How to hire
Match the tiler to the job first. A tiler lays wall and floor tiles and prepares the surfaces beneath them; a bathroom fitter runs the whole refit around that work, and a plumber moves pipes and waste. For a splashback or a bathroom retile with the plumbing staying put, a tiling specialist owns the brief. If the job spans rooms or trades, say so early, since a tiler prices very differently from a full refit team. Say which rooms, which surfaces and whether anything moves when you first enquire.
Tilers carry no mandatory registration, so there is no licence number to demand. What you can check is membership of The Tile Association through its find-a-tiler directory, which lists member firms by location [1]. Ask what training sits behind the work and where it is stated, such as an NVQ diploma or a manufacturer course, and treat a bare logo with no detail as a question rather than proof.
For showers and wet rooms, preparation decides whether the job lasts. Ask how the tiler will waterproof behind the tiles, what adhesive and grout system suits your tile choice, and how they will deal with the substrate if walls are uneven or boards are tired. Large-format slabs and natural stone need a flatter base and slower fixing than standard ceramic, so name your tile before anyone prices. Get the preparation written on the quote, not agreed by nod. Ask what sealant and movement allowance they leave where tile meets bath, tray or window, since rigid grout alone cracks along those joints.
Electric underfloor heating often arrives with a tiling job, and the wiring side belongs to a qualified electrician. New circuits and work in bathrooms sit under the Building Regulations, which a competent person scheme member can self-certify instead of going through building control [6]. If your tiler lays the mats and another trade connects them, agree in writing who does which part and who certifies the electrics.
Get two or three itemised written quotes on the same written scope, separating labour, tiles, adhesives and VAT so you compare like with like. Each quote should name the rooms and areas, the preparation included, the start date, how offcuts and rubble are handled, and payment stages, since a contribution toward materials is normal while full payment before completion is not [4]. Take up references and always use a written contract before anyone starts [4]. Photograph the rooms and note the tile name and shade before you send anything, so every quote prices the same job.
At the end, collect the paperwork before you pay the balance: the itemised invoice, the written guarantee with its length and what it covers, and photographs of the finished rooms and any waterproofing stages. File everything with your house papers, since a future buyer or letting agent will ask what was done and who did it. If anything fails within the guarantee period, Citizens Advice sets out your consumer options for putting it right [5].
Telford and Wrekin brings its own wrinkles. Internal retiling rarely needs planning permission, but the council notes that homes in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, conservation areas and listed buildings face tighter rules, with an Article 4 Direction removing some permitted development rights for Gorge houses [7] [10]. Listed homes need listed building consent for work affecting their special interest, inside and out, and the designation covers attached features such as historic floor tiles [8]. If the job adds new circuits or moves drainage, contact the council's building control team before work starts to check whether approval applies [6] [9].
A typical job runs through the same stages. You send photographs, measurements and the tile name so each firm prices one job; the tiler visits where the room needs seeing, then returns an itemised written quote. You agree a start date, how dust and rubble are handled, and payment stages, then the preparation goes in — levelling, waterproofing and setting out — before a tile is fixed. The tiler lays, grouts and seals, you walk the finish together, and the balance follows the paperwork, not the other way round.
A written quote should name the rooms and areas, the tile and quantity including a waste allowance, the preparation and tanking included, adhesives and grout, the start date, rubble clearance, the guarantee length and cover, VAT and payment stages. At sign-off, collect the itemised invoice, the guarantee, photographs of the finished rooms and any certificates for electrical work, and file them with your house papers [4] [6]. Where building approval applied, the council's building control team issues a completion certificate — obtain it before making final payment [9].
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough Telford ranges run like this: tiling a bathroom's walls and floors together typically costs £800–£1,200, while a splashback between kitchen worktop and cabinets comes in around £275 [2]. Tilers often quote by the metre, averaging £80–£130 per square metre including adhesive and grout [3]. Labour alone runs £20–£40 per square metre, or roughly £200–£350 a day [2] [3].
The tile itself moves the price most. Standard ceramic sits at the bottom of the range, with porcelain above it and natural stone, mosaics and large-format slabs higher still, since heavier and fussier tiles take longer to fix [3]. Removing old tiles, levelling uneven walls or floors, intricate patterns and waterproofing a shower area all add labour before the first new tile goes down [2].
Telford usually sits below London and South East prices, with Midlands rates near the national middle [3]. Ask whether the figure includes VAT and travel, since guides quote differently, and treat any single fixed price for a large job with no breakdown as a question rather than an answer.
Get the scope in writing before work starts: exactly which rooms and areas, which tiles and preparation are included, how rubble is cleared, which guarantee you receive, and what changes the price if the tiler finds worse walls than expected. Agree payment stages and keep every quote and invoice together [4].
Kitchens divide into floors and splashbacks. A standard tile floor usually prices by the metre against the same per-metre guides, with the tile grade and any levelling deciding where you land in the range [2] [3]. A splashback between worktop and cabinets is the smallest common job and is often priced per job rather than by the metre, at around £275 as of autumn 2026 [2]. Intricate patterns, diagonal laying and many cuts around units add labour on both.
Showers and wet rooms carry preparation that dry areas skip. Tanking membranes, backer boards and falls to drainage add materials and time before tiling starts, and guides treat waterproofing a shower area as extra labour on top of the metre rate [2]. Mosaics and small-format tiles suit these spaces but fix slowly, so labour makes up more of the bill than the tile price suggests [3] [11].
Large-format slabs and open-plan floors reward flat bases. Levelling compound, slow fixing and careful setting out push labour up, and premium porcelain or stone adds a surcharge per metre in current guides [3] [11]. Ordering a waste allowance for cuts and keeping spare boxes from the same batch avoids a visible shade change mid-floor.
Red flags
Quotes a full bathroom retile without seeing the room or asking for photographs and measurements.
Cannot name the tiles, adhesive and grout included in the price, or say who supplies them.
Brushes off questions about waterproofing behind a shower with no explanation of the preparation.
Promises a start date but will not put the scope, price and date in writing before lifting a tool.
Asks for full payment in cash before starting, with no written quote or terms [5].
Gives one fixed price for a large job with no breakdown of labour, materials and VAT [2] [3].
Plans to leave old tiles, adhesive and rubble behind without agreeing disposal first.
Will not name a recent local job you could look at or a customer you could contact.
Plans to tile over loose or hollow-sounding tiles without lifting or levelling first.