Should I price per m² or per room?

m² internally, customer-facing can summarise by room if you show the maths. Transparency reduces arguments -- 'Floor: 18m² at £X per m² = £Y' is harder to dispute than a rounded figure.

How much should I charge for floor prep?

Price it as a separate line based on actual time and materials. Self-leveller, priming and ply boarding each have different costs -- burying them in m² means you lose money on bad substrates.

What waste percentage should I add?

Minimum 10% for straight lay on good shapes. Budget 15-20% for diagonal or pattern work. For herringbone in a small bathroom, 25% is not unusual. Measure twice, add waste, then order -- under-ordering on site burns the whole day.

How to price tiling jobs without eating your profit

Tiling looks like simple m² maths until you price herringbone on a bad floor with tight cuts. This guide covers the full structure: true net area, waste percentages, prep, trims, labour time, and how to present the price so customers say yes rather than arguing over details.

Start with true net area -- not what you measured on the phone

Before you quote, measure on site. Wall and floor dimensions from a phone call are routinely wrong -- a bathroom described as '2m x 3m' often comes out differently once you are in the room with a laser. Measure every plane separately: floor, each tiled wall, shower enclosure, splashback.

Deduct voids (windows, doors, bath panels, shower tray) from gross area to get net. Then add pattern waste on top -- never below.

Straight lay on regular tiles: 8-12% waste
Diagonal or 45-degree lay: 12-18% waste
Herringbone or chevron: 15-25% depending on tile size and room shape
Large format tiles in tight rooms: allow extra -- cuts dominate
Mosaic or intricate patterns: quote material supply separately from labour

Labour time: how long does tiling actually take?

Tiling labour is not uniform. Experienced tilers often price per m² and adjust for complexity -- but working out your hourly rate first keeps you honest.

A standard kitchen splashback at 4m² might take 3-4 hours including setup and grouting. A large-format floor with underfloor heating prep might be 2-3 hours per m². Do not assume -- check your last 10 jobs.

Simple wall tiles, no cuts: 3-5m² per hour for an experienced tiler
Pattern tiles or small mosaics: 1-2m² per hour
Floor prep and adhesive bed: price separately per m² or as a fixed line
Grouting and finishing: often underpriced -- set a minimum
Second fix (sealant, trim, boxing): fixed rate per job, not m²

Price prep as its own line -- every time

If prep is buried inside your m² rate, you cannot vary it when the screed is shot, the wall is damp, or the substrate needs treating. Give prep its own visible line on the quote.

Customers rarely argue prep when it is named clearly. 'Floor self-leveller to 25m² -- £350' is harder to cut than a suspiciously round total that hides it.

Rip-out of existing tiles: price per m², add rubble removal separately
Self-leveller or floor prep compound: material plus 45 minutes to an hour labour per room
Decoupling membrane (Ditra or similar): add to m² rate if you use it as standard
Priming and bonding agents: small cost, easy to miss -- include in material line
Tanking for wetrooms: its own line, different liability to standard tiling

Trims, movement joints and sealant: never bury these

Customers notice missing trims at snagging -- and they come back to you. List them on the quote rather than assuming they are included in m².

Trim lengths, profile types, silicone colours and movement joints for large floor areas should all appear explicitly. If you choose the profile for the customer, specify it -- 'polished chrome Schluter trim to perimeter' is a legitimate line.

Internal and external corner trims: measure linear metres, multiply by rate
Movement joints: required for floor areas over 40m² or at changes in substrate
Silicone to perimeter and change-of-plane joints: separate line or included -- state clearly
Grout colour and type: hydroxy-epoxy vs standard cement -- price difference matters

Bathrooms vs kitchens vs floors: different jobs, different risks

A bathroom quote has different risk to a kitchen splashback. Wetroom waterproofing, heated floors and wall niches each add scope. Price the actual job, not the average job.

Heated floors: clarify who supplies and tests the mat. If you are tiling over an existing system, the customer owns any fault -- note this on the quote. If you are supplying, add the cost and warranty terms.

Bathroom full renovations

These often involve other trades -- plumbers, electricians, carpenters. Clarify exactly where your scope starts and ends. Wall tiling before or after boxing? Who manages the silicone to the bath? Written exclusions protect you when the plumber re-runs pipes at the last minute.

Kitchen splashbacks

Usually smaller areas but high-complexity cuts around sockets and windows. Note socket positions and client-supplied outlet covers on your quote -- unexpected wiring changes are not your problem if excluded clearly.

How to present the quote so customers say yes

Customers compare quotes on total price, professional appearance and clarity of scope. You cannot always win on price -- but a clear, professional PDF with named lines and explicit exclusions beats a vague WhatsApp message every time.

Structure: brief scope summary, m² breakdown, prep lines, trims, total (plus VAT if VAT-registered), payment terms, validity date, key exclusions. That is a quote that holds up when the customer asks questions.

Include a quote reference number -- easier to refer back in messages
Add a validity period: 14-28 days for stable materials, shorter if prices are volatile
Note what is not included: other trades, customer-supplied tiles, waste uplift if relevant
State payment terms: deposit on booking, balance on completion or stage payments for large jobs
Send as a PDF -- not a photo of a notepad

Where Pro Quoter fits

Pro Quoter is built by a tradesman for low-admin work: measures live on site with the customer and job, quotes pull from your Price Book, then you carry the same thread to invoice and records. The m² measure pad calculates area across multiple sections -- different rooms or planes in the same job.

Need help wording the quote professionally? The AI assist helps turn rough notes into clear customer language -- you stay in control of price, scope and exclusions.

FAQ

Should I price per m² or per room?: m² internally, customer-facing can summarise by room if you show the maths. Transparency reduces arguments -- 'Floor: 18m² at £X per m² = £Y' is harder to dispute than a rounded figure.
How much should I charge for floor prep?: Price it as a separate line based on actual time and materials. Self-leveller, priming and ply boarding each have different costs -- burying them in m² means you lose money on bad substrates.
What waste percentage should I add?: Minimum 10% for straight lay on good shapes. Budget 15-20% for diagonal or pattern work. For herringbone in a small bathroom, 25% is not unusual. Measure twice, add waste, then order -- under-ordering on site burns the whole day.