Tilers in the UK

Finding a good tiler in the UK

Tiling looks simple and is anything but. The tiles are the last thing anyone sees; underneath them is the preparation that decides whether the job lasts: a flat, sound, primed surface, the right adhesive for the tile and the substrate, waterproofing where water will hit, movement joints where the building will, and grout that suits the room. A good tiler spends as long getting the background right as laying the tiles, sets out the room so cuts fall where they are least noticed, and leaves lines that are straight from every angle.

The work has changed with the materials. Large-format porcelain, now standard in bathrooms and on floors, is heavy, unforgiving and needs a perfectly flat bed and a levelling system; natural stone needs sealing and the right cleaner; mosaics and metro tiles need patience; Victorian geometric floors and encaustic tiles are a specialism of their own. Outdoor porcelain for patios has brought tilers into the garden, where a proper sub-base and drainage matter as much as the tile.

Tiling is not licensed, so reviews with photos, a written quote per square metre that says what preparation is included, and evidence of work like yours are what to look for; membership of The Tile Association is a good sign. The listings here show each tiler's reviews, opening hours and contact details, so you can compare who is nearby and whose bathrooms and floors local people are pleased with.

What tilers do

Bathrooms and wet rooms: walls and floors, shower areas with tanking beneath, niches and trims, large-format porcelain and small mosaics, and the silicone and grout that finish it.

Kitchens: splashbacks and feature walls, floors in porcelain, stone or luxury vinyl tile, and re-tiling around new units and worktops.

Floors and hallways: porcelain and stone floors over screed or boards, underfloor heating beneath tiles, Victorian and geometric patterned floors, and the levelling that a flat floor needs.

Outdoors: porcelain patios and paths on a proper sub-base, steps, and tiled surrounds.

Repairs: replacing cracked tiles, re-grouting and re-siliconing, and fixing tiles that have come loose or hollow.

Before you book a tiler

• Ask for a price per square metre or for the job that says what preparation is included: levelling, boarding, priming, tanking.
• Show them the tile you have chosen before they quote; large-format, stone and mosaics all take longer.
• Look at photos of recent work and reviews that mention straight lines, tidy cuts and grout that stayed clean.
• For a shower or wet room, ask how they waterproof and what guarantee comes with it.
• Order ten to fifteen per cent more tile than the area for cuts and breakages, and have it on site before the start date.
• Confirm public liability insurance, and ask how long the room will be out of use while adhesive and grout cure.

What tilers charge in the UK

As a rough guide, tiling labour costs somewhere between £35 and £70 per square metre for walls and £40 to £80 for floors, with large-format porcelain, natural stone, mosaics and patterned Victorian floors at the top of the range and more in London. Tiling an average bathroom fully usually costs £800 to £2,000 in labour; a kitchen splashback £150 to £400. Adhesive, grout, tanking and levelling compound are usually charged on top, and the tiles themselves are yours to buy.

Preparation is where quotes differ, so compare two or three on the same tile and the same room, and check each says what happens to the walls and floor before the first tile goes on.