How to Price Tiling Work in the UK (2026 Guide)

Tiling is one of the easiest trades to underprice. The square metre rate looks healthy until you find the walls are out of plumb, the floor needs levelling and the customer has chosen a tile that takes twice as long to cut. This guide shows how to build up a tiling price in the UK in 2026 so the preparation, the wastage and the awkward details are all covered.

What tilers are charging in 2026

Rates vary by region, tile type and the size of the job. As a guide, before VAT:

• Day rate: £200 to £300, rising to £350 in London and parts of the South East
• Labour only, standard ceramic or porcelain: £35 to £60 per square metre
• Labour only, large format, natural stone, mosaic or herringbone: £60 to £100 per square metre
• Supply and fix with mid-range tiles: £75 to £130 per square metre
• Removing old tiles: £10 to £20 per square metre plus waste disposal

Use these as a sense check, not as the way you price.

Measure the job properly

Measure every wall and floor area separately and write them down. Deduct doors and large windows, but add the reveals, the bath panel and any boxing.

Then add wastage to the tile quantity:

• Straight lay: 10%
• Diagonal or herringbone: 15%
• Large format tiles in a small room: 15% or more, because most tiles are cut

Round up to full boxes, and tell the customer to keep the spare tiles for future repairs.

Build the price up line by line

1. Preparation

Preparation is where tiling jobs lose money. Check the background at survey and price what you find:

• Stripping old tiles and making good the plaster behind
• Levelling compound on floors, around £18 to £30 for a 20kg bag that covers about 4 square metres at 3mm
• Cement backer board or a decoupling membrane over timber floors, typically £10 to £18 per square metre
• Primer on plaster, screed and boards
• A tanking kit for showers and wet rooms, around £50 to £90 for a typical shower area

Check the weight of the tile against the wall. Industry guidance based on BS 5385 puts the limit at around 20kg per square metre for gypsum plaster and 32kg per square metre for plasterboard tiled direct, including the adhesive. Many large porcelain tiles are over the plaster limit, so allow for removing the skim or fixing backer board.

2. Tiles

If you are supplying, price the tiles at the quantity including wastage. Typical 2026 costs are £20 to £40 per square metre for ceramic, £30 to £70 for porcelain and £50 to £120 for natural stone. If the customer supplies, say so in the quote and make clear that shortages and damaged boxes are their risk.

3. Adhesive, grout and sundries

• Flexible adhesive: £18 to £30 for a 20kg bag, covering roughly 4 to 5 square metres on a solid bed
• Grout: £10 to £20 for a 5kg bag
• Trims: £8 to £15 per 2.5m length
• Silicone, spacers and levelling clips: allow a sum on every job
• Sealer: needed for natural stone and some porcelain

4. Labour

Price labour from output, not from hope. On open floors with standard tiles a good tiler lays 8 to 12 square metres a day. On walls, expect 6 to 10. In a small bathroom with a window, a niche and pipe cuts, output can fall to 5 or 6. Add time for setting out, grouting, silicone and a return visit if the adhesive needs to cure before you grout.

5. Overheads and profit

Add your overheads and profit to the full cost, not only to labour. Van, insurance, blades, tools and unpaid survey time all have to come out of the job. Most small tiling firms add between 15% and 25%.

Worked example: bathroom walls and floor

A family bathroom with 18 square metres of wall and 4 square metres of floor, 22 in total, using 600 x 300 porcelain supplied by the tiler. Old tiles have already been stripped by the main contractor.

• Tiles: 22 square metres plus 10% wastage, rounded to 25 at £32 = £800
• Adhesive: 5 bags at £22 = £110
• Grout: 2 bags at £15 = £30
• Primer and tanking kit: £75
• Trims and silicone: £50
• Labour: 4 days at £240 = £960
• Net cost: £2,025
• Overheads and profit at 20%: £405
• Quote before VAT: £2,430

That works out at about £110 per square metre, towards the top of the supply and fix range. That is normal for a bathroom, where almost every tile is cut. If you are VAT registered, the customer price is £2,916.

Items that catch tilers out

• New plaster and screed that has not dried. Plaster needs around four weeks and a sand and cement screed needs about one day per millimetre of thickness
• Underfloor heating, which needs a flexible adhesive and often a decoupling membrane
• Walls out of plumb, which turn a two day job into three with large format tiles
• Mitred edges, niches and window reveals, which should be priced per item or per metre
• Carrying tiles up several flights of stairs and parking charges

Present the quote clearly

List the areas you measured, the tile, the preparation you have allowed for and what is excluded. If the background turns out worse than expected once the old tiles are off, a clear exclusion lets you agree the extra before you carry on. MyQS helps UK trades build itemised quotes with current UK rates, so the preparation, materials and labour are all in front of the customer before they sign.

FAQ: pricing tiling work

Q: Should I price tiling per square metre or by the day?
A: Work out your price from the days the job will take, then check it against a square metre rate. Square metre rates suit large open areas. Small bathrooms and splashbacks are better priced by time, because the cuts and details matter more than the area.

Q: How much wastage should I allow for tiles?
A: Allow 10% for a straight lay and 15% for diagonal or herringbone patterns. Increase it for large format tiles in small rooms and for natural stone, where some tiles will be rejected for colour or veining.

Q: Do I charge VAT on tiling work?
A: If you are VAT registered, tiling in an existing home is normally charged at the standard rate of 20% on both labour and materials. If your turnover is below the registration threshold of £90,000 and you are not registered, you do not charge VAT.

Price your next tiling job with confidence

Stop pricing from a rough square metre rate and start pricing every line. Create your MyQS account and see how an itemised tiling quote comes together.