How much does it cost to tile a kitchen or bathroom?

Tiling is one of the most practical and attractive ways to add that designer look to your home. There are many benefits for opting for tiles; they can be hard-wearing making them perfect for high traffic areas, they can resist potential water damage and offer almost unlimited choices for colours and styles.

With so many options though, working out pricing for tiling can be complicated. In this cost guide, we’ll explore the typical tile labour costs and the average floor tiling cost per m². The actual cost of tiling can massively impact your final bill, so it’s worth shopping around if you are providing the tiles for the project.

Tiler cost quotes are usually broken down by cost based on the area being tiled. Typically, tile fitting costs are provided at a price per square metre (m²). The total tile fitting cost you will pay includes two elements: the tile labour cost and the cost of the tiles and materials.

What factors affect the cost of a tiling project?

Some of the factors that will affect your tile fitting quote include:

• Style and design of tiling – Plain tiles are going to be simpler to fit than elaborately patterned tiles (average cost £40 per m²), so expect to pay a little more if you want pattern tile fitting. The costs of tiling per square metre can increase if you want the pattern to continue around obstacles. Mosaic tiles used in bathrooms are fiddly to fit and are more expensive.­
• Type of tiles – The style, size and quality of the tiles you choose will affect your total tiling costs. If you are using a particularly expensive tile, then expect your tiler will more than likely take a little more time so as to treat them carefully and avoid breakages.
• M² size of the area being tiled – The size of the area being tiled may have some bearing on cost, but more important is how easy it is to lay tiles. If your tiler has to cope with challenging conditions, uneven walls, sloping surfaces, tight spaces, this can cost more. Most of the time you’ll be quoted a cost per m² for tiling, so it’s important to know the area you need to be tiled.
• Location – Floor tiling costs per m² vary across the UK, with the cost of tilers in cities such as London higher than the rest of the country.
• Paying your tiler per-metre or per-day – Your tiler may provide a quote in days, rather than metres squared. Expert tradespeople may be able to lay more tiles per day than others, which may mean the average tiling costs per square metre may be lower.

Average tiling costs per square metre

Here are some average tiling costs per square metre for common household tiling jobs.

Cost to tile a kitchen or bathroom floor

Bathroom tiling costs are generally the same as kitchen tiling costs when it comes to flooring, with the average floor tiling cost per m² in the UK being £100 including labour.

Floor tiles are often more expensive than wall tiles as they need to be hard-wearing to cope with feet, furniture and the trials and tribulations of daily life. As outlined above, expect to pay higher bathroom tiling costs for complex patterned floor tiles, or if you expect your tiler to maintain a pattern around units or other obstacles.

Cost to tile a bathroom

The average cost to fully tile the walls and floors of a bathroom is £700 – £800 and will take 3 – 4 days.

Before tiling your bathroom, your tile fitter will expect all works to have been completed, including all preparation of walls and surfaces. Tiling a bathroom floor, including tiling around toilets and tiling around baths, should be straightforward, but costs will vary according to your choice of tile. Mosaic tiles popular in bathrooms can be fiddly to fit, and so expect the tiling costs per m² to reflect this.

If you simply want your tiler to tile around a bath, this will cost around £200 – £300.

Cost of tiling a kitchen

The average kitchen tiling cost is £97 per m². The total kitchen tiling cost depends on a range of factors, such as the size of your kitchen, the type of tiles you have chosen and your location.

This rises to between £600 – £900 in London and some other areas in the south of the country. Prices will vary depending on where in the UK you are, so it’s best to speak to a professional who can provide you with a specific cost.

Other factors that may affect the cost include:

• The material and quality of tile you choose
• The amount of adhesive and filler you will need
• The experience of your tradesperson
• Whether your floor needs significant preparation

If you are planning on tiling a kitchen floor, be prepared to spend around £650.

Smaller jobs such as tiling a backsplash may be quoted on a job-by-job basis rather than by the metre.

Tiling cost calculator

When you need to put a figure on the cost of your tiling project, a kitchen, bathroom or floor tiling cost calculator can help.

When costing your project, you need to start with the m2 measurement of the area that needs tiling. You can get this by multiplying the length and width of each area that needs tiling, and if more than one area is being tiled, add them all up to get the total m2 of tiles needed. Once you have this figure, you can cost the tiles themselves.

Expect to pay £30 per m² for plain standard tiles, rising to £75 per m² for mosaic and £100 per m2 for Victorian patterned tiles.

On top of your tile cost, you need to factor in grout and adhesive at an average of £10 per m².

Finally, you have the labour cost of the tiler, which on average will be £250 a day.

Remember to factor in 10-15% for unforeseen prep or finishing costs, and if you also want existing tiles removing or underfloor heating adding, this will add to your tiling project cost significantly. While running these figures will give you a rough idea of cost, it’s always wise to get tiling cost quotes from a number of professionals before starting the job.

Other tiling costs to consider

The costs in this guide are only for tiling. Additional costs you should budget for include:

• Materials (such as grouting + adhesives) – while not expensive, your tiler will ask you to pay for grouting and adhesives required for the job. Typical grout and adhesive costs are £10 per m².
• Wall prep (plastering) – your tiler will expect all surfaces to be prepared and ready for tiles before they turn up. Uneven or unfinished surfaces aren’t suitable for tiles and may result in delays in completing the job.
• Removing old tiles – if you have existing tiles in place, they will need to be removed, along with all remaining adhesive and grout. This is difficult to allow a m² rate due to the unknown condition of the existing wall so budget between £800 – £1,000 for more tricky removal projects. Check out our ceramic floor tile removal cost guide for more information.
• Tiling area – If you have a very small area (less than 10m²) then the price per m² is likely to go up.
• Underfloor heating – tiling on top of underfloor heating can be challenging, so be prepared to pay more if you ask your tiler to do so.

The costs in this guide are based on fitting standard tiles. Other types of tiling will be more expensive, with average costs per square metre below:

• Mosaic tiling – average £75 per m²
• Victorian patterned tiles – average £100 per m²
• Stone tiling – average £75 per m²
• Marble tiles – average £75 per m²

Before choosing your kitchen tiles, explore our kitchen tile flooring inspiration article and look at our kitchen design cost guide if you’re planning a full renovation project.

Top tips from a Checkatrade professional

Getting it right the first time

• Choose the colour of the tiles wisely
• Select the size of tiles with care
• Pick grout colour with levels of traffic in mind
• Consider rectified tiles, the finish is superior
• Don’t buy adhesives and grout until you have spoken to your tiler

Tile colour selection
Sometimes dark tiles can make the room look smaller.

The size of tiles is important
Not too big a tile in a small room, or not too small a tile in a large room.

Grout selection is key
Picking a grout colour is very important. White or a light colour is probably not a good idea on floors, even if the tiles are that colour, because the high traffic areas, i.e. kitchen sink, cooker etc, will get dirty a lot quicker than the low traffic areas, and it will show.

Machine cut tiles are precise
Rectified tiles are cut instead of moulded, this means that the calibre (size) of the tile is very precise, so a tile fixer can fix using a smaller grout joint, normally 2mm.

Adhesives and grout selection can be a minefield
Speak to your tiler first before buying adhesives and grouts. A lot depends on the type of tile and the substrate they are being fixed to.

Tiling cost key takeaways

• The average tiling cost per square metre is £100 including labour.
• The total cost you pay for tiling will be affected by the type of tiles you choose, the size of the room you’re having tiled and your location.
• The average bathroom will cost £700 – £900 to tile.
• Expect to pay around £100 per metre to tile a kitchen floor. If the area you want to be tiled is less than 10m², expect to pay more.
• Tiling may look simple, but it’s a challenging job that shouldn’t be attempted by novice DIY-ers

FAQs about tiling cost

How long will it take to tile an average floor?

Small rooms like bathrooms can be done in a single day. If you require the skirting boards lifted and tiles laid underneath, or if there are kitchen appliances that need to be removed and then re-installed, then work can easily extend into an additional day. Larger rooms will take 2-3 days and irregular or rounded rooms will take the tiler longer to measure and cut tiles to fit, so do budget for extra costs.

Larger tiles cover more area with less work, so are not just quicker, they are effectively cheaper when you take into account labour costs. Read our large format tile cost guide for more information.

How can I work out the average number of tiles I need to buy?

To calculate how many floor tiles you need, simple maths are needed. Multiply the width by the length of the room that is the target tiling area (select to do this in cm so you can keep the maths simple). Then, multiply the length and width of a single floor tile (cm), then simply divide the area to be tiled by the area of one tile. This gives the number of tiles you need.

Buy an additional 15% to cover for damage or breakages during the tiling process, as well as to ensure you have extras if your tile goes out of stock.

How thick can I lay floor tile adhesive?

As a general rule, you should apply around 1.5mm of adhesive for tiling; however, different types and sizes of tile will have various recommendations. For the best results, ask your tiler to check the manufacturer’s suggestions on how much adhesive should be used for your particular type of tiles.

Can I use wall tiles for my floor?

You should not use wall tiles for the floor unless they specifically say that they can be used on a floor. Floor tiles are usually thicker than wall tiles to withstand more weight. Using wall tiles on the floor may result in broken tiles after a while.

Do I need planning permission to put new tiling down?

No, you don’t need planning permission to tile your floors.

What are the advantages of tiling floors?

Tiled floors are easy to maintain and have a good life span. They are great for areas that may need more cleaning than others, such as the porch area where you’re walking in with dirty shoes or the kitchen area that may be susceptible to accidents and spills.

What is the most common type of floor tile?

Ceramic tiles tend to be the most commonly used floor tiles in the UK as they are easy to maintain, and they come in a wide variety of colours and styles.

Should I tile a floor myself?

If money is tight or you love a challenge, you may be considering laying your own tiles. While you will need to invest in some special equipment, laying your own tiles can be cheaper than paying a professional, but it’s a highly skilled job.

Professional tilers spend years perfecting the ability to lay tiles uniformly, maintaining straight lines and patterns. If you take pride in your home or are looking to sell it in the near future, we recommend using the services of a professional for the best finish.