When 'Cheap' Tile Isn't Cheaper: A Procurement View on Marazzi and the Costs That Hide in Plain Sight

I've been tracking procurement costs for over six years now—mostly in commercial build-outs and light industrial spaces. Flooring always comes up. And every time, the conversation starts with the same question: "What's the price per square foot?"

That's the wrong question. Actually, it's not wrong—it's just incomplete. I've made that mistake myself. Early on, I approved a "budget-friendly" tile order that ended up costing us more per square foot than the premium option would have, once we accounted for breakage, off-cuts, and the installer's overtime on a tricky layout.

This isn't a review of Marazzi tile. I'm not an installer, and I don't have a chemistry lab to test glaze hardness. But I've sat through enough contractor calls, opened enough boxes, and compared enough line items to know where the money actually goes. Let me walk you through what I've learned, especially around products like Marazzi's Lume tile, showroom decisions, epoxy floor coating, and the less obvious costs that quietly eat a budget.

The Temptation of a Familiar Name

Marazzi has a solid reputation in porcelain and ceramic tile. When a designer on our team specified Marazzi Lume tile for a wall feature, I didn't object—the aesthetic was right, and the brand has been around long enough that the quality risk felt low.

But here's what I noticed: the same pattern kept showing up in our cost tracking system. We'd choose a mid-range product, pat ourselves on the back for staying under budget, and then watch the total cost balloon during installation. Not because the tile was bad. Because we underestimated everything around the tile.

From the outside, it looks like the cost of a flooring project is just material price plus labor. The reality is that tile quality affects installation speed, cutting waste, and the likelihood of callbacks. A tile that's slightly less consistent in size—even if it's cheaper per square foot—can add hours to the installer's work. That's not me guessing. That's what the time sheets showed.

The Lume Tile Example: Where the Money Really Goes

People assume that the listed price per square foot is the main cost driver. What they don't see is the cost of matching, cutting, and waste—especially with large-format tiles.

Marazzi Lume tile, for instance, has a distinctive look. That's the point. But distinctive means you need a layout plan before you order. If you just order a few extra boxes and let the installer figure it out, you'll end up with more waste than you planned.

In our case, the wall we were cladding had an awkward corner and an electrical outlet placement that didn't line up with the tile grid. The installer spent extra time measuring and cutting. Not a huge deal on a small wall—but scale that across a hotel lobby or a multi-unit residential building, and the labor overrun becomes real.

I'm not saying avoid Lume tile. I'm saying your budget should include a layout allowance. That's the hidden cost nobody quotes.

Marazzi Thailand Showroom on Sukhumvit 39: A Case Study in Brand Confidence

I'll be honest—I haven't visited the Marazzi Thailand showroom on Sukhumvit 39 personally. But a colleague in Bangkok went last year when we were sourcing materials for a small commercial project there. He told me something interesting: the showroom wasn't just a display space. It was a place for contractors and designers to feel the tile surfaces, see how light hits the finishes, and ask questions about installation details.

That matters from a procurement perspective. A showroom—especially one that's easy to access in a central location like Sukhumvit 39—reduces the risk of specifying the wrong thing. And in my experience, specifying the wrong thing is the most expensive mistake in any construction budget. It's not the tile price. It's the reorder cost, the schedule delay, and the tedious conversation about who pays for it.

If you're in Bangkok and considering Marazzi tile, visiting the showroom is a cost-saving move before you spend a single baht. Bring your plans, ask about lead times, and confirm which products are actually in stock versus special order. That last question has saved us from a four-week delay more than once.

Epoxy Floor Coating: The Same Thinking, Different Material

Now let me shift to epoxy floor coating, because the same cost logic applies—and people keep making the same mistake.

Epoxy is popular in garages, warehouses, and showrooms. It looks clean, it's durable, and the price can seem reasonable. But "seem" is the key word.

Here's what most buyers focus on: the cost per square foot for the coating material. That's the obvious number. The question they should ask is what the substrate preparation costs. If the concrete has cracks, moisture issues, or old coatings, the prep work can easily double the total cost.

I've seen this happen on a project that shall remain unnamed. The epoxy coating quote came in at $3 per square foot—a great deal. But the floor needed diamond grinding, crack filling, and a moisture barrier. The final cost was closer to $7.50 per square foot. Nobody had budgeted for that. The "great deal" became a budget overrun.

Total cost of ownership includes the base price, the prep work, the downtime while the floor cures, and the potential redo cost if the coating fails. The lowest quoted price per square foot often isn't the lowest total cost. That's not a controversial opinion. That's just arithmetic.

Glass Water Bottles and the Refillable Assumption

This sounds completely unrelated, but stay with me—it's actually the same principle.

When people buy glass water bottles, they often choose the cheapest one at the store. Then they discover it breaks easily, they don't like the mouthpiece, or it doesn't fit in their car cup holder. So they buy another one. And another one.

A slightly more expensive glass bottle—with a better cap design, a silicone sleeve, or a shape that fits common cup holders—ends up being cheaper per month of use. The cost per use is what matters, not the shelf price.

From a procurement standpoint, it's identical to tile. Durability and fit-for-purpose are part of the total cost. I'm not saying you need the most expensive water bottle on the market. I'm saying the "lowest price" is just the first line of a much longer spreadsheet.

How to Repair Chipped Paint: The Hidden Cost of Cutting Corners

Another example that follows the same pattern: repairing chipped paint.

I moved into a house a few years ago and noticed chipped paint around the window frames. The immediate instinct was to grab a small brush and touch it up. That's the surface-level fix—and it works, for about a month. Then the chip comes back, because the paint underneath wasn't properly adhered, or there was a moisture issue, or the surface wasn't sanded and primed.

From the outside, it looks like touching up paint is a 15-minute job. The reality is that a lasting fix requires cleaning the area, sanding, priming, and applying a top coat. That takes a few hours in total—but the result lasts for years instead of weeks.

People assume the cheaper and faster option is the right value. What they don't see is the cost of repeating the job, plus the annoyance of a wall that always looks a little worse than it should.

• Cheap paint means more repainting. Cheap tile means more chipping and more cutting waste. Cheap epoxy means more substrate problems.
• The purchase price is not the project cost. The project cost is what you pay after all the rework, the downtime, and the "oh, we didn't budget for that" moments.

What I've Changed in My Own Process

These lessons weren't cheap. I've attached a few numbers to memory:

• If I remember correctly, we once paid about 22% more than the quote on a tile install due to waste and layout issues. I might be misremembering the exact percentage, but the feeling of being over budget is not fuzzy.
• Another time, a "free setup" offer on a digital print order actually cost us $450 more in hidden fees. That's a different story, but the moral is the same: the quote is not the cost.

Now, our procurement policy requires a minimum of three quotes—but also a breakdown of prep, waste, and installation. We ask every supplier: "What does the price not include?" It's a simple question, but it's surprising how many vendors hesitate before answering.

So, Is Marazzi Tile Good?

Is Marazzi tile good? I think so—based on our experience and the experiences of people I trust. But "good" isn't the same as "cheap." Marazzi sits in the mid-to-premium range, and for that price, you get design consistency and build quality that makes installation more predictable. In my opinion, that's worth something. But it only counts as a win if your budget honestly reflects the full cost of the project.

If you're comparing Marazzi against another brand, compare the total installed cost, not just the tile price. Factor in the layout complexity, the waste factor (usually 10–15% for straight layouts, more for diagonal or large-format), and the installer's familiarity with the product.

And if you're still unsure, find a way to see the product in person first. The Marazzi showroom in Thailand is one example, but any reputable showroom works. Feel the surface. See the tile in natural light. Talk to someone who's actually installed it.

The Bottom Line

I don't write this to push you toward premium products. I write this because I'm tired of seeing budgets fail for the same predictable reasons—and tired of the "cheap option" that ends up costing more.

The next time you plan a tile project, an epoxy floor, or even a bottle purchase, make a list of the total cost components before you get attached to the price per unit. Include prep, installation, waste, delays, and the cost of doing it wrong.

That's the whole trick. It's not even a trick. It's just looking at the numbers like a cost accountant instead of an excited shopper.

You might find, as I did, that the product you thought was too expensive was actually the right call all along.