How much does it cost to hire a tiler?

There is no honest average for your room, because the price comes from the job, not from a calculator. The main factors are the area, the tile size and material, the layout pattern, how many cuts there are, whether old tiles have to be removed, how much the floor or wall needs repairing, and whether a shower or wet room has to be waterproofed. Many tilers quote labour only, so check who buys the tile, adhesive, grout and trims. Ask two or three tilers to look at the space and give written quotes for the same scope, then compare line by line.

Does a tiler need a licence?

In the US, it depends on your state and sometimes your city. Tiling is often covered by general contractor or handyman rules rather than a separate tile licence, and the threshold can depend on the size of the job. Check with your state or local licensing board, and ask every installer for proof of insurance. In the UK there is no tiling licence. Look at insurance, references, photos of finished work, and membership of a trade body or TrustMark. If the job involves moving lights or sockets in a bathroom, that part belongs to an electrician.

Can a tiler find someone for a small job near me?

Yes, but small jobs are harder to book. Replacing a few cracked tiles, regrouting a shower or tiling a splashback takes almost as much setting up as a bigger room, so some tilers have a minimum charge or prefer to fit small jobs between larger ones. Describe the job clearly, with photos and rough measurements, and say whether you already have matching tiles. Be flexible on dates. If you have spare tiles from the original batch, keep them for exactly this kind of repair.

Is it worth tiling over old tiles?

Sometimes, but it is a decision for the tiler after they inspect the surface, not a shortcut to choose on price. Tiling over old tiles can work if the existing tiles are firmly bonded, flat and sound, and the extra height will not cause problems at doors, skirting, fittings or the shower tray. It is a poor idea if tiles sound hollow, are cracked or loose, or if a shower area needs a proper waterproofing membrane underneath. Ask the tiler to explain why they recommend removing or keeping the old tiles, in writing.

What should I check when the tiler finishes?

Walk the floor and look along it with a light held low. Edges of neighbouring tiles should sit level, without noticeable lips. Tap tiles gently: a hollow sound can mean poor adhesive coverage. Grout lines should be even and fully filled. Corners, junctions with the bath, shower tray and worktops, and the edges against walls should be finished with flexible sealant, not hard grout. In a shower, check the floor falls towards the drain. Ask for the product names used, any care instructions, and the leftover tiles.

How to Hire a Tiler: Tile Installation Costs, Waterproofing and Questions to Ask

If you are working out how to hire a tiler, you probably have a bathroom, kitchen floor or splashback in mind and a tile you like. The tile is the part you see. What decides whether it lasts is the work underneath: a flat surface, the right board or underlay, and waterproofing where water will sit. That is also where most of the tile installation cost and most of the problems come from.

This guide covers the United States and the United Kingdom, where the job is the same but the paperwork differs. In the US the trade is usually called a tile installer, in the UK a tiler. It explains the types of tiling job, what sets the price, licences and insurance in each country, the questions to ask, and what to check before you pay the balance.

What kind of tiling job you have

Floor and wall tiling are different jobs, and some materials need more skill than others. Large-format porcelain must go onto a very flat surface or the edges will not line up. Natural stone often needs sealing and careful handling. Match the job to someone who does that kind of work regularly.

Ask for photos of finished jobs on the same material and tile size as yours.
Job	What matters most	Ask the tiler
Kitchen or hallway floor	A flat, stable subfloor and movement joints at edges and across large areas.	How will you check the floor is flat, and what will you do if it is not?
Shower or wet room	Waterproofing behind and under the tiles, and floors that fall to the drain.	Which membrane or tanking system will you use, and how far does it go?
Bathroom walls, splashback	Sound backing, straight setting-out and neat cuts around fittings.	Where will the cut tiles fall, and who removes and refits fittings?
Large-format porcelain	Very flat surface, full adhesive coverage and a levelling approach.	How many jobs have you done with tiles this size?
Natural stone	Suitable adhesive, sealing before and after grouting, and care advice.	Does this stone need sealing, and with what?

Why preparation matters more than the tile

A good tiler spends a large part of the job before the first tile goes down. The surface, called the substrate, has to be flat, firm and clean. Old tiles may need removing. Uneven floors may need levelling, and timber floors may need stiffening or an underlay. In the US, cement backer board is common on walls and floors around showers. In the UK, tile backer boards and suitable underlays do the same job.

In showers, water gets through grout over time, so the waterproofing has to be behind the tiles, not in them. In the US this is usually a waterproofing membrane applied to the walls and shower floor. In the UK it is often called tanking, and in a wet room it covers the whole floor. The floor must also fall towards the drain, or water will pool.

The last steps matter too. Movement joints let the floor expand and contract without cracking tiles. Grout fills the joints between tiles, and flexible sealant goes where tiles meet a bath, tray, worktop or another surface. Some tiles and grouts need sealing afterwards.

Tile installation cost: what sets the price

A per-square-foot or per-square-metre figure online cannot price your room. Two bathrooms of the same size can need very different work. These are the items that move the number:

Area: the size of the floor or walls, and how broken up it is by doors, pipes and fittings.
Tile size and material: large-format porcelain, small mosaics and natural stone are slower than standard ceramic.
Layout pattern: straight lay is quickest; herringbone, diagonal and borders take longer and waste more tile.
Cuts: corners, pipes, niches and window reveals all add time.
Removing old tiles: taking them off, disposing of them and repairing the surface underneath.
Substrate repair: levelling, new boards or underlay where the surface is not good enough.
Waterproofing: membranes or tanking in showers and wet rooms.

Labour only, or labour and materials?

Many tilers quote labour only. That can be fine, but you need to know exactly what you are buying. Agree in writing who supplies the tile, adhesive, grout, trims, levelling compound, boards and waterproofing. Buy enough tiles from the same batch to cover cuts and breakages, and keep a few spares for future repairs. Ask the tiler how many to order for your layout rather than guessing.

Get two or three written quotes for the same scope, and ask each tiler how they will price surprises, such as a floor that turns out to be uneven once the old tiles are off.

Planning a tiling job?

Posting a job on Hirovo is free. Describe the room, add photos and rough measurements, choose your area, and tilers nearby can apply or message you in the app. You compare them and decide who comes to look at the job.

Post a free job →

How to hire a tiler in the United States

License

Licensing for tile installers varies by state and sometimes by city or county. In many places tiling falls under general contractor or handyman rules rather than a separate tile license, and the rules can depend on the size of the job. Check with your state or local licensing board before you hire, and look up any license number yourself.

Insurance and permits

Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance, and workers’ compensation if the installer has employees. If the bathroom remodel also moves plumbing or wiring, those parts may need permits and licensed trades. Ask who is responsible for arranging them.

How to hire a tiler in the UK

No licence, so check other things

There is no tiling licence in the UK. Look for membership of a trade body or TrustMark, the government-endorsed quality scheme. Ask for public liability insurance, references and photos of finished work, ideally a wet room or bathroom like yours.

Bathroom electrics are a separate job

Bathrooms have special electrical zones near the bath and shower, and electrical work there falls under Part P of the Building Regulations. Moving lights, adding a shaver socket or fitting an extractor fan is a job for a registered electrician, not the tiler. Plan the order so the electrician and plumber finish before tiling starts.

Questions to ask a tiler

Can I see photos of jobs with this tile size and material?
Is your price labour only, and who buys which materials?
Will you remove the old tiles, and how will you prepare the surface?
How will you waterproof the shower or wet room?
Where will movement joints and sealant go?
US: is a license needed for this job here? UK: are you a member of a trade body?
Can I see your insurance certificate?
How long will it take, and when can the room be used again?
Who clears the waste and old tiles?

How hiring a tiler works, step by step

Site visit: the tiler measures, checks the surface and discusses layout.
Written quote: scope, materials, preparation, waterproofing, start date and how surprises are priced.
Agreement: sign only after reading it. Pay a deposit only for materials ordered for your job.
The work: agree any extra in writing before it is done.
Handover: inspect the finish, get the invoice and product names, then pay the balance.

What to check at handover

Look along the floor with a low light for lippage, where one tile edge sits higher than the next. Tap tiles gently; a hollow sound can mean poor adhesive coverage. Check grout lines are even, and that junctions with the bath, tray and worktops have flexible silicone, not hard grout.

Tip: photograph the waterproofing and the boards before the tiles go on. If a leak ever appears, those photos show what is behind the wall without breaking it open.

If tiling is part of a bigger renovation, our guide on how to hire a contractor covers contracts and stage payments in more detail.

Using a free Hirovo job post to find a tiler

Posting a job on Hirovo is free. Describe the room, choose the trade and your area, and tilers nearby can apply or message you. Hirovo is a global platform and the number of tilers registered in the US and UK is still small, so use it alongside the other ways you find local tradespeople. You decide whom to invite. Hirovo does not verify the people who reply and is not a party to the work, so run the checks in this guide on anyone who responds.

In short

The tile is the easy part. Preparation, waterproofing, movement joints and sealing decide whether it lasts. Price depends on area, tile size and material, layout, cuts, removal, substrate repair and waterproofing, so get two or three written quotes for the same scope and confirm who buys the materials. In the US, check local licensing rules and insurance. In the UK, check insurance, TrustMark or a trade body, and leave bathroom electrics to an electrician. Inspect the finish before you pay the balance.