01 Masonry · Floor tiling
Floor tiling, paid on approval.
Tiling quotes change after work starts more often than almost any other trade, and the reason is nearly always the floor underneath rather than the tiles on top.
02 What the job involves
What you are actually paying for
Floor tiles, screeding the substrate and setting out the pattern.
Also asked for as: tiling · tiler
- Checking the substrate for level and, where needed, screeding it first
- Setting out so cut tiles land where they are least visible
- Laying with the right adhesive for the tile and the substrate
- Grouting, and sealing where the tile is porous
- Skirting, thresholds and trims to finish edges properly
03 What moves the price
Why two quotes differ
Quotes arrive sorted by total, which makes comparison easy and misleading in equal measure. These are the variables worth checking before you decide one is cheaper.
- 01
Area, and how many cuts the room shape forces
- 02
Whether the floor needs screeding first — the usual cause of a revised quote
- 03
Tile size and material, since large-format and natural stone are slower to lay
- 04
Pattern: straight set is quickest, diagonal and herringbone considerably slower
04 Questions
Worth asking first
- 01
Why did my tiling quote go up after work started?
- Almost always because the floor was not level and needed screeding, which was not in the original quote. Ask for the substrate to be checked before you fund anything, and for screeding to be either included or explicitly excluded in writing.
- 02
How much extra tile should I buy?
- Allow around ten percent over the measured area for cuts and breakages, and more for diagonal or herringbone patterns. Buying the shortfall later often means a different batch with a visibly different shade.
05 Related
More masonry work
Local rates
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