Measure every wall and floor surface separately and add 10–15% wastage. Then price labour, prep, tanking and materials as separate lines.
A typical 2.5 × 2 m bathroom with walls and floor fully tiled (about 25 m²) is around £1,300 in tiling labour over 3–4 days. Strip-out, prep, tanking and materials go on top of that.
Bathrooms are where most tiling quotes go wrong. There are lots of small surfaces, cuts around fittings and prep you can't see until the old tiles come off, and every one of them takes time. This guide follows the order a quote is built in, then works through a real example.
Measure each surface separately
Measure each wall and the floor separately rather than taking one figure for the whole room. Take off doors and windows, but don't deduct small openings: cutting around them takes time and wastes tile. Note which walls are full height and which are half height or splashback only.
Our guide to measuring a room for tiling covers this in detail.
Price the labour
Most tilers price bathroom labour per m², at £20–£50/m² depending on area and tile (see UK tiling labour rates). Then check it against your day rate. Checkatrade gives typical output of 10–15 m² a day on walls and 8–12 m² on floors, but bathrooms are usually at the slow end because of all the cutting.
Charge more per m², or switch to a day rate, for:
- large-format, natural stone, mosaic or patterned layouts;
- niches, recesses and boxing;
- external corners that need mitring or trims;
- small rooms with lots of cuts.
Price prep and tanking separately
Put these on their own lines so the customer can see where the money goes:
| Item | Typical price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tiling around a bath only | £200–£300 | Checkatrade |
| Tiling a shower enclosure | £250–£900 | Checkatrade |
| Removing an old bathroom | £600–£1,000 | Checkatrade |
| Tanking a shower area | £150–£400 | Trade pricing guides (indicative) |
Tanking and wet room prices vary a lot between sources. Price them from your own time and the cost of the kit. Always tank behind tiles in a shower or wet area: tile and grout are not waterproof on their own.
Work out the materials
- Tiles: the measured area plus 10% for a straight lay, more for diagonal or herringbone. Round up to full boxes. See tile wastage and materials.
- Adhesive: about 2.5–3 kg per m² for standard tiles and 4–5 kg for large format or floors (Mapei data sheet). Always check the data sheet for the product you're using.
- Grout, primer, tanking kit, trims and silicone: priced from your merchant.
Say who is supplying the tiles. If the customer is, say so on the quote, and state who pays if they run short.
Worked example: a 2.5 × 2 m bathroom
A family bathroom 2.5 m × 2.0 m with a 2.4 m ceiling. Walls are tiled full height, apart from the door, and the floor is tiled.
| Surface | Area |
|---|---|
| Walls: (2.5 + 2.0) × 2 × 2.4 m, less the door (about 1.6 m²) | about 20 m² |
| Floor: 2.5 × 2.0 m | 5 m² |
| Total to tile | about 25 m² |
| Line on the quote | Working | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tiling labour, walls and floor | about 25 m², 3–4 days | £1,300 |
| Tiles | 25 m² + 10% wastage = 27.5 m², rounded up to full boxes | at your price |
| Adhesive | 25 m² × about 3 kg = 75 kg, so 4 × 20 kg bags (5 with a spare) | at your price |
| Grout, primer, trims, silicone | from your merchant | at your price |
| Tanking (shower or bath area) | if needed | priced separately |
| Strip-out and making good | if needed | priced separately |
£1,300 for about 25 m² is roughly £52 per m², close to Checkatrade's average of about £50. Over 4 days it's £325 a day, inside the usual £200–£350 day-rate range. Checking the price both ways like this catches a quote that has drifted too high or too low.
To run your own figures, use the free labour cost calculator and material calculator.
Put it in writing
Send a written quote that lists what's included and excluded, who supplies the tiles, how long the price is valid for and your payment terms. A fixed price that clearly states its exclusions protects you when the old tiles come off and the wall behind them is in poor condition. Our tiling quote template sets out what to include.
Sources
- Checkatrade: How much does tiling cost in 2026? · updated June 2026; labour per m², output per day, bath and shower areas
- Checkatrade: How much does a bathroom renovation cost in 2026? · May 2026; removing an old bathroom
- trade2base: Wet room costs UK · 2026; tanking prices (trade guide, indicative only)
- Mapei Adesilex P9 technical data sheet · adhesive consumption per m²
Prices change. Figures were checked on 20 October 2026; always check current costs and your own figures before quoting.