What to Send Before a Tile Installation Project

Quick answer: good project details show the room, the tile, and the unknowns

Useful tile project details include room photos, rough measurements, project city, tile size and material, scope, current surface condition, demolition status, timeline, design goals, and any known issues such as leaks, uneven floors, or old tile layers.

The goal is not to send perfect drawings. The goal is to give the installer enough context to understand whether the project is a backsplash, bathroom floor, shower, heated floor, entry, fireplace, custom feature, repair, or multi-room tile scope.

Strong project details help Moonka Tiles Co. respond with better questions, clearer timeline expectations, and a more accurate path for your custom tile installation.

Tile project details checklist

You can send this information even if you are early in planning. If tile has not been selected yet, describe the look you want: warm stone-look porcelain, classic subway backsplash, large-format bathroom floor, textured shower wall, or low-maintenance entry tile.

If you have inspiration photos, include them, but note what you like about them. The layout, colour, tile size, grout contrast, niche detail, or overall mood may be more important than copying the exact room.

Photos: what to capture

Take wide photos from the doorway and from each corner if possible. For backsplashes, include the full counter run, range wall, sink wall, outlet locations, window trim, open shelves, cabinets, and where tile should stop. For floors, include thresholds, stairs, baseboards, appliances, vents, and adjoining flooring.

For showers and bathrooms, include the full shower, floor, curb, drain, niche, bench, valve wall, shower head, glass or curtain area, tub edge, ceiling height, and any water stains. If there is a room below the bathroom with staining, include that too.

Closeups help with risk. Photograph cracked grout, loose tile, dark joints, soft drywall, uneven corners, old adhesive, plumbing penetrations, and any area that worries you. These details help separate simple tile installation from repair, prep, or waterproofing work.

Measurements: rough is fine at first

Early measurements do not have to be perfect. A backsplash can start with length and height. A floor can start with room width and length. A shower can start with wall dimensions, curb length, ceiling height, and floor size.

Also note anything that changes the surface: windows, niches, outlets, benches, sloped ceilings, pony walls, bulkheads, stairs, doorways, heat vents, cabinet ends, and floor transitions. These details affect cuts and layout more than square footage alone suggests.

Formal measuring can happen later. The first project message just needs enough information to understand scale and complexity before the project is scheduled.

Tile details: size, material, pattern, and grout

If you already have tile, include the size, material, brand or series, finish, edge type, and quantity. A 3-by-12 ceramic subway tile, 2-inch mosaic, 24-by-48 porcelain panel, handmade-look square, glass mosaic, and natural stone tile all require different planning.

Pattern matters. Straight lay, stacked, offset, herringbone, diagonal, checkerboard, picture-frame border, and bookmatched or directional tile all change layout and waste allowance. If the pattern is undecided, say so before the quote is finalized.

Grout colour and joint width can be decided later, but it helps to know whether you want a quiet matched grout or a visible contrast. The grout decision affects the finished look as much as many homeowners expect the tile to.

Scope: what work should the project include?

Be clear about whether the project should include demolition, disposal, surface prep, waterproofing, underlayment, levelling, heated floor mat placement, tile installation, grout, silicone, trim, thresholds, and final cleanup. If another contractor is handling part of the work, explain where Moonka's scope begins and ends.

For a shower tile installation, scope should include waterproofing and tile prep details. For floor tile installation, scope should explain subfloor condition, transitions, underlayment, and access. For a backsplash, scope should identify outlet cuts, edges, and where tile stops.

If the project includes a heated floor, note the room size, thermostat location if known, and whether electrical coordination is already planned.

Timeline, access, and decision readiness

Include your ideal start date, hard deadlines, and whether materials are already on site. If the bathroom is the only bathroom in the home, or the entry is the main access point, mention that early so the schedule can be planned realistically.

Decision readiness also affects timeline. Tile, grout, trim, drains, niches, thresholds, and pattern direction should not all be open questions on installation day. The more decisions are settled before work starts, the cleaner the schedule becomes.

If you are still comparing options, that is fine. Say what is undecided. A good project conversation can help narrow the tile type, installation approach, and prep requirements before you commit.

Send project details that get a useful answer

The best project messages are specific without trying to solve every technical detail. Send photos, measurements, tile information, scope, city, timeline, and concerns. Then let the installer ask targeted follow-up questions.

A short message like 'tile my bathroom' leaves too much unknown. A better request says: 'Waterloo ensuite, removing old shower tile, want large-format porcelain walls and mosaic floor, possible niche, photos attached, hoping for late summer, no tile purchased yet.'

Moonka Tiles Co. installs premium residential tile across Waterloo Region. Send your tile project details here.