Tile formats: which size for which room
The format of a tile has a greater impact on how a room is perceived than its colour: it determines the number of grout lines, the scale of the floor and the difficulty of installation. Here I have gathered the benchmarks I use during the materials selection stage, format by format, with installation constraints and indicative 2026 prices observed in Morocco. The aim is simple: decide the setting-out plan before placing the order, not after.
What the format really changes in a room
When a client shows me a sample, my first question is not about the shade but about the size. The same beige porcelain stoneware in 30x60 and in 120x120 does not create the same space: the first breaks the floor into a visible grid, the second smooths it out and pushes the walls back.
Four effects combine:
- The number of grout lines. A 60x60 tile generates roughly 3.3 linear metres of grout per square metre; a 10x10 generates close to 20. More grout means more visible lines and more maintenance.
- The perceived scale. A large format visually enlarges a small room because it reduces the number of repetitions in the field of vision. This holds true up to a tipping point: in a 3 m² shower room, a 120x120 tile produces nothing but cuts.
- The laying direction. A rectangular format laid lengthways stretches a corridor; laid crossways, it widens it. The same tile, two opposite effects.
- The demands on the substrate. The larger and more rigid the tile, the less it tolerates an uneven substrate. The format cannot be chosen independently of the condition of the slab.
So I always approach this subject in the same sequence: actual room dimensions, condition of the substrate, desired effect, then format. In my interior architecture projects in Casablanca, this choice is settled on a setting-out drawing, not in a showroom.
Format by format: effect, rooms, constraints, extra cost
The extra costs shown are expressed relative to a standard 60x60 installation, the most common reference on the Moroccan market. These are 2026 orders of magnitude, to be confirmed with the supplier and the tiler.
| Format | Visual effect | Suitable rooms | Installation constraint | Extra installation cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30x60 | Readable grid, plank or brick effect depending on direction | Bathrooms, utility rooms, shower walls, small corridors | Easy to lay, offset must be controlled to avoid lippage | Baseline to slightly above |
| 60x60 | Neutral, discreet, an all-purpose format | Living rooms, bedrooms, circulation areas, offices | Standard, tolerates a moderately flat substrate | Baseline |
| 80x80 | Calmer floor, more widely spaced joints | Living rooms, halls, large bedrooms, reception areas | Substrate to be checked with a 2 m straight edge, back-buttering advised | +15 to 30 % |
| 120x60 | Directional: lengthens or widens depending on the direction | Corridors, narrow living rooms, bathrooms of 6 m² and up | Laying direction to be decided on plan, levelling clips useful | +20 to 40 % |
| 120x120 | Almost continuous floor, stone slab effect | Living rooms, entrance halls, covered patios, showrooms | Flat substrate required, suction cups and two tilers, cutting with a wet saw | +40 to 70 % |
| XXL (160x320 and similar) | Monolithic effect, virtually no joints | Large living rooms, vanity tops, splashbacks, wall cladding | Heavy handling, lifting frame, levelled substrate, costly offcuts | +70 to 150 % |
| 10x10 | Dense grid, crafted look, zellige feel | Kitchen splashbacks, sloped bathroom floors, stairs, terraces | Long installation time, string-line alignment, many joints | +50 to 100 % |
| Hexagon | Graphic pattern, defines a zone without a partition | Shower room floors, entrances, kitchen corners, niches | Complex perimeter cuts, setting-out plan essential | +50 to 90 % |
| Metro (approx. 7.5x15) | Horizontal rhythm, textured wall, retro reference | Splashbacks, shower walls, WC wall tiling | Meticulous wall installation, even joints, careful corner finishing | +40 to 80 % |
Two readings emerge: mid-range formats (60x60, 30x60, 80x80) are the most economical and the most forgiving; very large and very small tiles cost mainly in labour, not only in supply.
Which format for which room
The format has to match the actual floor area, the humidity level and the traffic. Here are the trade-offs I most often apply in the homes and commercial spaces I design in Casablanca and Rabat.
| Room | Recommended formats | Avoid | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom of 3 to 5 m² | 30x60, 60x60, hexagon | 120x120 and XXL | Fall towards the drain, minimum slip resistance |
| Bathroom of 6 m² and up | 120x60, 80x80, large format on walls | Mosaic across the whole floor | Walk-in shower: small format or a slab with a cut-out in the sloped area |
| Kitchen | 60x60 on the floor, 10x10 or metro as a splashback | Non-rectified tiles with wide joints | Light grout stains quickly in front of the hob |
| Living and reception rooms | 80x80, 120x60, 120x120 | Small repetitive formats | Continuity with the terrace to enlarge the space |
| Bedrooms | 60x60, 120x60 wood effect | Overly glossy formats | Lay parallel to the direction of the light |
| Corridor and entrance | 120x60, hexagon as a rug motif | Tiles with fragile edges | Lay lengthways to stretch the space |
| Terrace and outdoors | 60x60 or 40x40 anti-slip, 10x10 on curves | Large polished formats | Slip-resistance rating and frost resistance at altitude |
| Offices and reception areas | 60x60 technical, 120x120 in the hall | Formats with many joints in rolling-traffic areas | Heavy traffic: opt for full-body porcelain |
For commercial premises the logic changes: how easily a broken tile can be replaced matters as much as the aesthetics. This is a point I always raise in office fit-outs in Casablanca, where we always keep a reserve of tiles from the same firing batch.
Substrate, flatness and joints: what the format demands on site
A large format is never just a purchase: it is a commitment to the quality of the substrate. On an uneven floor, a 120x120 slab shows up immediately, through a broken reflection or a protruding edge. The correction then has to be made with a levelling compound, an item many quotes leave out.
| Format | Substrate | Technique | Indicative minimum joint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 60x60 | Sound screed, checked with a straight edge | Single-sided adhesive, medium notched trowel | 2 mm |
| 80x80 to 120x60 | Careful flatness, spot levelling | Back-buttering, self-levelling tile clips | 2 to 3 mm |
| 120x120 | General levelling compound recommended | Back-buttering, suction cups, two tilers | 3 mm |
| XXL | Levelled and dry substrate, no high spots | Handling frame, flexible adhesive, workshop cutting | 3 mm and above |
| Small formats | Even substrate, controlled falls | String-line laying, high labour time | 2 mm, often more |
Three useful clarifications:
- There is no such thing as a zero joint. Even with rectified tiles, some play is needed to absorb dimensional tolerances and movement in the substrate.
- Movement joints remain mandatory over large areas and at doorways, whatever the format.
- The grout colour changes the effect more than expected: a contrasting grout redraws the grid and cancels the sense of continuity you were seeking with a large format.
If the project affects the structure, an extension or an additional storey, tiling becomes a detail within a much wider file: the permit application goes through the Rokhas platform and requires an architect registered with the Ordre National des Architectes under law 016-89. I set out this procedure in my guide to the building permit in Morocco.
The setting-out plan is decided before you buy
This is the rule I repeat most often: never order a format without having drawn out how it will be distributed. A 120x120 tile in a room 3.40 m wide leaves a 100 cm strip, which is acceptable. In a room 3.70 m wide, the same slab leaves a 10 cm strip against the wall, which looks like a mistake.
- Take actual measurements with a laser, room by room, including non-parallel walls. The plan dimensions are not enough once the render is on.
- Choose the starting point: the line of sight from the entrance, the centre line of the room, or alignment with a threshold. Never a random corner.
- Check the perimeter cuts. I apply a simple rule: no cut smaller than one third of a tile along a visible wall.
- Fix the laying direction for rectangular tiles, taking into account raking light, which reveals defects.
- Calculate the quantity with an allowance for waste: around 8 to 10 % for straight laying, 12 to 15 % for diagonal, hexagon or large formats.
- Order from a single production batch, and keep a reserve for future repairs.
On a new build, this work is integrated into the drawing package: I handle it at the same time as threshold levels and drainage, as explained in my guide to the villa plan in Morocco.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing the format in a showroom, on a vertical display. A tile seen upright under directional lighting has nothing in common with 30 m² on the floor in natural light. Always ask for a sample and lay it flat in the room, at different times of day.
- Using XXL tiles on an unprepared substrate. The tile is perfect, the installation is not, and the defect is permanent. The levelling budget must come before the tiling budget.
- Using too many formats in the same home. Beyond two or three families of format, the space becomes visually confused and threshold junctions get complicated.
- Forgetting slip resistance. A superb polished large format becomes dangerous in a bathroom or around a pool. The slip rating is not a marketing detail.
- Underestimating grout maintenance. A 10x10 floor with light grout in a family kitchen gets dirty fast. Choose a darker grout or a larger format.
- Ordering at the last minute. Some large-format references are made to order, with lead times that push back the end of the works.
- Letting the tiler decide the setting-out. He will go for the quickest option, which is understandable, but rarely the best visually.
Indicative prices observed in 2026
The ranges below apply to standard porcelain stoneware sold in Morocco, excluding handmade zellige and natural stone. They are indicative, depend heavily on quality, thickness and whether the tile is rectified or not, and must be confirmed by a supplier quote. Amounts are in MAD (Moroccan dirhams). Installation is given excluding levelling, skirtings and preparatory works.
| Format | Supply (MAD/m²) | Installation (MAD/m²) | Indicative total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30x60 | 70 to 180 | 70 to 130 | 140 to 310 |
| 60x60 | 90 to 250 | 70 to 130 | 160 to 380 |
| 80x80 | 130 to 320 | 90 to 160 | 220 to 480 |
| 120x60 | 150 to 380 | 100 to 180 | 250 to 560 |
| 120x120 | 250 to 600 | 150 to 260 | 400 to 860 |
| XXL | From 400, highly variable | 250 to 450 | On quotation |
| Small formats and hexagon | 150 to 450 | 150 to 300 | 300 to 750 |
On a villa, the gap between an all-60x60 choice and a mixed large-format choice often runs into tens of thousands of dirhams. That is why I treat tiling as a budget trade-off line, alongside the structural and joinery items detailed in my guide to the cost of building a house in Morocco.
As for fees, the selection of materials is part of the design or interior architecture assignment: the benchmarks are published on my fees page, with an assessment at 1,500 to 2,500 MAD, a design and permit assignment at 15,000 to 40,000 MAD for a villa of 150 to 200 m², a full assignment at 8 to 12 % of the works value and an interior architecture assignment at 10 to 20 %. These are 2026 orders of magnitude, to be confirmed by quotation after we have discussed your project.
Describe your room and I will guide you on the format
The right format cannot be deduced from a trend: it follows from your dimensions, your substrate and how the room is actually used. With measurements, a photo of the existing floor and an indication of use, I can tell you which format will work and which will produce awkward cuts.
I work on construction and renovation projects as an architect in Casablanca and architect in Rabat, from initial assessment through to site supervision. If you are still unsure which kind of support you need, my guide architect or interior architect clarifies who does what, and the projects page shows the type of work carried out by the practice, including the My Laser centres in Casablanca and Tangier.
Write to me through the contact page or call +212 661 25 78 84. Further technical references are gathered in my guides, and my approach is set out on the about page.
What clients ask me most
Does a large format really make a small bathroom look bigger?
Yes, up to a point. Reducing the number of joints visually calms the room and pushes the walls back. But if the width of the room means cutting the slab to less than a third of its size, the benefit is lost. In a shower room of 3 to 4 m², I often stay with 60x60 or 30x60, keeping the large format for the walls.
Can large-format tiles be laid over existing tiling?
It is possible if the existing tiling is well bonded, clean and sufficiently flat, with a suitable bonding primer and a flexible adhesive. You need to check threshold and door heights, since you are adding around 1.5 to 2 cm. Above 80x80, I always have the flatness checked with a 2 m straight edge before approving this solution.
How much waste allowance should I order?
Around 8 to 10 % for straight laying in a regular room, 12 to 15 % for diagonal laying, hexagons or very large formats, where every cut generates a lot of waste. I always add a few extra square metres in reserve, from the same firing batch, to replace a broken tile several years later.
Are rectified tiles essential for large formats?
They are not compulsory, but they are highly desirable above 80x80 if you want a fine, even joint. A non-rectified tile requires a wider joint to absorb manufacturing tolerances, which works against the sense of continuity you are after.
Can the outdoor tiling match the living room floor?
The same appearance is possible, using two different references: an indoor version and an outdoor version that is anti-slip and thicker, often available in the same design. It is a good way of visually extending the living room onto the terrace while keeping the floor safe.
Who decides the setting-out on site?
In my assignments, it is fixed on a drawing before the order, approved with the client, then handed to the tiler with the starting point and the laying direction. Without that document, the setting-out is decided in a rush on the day of installation, and the perimeter cuts are endured rather than chosen.
Unsure which format to order?
Send me the room dimensions, a photo of the substrate and the intended use. I will tell you which formats will work, the laying direction and what needs to be prepared before you order. Contact: +212 661 25 78 84.
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