tile installation price

I haven't installed tile for about four years, and I recently installed floor tile for a friend in his three bath rooms. I originally quoted him $3.50 per sq ft for installing standard tiles, such as 12x 12" in straight formation. When the my friend, the customer, bought the tile he got two different sizes of tile: 4x4" and 6x6", both different colors. For two of the bathrooms he wanted a border around the bathroom of two 4x4" tiles deep, then in the middle he wanted some sort of patern. I sugested the middle be on the diagonal to offer a contrast. Since he trusted me to do everything, I designed an eye pleasing design and told him the cost would around $6.00 or so per sq ft. I charged him $460.00 for the two bathrooms combined--90 sq ft. I knew I had eaten it big because the job took around 32 hours due to so many small precision cuts. Then on his third bathroom of 20sq ft the design took nearly 120 cuts fot the pattern. I charged him $200.00 for that bath room. The problem is that he thinks I over charged him for the last bathroom (which I worked approx. 20 hrs on). I was expecting him to be happy about the price. I left feeling good about my work, but lousy that I had to work to persuade him that he got a real deal. How does one go about estimnating the cost for tile installation when there are an unkown amount of cuts, as for me about 320 for all three bathrooms. I appreciate you reading this long topic--Thank you

Don't work for family or friends. No good deed goes unpunished.

I only work for free for my mother in law, yes, my mother in law, she loves me, oh, and by the way, her Sunday meatballs are priceless.

As RD states, it's very hard to work for family and friends. Did my neighbours place this spring. About 275 square feet of porcelain tile. I supplied the tiles, and charged him the low low price of $1500 as a favour. He got the job at least 50% of the going price and still argued about the price. Sometimes it's better to stay at home.

Hi Richard,
I agree with the guys. Don't work for friends or family. If you must, agree on a price before hand and have them check to see if it's a good price.

Anyway even charging a normal square foot price is not adequate for small rooms; especially with designs and small tiles.

Anything less than 200 SF then I start charging by the day (since you must grout the day after THATS at least 1 1/2 days). Then you'll have to charge what ever you think you're worth for the day. THEN ADD additional charges for design work and the frustration of small tiles.

Hey Richard, tell your friend to come in this forum and we'll quote him a price.
My price for that would have been at least $1200.

1. Always do family and friends for "free", free meaning they put in sweat equity and feed you.

2. NEVER, ever, ever, give anyone a price without seeing exactly what they have in mind.

3. you work way too cheap. I work cheap and my labor charge starts at (5.00)/foot labor only and that is if it is at least 80 feet (in one room) with one doorway. Small rooms charge a minimum. Patterns. Charge the hell out of them. Especially if they want the whole tiles on the wall border crap (and it is crap because I have seen exactly one set a square walls in almost 8 years) is a pain in the a*s to make look good due to framers who rely on finish trades to make them look competent.

WOW! You guys are fantastic, I agree with everyone here. I mean that (meatballs are priceless).

Hey, I really thought I was being too "Lofty" about my new prices, been tiling almost 3 1/2 years, but working with mosaics & grout about 8.

It's not always easy, and I am a one man business (well I and I) Jah Jah.

Anyhow, people always want a good deal, but they don't understand the hard work & cost of operating for the Business, Van, Tool Depreciation, ETC ETC.

Much Respect to All,

Czech me out at http://myspace.com/moonstruckmosaics

And another really cool tilers forum:

http://tilersforums.co.uk

Respek,

Randy

Interesting recording Randy. What/who is it?

Go fishing. Who give a crap what he thinks. At least you know you gave him a good deal.

Been doing tile for 17 years. 5000 plus baths. Business is business.

You da man, that's 1 bath in just under 2 days straight for the last 17 years, without a day off, yeah right.

Richie there was a time when I too could leap tall buildings from a single bound and was faster than a speeding bullet and stronger than a locomotive.

Then some sunuvabitch stole my magic cape and I had to resort to Internet Forums to maintain my heroics, er-ah I mean: lies.

Does anyone know if $1000 is good to install 200 square feet of ceramic tile. Please get back to me asap

Thanks

Not hardly from where I stand. Need more details for crying out loud.

Leo,
Have customer give you a deposit of at least 50%,
Then in a couple of days call him back and tell
Him you under estimated job and will need more money
Deposits are nonrefundable join the rest and
Succeed in this economy

I just bought a home and have about 1000 square feet of 18 inch tile to be installed. It seems that the average price for instalation only is between 6 and 7 dollars a foot. When I asked how long this would take I was told four to five days. I said that if they charged about 6 bucks a foot that would amount to about 6 thousand dollars for the job. That seems extremly high to make six thousand dollars for a weeks work. What am I missing? I feel I make great money for what I do and I do not make any where near 6 thousand dollars a week!

Being a tiling contractor is a business. This contractor probably has one or two employees to be able to get this amount of work done in that time frame. Let's say he has one installer and one helper. No experienced installer is going to work for less than $25 per hour plus benefits. This contractor also by law has to provide workmans comp insurance, SSI contribution and unemployment insurance. So, you figure that installer is now costing about $40 per hour. The installer on this project is costing about $1,600. 00 for a 5 days. You figure the helper is going to cost about half that. So, you are now up to $2,400.00. If he pays himself employee wages and benefits like I do, add another $2,500 for wages, benefits etc. You are now up to almost $5,000. You then have to think about the "company" actual profit after the overhead of two installers, the helper plus the companies overhead like insurance, tool upkeep, advertising, etc. That $1,000 does not go very far. This is just an idea of the cost of being a tiling contractor.

Besides all of what Kelly stated, you have to consider that tiling is a craft that takes years to learn. You can't watch a tv show, do a job or two then call your self a professional let alone a craftsman. What you see on tv is only a tiny fraction of what is really involved in tiling. The problem is that is exactly what is going on today. Joe Schmo watches a program on renovating a bathroom, decides to do his, and now he thinks he can make a living at it. I will never understand why, when it comes to installing tile, that somehow we should not make a decent living. Almost all of the customers I have had, that have tiled at least once in thier life, said they would never do it again because it is hard work. Just so you know, $6-$7 a square foot for 18" tile is pretty cheap. It takes a lot more skill and materials to install 18" tile.

Jeff if you can't afford the price of tile try carpet or vinyl. See how durable those are and how long they last.

Justification for over charging is a wonderful thing. I do run my own business and understand all the added expenses. But let me get this straight. I call a contractor through a friend of mine and ask him if he has someone who does tile work. He responds that he has just the guy. Hard working and does a great job and should be able to get the job done in 4 to 5 days. His price is 7 dollars a foot. I talk to his tile guy and he says he would love to get the job and not knowing what the contractor priced I asked if $2,000. 00 for the week and I buy all the material. He said "when do I start. So if the contractor called him he might of paid him $1,500 and kept the extra $5,500. Not a bad profit for a referal and phone call.

Good luck with that installation. I would plan on redoing the whole installation because as I stated before that is way to low of a price for a PROFESSIONAL tile installation, especially of an 18" tile. You get what you pay for.

What about underlayments, fasteners, adhesives, procurement time and transpotation thereof, vehicle for transport, necessary tools, necessary tile wetsaws, vehicle insurance, liability insurance, additional labor/helper, years of experience so you won't be bitchin' next week when the floor fails, the list goes on and on.

Why not just do it yourself?