A tile facade consists of several units of hard material, usually stone or ceramic, which are individually mounted onto a wall or other surface behind them. The tiles can be mounted with mortar or on projecting pegs or hooks. In contrast to a masonry facade, the tiles do not rest their weight on each other significantly, although they may adhere to surrounding tiles with mortar grouting.

Because of the autonomous nature of tile units as opposed to masonry, they offer a greater range of decorative possibilities, and are often used for ornamental or aesthetic reasons.

Many types of stone, especially limestone, marble, travertine, and granite, are often applied as tiles rather than as masonry units. In this case the stone tiles may be arranged in straight rows like masonry, or can also be arranged in any other pattern.