Atlanta’s tile retail market provides homeowners, designers, architects, and contractors access to an extensive range of ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass, and specialty tile products through showrooms spanning locally owned independents, regional chains, and national distributor showrooms. The metro’s highly active residential renovation market, continuous new home construction in the northern and eastern suburbs, and significant commercial development across hospitality, multifamily, and retail sectors generate consistent tile retail demand across all product categories and price points. Atlanta tile showrooms function as both product retail destinations and design resources, with many offering free design consultation services that help clients navigate the increasingly broad range of tile formats, materials, finishes, and applications available in the contemporary tile market. The tile selection process for renovation projects involves coordinating tile choices with cabinetry, countertops, plumbing fixtures, and other fixed finish elements, making the showroom experience and design assistance a meaningful component of the Atlanta tile purchasing process.
No specific retail licensing applies to tile stores in Georgia, but tile retailers that provide installation services must comply with the state’s contractor registration requirements for installation projects above $2,500. When visiting Atlanta tile showrooms, ask about the store’s design consultation services, sample availability for in-home evaluation, and whether installation services are offered or can be coordinated. Red flags include showrooms that cannot produce samples for in-home evaluation, those with staff who cannot explain tile performance characteristics for specific applications (wet areas, high-traffic floors, exterior use), or retailers that cannot clearly separate product cost from installation cost in their written proposals.
Top Tile Store Companies in Atlanta
1. Traditions in Tile and Stone
Address: 1015 Chattahoochee Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: (404) 239-9186
Website: https://www.traditionsintile.com
Founded: 1936
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm
Service Area: Atlanta metro and Southeast
Services:
- Ceramic and porcelain tile
- Natural stone tile
- Glass tile
- Mosaic and decorative tile
- Free in-showroom design consultation by degreed interior designers
- Multiple showroom locations including Alpharetta
About: Traditions in Tile and Stone was founded in 1936 and has operated as a family-owned tile specialty retailer for nearly nine decades, now in its third generation of family ownership. The company’s founding nearly 90 years ago places it among Atlanta’s longest-established specialty retail businesses, and the third-generation family continuity reflects the kind of institutional product knowledge and client relationship depth that only decades of operation can produce. The showroom at Chattahoochee Avenue in northwest Atlanta offers free design consultation services provided by interior designers with design degrees, a service level that distinguishes Traditions from tile retailers without dedicated design staff. The company has been recognized as the best tile store in the Atlanta area and has served residential and commercial tile clients across the South from its multi-location Georgia presence.
2. MSI Surfaces Atlanta
Website: https://www.msisurfaces.com/atlanta-countertop-showroom-distribution
Service Area: Atlanta metro area
Services:
- Porcelain and ceramic tile
- Natural stone tile
- Mosaic and backsplash tile
- Wall tile
- Luxury vinyl tile
- Countertop slabs
- Hardscaping products
- Trade and contractor programs
About: MSI Surfaces operates one of Atlanta’s largest tile and surface showrooms, combining a state-of-the-art tile and flooring showroom, distribution center, slab selection showroom, and hardscaping showroom in a single Atlanta location that serves both retail clients and trade professionals. The company’s distribution function gives it access to an unusually large inventory of tile products available for immediate fulfillment, a significant operational advantage over showroom-only retailers who depend on factory or distributor lead times. MSI’s claim of the largest selection of tile, flooring, and surface products in the Atlanta metropolitan area reflects the company’s scale as a national tile and surface distributor with Atlanta showroom and distribution operations. Trade programs serving contractors, designers, and builders are a core business segment, making MSI a relevant resource for both individual homeowners and the professional trade market.
3. Specialty Tile Products
Website: https://www.specialtytile.com
Service Area: Atlanta metro area
Services:
- Porcelain and ceramic tile
- Natural stone
- Glass and specialty tile
- Tile setting materials and accessories
- Commercial and residential tile
- Trade and distributor programs
About: Specialty Tile Products operates as a premier tile distributor with an Atlanta showroom serving both commercial and residential construction tile needs from an inventory of over 800,000 square feet of tile and 1,000 setting material SKUs representing 150 vendors. The company’s distributor scale, with multiple showrooms and distribution warehouses, provides product access and inventory depth that smaller showroom-only tile retailers cannot match. The 1,000 setting material SKUs are a distinctive capability: professional tile installation requires the right adhesive mortars, membranes, grout, and accessories for each specific tile and substrate combination, and a distributor stocking 1,000 setting material products can supply the correct system for virtually any tile application. STP’s combination of extensive product range and setting material expertise makes it a resource for tile installers, contractors, and architects alongside direct retail clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What tile formats are most popular for Atlanta bathroom and kitchen renovations?
A: Large-format porcelain tile has become the dominant choice for Atlanta bathroom floor and wall installations, with 12×24, 24×24, and 24×48 formats popular in contemporary bathroom designs where larger tiles create the visual of more space and fewer grout lines. For kitchen backsplash, subway tile in both the classic 3×6 ceramic format and elongated or handmade variations remains popular across all price points, with zellige-style tile and large-format slab backsplash tiles growing in higher-end applications. Natural stone continues in demand for master bath floors and shower walls in Atlanta’s luxury renovation market, with marble, travertine, and quartzite popular material choices. Wood-look porcelain plank tile has become popular for bathroom floors where the warmth of wood is desired without the moisture sensitivity of actual hardwood.
Q: How do I budget for a tile project in Atlanta?
A: Material costs for tile vary from $2 to $5 per square foot for standard ceramic tile to $10 to $30 per square foot for designer porcelain and $20 to $60 per square foot for natural stone, before installation labor. In addition to tile material, budget for setting materials (thinset, grout, waterproofing membrane, and accessories) which typically add $2 to $5 per square foot, plus installation labor which typically runs $8 to $20 per square foot for standard tile and higher for natural stone, complex patterns, and large formats. For a standard 50-square-foot bathroom floor and 80-square-foot shower surround project, total installed cost in Atlanta typically ranges from $4,000 to $12,000 depending on tile selection and installation complexity. Always purchase 10 to 15 percent more tile than the measured quantity to account for cuts, waste, and future replacement needs.
Q: What is the difference between porcelain and ceramic tile for Atlanta applications?
A: Porcelain tile is denser, less porous, and harder than ceramic tile, making it more appropriate for high-traffic floors, exterior applications, and wet areas where moisture resistance is important. Porcelain’s lower porosity makes it resistant to staining, freeze-thaw damage, and moisture penetration that can affect ceramic tile in exposed applications. Ceramic tile is more workable and easier to cut than dense porcelain, and it is typically less expensive, making it appropriate for wall applications and lower-traffic areas where the performance advantages of porcelain are less critical. Both materials perform well in Atlanta’s climate when properly installed; the choice between them is driven by application requirements, aesthetic selection (porcelain increasingly offers through-body color and realistic stone visuals), and budget. Natural stone offers visual and tactile qualities that neither porcelain nor ceramic can fully replicate but requires more maintenance and sealing to manage in Atlanta’s wet climate.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s tile retail market includes showrooms with remarkable histories and product depth capable of serving residential and commercial tile projects across all categories and price points. Traditions in Tile and Stone brings nearly 90 years of family ownership and third-generation expertise to Atlanta’s tile market, with free design consultation from degreed interior designers at multiple metro locations. MSI Surfaces operates one of Atlanta’s largest tile and surface showrooms with distribution-scale inventory that supports both retail clients and the professional trade market. Specialty Tile Products provides distributor-level tile selection with 800,000 square feet of inventory and 1,000 setting material SKUs for clients seeking comprehensive product sourcing under one roof. Visiting any of these showrooms with project measurements and finish material samples is the recommended starting point.