If you’re planning on replacing the floors in parts of your home, you might be thinking about the labor cost to install tile flooring. As a material option, ceramic tiles are arguably one of the most underappreciated flooring types on the market. The beauty of ceramic tiles is that they come in a range of attractive colors and designs and are extremely durable and affordable.
Read on to learn about the different types of ceramic tile, how much to tile a floor, and the labor cost to install ceramic tile per square foot.
Standard Services | Quantity | Low | High | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
What you can expect | |||||
Range per square foot: | $11.47 | $17.57 | |||
Range for this type of project: | $3,442 | $5,272 | |||
Estimate: $4,357 | |||||
Ceramic Floor Tile Cost | 320 square feet | $499 | $658 | ||
Cost of residential-grade, glazed ceramic in 12"x12" tiles, durable enough for moderate to heavy traffic. Rate is inclusive of local delivery, as well as standard excess for perfect installation and occasional repairs. | |||||
Ceramic Floor Tile Labor, Basic | 38 hours | $2,567 | $4,167 | ||
Labor cost, under typical conditions, for complete installation. Backer board will be measured, assembled, and secured, then tile pattern will be appropriately laid out and installed with thinset mortar. Seams will be grouted, and full surface cleaned. Fee is inclusive of all aspects of the project, such as thorough planning, acquisition of equipment and material, preparation and protection of project site, and meticulous cleanup. | |||||
Ceramic Floor Tile Job Supplies | 320 square feet | $320 | $364 | ||
Requisite supplies for the job, including fabrication and polishing disposables, manufacturer-recommended underlayment, fasteners, adhesives, and surface sealants. | |||||
Ceramic Floor Tile Equipment Allowance | 1 job | $56 | $84 | ||
Daily rental of specialty equipment for maximum quality and efficiency. These include 10" diamond wet tile and stone saw, mortar box, and power mortar mixer. Consumable equipment elements not included. | |||||
Ceramic Floor Tile Debris Disposal | 300 square feet | $76 | $86 | ||
Responsible disposal of all project debris, including the cost to load and haul old materials, installation waste, and any other refuse. | |||||
Optional Services | |||||
Option: Remove Flooring | 15 hours | $265 | $1,676 | ||
Flooring will be detached from adjacent components, broken into portable segments, and removed from premises. Asbestos handling will incur additional fees. |
cost to install ceramic floor tile | |
National Avg. Materials Cost per square foot | $1.69 |
National Avg. Cost (labor and materials) for 300 square foot | $4,085.19 |
National Cost Range (labor and materials) for 300 square foot | $3,227.13 - $4,943.25 |
The price per square foot to install tile flooring can include materials, supplies, and labor charges. It varies according to the ceramic tile’s style, size, design, and color. At the lower end of the quality spectrum, you can expect a smaller selection of colors and designs, less durability, and a price tag of approximately $2 per square foot. On average, good quality ceramic tile will fall into a $3 to $15 price range.
When trying to estimate how much tile installation is per square foot, you’ll need to factor in the overall size of your room, including an additional 20% to account for tile cuts and potential breakage. The price a contractor quotes you for the project will encompass the cost of labor and supplies, including things like grout, adhesives, spacers, and tools. The labor cost to install ceramic tile per square foot will run between $4 and $32, plus the additional 20%.
Considering the cost of labor and supplies, a midrange ceramic tile installation will cost from $7.50 to $9.75 per square foot.
Ceramic offers a substantial degree of durability and aesthetics at a reasonable price. While the average price per square foot to install tile falls into the $3 to $15 range, expect to pay anywhere from $2 to $25, depending on the quality, the design, the color, and the brand.
Aside from the cost of the ceramic tiling itself, you’ll also need to consider the cost of hiring a professional who will provide all the necessary supplies and factor them into their price - or the cost of additional supplies if you intend to lay the tile flooring yourself. If you intend to hire a professional, you can expect a tile installation cost of between $3 and $8, on top of the cost of the materials.
Glazed ceramic tiles have a glossy finish, making the tile easier to clean. Typically, the tile installation cost for glazed ceramic tile is between $7 and $23 per square foot.
Unglazed ceramic tiles have a matte look, which can be quite appealing. Unglazed ceramic has a broader price range than glazed ceramic at $6 to $43, which includes the labor cost to install the tile.
Porcelain tiles are essentially a denser, higher quality form of ceramic tile. They come glazed and unglazed and have a price range of $6 to $48, including installation.
Ceramic tile doesn’t just come in square or rectangle, although those are popular shape choices. When deciding what kind of ceramic tile to include in your flooring, you can also choose from various sizes of hexagon, mosaic, or non-standard shapes.
Square tiles are probably the most common ceramic flooring tile option, with equal-sized edges that make them easy to line up or cut. Without including the cost of installation, square tiles average between $2 and $10 per square foot.
Rectangular tiles can be small or large enough size and designed to resemble planks of wood. The tile installation cost for rectangular tiles averages around $2 to $15 per square foot.
Hexagon tiles are slightly more complicated to line up or cut, but they have a certain appeal. This shape of tile can be arranged into interesting patterns to add to its visual effect. Hexagonal ceramic tiles average between $8 and $20, not including the cost of installation.
Mosaic tiles don’t come in one particular shape and size since they’re intended to be used to create intricate patterns or even pictures in the flooring. They’re typically thicker than most other ceramic flooring tiles. Mosaic tiles average between $10 to $30 per square foot, not including the cost of installation.
Non-standard ceramic tiles are often customized for a particular client. Since they tend to be more difficult to manufacture, you can expect to pay up to $40 per square foot without the cost of installation.
Installing tile flooring, no matter what kind of tile you choose is an intermediate-level project. It requires a certain amount of knowledge and a particular set of tools. If you consider yourself fairly handy, you may want to consider installing the floor yourself.
Here are some brief “pros” and “cons” for completing the project yourself or hiring a professional:
DIY pros:
DIY cons:
Hiring pros
Hiring cons
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