Stacey’s choice: A TILED BATHROOM
Opt for a luxe look with standout tiling. Here’s how to do it while keeping an eye on costs
If you’re renovating your bathroom, chances are you have tiles on your shopping list. A striking style, colour or pattern can transform your bathroom in an instant, but it’s worth pricing up the job in advance.
How much does it cost to tile a bathroom?
The average outlay to tile walls and floors in a medium-size bathroom, including tiles, materials and labour, is around £700-800 (according to Checkatrade).
The type of material that tiles are made from will have the biggest impact on costs and can vary considerably. ‘More durable materials are more expensive to produce, explains Kamila Swiatecka, Brand Manager at Tile Giant. ‘For example, porcelain tiles cost more to manufacture compared with ceramic tiles. However, porcelain is denser, less porous and more hardwearing, making it long-lasting and better suited to busy family life.’ Expect to pay from £8sq m for ceramic tiles and £12sq m for porcelain, with limestone or encaustic tiles anywhere between £45 and £100sq m. On average, the cost of adhesive and grout should work out around £10 per square metre of tiles, says Checkatrade.
What will a tiler charge?
‘A reputable and skilled tiler should charge between £120 and £200 a day, not including materials,’ according to tiling expert John Geraghty at Myjobquote. Tilers generally prefer to charge a day rate, rather than per job, and will generally be prepared to give an estimate of how long the job should take before you commit.
How can I save money?
Tiling a bathroom yourself can cut costs, provided you do the job well. It will be a false economy if you waste lots of tiles due to poor cutting skills or end up having to pay a professional to redo it. ‘If you’re employing a lone tiler, help out by offering to do the fetching and carrying for them,’ adds John Geraghty.