Tiler pricing in Wellington
What tilers charge in Wellington (typically $50-$105/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
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Wellington tiler pricing
What tilers should charge in Wellington
Wellington tilers serve Kelburn/Karori/Khandallah/Thorndon premium bathroom and kitchen renos, heritage villa bathroom retrofits (Mount Victoria, Thorndon, Mount Cook), suburban new construction (Karori, Khandallah, Lower Hutt, Porirua), government commercial fit-out, and Healthy Homes rental bathroom upgrades. No specific NZ tiler licence; LBP for Restricted Building Work. AS/NZS 3740 internal wet area waterproofing mandatory.
Hourly rate
$50-$105
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$35-$75
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common tiler jobs in Wellington
Real-world price ranges for the jobs local tradies quote every week. Use the table as a starting point for your own quotes and adjust for parts, access, and your overheads. All figures in NZD.
Site visit and measure
What's included
Most tilers visit free for jobs over $1,500. Detailed CAD plans for patterned floors may be charged.
Kitchen splashback (per sqm)
What's included
Includes tile cuts around outlets, edge trim, grout, and 1-2 days labour. Mosaic or natural stone adds cost.
Bathroom wall tile (per sqm)
What's included
Includes waterproofing membrane on wet areas, tile, grout, and labour. Patterns and small format tiles cost more.
Bathroom floor tile (per sqm)
What's included
Includes waterproofing, screed if needed, tile, grout, and labour. Large format porcelain or anti-slip rated tiles cost more.
Full bathroom retile (walls + floor)
What's included
Includes strip-out, waterproofing, screed, tiles, grout, silicon, 5-7 days labour. Bath/shower replacement priced separately.
Kitchen floor tile (per sqm)
What's included
Includes prep, tile, grout, and labour. Skirting cut-back, threshold strips, and edge trim quoted separately.
Outdoor patio tile (per sqm)
What's included
Includes anti-slip rated porcelain or natural stone, drainage falls, exterior-grade adhesive, and labour. Pool surrounds cost more.
Floor screed prep (per sqm)
What's included
Self-levelling compound to fix uneven floors before tile laying. Required where deflection >5mm. Add if floor is concrete-rough.
Tile removal (per sqm)
What's included
Includes strip, debris removal, and substrate clean. Cement-bed tile removal runs higher than thinset.
Wellington quote factors
What to factor into your Wellington tiler quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a tiler in Wellington. Temperate maritime, famously windy. Mild summers (Dec-Feb, 17-22°C, rarely above 25°C, coolest summer of major NZ cities), cool winters (June-Aug, 6-12°C, rarely below 2°C), persistent strong wind (gales 80+ km/h common, wind-driven rain), moderate-high rainfall (~1,250mm/year). Earthquake risk EXTREME (Wellington Fault + Hikurangi subduction).
No specific NZ tiler licence
NZ does not require a specific tiler licence. LBP (Licensed Building Practitioner) for Restricted Building Work scope (most bathroom renos include LBP work). Print LBP number on every quote where applicable. NZ Tiling Trades Association membership is the regional trust signal.
Kelburn, Karori, Khandallah, Thorndon large-format porcelain
Kelburn (6012), Karori (6012/6024), Khandallah (6035), Thorndon (6011), Roseneath (6021), Oriental Bay (6011), Wadestown (6012) clients want 600x1200mm and larger porcelain. Quote per-sqm at NZ$95-NZ$185 install rate plus tile (NZ$80-NZ$650+/sqm material). Standard Wellington NZ$65-NZ$130/sqm install + tile.
AS/NZS 3740 + E3 internal wet area waterproofing mandatory
Australian/NZ Standard AS/NZS 3740 mandates waterproofing for internal wet areas. NZ Building Code E3 (internal moisture) compliance required. Quote waterproofing (Ardex WPM, Mapei, Sika) at NZ$55-NZ$110/sqm as a separate line on every bathroom job. Quote E3 compliance certificate as a deliverable. Non-compliant work voids building consent.
Heritage villa bathroom retrofit (Mount Victoria, Thorndon, Mount Cook)
Mount Victoria, Thorndon, Mount Cook 1880s-1910s NZ kauri timber villas drive heritage bathroom retrofit work. Period-correct subway tile, Victorian mosaic, and brass tapware. Quote heritage bathroom retrofit at premium NZ$95-NZ$185/sqm install with Wellington City Council Heritage approvals where listed. NZ$15,000-NZ$45,000 for full heritage bathroom retrofit.
Suburban new-construction bathroom volume
Greater Wellington new-construction (Karori, Khandallah suburban additions, Lower Hutt: Belmont/Wainuiomata; Porirua; Kapiti Coast) drive volume. Quote per-bathroom (NZ$3,500-NZ$8,500 with tile included) at builder portfolio rates. Build relationships with 5-10 production builders.
Government commercial fit-out
Government departments drive ongoing commercial fit-out tile work (foyer floors, ministry bathroom refurbs). Quote commercial fit-out at NZ$110-NZ$185/sqm install with low-VOC adhesives and government-procurement-compliant documentation. Build relationships with 5-10 facilities managers.
Sample quote
A real Wellington tiler quote you can copy
Full bathroom retile, walls + floor + shower niche, mid-range porcelain. Replace the line items and rates with your own; the structure stays.
Strip-out existing tile and grout (walls 22sqm, floor 6sqm)
Floor screed and level prep
Waterproofing membrane (Ardex or similar, walls and floor wet areas)
Wall tile (22sqm, porcelain 300x600 customer-choice)
Floor tile (6sqm, anti-slip porcelain 600x600 customer-choice)
Pencil trim in shower niche and external edges (8 linear m, brushed nickel)
Grout (epoxy, neutral grey, all joints) and silicone in corners
Tiling labour (4 days, 1 tiler)
FAQ
Wellington tiler pricing questions, answered
Common questions about tiler pricing in Wellington, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Per-sqm install (labour only): NZ$45-NZ$95 for suburban tract, NZ$65-NZ$130 for standard Wellington, NZ$95-NZ$185+ for Kelburn, Karori, Khandallah, Thorndon, Oriental Bay, Roseneath and large-format porcelain. Add tile material (NZ$40-NZ$650+/sqm depending on tier). Heritage villa retrofit NZ$95-NZ$185/sqm install. GST 15% applies above NZ$60k turnover.
No, NZ does not require a specific tiler licence. LBP (Licensed Building Practitioner) for Restricted Building Work scope (most bathroom renos include LBP work). Print LBP number on every quote where applicable. NZ Tiling Trades Association membership is the regional trust signal.
NZ$18,000-NZ$55,000 for a 6-10sqm Kelburn bathroom in tile and labour depending on tier. Includes substrate prep, AS/NZS 3740 waterproofing (NZ$55-NZ$110/sqm), tile install (NZ$95-NZ$185/sqm), tile material (NZ$80-NZ$650+/sqm), and grouting. State NZ Tiling Trades Association member and LBP number on every quote.
Yes, niche premium revenue. Mount Victoria, Thorndon, Mount Cook 1880s-1910s NZ kauri timber villas drive heritage bathroom retrofit work. Period-correct subway tile, Victorian mosaic, and brass tapware. Quote heritage bathroom retrofit at premium NZ$95-NZ$185/sqm install with Wellington City Council Heritage approvals where listed. NZ$15,000-NZ$45,000 for full heritage bathroom retrofit.
Yes, always, on bathroom and wet-area jobs. AS/NZS 3740 mandates waterproofing for internal wet areas. NZ Building Code E3 (internal moisture) compliance required. Quote waterproofing (Ardex WPM, Mapei, Sika) at NZ$55-NZ$110/sqm as a separate line on every bathroom job. Quote E3 compliance certificate as a deliverable. Non-compliant work voids building consent.
Hourly rates are $50 to $90 in the US, £28-65 in the UK, A$55-110 in Australia, R180-500 in South Africa, and C$50-95 in Canada. Most tilers prefer fixed-price per square metre because it is more transparent and forces a clear scope conversation.
A standard 6-7sqm bathroom (walls + floor + shower) takes 5-7 working days from strip-out to grouting, plus 24-48 hours for waterproofing membrane cure and another 24 hours before the room can be used. Larger or pattern-heavy bathrooms run 7-10 days.
You can, and many customers do for design control. Just confirm with the tiler 1-2 weeks before start so the tile arrives on site in time and the colour matches across boxes. Customer-supplied tile usually voids tile-failure warranties; workmanship warranty stays.
For jobs over $2,000, get 2-3 quotes. Compare tile brand, waterproofing inclusion, substrate prep, pattern and edge detail. The cheapest quote often skips waterproofing or substrate prep, leading to failure within 3 years.
Ceramic is the cheapest and softest; OK for walls, marginal for floors. Porcelain is denser, harder, and frost-proof; the best all-rounder. Natural stone (marble, travertine, slate) is premium-priced, beautiful, and needs sealing before and after grouting.
Keep going
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