How to Drill Through Tile and Porcelain Without Cracking It

What drill bit do I need to drill through tile?

Learning how to drill through tile starts with the bit. Use a diamond bit for porcelain, stone and glass tile, and a diamond, carbide-tipped or carbide grit bit for soft ceramic wall tile. Porcelain is denser and harder than ceramic, so carbide wears out in a hole or two, while vacuum-brazed diamond grinds through it. This table matches each tile to the bit and the tool to run it in.

Turn hammer mode off for every bit on this page. Hammering cracks tile and strips the diamonds off the bit.

Which diamond tile bit should I buy?

We carry three families of ITM diamond tile bits. They differ by the tool you run them in and how long they last. White Diamond bits have diamond vacuum-brazed onto the rim, cut dry and cut fast. Blu Diamond core bits use diamond segments instead, cut a little slower and last longer, so they give the lowest cost per hole when you drill tile every day.

Store prices on Oct 2, 2026. Minimums shown next to each price.

Every White Diamond bit drills up to 1-1/4 in. deep, enough for tile and its setting bed. ITM rates White Diamond bits to outlast ordinary rotary tile bits by more than ten times.

What size hole do I drill in tile for a pipe?

Drill the hole about 1/8 in. bigger than the pipe on every side, so the tile never touches the pipe and the escutcheon or trim still covers the gap. This table uses the pipe's outside diameter, which is larger than its name.

Check the trim first. A shower valve or drain flange may need a larger hole than the pipe, and the trim kit's instructions list it.

How do you drill a hole in porcelain tile without cracking it?

To drill porcelain without cracking it, start the diamond bit at an angle, keep it moving and let it cut without pressure. Cracks come from heat, hammering and pushing too hard.

1. Mark the center and support the tile. Set a loose tile on a flat board. On a wall, the thinset behind it is your support.

2. Steady the start. For holes up to 3-1/4 in., hold a glass and tile drill guide over the mark until the bit is about 1/8 in. deep, then remove it.

3. Start at 45°. Touch one side of the bit's rim to the tile at about 45° and cut a crescent. Slowly rock the bit up to straight.

4. Keep it moving. Move the bit in small circles or rock it side to side so water or air reaches the diamonds. A dry bit that sits still overheats.

5. Let it cut. Use light pressure at full speed in a drill (high gear) or angle grinder. Pushing harder only adds heat.

6. Ease off at breakthrough. Lighten up as the bit exits the back so it doesn't chip the edge.

7. Clean up the edge. A diamond countersink rounds over a rough or chipped edge in a few seconds.

White Diamond bits are made to cut dry. A spray of water still helps on long runs, big holes and granite, and it keeps the dust down.

"Porcelain doesn't forgive. Start the bit at an angle, keep it moving, and let the diamonds do the work. Push hard or flip on the hammer and you're buying another tile."

David Castro, President, Eldorado Tools

Can I use a drill instead of an angle grinder?

Yes. An angle grinder runs a diamond bit faster and is the quickest way to cut holes over 1 in., but a drill works with the right shank or adapter. Use a 1/2 in. drill on high gear, or an SDS-Plus drill in rotation-only mode.

How do I cut a notch for a pipe at the edge of a tile?

Cut a pipe notch at the edge of a tile with a diamond milling cutter. A milling cutter cuts sideways like a router, so you can trace a half circle, an oval or a rounded corner by hand instead of drilling and nipping. Mark the outline with a marker and mill to the line.

Why won't my tile bit cut?

A diamond tile bit that stops cutting has usually glazed: heat and pressure polish the diamonds smooth. This table covers the common problems.

For every type of bit and what it drills, see Types of Drill Bits Explained. Shop all diamond tile and stone core bits and diamond mills. Questions about a job? Call (833) 4-ETOOLS or email sales@eldoradotools.com.

First published July 7, 2021. Rewritten Oct 2, 2026 with pipe-hole sizes, bit and adapter tables, and priced picks.