How much does it cost to tile a bathroom wall?

Disclaimer: Prices in this guide are based on data from year X and are subject to fluctuations in the market.

This depends on the way you are calculating your tiling installation cost. You can get a quote for your tiling work in the following way:

• Cost of tiling per square metre
• Cost of tiling per hour
• Cost of tiling per project

The prices can be different significantly. You can expect the tiling installation cost to be from $35 to $140 per square metre. The average tiling installation cost per hour is around $50/m2, while it is hard to say what cost of tiling per project you’ll get without a deep insight into the work you need to do.

List all those details and specifics about your project and ask for a quote from local tilers in your part of Australia. The more quotes you get, the more your budget plan will be.

Some bathroom tile ideas can be more complicated and, therefore, more expensive to put into practice. Check different versions of your project first. Ask for quotes from great Australian tilers and see what pays off the best for you and your bathroom wall.

How Much Does a Tiler Cost per Square Metre?

We already established that you can expect to pay anywhere from $35/m2 to $120/m2 for your bathroom tiling work. On average, this would be somewhere in the ballpark of $60/m2. So, what makes the difference between the $35 per m2 and 120 per m2 bathroom tiling job? Well, several things. Some of them are:

• Tile removal
• Your bathroom tile ideas
• The type of the bathroom wall that needs to be tiled

Tile removal is a tedious job. If you already have tiles on your bathroom walls, removing them is almost 30% of the work. This can definitely make your bathroom tiling more expensive. Additionally, you need to make sure that the debris disposal is included in the price. This is not a cost that you should oversee. You can’t just throw that anywhere. You need a special disposal bin.

Sometimes, even your tiler is not the same person as your tile remover. To reduce their costs, some people opt to do the time removal themselves.

Your bathroom tile ideas are most likely excellent. You have probably picked the perfect tiles that will match your entire colour pattern and make your small bathroom look bigger. However, you will have to choose your priorities carefully because difficult and complex small bathroom designs can ramp up your tiling costs.

The type of bathroom wall makes all the difference when it comes to the costs of tiling. There are walls that will need some serious preparation work, and there are those that are ready to just have your bathroom tiles placed on them.

Then again, there are small bathrooms that are not entirely accessible for all the necessary equipment, but there are also large bathrooms that have walls so high you need high ladders for your bathroom tiling. All these things get into play when the price needs forming.

How Do You Prep a Wall for Bathroom Tiling?

To understand why the wall preparation for your bathroom tiling makes such a big part of your tiling cost, it is important to understand what this type of work really involves.

In short, to prep a wall for bathroom tiling, you need to create a surface that is solid and can hold the weight of tiles, completely flat and completely dry. This is achieved in many ways.

1. Check the walls for holes and cracks
   If you want to put tiles over already existing tiles, you have to check them, as well. Cracked and uneven tiles will make a bad surface for new bathroom tiling. Fix them, or go for the total tile removal.
2. Fill all the possible cracks
   If you have the plaster walls, you can use Polyfilla or some other filling product for drywall.
3. Sand the surface
   At this point, your surface will already have to be dry and ready for sanding. This step is important for your tiling, and it should not be done without much attention to detail. If the surface is not flat and perfect and one part of your tile is placed over, even a small bump,
4. Remove the dust created by sanding
   Simply turn on your vacuum cleaner and vacuum the walls. Make sure you go over every detail and every centimetre of the entire surface.

You now have a nice and dry surface for your bathroom tiling. However, different types of surfaces can complicate one or more of these steps. For example, if you are removing paint, it means that you’ll have to give your wall one good scrub with ammonia-based cleaner.

These are all the details that experienced tilers know about and are prepared to do thoroughly and well. That is why they are professionals, and that is why they form their prices according to the state of your bathroom walls.

Can You Install Tile Over Painted Walls?

It is possible to install bathroom tiles over the painted walls unless the paint contains lead. If you have doubts about whether your paint contains lead, there are kits that can help you test your paint for lead. If it shows that it does, you will need a pro tile remover. Otherwise, improper tile removal can help spread toxic lead all over your home.

It is also possible to place your tiles over the drywall, textured wall, plaster and even other tiles, but there will be some prep work needed, as we described above in several steps. You have to be sure that your wall will be able to carry the weight.

What you should not tile over are all glossy surfaces, wallpaper and plywood. If you are in doubt about what is behind the old tiles and how to make your bathroom tiling great, hire a professional. Tiling is not something you do every day. It is not something you do every year, either. This is a big job, so it needs to be done well.

Get quotes for all your bathroom tiling projects and take your pick from many experienced Australian tilers.