Tiling a bathroom, kitchen or floor: how to order and compare offers
The tile format sets the difficulty
The price of tiling is set first of all not by the area but by what exactly is being laid and where. Ordinary 300×300 mm tile on a floor is one story. Large-format porcelain 600×1200 mm on a wall is quite another: it is heavier, needs a very even base, a special adhesive, and often two fitters.
Other things matter too: the layout (straight, offset, diagonal, herringbone), cutting tiles at corners and around pipes, mitred 45° edges instead of a plastic trim, and mosaic. All of this adds time to every square foot.
What to put in your request
- Where to lay — bathroom, toilet, kitchen, floor, walls, backsplash, terrace.
- Area in sq ft, with walls and floor separately.
- Tile format — size and type: ceramic, porcelain, mosaic.
- Layout — straight, diagonal, corners at 45°.
- Base preparation — whether you need old tile removed, levelling, waterproofing.
- Materials — tiles and adhesive yours or the contractor’s.
- Address, timing, budget, for example a rate per sq ft.
Example: “Calgary, bathroom. I need the old tile removed, the base prepared and 600×1200 mm porcelain laid on the walls and floor, 215 sq ft in all, with corners mitred at 45°. Tiles and adhesive are mine. Finish within 2 weeks, budget up to $1.41 per sq ft for labour.”
How to compare offers
Ask what the price per square foot includes, because with different tilers it covers different things:
- base preparation: levelling, priming, waterproofing in wet areas;
- a tile levelling system (clips and wedges) and a good adhesive for that format;
- grout: ordinary or epoxy, and who buys it;
- cut-outs for pipes and sockets, trims and corner pieces;
- waste removal and cleaning at the end.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You send a request on the home page, and tilers in your city reply in chat. They write the price, or what it depends on, and when they can start. Each sees where their offer stands and can improve their terms. Contacts stay hidden, and there are reviews next to the offers. The “How it works” page tells you about the service.
Common mistakes
The main mistake is laying tile on an unprepared base. An uneven wall gives “steps” between tiles, and without waterproofing in a bathroom, water can reach the neighbours. The second is not allowing a margin of tile: for cutting and waste you need to buy extra over the area. The third is buying tile from different batches, because the shade can differ.
Before laying, plumbing is useful, since pipes and fittings are hidden under the tile. And if a broader renovation is planned, see turnkey renovation and finishing work.
