For a newbie, doing ceramic/porcelain tile oneself could take a very long time I assume, with the inevitable measurement mistakes, do-overs, etc.How much money do you save by doing tile (or flooring in general) by yourself?

I use porcelain tile from the same store (Floor and Decor) for $.79 per sq. ft.

Examples: Chips in the porcelain of an appliance, sink or tub.

I haven't used them personally, but after asking around my office and the online reviews, Exquisite Concrete Design seems to be the consensus. http://www.ecdconcrete.com/

Home Emporium also has excellent prices on porcelain tile, countertops, etc.  

For flooring, I recommend going with porcelain tile.

People tend to be nuts about Allura or porcelain (in hot climates).

If the contractor is professional and experienced they will give you this upfront without you asking for it to protect themselves as well and be sure everyone is on the same page Example: if your doing tile work you want to know if it's going to be marble, porcelain etc. make sure the contractor is not planning to use dirt cheap crappy material that is not going to give you a nice looking quick sale house. 

The ones we used are made out of composite decking.I agree, if your balcony deck us lumber or plywood, you will likely have too much flex for ceramic, porcelain, or stone tiles. 

We need to update our bathrooms and we are wondering if porcelain tile would be a better choice of material than a fiberglass bath and shower enclosure.