If you're planning to renovate your home or build a new one, hiring a professional tiler is an essential step. Tilers are skilled tradespeople who specialise in installing tiles on floors, walls, and other surfaces. They use a variety of materials, such as ceramic, porcelain, marble, and stone, to create stunning designs that add value and beauty to any space. In Australia, tilers play a critical role in the construction industry, and their services are in high demand. They work on a variety of projects, including residential and commercial buildings, bathrooms, kitchens, laundries, and outdoor areas.

Professional tilers have all the necessary tools, equipment, and knowledge to ensure that your tiling project is completed to the highest standard. They will also provide advice on the best materials and designs to use, based on your preferences and budget. But before you start your tiling project, it’s important to know how much tiling will cost you and what you can expect from a professional tiling tradie. 

In this tiling cost guide we'll break down some of the costs and give you the information you need to review quotes and cost estimates you get from tiling tradies.

What do tilers do?

In simple terms, tilers install tiles made from ceramic, porcelain, marble, glass or stone. Tilers contribute to a wide range of projects, from large commercial buildings to small residential renovations. They are responsible for preparing the surfaces to be tiled, ensuring they are level, clean, and free of debris. They also measure and cut the tiles to fit the space, creating a precise and uniform finish.

Tilers are also experts in installing waterproofing systems, which is particularly important in areas prone to moisture, such as bathrooms, laundries, and kitchens. They ensure that the tiles are properly installed and aligned, which prevents issues such as cracking, chipping, and water damage.

In addition to installation, tilers also provide maintenance and repair services. They can fix cracked or broken tiles, re-grout and seal tiles to keep them in good condition, and replace tiles that have become damaged or outdated.

Overall, tilers play a crucial role in the construction industry, helping to create beautiful and functional spaces that meet the needs of their clients. Their expertise, attention to detail, and quality workmanship ensure that tiling projects are completed to the highest standard.

How much do tilers charge for labour across Australia?

It may surprise you but labour costs are relatively similar across Australia. In different capital cities, large regional cities, regional areas and rural areas, tradie labour costs are dependent on larger projects for the mining, commercial construction and property development industries. In those industries, labour costs are influenced by negotiations with unions, enterprise agreements, awards, and standard industry rates. Often, those rates carry over to the hourly rates charged by tradies who aren’t working on those projects. That’s because their preference is to work as an independent contractor or to operate their own business. But they know that if the market won’t pay those standard rates for labour, they can go and work on a big project for a large company that will pay those rates. 

In capital cities, more professional tiling contractors will charge between $30 and $100 per hour. That’s quite a big range, so let’s break it down a bit. Our research tells us that tiling tradies charge different hourly rates depending on their location. In places like Sydney and Perth where there are acknowledged tradie shortages, the average price per hour for labour is higher. In less competitive markets, it’s lower.

It should be noted that these are indicated labour costs per hour, based on our own research. Prices may vary and particular tradies might have their own reasons for quoting and charging more or less, potentially outside the ranges provided above. Of course, these costs don’t include material costs like tiles, adhesives, and grout. 

How much are tiles per square metre?

Once you understand what labour costs your project is likely to incur, it’s time to decide on a style of tile. To help you, we have another comparison table indicating the price you’re likely to pay for different types of tiles.

As you can see, your choice of tile can make a big difference in terms of your project costs, with options from $25 through to $200+ per m². Of course, there are even cheaper options available through construction material recyclers and even more expensive options through exclusive importers. But in terms of average cost, you can expect to pay between $50 and $70 per m².

Should tiling tradies be licensed?

Depending on the size of the projects being undertaken, a tiling tradie might need a licence. As a general rule - though each state and territory is different - anyone completing “trades” work valued at a particular amount or more is required to have a licence. In New South Wales, that amount is $5000. If you don’t have a licence, you can’t complete trades work on any project with a higher value. And Government authorities take a dim view of tradies and contractors who continually underquote to avoid the threshold. 

In most jurisdictions, getting a licence means having a relevant qualification from a nationally accredited registered training organisation (RTO) like TAFE. The “standard” Australian qualification for tilers is the Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling, which is the qualification a tradie gets for completing a tiling apprenticeship. 

At BorisDoes we help tradies to list their qualifications and licences so that you know in advance if the Tasker or Business you are hiring has what you’re looking for. For small tiling jobs, hiring a tiler without a licence might be okay, but you should check with the consumer protection or fair trading agency in your state or territory if you aren’t sure. 

Is DIY a good option for tiling? 

The simple answer is “sometimes”, though it depends what you’re trying to do and how large an area you are tiling. For large areas or wet areas where you need water to drain to a particular point, tiling can be a complicated endeavour. That is also true of floors with a large number of corners, architectural features, or unusual angles. That’s because each of those require the careful measuring and cutting of tiles to produce a high-quality, professional-looking finish. 

Any tiling associated with drainage and plumbing should be left to an expert as mistakes can cause serious problems like water retention and water damage to adjoining areas. Replacing a few tiles for a kitchen splash-back is very different to retiling an entire bathroom floor with drains and bathroom fixtures. 

You can start with a couple of smaller tiling projects, like replacing a row of role tiles in your laundry, before moving on to larger and more complicated jobs. And if you’re ever in doubt, call in a professional tradie and avoid the risk of getting it wrong. 

Choosing a professional tiling tradie

Finding tiling tradies and choosing the right one for your tiling job has never been easier. BorisDoes has gathered tiling tradies from around Australia and they are now available right here in our BorisDoes Tasker List. That means you can start a task or request a quote to find a professional tiling Tasker or Business near you. 

You can use our unique chat feature to talk directly with tradies and Taskers, which means you can ensure they have the skills, equipment and experience to complete your tiling job. You can also find design consultants who can give you advice about the right tiles to pick for your indoor or outdoor space. Whether you need to tile a bathroom, kitchen, laundry, wet area or outdoor entertaining area, BorisDoes has what you need.