Accurate determination of the tufa growth rate (TGR) is required to answer the fundamental geomorphological question of tufa evolution. The TGR has been measured by various direct and indirect methods. One of the most popular direct methods uses modified micro‐erosion meter (MEM), which has several drawbacks. Here, we present for the first time a coordinate measuring macro‐photogrammetry device (CMD) for monitoring the TGR in a contactless manner. The CMD was applied on 28 limestone plates at 14 locations within the Skradinski buk area, Croatia, and measurements were performed in the laboratory. The TGR was derived from digital tufa high‐resolution models (DTHRMs). The accuracy of the device was evaluated using state‐of‐the‐art three‐dimensional (3D) scanners and error calculation at checkpoints. Moreover, the precision was evaluated with the split test (n = 5). A total of 74 DTHRMs with a spatial resolution of 0.0236 mm were created. The TGR ranged from 0.327 to 19.302 mm a−1, with an average of 5.771 mm a−1. A higher TGR was observed on the limestone plates near mosses, located in fast and turbulent water rather than in stagnant water. We found that specific micro‐environmental factors (e.g. proximity to moss) positively affected tufa growth. Erosion events were observed, as well as the presence of aquatic insect larvae (Simuliidae and Chironomidae), which positively affected tufa growth. The CMD is a precise and accurate device that does not suffer from the drawbacks of the MEM method and has many other advantages. It has a high capability of tufa erosion detection, enables the identification of macroinvertebrates, and multispectral or hyperspectral cameras can be mounted on the device for spectral reflectance analysis of the tufa surface. The CMD can be applied in any study requiring a sub‐millimetre data quality and involving the comparison of consecutive 3D models and derivation of various parameters of smaller objects. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Tufa growth rate was for the first time measured by coordinate measuring macro‐photogrammetry device (CMD) in a contactless manner. CMD is a highly precise and accurate device which does not suffer from the drawbacks of the micro‐erosion meter (MEM) and presents many other advantages. It enabled the production of digital tufa high‐resolution models (DTHRMs). CMD can be applied in any studies that require sub‐millimeter data quality, comparison of consecutive three‐dimensional models, and derivation of various parameters of smaller objects.