Cost to tile a bathroom

Measure the area before comparing prices

Two quotations can look wildly different simply because one assumed half height tiling and the other assumed full. Measure each wall you want tiled, multiply height by width, add the floor separately, and give that figure to everyone you ask. Then you are comparing the same job.

Tile size and pattern change the labour

Very small mosaics and very large format tiles both cost more to fit than a standard rectangular wall tile. Mosaics mean far more cutting and grouting per square metre. Large panels need a genuinely flat wall and often two pairs of hands, which a one-man job has to work around with careful setting out.

• Standard wall tiles are the cheapest to fit
• Herringbone and brick bond patterns add cutting time
• Mosaic strips add grouting time and material cost
• Large format tiles need flat, well prepared substrates

Preparation is where hidden cost lives

Tiling onto old plaster, uneven blockwork or a springy floor is asking for cracked grout within a year. Backer board in the shower area, tanking on wet walls and levelling a timber floor are all separate items, and any quotation that omits them is not really cheaper.

On a floor, the build-up matters too. Adding boards and adhesive raises the finished level, which can affect how the door swings and where the threshold sits.

How to reduce the tiled area sensibly

Tiling the shower enclosure and the splash areas fully, then painting the rest in a good bathroom paint, is a deliberate and common choice. It cuts the tiled area substantially without looking like a compromise, and repainting later is easy.

Frequently asked questions

Bathroom RenovationsRenovations