Quick answer: Large-format tile is any tile with a side of roughly 15 inches or more — think 12×24, 24×24, and bigger. It gives a cleaner look with fewer grout lines and can make a room feel larger, but it needs a very flat subfloor, more adhesive under a larger-notch trowel, and careful setting to avoid lippage.
Large-format tile has gone from a commercial look to the default in a lot of modern homes, and it’s easy to see why — big, calm expanses of tile with barely-there grout lines feel expensive. But the size that makes it look good is also what makes it trickier to install and a little different to plan for. Here’s what to know before you buy.
What size is “large format”?
The common industry line is that a tile is large-format once any single edge hits about 15 inches. In practice that sweeps in most of the sizes you’ll see marketed as modern:
| Size | Sq ft per tile | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| 12 × 24 in | 2.0 | Floors, shower walls |
| 18 × 18 in | 2.25 | Entryways, kitchens |
| 24 × 24 in | 4.0 | Open-plan floors |
| 24 × 48 in | 8.0 | Large modern floors, feature walls |
The pros
- Fewer grout lines — a cleaner, more seamless surface that’s also easier to keep clean.
- Makes rooms feel bigger — the continuous look opens up small spaces.
- Fewer tiles to lay — faster coverage once the prep is done.
- Less grout used overall — handy for budgeting materials.
The cons
- Unforgiving on an uneven subfloor — any dip shows up as lippage.
- Heavier and harder to handle — awkward to cut and carry, often a two-person job.
- Needs more adhesive — a larger-notch trowel and back-buttering for full coverage.
- More tile lost per cut — one bad cut wastes a bigger, pricier piece.
Install tips that actually matter
The single biggest factor is flatness. Large-format tile demands a subfloor that’s flat to tight tolerances, so plan for self-leveling compound if yours isn’t. Use the trowel size the tile maker recommends — usually larger than you’d expect — and back-butter each tile so you get near-total adhesive coverage with no voids under the surface. A tile leveling system (clips and wedges) is cheap insurance against lippage. For the trowel side of this, see our trowel size guide and how much thinset you need.
How it changes your numbers
Large-format tile dramatically cuts your tile count — a 24×24 covers four times the area of a 12×12 — but keep your waste allowance up, because each wasted cut is a bigger piece. You’ll also use less grout thanks to fewer joints, though many large tiles are rectified and designed for a tight 1/16–1/8 inch joint. Run your room through the tile calculator with a large size to see the tile and box count, and check the grout line size guide for the right joint width.
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