How this calculator works
The calculator does the two calculations every tiling project needs, using the same 2026 price bands as our tiling cost guide:
- Tiles to order — your measured area plus a waste factor: 10% for a straight lay, 15% for diagonals and patterns. Tiles get cut at every edge, and a broken tile two years from now is only replaceable if you kept spares from the same batch.
- Laying labour — priced per m² by surface: floors at R180–R320, walls at R220–R380 (gravity, battens and eye-height joints make walls slower), large format at R300–R500 with two-person handling. Pattern layouts add 30–50%.
- Adhesive and grout — R60–R120 per m² for the right adhesive class; outdoor work sits at the top of that band because exterior-rated adhesive and flexible grout cost more.
- Preparation — stripping old tiles (R80–R150/m² plus rubble removal), self-levelling screed where the slab needs it (R120–R250/m²), and shower waterproofing (R2,000–R4,500) — the line items cheap quotes leave off.
Tile a whole bathroom or house by calculating one area, then using "+ Add another area" to build a running total — floor, then walls, then the next room.
How many tiles per m²?
| Tile size | Tiles per m² | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 300 × 300 mm | ± 11 tiles | Common for bathrooms and splashbacks |
| 450 × 450 mm | ± 5 tiles | Standard for older SA homes |
| 600 × 600 mm | ± 2.8 tiles | Today's default floor tile |
| 600 × 1200 mm | ± 1.4 tiles | Large format — needs a flat floor and premium adhesive |
Always order the waste factor — and keep the sparesOrder your measured area plus 10% (15% for patterns), and keep the leftover box after the job. Tile ranges get discontinued, and dye lots vary between batches — the spares you keep are the only guaranteed colour match for a future repair.
What tiling costs per m² installed (2026)
Installed prices include tiles, adhesive, grout and laying on a surface that's ready to tile. The spread within each band is mostly the tile itself — laying costs don't vary nearly as much:
| Tile type | Best suited to | Installed cost per m² |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic | Walls, splashbacks, light-traffic floors | R450 – R650 |
| Porcelain | Floors, high-traffic areas, showers | R550 – R900 |
| Large-format porcelain (600×1200+) | Open-plan living areas, feature walls | R750 – R1,200 |
| Natural stone | Premium floors, patios, pool surrounds | R900 – R1,800 |
| Patio / outdoor non-slip porcelain | Stoeps, braai areas — exterior adhesive, falls | R550 – R900 |
Labour-only laying rates
Buying the tiles yourself? These are the 2026 laying rates the calculator uses. Confirm whether adhesive and grout are in the rate — at R60–R120 per m², that single line explains many gaps between quotes:
| Work type | Why the rate differs | Labour per m² |
|---|---|---|
| Standard floor tiling | Straight lay, 300×300 to 600×600 | R180 – R320 |
| Wall tiling | Slower — battens, levels, eye-height joints | R220 – R380 |
| Large-format tiles | Two-person handling, lippage control | R300 – R500 |
| Diagonal / herringbone / patterns | More cuts, more waste, more setting out | +30 – 50% |
| Mosaic sheets | Fiddly alignment and grouting — quoted per job | R350 – R600 |
Preparation costs the calculator can add
| Preparation item | When it's needed | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Remove old tiles & adhesive bed | Most re-tiling jobs | R80 – R150 per m² |
| Rubble removal | After strip-out — a bathroom fills a small skip | R500 – R1,500 per load |
| Self-levelling screed | Uneven or damaged slabs | R120 – R250 per m² |
| Shower waterproofing membrane | Every shower, before any tile goes on | R2,000 – R4,500 per shower |
No waterproofing line on a bathroom quote?It isn't cheaper — it's incomplete. The membrane goes on before the tiles with proper upturns, and there is no way to fix it afterwards without taking the tiles off. Our waterproofing cost guide shows what a failed shower costs to redo.
Example estimates
Kitchen floor, 4 m × 4 m, 600×600 porcelain, old tiles out
16 m² measured means ordering about 18 m² — around 50 tiles. Labour R2,900–R5,100, tiles and adhesive R4,100–R9,800, strip-out and rubble R1,800–R3,900: roughly R9,000 – R19,000, in line with the guide's R8,000–R18,000 kitchen-floor band.
Kitchen splashback, 4 m × 1 m, porcelain
4 m² at wall rates: labour R900–R1,500, tiles and adhesive R1,000–R2,500. Roughly R2,000 – R4,000 — with imported or patterned tiles it climbs toward the guide's R6,000 top end.
Full bathroom — floor plus walls, strip-out and shower waterproofing
A 5 m² floor plus 28 m² of walls (added as two areas in the calculator), porcelain, old tiles stripped, shower membrane included lands at roughly R21,000 – R43,000 — matching the guide's R18,000–R40,000 full-bathroom band, with the spread driven almost entirely by the tile you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How many tiles do I need per square metre?
About 11 tiles per m² for 300×300 mm tiles, 5 per m² for 450×450, 2.8 per m² for 600×600, and 1.4 per m² for 600×1200 large format. Always order the measured area plus 10% for cuts and breakages on a straight lay, or 15% for diagonal and pattern layouts.
How much does tiling cost per m² in South Africa?
R450–R650 per m² installed for ceramic and R550–R900 for porcelain in 2026, including tiles, adhesive, grout and laying. Large-format tiles run R750–R1,200 per m² and natural stone R900–R1,800. Removing old tiles and levelling, where needed, is extra.
What do tilers charge for labour only?
R180–R320 per m² for standard floor tiling and R220–R380 per m² for walls in 2026. Large-format tiles run R300–R500 per m², and diagonal or pattern layouts add 30–50% to the base rate. Confirm whether adhesive and grout are included — at R60–R120 per m², that single item explains many gaps between quotes.
How much does it cost to tile a bathroom?
A full bathroom re-tile — floor and walls, strip-out, preparation and shower waterproofing, around 25–35 m² of tiling — costs R18,000–R40,000 in 2026 depending mostly on the tile you choose. A bathroom floor alone runs R4,500–R9,000 including removal of the old tiles.
What does it cost to remove old tiles first?
R80–R150 per m² to chip up old tiles and the adhesive bed, plus R500–R1,500 for rubble removal. If the slab underneath is uneven or damaged, self-levelling screed adds R120–R250 per m² before the first new tile is laid.
Can you tile over existing tiles?
Sometimes — over sound, well-bonded, degreased tiles with the right primer and adhesive it saves the strip-out cost. But the floor height rises, so doors and appliances may no longer fit, and any loose tile underneath becomes the new floor's failure point. A tiler should tap-test the whole floor first, not offer it as a default shortcut.
Do I need waterproofing before tiling a shower?
Yes — every shower needs a waterproofing membrane with proper upturns before any tile goes on, typically R2,000–R4,500 per shower. There is no way to add it afterwards without removing the tiles. If a bathroom quote doesn't name waterproofing as a line item, it isn't cheaper — it's incomplete.
How many square metres can a tiler lay per day?
Around 10–15 m² per day on straightforward floors, and less on walls, large-format tiles and pattern layouts — wall tiling is slower because of battens, levels and eye-height joints. A kitchen floor is typically a 1–2 day job; a full bathroom runs 4–6 days including strip-out, waterproofing cure time and grouting.