How to quote for tiler jobs
A practical 2026 pricing guide for UK tilers: how to work out your rate, what to build into every quote, realistic price ranges, and the mistakes that quietly eat your margin.
Skip the maths — build a tiler quote in 60 seconds with QuoteRocket.
Rates, markup and VAT applied automatically. Free trial, no card needed.
How to price tiler work
Price from the bottom up, not from what the last bloke charged. Start with your true hourly cost, add the materials at your real buying price plus a markup, then add the things people forget — travel, waste, parking, certification.
1. Work out your real hourly rate
Take the income you want, add overheads (van, insurance, tools, phone, accountant, pension) and divide by hours you can genuinely bill — around 1,000–1,300 a year once quoting, travel and admin are stripped out. For most tilers that lands near £55 an hour.
2. Estimate labour honestly
Estimate the hours the job actually takes, including setup, testing and clean-up, then add a contingency for the unknowns you always find once you open things up. Underestimating hours is the single biggest cause of a job losing money.
3. Price materials at cost + markup
Charge what you paid, plus a markup of typically 10–25% to cover collection time, waste, returns and the risk of price rises between quoting and buying. If a supplier price is more than a couple of weeks old, re-check it.
4. Add callout, travel and access
A callout or minimum charge protects you on small jobs. Add mileage beyond your normal radius, plus parking, congestion or permit costs where they apply — these are legitimate costs, and customers accept them when they are itemised.
5. Show VAT clearly
If you are VAT registered, show the net figure, VAT at 20% and the gross total separately. If you are not registered, say so on the quote so nobody assumes there is 20% to come.
What to factor into a tiler quote
- Substrate prep (tanking, backer board, levelling)
- Adhesive & grout type (flexible, epoxy)
- Cut wastage allowance (usually +10%)
- Sealing to natural stone if applicable
Realistic UK price ranges for tiler work
Indicative 2026 figures, excluding VAT. Regional variation is significant — treat these as a sanity check on your own numbers.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | £44 – £77 |
| Day rate (7–8 hrs) | £385 – £440 |
| Callout / minimum charge | £55 – £110 |
| Materials markup | 10% – 25% |
| Example job — Bathroom — full walls & floor | ≈ £2,160 |
See the full itemised breakdown on our free tiler quote template, or run your own numbers in the quote calculator.
Common quoting mistakes for tilers
- Quoting a round number off the top of your head on site, then discovering the materials alone eat most of it.
- Leaving the scope vague. "Bathroom wall & floor tiling" means different things to you and the customer — spell out what is and is not included.
- Forgetting the unbillable hours: quoting, collecting materials, travel and waste disposal all have to be paid for by the jobs you do win.
- Not putting an expiry on the quote. Material prices move; 14 or 30 days protects you.
- Taking days to send it. Most customers hire whoever gets a clear, professional quote to them first.
Typical tiler jobs to quote
- Bathroom wall & floor tiling
- Kitchen splashback
- Large-format porcelain hallway
- Wet room with fall to drain
Tiler pricing FAQs
How much should a tiler charge per hour?
Most UK tilers work to an hourly rate of around £44–£77 depending on region, with London and the South East at the top of that range. Work backwards from what you need to earn: target annual income plus overheads, divided by realistically billable hours (usually 1,000–1,300 a year, not 1,800).
What is a typical tiler day rate?
A day rate is normally 7–8 billable hours at your hourly figure, often with a small discount for the certainty of a full day. At £55 an hour that is roughly £385–£440 per day before materials and VAT. Quote day rates only for open-ended work; fixed price wins more jobs where the scope is clear.
How much does a typical tiler job cost?
Our worked example — Bathroom — full walls & floor — comes to about £2,160 before VAT once labour, materials and fees are included. Use it as a sanity check rather than a price list: your materials cost, travel and access all move the number.
How much per m² does a tiler charge in the UK?
£40–£70 per m² for standard porcelain, more for large-format, mosaics, or intricate patterns. Floor tiling is usually a bit higher than walls.
Should the customer supply the tiles?
Either way works — just make it explicit. If they supply, add a note that you're not responsible for shortfall or damaged batches.
Skip the maths — build a tiler quote in 60 seconds with QuoteRocket.
Rates, markup and VAT applied automatically. Free trial, no card needed.