ProFloors & More

As an experienced tile estimator we will quickly survey the area to be tiled and the material to be used. We will make measurements, crunch the numbers, and produce a written tile installation price estimate within 48 hours. Call today for a free in home consultatio.

Tile installation labor cost starts at $4.00 per square foot and rises to $15.00 from there.

Obvious factors that might affect the tiling estimates you get include:

• The reputation of the installer, as noted
• Cost of living in your area
• Availability of experienced installers

Additional factors affecting where on that price range your estimate will fall are next.

Size of the job – Small jobs like a half-bath floor cost more per square foot than large jobs like a kitchen with an eating area. This is because each job has fixed costs such as fuel cost, paid travel time to and from the site and paid time to set up and take down equipment. The bigger the job, the more the fixed costs are spread out, so cost per square foot goes down.

Size of the tile – Small tiles take longer to install. Floors made up of small tiles require more spacers and grouting. More pieces must be handled to cover the same space. As a result, installation cost is higher for small tiles and drops as tile size goes up. Here’s more on tile shapes and sizes.

Room sizes – Cutting tile to fit against walls and around jambs is time consuming, driving up cost. There are more linear feet of wall and more door jambs in multiple small rooms than in one large room.

Obstacles – Walls and doorways aren’t the only obstacles that increase time and cost. The same is true of vanities, cabinets, hearths, stairways and more. If the area being tiled is something like an open laundry area with one drain, cost will be lower than for a bathroom with multiple obstacles.

Transitions – A transition is required where two separate flooring types meet. If not included in the estimate, the transition piece might be itemized at about $2-$4 per lineal foot for large transitions or $15 to $20 apiece at doorways. Check out our guide to transitions strips.

Stairs – Most tile setters don’t recommend putting tile on stairs unless they are concrete or have been framed for tile. Standard wood-framed stairs flex. Flexing cracks the grout.

If the stairs are constructed to hold tile, expect labor to be priced at a premium of up to 100% due to the large about of tile trimming needed.

Material – Ceramic is easiest to cut, so prices start at about $4/sq.ft. Porcelain tile is harder, and cost begins at about $5. Stone tile is the most difficult to cut and costly in terms of saw blades needed, so installation starts at about $6.

Design – Standard tile layout comes with a standard cost. Diagonal designs boost cost by 15 to 20 percent. Mixing small and large tiles or adding a border of another type tile increases price too. Truly custom designs, like a dramatic sunburst in an entryway or crest at the foot of stairs, come with top cost.
We calculate average floor tile installation costs differently to other flooring types. For example, when we consider the cost to install vinyl plank or the price for laminate installation we tend to give an average price that includes materials and installation. This is because vinyl plank and laminate materials tend to fall within a reasonably narrow price range. In this cost report we are only calculating labor costs because material costs for ceramic, porcelain or stone tile vary so wildly from as little as $0.80 per square foot right up to $80 per square foot for designer stone tiles.