How Much Does It Cost To Tile Walls?



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Cost To Tile Walls






Job
Description
Labour
1Let’s assume a 10’ x 8’ bathroom, tiled floor to ceiling, with one window reveal, walls ready for tiling, with the bath etc. in situ, to be tiled in 8” (200mm) square tiling. Adhesive and grout to be supplied by the tiler.  This will take 2 men 2 days.
£600

The price of the tiles isn’t included in ANY of these prices. There’s way too much variation.

2Half tile the above, with floor to ceiling tiles around the bath only. This will take 1.5 days plus his materials.
£450
3You are either completely ham fisted or just plain lazy. You want him to turn up and tile a small splash back above a hand basin. He will charge half a day plus his materials.
£100
4We’re in the kitchen now. You want him to tile between your kitchen work surface and the wall cabinets above, using 6” (150mm x 150mm) tiles, along one 8’ (2400mm) wall, with two electrical sockets to take off and replace This is a nice leisurely day for one man plus a small amount of materials.
 £190
5Same area of kitchen but with 1’ (25mm) mosaic tiles that come on a 12” (300mm) backing mesh which are a nightmare to put on. This is fiddly work, so he will charge you for 1.5 days plus his materials.
 £290

“Labour” at £175 a day (tradesman) £100 (labourer), includes incidental fixings etc. and tipping. “Materials” if mentioned, are larger things (a boiler) and stuff only you can choose (tiles etc).  Also VAT must be added all round.

More Prices
The jobs above are quite small and reasonably fiddly. Not all jobs are like that of course, you may be fabulously wealthy and want your Olympic swimming pool tiled, so for you, the following guide may help. It’s for bigger jobs where he can just get on with tiling, without lots of corners and windows etc. interrupting his flow.


The following prices are for labour with adhesive and grout included. You will provide the tiles.


Ceramic Tiles
Fixing 100mm x any size tiles £35/m2
Fixing 150mm x any size tiles £35/m2
Fixing 200mm x any size tiles £30/m2
Fixing 300mm x any size tiles £25/m2
Fixing 400mm x any size tiles £25/m2
Ceramic skirting/dado £4/m
Mitred corners @ 45 degrees £25/m
Silicone sealing (linear metre) £4/m

Marble, Granite, Natural Stone, Slate, Tiles
Fixing 100mm x any size tiles £50/m2
Fixing 150mm x any size tiles £47/m2
Fixing 200mm x any size tiles £45/m2
Fixing 300mm x any size ceramic tiles £43/m2
Fixing 400mm x any size ceramic tiles £40/m2
Marble, Granite, Natural Stone, Slate skirting £6/m
Mitred corners @ 45 degrees £25/m
Silicone sealing £4.50/m

Mosaic Tiles
Fixing 25mm x 25mm paper-faced glass mosaic tiles £60/m2
Fixing 25mm x 25 mm mesh back mosaic tiles £50/m2
Fixing mesh back travertine mosaic £50/m2
Mitred corners @ 45 degrees – travertine £40/m
Silicone sealing £4.50/m

Information Sheet on Tiling Walls

Although there are less expensive materials to use for covering a wall, tiles can be both practical and beautiful in certain settings, such as moisture prone kitchens and bathrooms.
The choice has never been greater with many different materials to choose from such as ceramic, porcelain, marble and slate from. They come in different sizes and finishes and can also be laid on in different styles and combinations.

Preparation
It is important to prepare the surface which to be covered as thoroughly as possible by making sure it is clean, dust free and dry. Tiles can be fixed to most substrates (surfaces), such as skimmed plaster, plasterboard, and cement tile board and in general, the better the surface, the easier the work and the more professional the finished job will look.

If you live in an old cottage with uneven walls, don’t be tempted to go trendy and choose large, shiny tiles. It will be impossible for even the most accomplished tiler to lay them straight and flat, no matter how much adjustment he tries to make with the adhesive and spacing. Stick with small, plain tiles and go for a classic look.

Tiling
The tiler will mark an intersecting horizontal and vertical line on the wall and aim to start at a point in the centre of the wall, working outwards to each corner. This way, each end cut will result in identically sized (cut) tiles. When making his calculations, your tiler should know how to make an allowance for the cumulative width of the grout.

Tiling adhesive can be bought either as a dry powder to be mixed on site, or as a pre-mixed paste. As you may imagine, the latter is more expensive, but saves on time and hassle. Either way, the adhesive is spread about 8mm thick on to an area of about 1 square metre at a time, applying it with a serrated edged trowel, before pressing each tile into place. It is essential not to let the adhesive start to dry out, or your tiles will be falling off before you know it!  Each tile will be separated from its neighbours by a tile spacer (although don’t be too surprised if your tiler uses wooden matches!).
There should be no stray adhesive left to dry on the front surfaces of the tiles. It should be washed (or gently scraped) off.
Once in place, the tiles should be left for a day (or at least overnight) to allow everything to dry and stick in place.

Grouting
Just like the adhesive, grout can be bought, in a variety of colours, as a powder or a pre-mixed paste. It is even possible to buy one product suitable for both purposes. It is spread (mostly) into the gaps using a rubber edged tool although it is inevitable that a coating will remain on the tiles. After a minute or two the excess should be wiped off with a wet sponge. Then, resist the urge to have a shower or bath for a couple of days (or talk to your neighbour or a friend!). Depending on the type of tiles used, especially if they have a crackle finish, they may then need to be brushed with a liquid sealer. It’s not a bad idea any way, as there may be tiny breaks in the grout which are invisible to the naked eye (even those of an experienced tiler).

FAQs 'traffic light' guide


  • What's tricky about this job…

    Open or Close

    'Setting out' is key. Where the tiler places that first tile determines how large or how small the cuts at the wall edges will be. You do not want 1" sliver cuts in a corner.


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