What Are the Average Sizes of Wall Tile?

Standard Shower/Tub Tile

• One of the most popular types of wall tile seen in commercial and residential projects around the world is the 4 1/4-inch-square tile. It can be seen in bathrooms more than anywhere else, especially with tract homes' bathtub/shower pans. The 4 1/4-inch tiles are stacked up the wall on top of the tub/shower for a quick, clean and easy installation that adds beauty and protection while costing as little as possible.
  
  

Standard Wall Tile

• The standard size for wall tiles outside of 4 1/4-inchers is the 12-inch tile, which has become the flagship for “standard” when it comes to man-made tiles and natural stone tiles. It can be ceramic, porcelain, glass, cork, travertine, marble, granite, slate and beyond, depending on your preference. It can be used in any setting and the tile can be installed in various patterns.
  
  

Designer Homes

• Designer homes tend to use large-bodied tiles as a way to stand apart from the average, standard installations that utilize the 4 1/4-inch and 12-inch tiles. In most designer homes, you will see customized natural stone tiles and large-bodied ceramics that are 14, 16 and 18 inches square. A common theme is for the bottom half of a shower, for example, to be 18-inch material on a diagonal, with 12-inch material in a straight-lay for the upper half.
  
  

Options

• There are nearly limitless options when it comes to dealing with tile. As such, there are no true averages in sizes for wall tile because there are hundreds of sizes that vary in face size as well as thickness. While 12-inch and 4 1/4-inch tiles are the most common used in most residential settings, the modern era has allowed for machine-tooled tiles that can be any shape or size depending on what you are looking for.