Tile Installation
Tile that lines up, holds up, and finishes cleanly.
We install tile from the first dry layout through the finished grout and trim. Your backsplash, shower, or fireplace gets attention to the details that shape the room.
Tile Installation
We install tile in residential and commercial applications.
Kitchens, showers, fireplaces, floors, feature walls, patios, and specialty tile work each require different layout, grout, trim, and preparation decisions.
Kitchens & backsplashes
Backsplashes, range walls, and kitchen floors, with attention to how tile meets the cabinets and appliances.
Bathrooms & showers
Shower walls and floors, including niches and benches. Tile can continue onto the vanity wall to complete the room.
Fireplaces & feature walls
Feature walls, hearths, surrounds, and tile fields where pattern and edge alignment set the finished look.
Floors, stairs & interior tile
Floors, entries, and stair landings, including transitions to walls and adjoining finishes.
Outdoor & specialty tile
Patios, pools, and fountains, along with specialty exterior work that has its own preparation needs.
Materials
Tile materials, sourced and installed for the details in front of you.
We install the tile materials listed below and can work with suppliers in the United States and internationally.
Ceramic, porcelain & handmade
- Ceramic tile
- Porcelain tile
- Handmade tile
- Handpainted tile
Stone, glass, brick & cement
- Natural stone tile
- Glass tile
- Brick
- Cement tile
Mosaic, large-format & specialty
- Mosaic tile
- Large-format tile
- Specialty tile
- Custom tile products
How we work
Five milestones from tile selection to final walk-through.
Your project manager carries the drawings and layout through estimating and scheduling, then coordinates the final review.
01
Review drawings, samples, and tile selection
Send elevations, tile samples, cabinet and fixture selections, and the layout or pattern under consideration.
02
Plan layout, trim, and material procurement
We review your pattern, grout lines, and trim, including where tile stops or turns. Transitions and fixtures help define which materials need to be ordered.
03
Confirm scope and estimate
The estimate identifies the tile area, preparation questions, cuts, trim, and trade handoffs.
04
Schedule the installation
The project manager coordinates room readiness, tile setting, and the work of adjacent trades.
05
Review the completed work
Walk the finished room with us to review grout lines, trim, and transitions. We review the final clean-up too.
Inside the work
See Fireclay Tile and Fox Marble installation in action.
Transcript
Watch with audio description (opens in a new tab)
Includes synthetic narration of visual details. Download captions for this version.
Transcript
[00:00.000] [Celeste] Hi, I'm Celeste, and this is my husband,
[00:02.460] Casey, and we're huge Fireclay fans.
[00:04.600] Fireclay Tile is part of our first major
[00:08.020] home renovation. The process working with
[00:10.000] Fireclay was absolutely wonderful from
[00:12.000] start to finish. We went to the showroom
[00:14.040] in San Francisco to pick our tile, took
[00:16.000] it home, picked it out, went back to the
[00:18.340] showroom and said, "We need help installing
[00:20.380] it." We had a call within one day, and
[00:23.360] we were booked within two weeks. The
[00:25.700] experience was unlike any that we had with
[00:28.220] any other contractor. My perfectionism
[00:31.020] didn't even have to come out because they
[00:32.940] were the ones preempting all of our questions, and you could tell that they
[00:36.320] really take pride in their work. It's a
[00:38.840] work of art and craft for them. My name's
[00:41.400] [Martin Brookes] Martin Brookes, and I'm the Director of
[00:43.700] Installation at Fireclay Tile. What makes
[00:46.280] Fireclay truly special is that we're both
[00:48.540] a tile manufacturer and an award-winning
[00:50.900] installer. We're dedicated to our craft,
[00:53.580] and we care deeply about getting every
[00:56.180] detail right. Fireclay helps guide our
[00:59.060] clients through their full tile journey,
[01:02.260] from design assistance and realistic room
[01:04.980] renderings to ordering tile and scheduling
[01:07.960] your installation. We're here to make it
[01:10.320] as easy and enjoyable for you as possible.
[01:13.260] When you order and install with Fireclay,
[01:15.680] you can expect nothing but the very best.
[01:18.600] [Celeste] Hiring Fireclay was the best decision for us.
[01:20.860] I dare say it may have saved our marriage.
Visual alternative
[00:00] Celeste and Casey stand together in their kitchen. Their names appear on screen. They make coffee, and close views show glossy dark green tile with light grout in a shower.
[00:13] In the showroom, Celeste discusses tile samples with a staff member. The wall reads, Your vision is our mission. Later, she examines tile joints with a pencil. Close-ups show the completed shower, its recessed niche and brass-colored fixtures.
[00:41] Martin Brookes stands beside a Fireclay Tile truck, then speaks inside the showroom. His title reads, Director of Installation, Fireclay Tile. Installation footage shows mixing material in a bucket, cutting tile with a saw and setting small blue tiles against a wall.
[01:00] A staff member and Celeste review samples and drawings. A photograph shows a finished light-colored tiled kitchen. The video returns to Martin, then to Celeste and Casey.
[01:24] The closing card shows the Fireclay Tile logo. It reads, Book Your Free Consultation With Our Five-Star Installation Experts. The displayed address is www dot fireclaytile dot com slash installation.
The details behind the tile
We plan the installation before setting tile.
We coordinate the pattern and cuts with the room around them. Substrate preparation and adjoining finishes are part of the plan.
NTCA Five-Star standard
We are the Bay Area’s only NTCA Five-Star Contractor. Our documented standards cover installation and safety. Training and customer service are part of those standards.
Layout before setting
We review dry lays, control lines, and grout joints before setting tile. Trim and fixtures need to fit, including at niches and stop points.
Our own installers
Our tile installers are W-2 employees who are background checked, trained, and certified.
Trade coordination
Project managers coordinate preparation, cabinet and fixture interfaces, waterproofing questions, and the work of adjacent trades.
Check your project ZIP.
From our tile clients.
“The team at Fox Marble provided so much care and thought to the tile work that it became a piece of art!”
“Unique old world tile, expertly delivered and installed, feels like it has been present for decades. Couldn't be more pleased.”
“Your team was really excellent. So good at communicating and helping our DIY household figure out the details and just really pleasant to have around the house while they were on the job.”
Inspiration
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Tile installation FAQs
Your tile installation questions.
Your tile selection and room dimensions help frame the work. These answers cover details worth considering before installation.
What kinds of tile do you install, and where?
We install tile in kitchens, backsplashes, and bathrooms, including showers. Floors, fireplaces, and feature walls are part of our work. We install stairs and exterior areas too, with specialty applications reviewed for the project. Our materials include ceramic and porcelain, with handmade or handpainted tile. We work with natural stone tile, glass, and brick, as well as cement, mosaics, and large-format tile. Specialty products need their own review.
A handmade backsplash and a large-format shower pose different questions. Glass mosaic, exterior stairs, and brick fireplaces also require attention to the product and its location. Layout, preparation, and cutting can vary, as can movement and finish details. Tell us both the product and intended use so we can confirm the project path.
What should be decided before tile installation starts?
Tile selection and quantities need to be settled with the pattern and orientation. Grout color and joint direction affect the result. So do trim or finished edges, thresholds, and transitions. The layout needs clear start and stop points. In wet areas, niches, benches, and drains must fit the layout. Curbs and valves need to be located within it. Glass and other penetrations also need coordination before installation.
The written scope should identify who handles substrate preparation and waterproofing. Setting materials, movement joints, and protection need named owners. Work by adjacent trades should be accounted for. These responsibilities are specific to your project.
Why do substrate condition and waterproofing matter?
Tile follows the surface beneath it. Flatness, level, and cracks matter, as do deflection, moisture exposure, and wall alignment. Changes between materials can affect the layout and finished planes. Those conditions determine preparation and whether the intended detail is feasible. In wet areas, the waterproofing assembly and its penetrations must be understood before tile covers them.
A photo cannot establish that a substrate or waterproofing system is ready. We review the actual project conditions and confirm the installation scope; technical responsibility, correction work, and acceptance criteria need to be defined for that job.
How do you plan the layout around niches, windows, cabinets, and fixtures?
We consider the layout across the room. Focal lines, centered conditions, and repeated cuts influence the pattern. Grout alignment and corners need attention, as do niches and windows. Valves, drains, and cabinetry affect where the tile lands. Trim and stop points should work with transitions to adjoining finishes.
Provide elevations or marked-up photos when a particular alignment matters. If several details compete, identify the visual priority so the team can review the tradeoff before tile is set and the cuts become permanent.
Tell us about the tile work.
Tell us the essentials and Fox will route the request to the right team.