We're building a stock home and are in the process of picking out our options. I would like 18'' tile floors, but it seems excessively expensive vs. the 12''. The 12'' is $8948, where as the 18'' is $16,500.

I looked up the tile online, and for the 18'' for 1000 square feet would be $5390 (at retail price, not even sale or wholesale price). I realize that a lot of the cost is the labor, but is $11,000 an excessive upcharge for the labor? Especially since they likely get the tile cheaper than the price I found online for the same brand/size/color.

I'm not sure what to do. I really think the 18'' will look so much better, but it's hard to stomach paying almost twice the price. I know the bigger tile is more expensive, but you should also need less of it, right? Is it that much harder to lay?

Does anyone know approximately how much it'd cost to lay 1000 square feet of 18'' tile? We're in the DC area suburbs, if that makes a difference. Thanks for any input.

In a small space large tile often looks cut up and is more difficult to keep presentable. It is also more likely to crack from movement in the substrate.

All that can add to the cost.