Tile Prices

Ceramic tile installation and material costs

You can have an installer price the job to you one of two ways: By the Job, or by the Square Foot

By the Job
If the particular job in question is relatively small in size, the installer will probably give you one price to do the tile work. If, however, the scope of the job involves many cuts and angles, not to mention integrating a specific pattern within an overall design, overall labor with respect to tile prices will certainly rise as the degree of difficulty increases.

It's one thing to have a checker-board pattern laid, yet it's quite another to incorporate a sunburst pattern into, say for example, a terra-cotta tiled floor in the new sunroom.

For small bathrooms and kitchens, tile install cost can be $300 -$800 on the low end for floors and shower surrounds, to several thousand at the upper end for intricate custom-tiled work.

Square Foot
Many installers like to estimate their labor for ceramic tile prices by the square foot, with some sort of minimum base price. For instance, you might have a small bathroom with only about 30 sq.ft. of floor space. He charges $5/sq. ft. So at that rate, he might only charge $150. But it simply wouldn't be worth his time, for not a lot of money. Hence, the minimum charge.

Look for professional tile installers to charge anywhere from $4.50 to $7.50 per square foot of floor space to be laid. Of course, the more cuts and bevels you want, the more he will charge. Ask the installer what he charges for extras (exotic patterns, angles, cuts, small tile inlay, etc.) in advance, so you will have time to determine a reasonable budget. But be sure to give him as much information as possible, so he can give you solid info for your budget numbers.

This is all based on labor only. It does not include the cost of the material (tile, cement, backer-board, grout), as you (the client) will generally provide that yourself. You will certainly save a lot more in the final cost, by buying the materials yourself, if nothing else but the tile. Let him know, however, if you want him to provide material as well.

Ceramic tile prices (material) for 12" pieces generally cost around $1.00 to $3 for inexpensive tile found in most home-improvement stores. If you would like higher-quality tile with more diverse colors, you could spend as much as $12 for specialty pieces. For 4" - 6" pieces, tile prices range from 11¢ to 60¢ per piece.

Tip
Are you looking to customize your remodeling project with tile?

If you do choose to enhance your kitchen floor, bathroom shower surround, etc., you should consider using cement backer-board as an excellent backing surface to which you adhere the tiles. It's a proven moisture-resistant method that provides a solid, sturdy base for any tile application you may have.

For more info, please check our Cement Backer-Board page.

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