Overview
Tilers price per square metre, and the cuts decide whether you made money
Tilers price per square metre, but the cuts decide whether you made money. A square room with full tiles is one job. A bathroom with a sloping floor, a niche over the bath, three pipes coming through the wall, and a customer who wants the tiles laid diagonal is another job entirely. Cuts take real time, waste is real cost, and a quote that just gives a per-metre rate is a quote that's losing the cuts. Wet areas need their own line for the waterproofing membrane, not buried in 'preparation', because every customer has a strong opinion about whether they want it.
QuoteGenio gives tilers the structure for the real shape of a tile job. Tiles by the box with the brand and shade code on the quote, adhesive and grout at supplier price, waterproof membrane as its own line, labour broken into prep, lay, grout, and clean. Send via WhatsApp from the bathroom you're standing in, attach a photo of the existing surface, take a deposit when the customer accepts. Variations for extra cuts or a change of layout go on the same record. The end invoice ties back to the original quote, not to a guess at the end of the week.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of wall and floor tiling business.
The problem
The quoting headaches every tiler knows
Tiling is detail work that looks simple until you add waterproofing, feature strips, and mitred edges. Miss one line and your margin tiles itself out of the job.
Measuring tile area with cuts is slow
Bathrooms are full of awkward cuts, niches, and levels. Working out tile quantity plus 10 percent wastage on a notepad takes an hour.
Adhesive and grout get underquoted
Adhesive, waterproofing slurry, grout, silicone, and trims add up fast. Quote the tile and skip the sundries and your margin goes with them.
Waterproofing disputes after a leak
A year later the shower leaks and the client claims it was your job. Without a written scope showing waterproofing by you or by others, you wear the blame.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A faster, cleaner workflow built around how tilers work, on-site for measure-ups and priced by the square metre with a clear scope on waterproofing and sundries.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for tiling work
Line items for tile supply, adhesive, grout, waterproofing, trims, and labour per square metre. Structure the quote exactly how you charge.
Protect yourself on wet areas
A written scope stating waterproofing is included (or by others) is the only way to stop a future leak becoming your problem.
Quote from the site visit
Measure up, key the dimensions in, and send the quote before the client has walked back to the kitchen. No office trip needed.
Track payments easily
Know which invoices are outstanding and follow up with one tap. Adhesive and tile come out of your pocket first, so cash flow matters.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how tilers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Tilers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Tilers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Tilers job pricing
A rough guide to what tilers charge for common jobs. Pricing shifts with tile size, format, surface preparation, and whether waterproofing is included. Use these as a sanity check when building your rate card, not as fixed numbers.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Site visit and quote | R0 - R2,479 |
| Wall tiling labour (per sq m) | R364 - R909 / sq m |
| Floor tiling labour (per sq m) | R297 - R793 / sq m |
| Large format porcelain (over 600x600, per sq m) | R744 - R1,570 / sq m |
| Mosaic and feature strip (per linear m) | R909 - R2,479 / m |
| Wet-area waterproofing (per sq m) | R297 - R694 / sq m |
| Shower niche or bench build and tile | R4,628 - R14,048 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
A bathroom measure-up is about an hour on-site. Most tilers quote free within 20km, but a detailed tile take-off on a full house with multiple bathrooms is three to four hours of real work. Charging R2,479 to R4,628 for a detailed bill of quantities, refundable against the contract, filters out clients collecting five quotes.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use fixed pricing per square metre for standard wall and floor work where tile format is known. Use daywork (typically R4,628 to R7,933 per tiler per day) for repair work, custom mosaic, mitred porcelain edges, and anything where the detail is slow and variable. State clearly which lines are fixed and which are daywork.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean itemised bathroom tiling quote looks like. Labour, tile supply, adhesive, grout, waterproofing, and feature work are all separate lines. If the client wants to upgrade to a mosaic strip or a polished porcelain, you update one line and reissue the quote in minutes.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Bathroom tiling, walls and floor, 24 sq m total, 600x600 porcelain
Wall tiling labour (18 sq m to ceiling)
Floor tiling labour (6 sq m)
Porcelain tiles supply (incl 10% wastage)
Tile adhesive (flexible, C2TE)
Grout, silicone, and aluminium trims
Wet-area waterproofing (shower and floor)
Shower niche build, waterproof, and mitre
Site clean and offcut removal
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall tiling labour (18 sq m to ceiling) | 18 | R628 / sq m | R11,304 |
| Floor tiling labour (6 sq m) | 6 | R529 / sq m | R3,173 |
| Porcelain tiles supply (incl 10% wastage) | 27 | R463 / sq m | R12,494 |
| Tile adhesive (flexible, C2TE) | 1 | R3,636 | R3,636 |
| Grout, silicone, and aluminium trims | 1 | R3,057 | R3,057 |
| Wet-area waterproofing (shower and floor) | 8 | R529 / sq m | R4,231 |
| Shower niche build, waterproof, and mitre | 1 | R6,941 | R6,941 |
| Site clean and offcut removal | 1 | R1,570 | R1,570 |
| Subtotal | R46,408 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R4,644 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R51,052 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Wastage allowance on tile (10 percent standard, 15 percent on diagonal or patterned layouts), waterproofing slurry and fillets, aluminium or PVC trims at external corners, silicone at wall-floor junctions, levelling compound if the floor is out, and a provisional for hidden rot in shower floors on renovation work. Put these on your template and stop absorbing them.
Peer snapshot
How Tilers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Tilers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
27
Quotes sent per month
59%
Average quote acceptance
3 min
Median time to send quote
R51,052
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Tiler jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of tilers. The same pricing and scope mistakes come up on bathrooms, kitchens, and commercial work. Fix these and your margin stops disappearing down the drain.
Mistake: Quoting tiles without a wastage allowance
Better: Add 10 percent on straight lays and 15 percent on diagonal, herringbone, or patterned layouts. State it as 'includes 10% cutting wastage' in the description. The client pays for wastage because it's part of the job, not your mistake.
Mistake: Not listing waterproofing as a separate line
Better: Either price wet-area waterproofing in at R297 to R694 per sq m, or state clearly 'waterproofing by others, excluded from this quote'. Silence on waterproofing is what lands you in a leak dispute two years later.
Mistake: Same rate for small and large format tiles
Better: A 600x600 porcelain takes twice as long to handle and cut as a 300x300 ceramic. A 1200x600 porcelain is a two-person lift. Price large format at a premium rate and state the tile size in the description.
Mistake: Ignoring levelling compound on old floors
Better: Old timber or cement floors are rarely flat enough for modern large format tile. Add a self-levelling compound line at R297 to R628 per sq m as a provisional, and photograph the floor condition before committing.
Mistake: Lumping grout and silicone into labour
Better: Grout colour, silicone brand, and trim type are client choices. List them as line items so when the client picks a premium epoxy grout or a coloured silicone, you re-price one line cleanly.
Mistake: No validity on tile-heavy quotes
Better: Porcelain and imported tile prices move with the rand. Put a 14 to 30 day validity on every quote. Don't honour a three-month-old price and absorb the difference.
Mistake: Skipping the niche and bench detail
Better: Shower niches, benches, and curbs are slow, mitred, and waterproofed work. Quote them as fixed-price line items, typically R4,628 to R14,048 each, not lumped into the wall rate. Otherwise you do the feature work for free.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote tiling jobs
Walk the bathroom or kitchen with a tape and a level before you price. Measure each wall (floor-to-ceiling for a bathroom, splashback height for a kitchen) and the floor separately, then decide on tile format because a 600x600 porcelain handles differently to a 300x300 ceramic and a 1200x600 is a two-person lift. Check floor flatness with a long straightedge, because old timber or cement floors rarely meet modern large-format tolerances without a self-levelling compound. Identify wet areas (shower floor, shower walls, bath surround, splashback behind hob) because each needs liquid membrane with reinforcing fillets at corners. Note shower niches, benches, curbs, and feature strips, and photograph any existing tile or rot that needs hacking out.
Itemise tile supply, wall labour, floor labour, adhesive, grout, waterproofing, trims, and feature work as separate lines. Include a 10 percent wastage allowance on straight lays and 15 percent on diagonal, herringbone, or patterned layouts, stated as 'includes 10% cutting wastage' in the description. List a flexible C2TE adhesive, the grout colour and type (cement or epoxy), silicone, and aluminium or PVC trims as their own supply line. Price wet-area waterproofing separately at $ 18 to $ 42 per square metre including two membrane coats and fillets, or state waterproofing by others if it is not in scope. Quote niches, benches, and mitred edges as fixed items at $ 280 to $ 850 each rather than absorbing the detail work into the wall rate.
Put a 14 to 30 day validity on every quote because porcelain and imported tile prices track the exchange rate and adhesive prices follow cement. State that material cost shifts beyond the validity trigger a re-quote, which protects you from honouring a three-month-old price at a loss. For bathroom tile jobs over $ 1,500 take a 40 to 50 percent deposit upfront because tile is non-refundable once cut and adhesive has a shelf life. Always state the waterproofing warranty on the quote (5 to 10 years is standard) because that is what wins the job against a tiler who throws waterproofing in for free and vanishes when the shower leaks. Include a provisional for levelling compound if the floor is out of tolerance.
Send the quote before you leave the site. Homeowners doing a bathroom refit collect two or three tiler quotes in the same week, and the itemised PDF that hits WhatsApp first with a clear waterproofing line usually locks the job in. Build the quote on your phone while you are still standing in the bathroom, share it as a WhatsApp link before you pack the tape, and follow up after two days if the client has gone quiet. When they decide mid-job to add a mosaic strip, upgrade to polished porcelain, or extend tiling to the ceiling, duplicate the quote inside QuoteGenio, change one line, and reissue as a variation so the detail work is signed off in writing before you mix the next batch of adhesive.
FAQ
Common questions from tilers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. QuoteGenio supports unlimited line items. Add wall labour, floor labour, tile supply, adhesive, grout, waterproofing, trims, and feature work on separate lines. Each has its own description, quantity, and rate.
Yes. As you add quantities and rates, subtotals, VAT, and grand totals update in real time. No spreadsheet needed.
Yes. Once the quote is ready, share it as a link via WhatsApp. The client gets a professional branded PDF on their phone in seconds.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. The client opens it, accepts online, and you have a signed acceptance on record. No signup required.
Yes. Convert any accepted quote into an invoice with one click. All the line items carry over, so there's no double entry.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Both work, but itemise it clearly. If you supply, you carry the wastage risk and earn a small margin on the tile. If the client supplies, state 'tile supply by client, wastage risk on client' on the quote, and charge a minimum re-attendance fee if a return trip is needed for shortage. Most experienced tilers prefer to supply because you control the breakage and the colour-batch risk.
Quote it as a separate line in square metres, including two coats of liquid membrane, reinforcing fillets at corners, and the floor waste detail. Typical rates are R297 to R694 per sq m. State the warranty in the description (5 to 10 years is standard) because that's often what wins the job over a tiler who 'throws it in for free' and then disappears when it leaks.
Tiles over 600x600 take longer to handle, need back-buttering with the right notched trowel, and often need a tile saw cut rather than a snap cutter. Price labour at a premium (often 30 to 50 percent above standard ceramic), and state the tile size, thickness, and handling requirements in the quote description so the client doesn't compare your rate to a 300x300 ceramic quote and assume you're expensive.
14 to 30 days is standard. Porcelain and imported tile prices move with the rand, and adhesive prices follow cement. QuoteGenio shows the expiry on the PDF so there's no awkward conversation if the client accepts three months later at the old price and you absorb the difference.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
Pricing benchmark
What do tilers charge in 2026?
Hourly rates by region, common job prices, a worked sample quote, and the FAQs customers actually ask. The complete pricing reference for tilers.
Typical hourly
$50-$100/hr
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Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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