How much do tilers charge?

If you’re working as a tiler, you’ll want to know the market rate in order to offer competitive quotes. If you’re thinking of hiring a tiler, you’ll want to know how much it’s going to cost you.

Knowing what a fair price is can be a slightly difficult problem to solve without knowing more about the work involved, so we’ve decided to take a closer look at the factors that may influence pricing for jobs.

What work is required?

Tiling often involves work in an area of a kitchen, bathroom, or wet room. This may include the walls around a sink, shower, bath, or it could be the floor.

Tiling is typically not just about applying tiles to a surface. Depending on the client, and the exact nature of the job and specifications supplied, a tiler will need to:

• measure the space
• prepare it for the application of tiles.

This may require making good surface areas and readying them in advance of tiling. 

The tiler will also need to:

• cut the tiles
• apply them with the appropriate adhesive
• finish with grouting (or other appropriate finishes).

In some cases, the tiler may be asked for advice about the materials to be used. They may even need to buy the tiles. All of this goes towards costing an individual job.

The size of the space being tiled must also be considered. Whether it’s a small area behind a sink or a whole room with lots of tricky areas that need careful preparation – this will factor into the time and materials required, and will therefore influence the cost.

What is included in the price?

The first thing to consider is whether the tiling project includes tiles and adhesive materials or whether the client will supply these.

If the client has chosen the tiles, but you as the tiler are supplying the tiles, it’s important to know the cost. You might price a job based on a standard tile, only to discover that the client chose a more expensive one, which would leave you out of pocket.

Tiles vary in price depending on size and the material they are made from. Ceramic and quarry tiles are usually the cheapest; glass and porcelain tiles the most expensive. 

As a tiler, you may simply be asked to price a job and include tiles within the estimate. You’ll need an idea of what tiles cost to fit them within the budget.

A tiling project must also include the costs of labour. This may need to take account of time spent collecting tiles from the stockists, as well as time on the job.

If you are asked to provide professional advice as part of your service, perhaps about specifications or materials, you will also need to consider how to price for your consultation.

Calculating overheads

If you’re a tiler, you may be pricing per job, by the square metre, or by the hour. In addition to factoring the above, you also need to consider the costs of running your business. This will include paying for tiling insurance like public liability, employers’ liability and cover for your tools.

Understanding the market rate

The charge per job will vary between tilers, and may also be dependent on the geographical location or experience of the tiler. The room or surface being tiled may also be a factor. (Tiling bathroom and kitchen floors is often more complex and therefore more expensive.)

London pricing is also normally higher. In addition, a tiler who owns or is employed by a company may be a little more expensive than a self-employed tiler.

Taking all the above into account, at the time of writing (November 2023), you could expect to pay or charge between £25 and £40 per square metre for tiling a wall, £40 to £45 per square metre for a floor and about £30 to £45 per square metre for a shower area.  

In terms of day rates, as a rough rule of thumb, you can expect to pay or charge £120 to £180 per day for floor tiling. This will be more expensive if it is a bathroom or kitchen floor and could be as much a £1,000 a day.

Again, kitchen and bathroom wall tiling jobs could range from a low of £100 for a small, simple project to thousands of pounds for something more complex.

Finding reliable tiler insurance

Business insurance is an important overhead as a tiler. You’ll want to make sure you’re paying a fair price and receiving good value for money.

Trade Direct Insurance can help. For more than 40 years, we’ve specialised in providing cover for a range of tradespeople, including tilers.

Our insurance is available in customisable packages that cover essential business liabilities, provide protection against claims from employees, and offer other key forms of cover such as tools insurance.

For more information about our insurance for tilers, get in touch with Trade Direct Insurance today. Call 0800 0280 380 or email: enquiries@tradedirectinsurance.co.uk.