Who This Checklist is For
If you're a general contractor, a custom home builder, or a GC handling a full build, this is for you. Specifically, if you're knee-deep in a new construction or a major renovation in Florida, trying to figure out the "florida tile" puzzle—from the roof tile to the pool deck to the master bathroom floor. This checklist is the direct result of me screwing up, repeatedly.
I handle tile orders for a build and design firm. In my first year, I made nearly every classic rookie error. In 2022, one mistake cost us $3,200 in wasted material plus a 2-week delay because we had to wait for a re-order. Now I maintain our team's pre-order checklist. This article is that checklist, broken down into 7 steps.
Step 1: Nailing the 'White Top' and Core Color Palette First
This is the biggest and most common mistake. You'll get excited about a beautiful tile for the floor or backsplash. Don't. Before you even look at tile, lock down your three largest visual surfaces: the roof, the countertops, and the floor (or in some cases, a very large backsplash). For us, the "white top"—the primary countertop color—is the anchor.
Here's what we do now: Get a physical sample of the countertop material. It doesn't matter if it's quartz, granite, or a solid surface. Put it on the job site table. This is your color master. All tile selections must 'pass' against this sample. We learned this the hard way when a slab looked "white" in the showroom but under Florida's intense sun it had a distinct blue undertone. Every beige tile we paired with it looked terrible.
Everything I'd read said designers just "coordinate" colors. In practice, I found that having a physical master sample and rejecting any tile that doesn't visually match it under natural Florida light is the only reliable method. The conventional wisdom is to rely on color chips. My experience with over 200 orders suggests that lighting is actually the biggest variable, not the paint chip.
Step 2: The 'Wine Glass' Test for Color Consistency
Here's a trick we started using after a complete disaster. We were installing a beautiful porcelain tile for a high-end kitchen. The client loved the sample. We ordered hundreds of square feet. When the tile arrived, about 15% of the boxes had a subtle color variation that was invisible under the warehouse lights but became obvious under the kitchen pendant lights. It was a total nightmare.
Now, before we place a large order, we do a test I call the "wine glass." We ask the supplier to provide full-size tiles from at least three different production runs or dye lots. Then we place them on the floor and look at them under different light conditions: direct sunlight (the worst in Florida), shaded natural light, and typical LED pot lights. But the win is using a standard wine glass (stemless works best) or a clear drinking glass. Look through the glass at the tile. The glass acts as a magnifier for slight color variations and polish differences. If the tiles don't look like a perfect match through the glass, they'll be visible on the floor. This simple test has saved us dozens of potential returns.
Step 3: The Florida Roof Tile Reality Check
This is a category where you see a ton of conflicting information. "Tile roofs in Florida last forever" vs. "they're heavy and crack." The truth? It's not one-size-fits-all. A concrete S-tile is a different beast than a clay barrel tile, and a flat slate look-alike is something else entirely. The key here isn't just material, but the learning curve for your roofing crew and the local climate.
My biggest mistake here was in 2021. We decided to switch to a high-end clay tile for a project. I read the manufacturer specs, thought it was fine, and ordered. The tile itself was beautiful. The problem was our subcontracted roofing crew had never installed it. They were pros with concrete tile, but the attachment system for this specific profile was different. The first major storm we had, we got a leak call. It took three repair visits to fix the issue. The mistake wasn't the tile—it was assuming all "tile roof" installations are the same. Now, our checklist for roof tile includes a mandatory walkthrough with the installer and a mock-up of the first course before we approve the full order.
Step 4: The 'Total Cost' Math for Roof Tile
Everyone asks, "How much does it cost to build a house?" In Florida, a major portion of that is the roof. But a cheap tile quote can be incredibly expensive. I learned this the hard way when I went with a low bid for a concrete roof tile. The tile was fine, but the company had no presence in our area. The delivery was late (2 weeks), the shipping damage was 10% (which I had to cover), and the field color variation was so bad the builder rejected it. All in, it cost more than a more expensive local supplier would have because of speed and waste.
Our checklist now requires three things from any big tile supplier (especially for roof tile or large format floor tile):
1. A written lead time guarantee with penalties for lateness.
2. A published or agreed-upon damage allowance policy (we now target 3% from established suppliers, not the industry standard 5-10%).
3. A local reference for a similar-sized project.
Step 5: Matching the 'Wine Glass' to the 'White Top' (And Everything Else)
Step 5 is where we connect the dots. You have your countertop sample (the anchor). You've used the wine glass test to ensure your main floor tile is perfectly consistent. Now you have to coordinate the shower floor, the accent backsplash, and the trim (like Schluter profiles). This is usually where things fall apart.
I used to just order a list of items. Now I create a physical "color board" of every tile and finish. I take the countertop sample, the primary floor tile, the backsplash tile, the shower floor tile (which is often a different size), and the metal trim (Schluter in silver, bronze, or black). I place them all on a table under a 3000K light (mimicking typical interior lighting) and a 5000K light (mimicking Florida daylight). I leave them for 24 hours.
After the third rejection in Q1 2024, I created our pre-check list for this exact step. The mistake I see all the time is ordering a beautiful large-format tile on the floor and a tiny square mosaic for the shower floor without checking that the undertones are compatible. A speckled gray mosaic might look neutral, but placed next to a beige floor tile with a pink undertone, the mismatch is awful.
Step 6: The 'Dust-Free' Removal & Resurfacing Pre-Order Check
This is a specific Florida scenario. If you're doing a tear-out and replacement—say, removing old tile to resurface a pool deck or a shower—you need to factor in the demolition debris and the resurfacing product. The cost isn't just the new tile. The cost includes how the old tile comes out.
We had a project in Fort Myers where we bid to replace a small, mosaic-tile pool deck. The tile was beautiful. But removing the existing tile was a nightmare. It was set in a very hard, modern thinset. We had to use a chipping hammer for two days. The "dust-free" removal our competitor promised? In reality, it wasn't dust-free, just less dusty. The point is, if you're ordering a specialty tile for a resurface job, check the substrate condition first. Our checklist now includes a line item for a mock-up removal section to confirm the method before we order the new tile.
Step 7: The 'I' and 'We' Check for Every Order
This is the final, catch-all step. It's the most boring but the most important. Before any order for tile, roof tile, or shower doors goes through our office, a second person (usually the project manager) has to audit the order. They have to confirm:
- The quantities are correct. Not just square footage, but the actual number of pieces for patterns. A 12x24 tile has a different coverage than a 18x18. Don't assume the software is right.
- The color names match the physical samples. We had an order for "Ainslee Park" that the client saw online but the physical sample was a completely different shade. Always double-check the label on the box against the sample.
- Shipping address is a jobsite, not a warehouse. This sounds stupid, but we once had a $7,000 order of Malibu White tile delivered to our office because the salesperson changed the address without telling us.
So glad I instituted this rule after a $3,200 mistake. It's saved us from at least 5 major errors since then. Honestly, it's the single best thing we've done. The entire process is automated, but this human double-check is non-negotiable.
Final Notes & Warnings
Avoid the "cheapest" trap. As I've learned, a cheap order of tile can become an expensive problem because of delays, damage, and color variation. I'm not saying you need the priciest tile, but you need a supplier who is reliable and local or has a strong distribution network in Florida.
Don't assume all Florida tile suppliers are the same. We've had great experiences with local showrooms that carry things like Ainslee Park, but terrible ones trying to order Schluter trim through a national big box that had no idea what a standard profile was. Partner with a specialist who knows the Florida market.
Watch for calendar surprises. I once ordered a popular porcelain tile in October for a December build. The supplier said it was in stock. It was in stock in their Georgia warehouse, not Miami. It took two weeks to get to our jobsite. Add two weeks of buffer to every order.
The check-list is your friend. It's not about perfection, it's about consistency. I've personally made and documented 37 significant mistakes totaling roughly $18,000 in wasted budget. Now our team's checklist prevents others from repeating my errors. Use this one. Adapt it. But for the love of good construction, don't assume you'll remember. Write it down.
