 7 to 16 square feet per tile; the largest porcelain tile here, a 48x48, weighs 73 pounds. For a shower, our large format shower tile guide covers the wall formats.

Large format tile sizes at a glance

Size	Example	Thickness	Per tile	Per box	Weight per tile
18x36	Arabescato Carrara marble, polished	0.38 in	4.5 sq ft	5 tiles, 22.5 sq ft	24.75 lb
24x48	Eden Dolomite porcelain, polished	0.35 in	8 sq ft	2 tiles, 16 sq ft	33 lb
24x48	Dimensions Concrete porcelain, matte	0.50 in	8 sq ft	2 tiles, 16 sq ft	37.86 lb
32x32	Eden Statuary porcelain, matte	0.37 in	7.11 sq ft	3 tiles, 21.33 sq ft	35.84 lb
36x36	Alabaster White porcelain, lappato	not listed	8.72 sq ft	2 tiles, 17.44 sq ft	not listed
40x40	Cementique Talc porcelain, matte	0.33 in	11.11 sq ft	2 tiles, 22.22 sq ft	46.75 lb
48x48	Sande Grey porcelain, matte	0.35 in	16 sq ft	2 tiles, 32 sq ft	73 lb

The pattern across the table: as the tile grows, the box holds fewer pieces and the piece weight climbs, while the thickness stays between a third and half an inch. In this guide thickness varies by series: two 24x48 tiles run from 0.35 inch (Eden Dolomite) to 0.50 inch (Dimensions Concrete), the thickest porcelain here.

Big squares: 32x32, 36x36, 40x40 and 48x48

A square large format turns a floor into a grid of very few pieces. A 12 by 16 foot room is 192 square feet, which is twelve 48x48 tiles before cuts. All four square sizes below are porcelain.

48x48. Sande comes in Cream, Grey and Ivory, each in matte and polished, all marble look at 0.35 inch, two tiles and 32 square feet to a box. The Sande Cream polished 48x48 is shown in a finished room on its product page.

40x40. Cementique comes in Talc, Silver and Graphite, matte, a cement look at 0.33 inch. At 11.11 square feet per tile it is larger than the 36x36 (8.72) and smaller than the 48x48 (16).

32x32. Eden Statuary, a white marble look, comes in matte and polished; three tiles fill a box of 21.33 square feet. 36x36. The Alabaster White lappato, shown on a bathroom floor and wall, is also listed in the same 36x36 lappato format in black, green, blue and crepe pink; two tiles fill a box of 17.44 square feet.

24x48: one size, many looks

The 24x48 has the most entries in this guide: seven tiles in seven looks. Each tile below is porcelain, 8 square feet per tile and 16 square feet per box of two, except Murcia Clay at 7.75 square feet per tile.

Lookbook

24x48 porcelain by look

Marble look

Limestone look

Travertine look

Concrete look

Mottled gray

24x48 tile	Look	Finish	Thickness	Shade variation
Eden Dolomite	White marble	Polished	0.35 in	V3
Aria Oro	Beige marble	Polished	0.35 in	V3
Girona Perla	Limestone	Lappato	0.39 in	V2
Cordova Avorio	Travertine	Matte	0.39 in	V3
Dimensions Concrete	Concrete	Matte	0.50 in	V2
Oxide Magnetite	Mottled gray	Matte	0.41 in	V4
Murcia Clay	Brown clay	Matte	0.40 in	V2

Shade variation is rated V1 (uniform) to V4 (substantial variation from piece to piece). The column matters more on a big tile than a small one, because one tile carries a larger share of the floor. A V2 like Girona Perla or Dimensions Concrete gives an even field; a V4 like Oxide Magnetite moves from tile to tile by design. Our guide to ordering tile for a job explains the V1 to V4 scale and how production runs differ in shade. The looks are in marble look porcelain tile, limestone look tiles, travertine look tiles and concrete look tiles.

Polished, matte or lappato on a big tile

On a large format, the finish shows across a wide, unbroken surface. Polished porcelain, like Eden Dolomite and Aria Oro, has a mirror shine that reflects the room. Matte has no shine and shows the texture of the print, as on Dimensions Concrete and Cordova Avorio. Lappato is between them: the surface is partly polished, so it has a soft sheen with some texture left, as on Girona Perla and the 36x36 Alabaster White. Sande and Eden Statuary come in both matte and polished, so the same look is available either way.

Long formats: 8x48, 12x48 and 18x48

A large format can also be long and narrow. These three run 48 inches long.

• Maple 8x48, a wood look porcelain, five planks and 12.91 square feet to a box, shown in a herringbone in a salon.
• Slate Gray with Molten Copper 12x48, a dark porcelain with copper veining, three tiles and 11.63 square feet to a box.
• Viridian Green 18x48, a textured ceramic in a deep green, three tiles and 17.23 square feet to a box.

Wood looks in plank sizes are gathered in wood look porcelain tile.

Porcelain, ceramic and natural stone in large formats

Material	Sizes in this guide	What sets it apart
Porcelain	8x48 to 48x48	Printed looks of marble, stone, concrete and wood; polished, matte or lappato
Ceramic	18x48	Glazed color and texture, as on Viridian Green
Natural stone	18x36 marble, 36x36 limestone	Veining and color formed in the quarry, so every piece differs

Large format natural stone

Natural stone comes in big formats too, cut from the block. The Arabescato Carrara 18x36 is a polished white marble with gray veining, 0.38 inch thick and listed for floors, walls and countertops. For outdoor living space, the Shell Reef limestone paver is 36x36 and 1 1/4 inches thick, tumbled, sold by the piece at 9 square feet each, and listed for outdoor floors as well as interior floors.

For a surface with no joints at all, the next step up from tile is a slab: a single piece of stone that can run a full wall or counter. Our slabs list marble, quartzite and granite by the slab, and the outdoor formats are in outdoor tiles.

Weight, boxes and pallets

On a job, the weight per piece is a planning number. A 24x48 porcelain tile weighs 32 to 39 pounds in this guide, a 40x40 weighs 46.75 and a 48x48 weighs 73. The Shell Reef limestone paver lists 16.59 pounds per square foot, about 149 pounds for one 36x36 piece. Weights for the Alabaster White 36x36 and the three long formats are not listed. The MSI porcelain formats in this guide larger than 24x24 travel by freight on a pallet, and the product pages list the coverage per pallet: 432 square feet of Eden Dolomite 24x48, 640 of Oxide Magnetite 24x48 and 736 of Sande 48x48.

The boxes in this guide hold from 11.63 square feet (12x48) to 32 square feet (48x48), so the box size changes the leftover. A 40 square foot bathroom floor with a 15% allowance needs 46 square feet: in 24x48 at 16 square feet per box that is 3 boxes and 48 square feet, while in 48x48 at 32 square feet per box it is 2 boxes and 64 square feet, 18 square feet over the allowance. Our tile calculator guide works through a room in 12x24, 24x24 and 48x48, with a 15% overage allowance for formats of 24x48 and up.

Large format tile for trade buyers

On commercial and multi-room jobs, large formats add up to pallets quickly. Contractors, designers and builders can apply to the Pros Club, our trade program: it is free to apply, trade pricing is applied automatically at checkout when you are logged in, and a dedicated trade specialist helps with selection, quotes and project support. Our trade program guide covers the details, and every porcelain size is in our porcelain tiles.

Large Format Tile FAQ

Is 12x24 a large format tile?

Yes, by the 15 inch definition, since its long side is 24 inches. A 12x24 covers 2 square feet per tile against 8 for a 24x48, so the same 40 square foot floor takes 20 tiles of 12x24 and 5 of 24x48 before cuts.

What is the biggest floor tile in this guide?

The 48x48 Sande porcelain. By weight per square foot it is not the heaviest: 73 pounds over 16 square feet is about 4.6 pounds per square foot, against about 5.5 for the 18x36 Arabescato Carrara marble and about 4.2 for the 40x40 Cementique.

Is large format tile thicker than standard tile?

Large porcelain, no: it stays under half an inch here. The exception is stone pavers: the Shell Reef limestone paver is 1 1/4 inches thick, two and a half times the thickest porcelain in this guide, and its weight per square foot is listed at 16.59 pounds.

Can a small bathroom use large format tile?

Yes. A 5 by 8 foot bathroom is 40 square feet, which is five 24x48 tiles before cuts, so the floor shows very few joints. A small room does mean a larger share of each tile is cut; our tile calculator guide plans with a 15% allowance for 24x48 and larger.

Which large formats here are listed for outdoor use?

Only the Shell Reef limestone paver, listed for outdoor floors and walls as well as interior floors. The MSI porcelain tiles in this guide are listed for residential interior floors, and the Apollo tiles list no use, so the product page is the place to check.