How to Write a Tiling Quote That Protects Your Margin

Tiling margins die in the details. Here is how to write a tiling quote that covers prep, wastage, and the awkward cuts clients never notice.

Tiling looks simple from the outside. Buy tiles, stick them down, grout, done. Anyone who has ever tiled a bathroom with a sloped floor and a wonky wall knows the truth. Tiling lives or dies on prep, layout, and the cuts no one talks about.

Your quote needs to reflect that. If you only price tiles per square metre and a labour rate, you are leaving real money on the table.

Measure properly and account for wastage

Always measure the actual tiling area, not the room. Subtract doors and fitted units, then add wastage. For straight lay, allow 10 percent. For diagonal, herringbone, or large format, allow 15 to 20 percent. Mosaic sheets sit closer to 8 percent.

Clients struggle to understand a single "per square metre" number, so split material and labour lines clearly. A tool built for quotes and invoices for tilers keeps those lines separate without extra typing.

Quote prep separately, always

Old tiles, uneven floors, painted walls, and cement screeds with hollow spots all add hours. Walk into the room before you quote and decide what prep is needed. Then list it on the quote as its own block so the client sees what they are paying for.

Typical prep line items

• Strip existing tiles and dispose: $ 35 per square metre
• Self level floor (up to 10 mm): $ 180 per square metre
• Skim and prep painted walls: $ 90 per square metre
• Waterproofing to wet areas (2 coats + corner tape): $ 220 per square metre
• Plumbing isolations and refits: provisional $ 600

Be specific about layout and finish

Two tilers can quote the same room and produce two different jobs. Mitred external corners cost more than plastic trim. Centred layouts cost more than starting from a wall. Write the layout choice into the quote so the client cannot move the goalposts.

Lock the layout, grout, and edge detail into a reusable starting point with your own free quote templates, so every bathroom quote captures the same decisions before you price.

Layout details to lock in

• Lay pattern (straight, brick bond, diagonal, herringbone)
• Grout colour and width
• Edge finish (tile trim, mitre, bullnose)
• Starting point and centring strategy
• Skirting tile or painted skirting

Pricing labour the right way

Per square metre pricing works for big simple floors. It punishes you on small bathrooms with lots of cuts, niches, and wet areas. For anything under about 10 square metres, switch to a fixed price based on actual hours, plus materials.

Need help working out your hourly cost? Read our guide to pricing your labour, then check the numbers in a free quote calculator. Both apply directly to tiling.

Sample tiling quote breakdown

Here is a realistic breakdown for a small bathroom: 6 sqm floor, 22 sqm walls, including a niche and a shower.

• Strip and prep, floor and walls: $ 1,950
• Waterproofing to shower and floor: $ 1,320
• Supply 600x600 floor tile (incl. 15% wastage): $ 1,440
• Supply 300x600 wall tile (incl. 12% wastage): $ 3,300
• Adhesive, grout, trims, silicone: $ 980
• Tiling labour, 5 days, 1 tiler + 1 helper: $ 9,500
• Niche frame and mitred edges: $ 850
• Total before VAT: $ 19,340

Handle the awkward stuff in writing

Cracked tiles after handover. Hairline grout cracks. Tiles broken by the plumber refitting the basin. These are the arguments that eat your evenings. Add a short scope note that covers it.

If your work overlaps with brick, plaster, or new walls, coordinate with the other flooring and tiling trades on site so handover tolerances are agreed before you start. Walls that are out of plumb by 8 mm are not your problem unless you accepted them in writing.

The bottom line

Tilers lose money on prep, wastage, and small awkward jobs. A quote that itemises each one, with realistic numbers and a clear scope, will protect your margin and shorten the negotiation. Start every quote on site with a tape measure and a torch, not at your kitchen table.

QuoteGenio is built for this kind of work. It handles quotes and invoices for tilers in minutes: itemise the scope, send via WhatsApp, and convert accepted quotes to invoices in one tap.