How tiling is priced in South Africa
Tiling is quoted per square metre, but a tiling job has three layers of cost — and the tile itself, the part you choose in the showroom, is only one of them:
- The tiles — priced per m² at the merchant, from R100 ceramic to R900+ imported porcelain and stone. You'll buy the measured area plus 10–15% for cuts and breakages.
- Laying — the tiler's labour plus adhesive, grout, spacers, trims and edge profiles. Labour is priced per m², with premiums for walls, large formats and patterns.
- Preparation — chipping up old tiles, screeding uneven floors, priming dusty surfaces, and waterproofing wet areas. This is the layer cheap quotes skip, and it's the layer that decides whether the tiles stay down.
Some tilers quote supply-and-fit; most quote labour and materials separately, with you buying the tiles. Both work — what matters is that every layer appears on the quote, because a tile that lifts or a shower that leaks is not repaired, it's redone.
Tiling cost per m² by tile type
| 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 (travertine, slate, granite) | Premium floors, patios, pool surrounds | R900 – R1,800 |
| Mosaic & feature tiling | Niches, shower floors, splashback details | R1,000+ / quoted per job |
The spread within each band is mostly the tile itself. Local ceramic starts around R100–R250 per m² at the merchant; standard porcelain runs R180–R450; imported, rectified large-format and stone run R500–R900 and beyond. Laying costs don't vary nearly as much — which is why upgrading the tile is usually better value than shaving the labour rate.
For wood-look floors compared against laminate and vinyl, see our flooring cost guide — wood-look porcelain costs more upfront than laminate but is waterproof, scratch-proof and effectively permanent.
Labour-only tiling rates
If you're buying the tiles yourself, tilers charge for laying per m². The rate depends on where the tiles go and how hard they are to lay:
| Work type | Why the rate differs | Labour per m² |
|---|---|---|
| Standard floor tiling | Straight lay, 300×300 to 600×600 tiles | R180 – R320 |
| Wall tiling | Slower, needs support battens and truer lines | R220 – R380 |
| Large-format tiles | Two-person handling, back-buttering, lippage control | R300 – R500 |
| Diagonal, herringbone & patterns | More cuts, more waste, more setting-out time | +30 – 50% on the base rate |
| Mosaic sheets | Fiddly alignment and grouting | R350 – R600 |
Adhesive and grout are sometimes in the labour rate and sometimes not — at R60–R120 per m² for the right adhesive, this single line item explains many gaps between quotes. Large-format porcelain needs a premium rapid-set adhesive; standard cement adhesive under a 1.2-metre tile is a failure waiting for a season of temperature swings.
Bathroom and kitchen tiling costs
| Project | What's involved | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Full bathroom re-tile (floor + walls) | Strip-out, prep, waterproofing, ±25–35 m² tiled | R18,000 – R40,000 |
| Shower re-tile with new waterproofing | Strip shower, new membrane with upturns, re-tile | R12,000 – R25,000 |
| Bathroom floor only | ±4–6 m², removal and re-tile | R4,500 – R9,000 |
| Kitchen splashback | ±3–5 m² between counters and cupboards | R2,500 – R6,000 |
| Kitchen floor | ±12–20 m² in porcelain | R8,000 – R18,000 |
| Whole-house floors (±100 m²) | Mid-range porcelain throughout | R55,000 – R90,000 |
In bathrooms, the tiling and the waterproofing are one job. The membrane goes on before the tiles, with proper upturns at walls and hobs, and there is no way to fix it afterwards without taking the tiles off. If a bathroom quote doesn't name waterproofing as a line item, it isn't cheaper — it's incomplete. Our waterproofing cost guide covers what failed shower waterproofing costs to redo, and it's a number worth reading before accepting the low quote.
If the bathroom work goes beyond tiles — new sanitaryware, layout changes, a bath-to-shower conversion — see our renovation cost guide for full bathroom project pricing.
Planning a tiling project?
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Outdoor tiling: patios, stoeps and pool surrounds
Outdoor tiling costs more per m² than the same area indoors, and the difference is all in the spec: exterior-rated adhesive, wider flexible grout joints, fall towards drainage, and a tile with a genuine slip rating. Skimp on any of these and the Western Cape delivers the consequences — winter rain lifts poorly bonded tiles, and summer sun cracks rigid grout lines.
| Outdoor project | Notes | Installed cost per m² |
|---|---|---|
| Patio / stoep in non-slip porcelain | Exterior adhesive, falls to drainage | R550 – R900 |
| 20mm outdoor porcelain pavers | Thick structural tiles, laid on screed or pedestals | R750 – R1,300 |
| Pool surround / coping | Non-slip, salt- and chlorine-resistant tiles and grout | R700 – R1,400 |
| Outdoor steps and risers | Priced per step; bullnose or profile edges | Quoted per job |
For larger outdoor areas — full driveways and yards — brick or cobble paving is usually more economical and more durable than tiling; our paving cost guide covers those prices.
Tile removal and surface preparation costs
Tiles telegraph everything underneath them. Laid over a dusty, uneven or cracked surface, they crack along the same lines, sound hollow underfoot, and lift at the edges — and the repair is a full redo. Preparation is where a good tiler earns the rate:
| 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 |
| Priming / slurry coat | Dusty, painted or smooth power-floated surfaces | R25 – R50 per m² |
| Shower waterproofing membrane | Every shower, before any tile goes on | R2,000 – R4,500 per shower |
What affects the final price
- The tile you choose. The single biggest variable. Laying costs are similar whether the tile cost R150 or R700 per m² — the tile decides most of the total.
- Tile size and format. Large formats look seamless but need flatter floors, premium adhesive, two-person handling and lippage systems. Below 600×600, size barely moves the price; above it, every step up costs.
- Walls versus floors. Wall tiling runs 20–30% more per m² for labour — gravity, battens, and the fact that wall joints are at eye level and have to be perfect.
- Layout and cuts. A straight lay in a rectangular room is the base rate. Diagonals, herringbone, borders, and rooms full of angles add 30–50% to labour and 5% or more to tile waste.
- The state of the surface. A flat, sound screed needs nothing; a cracked, uneven floor with old adhesive can add R200–R400 per m² before the first tile is laid.
- Wet areas. Waterproofing, falls to drains, hobs and niches make bathroom m² more expensive than bedroom m² — and they're the m² where cutting corners costs the most.
- Trims and finishing. Aluminium or PVC edge trims, movement joints in large areas, and matching bullnose pieces are small line items that separate a finished job from a rough one.
What should be in a tiling quote
- The tile by name — or, for labour-only quotes, the format and type assumed, since large-format changes the rate.
- Adhesive and grout specified — brand and class, especially for large-format, outdoor and wet-area work. "Adhesive included" without a spec is not a spec.
- Preparation itemised — strip-out, screeding (with a rate per m² if the extent is uncertain), priming, and rubble removal.
- Waterproofing named for wet areas — the membrane system, where it goes, and the cure time before tiling starts.
- Waste factor stated — tiles ordered at measured area plus 10% for straight lays, 15% for diagonals and patterns.
- Trims, movement joints and thresholds — listed up front, not discovered as extras when the edges are reached.
- Who supplies what — tiles, trims, and grout colour sign-off, so nothing stalls mid-job.
- A workmanship guarantee — in writing, covering lifting, drumming and grout failure.
Red flags on a tiling quote
- A per-m² price with no site visit and nothing for preparation. It assumes a perfect surface. The difference gets negotiated mid-job, when your old floor is already rubble.
- No waterproofing line on a bathroom or shower quote. The most expensive corner a tiler can cut, because the failure appears a year later behind brand-new tiles — and fixing it means removing them.
- "We'll tile over the old tiles" as a default — without tap-testing for hollow spots or checking door clearances. A shortcut for the tiler, a gamble for you.
- One generic adhesive for everything. Large-format porcelain, outdoor work and wet areas each need specific adhesive classes. A tiler who doesn't distinguish is planning to use whatever is on the bakkie.
- No mention of levels or lippage on large-format work. Big tiles amplify every ridge — if the quote doesn't address floor flatness, the finish will.
- Grout as an afterthought. Wrong grout in showers and outdoors cracks and lets water through. Colour, class and sealing (for stone) belong on the quote.
- A quote dramatically below the others. With tiling the gap is nearly always preparation, waterproofing, or an adhesive that shouldn't be under that tile.
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