Hiring a Tiler in Melbourne: Count the Tiles Yourself Before the Quote Arrives

By Priya Raman

A tiling quote usually arrives as a single number, sometimes with a rate per square metre beside it. On its own, that number is hard to judge. A homeowner who already knows the area to be tiled, the wastage the layout requires and roughly how many tiles and boxes the job needs is in a much better position: the quote can be read against known quantities rather than taken on trust. The calculator below does that arithmetic from three or four measurements. The rest of this guide explains each step, what moves a tiler’s rate, what the quote should itemise and what to check about registration in Victoria.

Measuring the area

Every tiling calculation starts with area, and area starts with a tape measure. The method is simple, but small errors compound, so it is worth being systematic.

For a rectangular floor, multiply the length by the width, both in metres. For an L-shaped room, or any room that is not a single rectangle, divide it into rectangles, measure each one separately and add the results. Where fixed cabinetry such as a kitchen island or a built-in vanity will sit on an untiled base, subtract its footprint, but confirm first whether the tiler intends to tile under it.

Walls follow the same logic. Multiply the height to be tiled by the width of each wall, then subtract openings such as windows and doors. A splashback is usually a single strip: the length of the bench run multiplied by the height of the splashback.

Two habits reduce errors considerably. Measure everything twice, and round each measurement up to the next centimetre rather than down. A small overestimate costs a few extra tiles. An underestimate can leave a job short of tiles from the same batch, which, as the next section explains, is a more serious problem.

Wastage, and why it is not padding

No tiling job uses exactly the area’s worth of tiles. Tiles are cut at edges, around fixtures and at junctions, and the offcuts are often too small to use elsewhere. An allowance for this, called wastage, is part of any accurate quantity, not a margin added for the tiler’s benefit.

One Australian tile supplier, Buildmat, gives a common rule of thumb:

The same guidance recommends two further steps. First, round the total up to full boxes, since tiles are generally sold by the box. Second, buy enough for the whole job at once, and keep some spares. Tiles are produced in batches, and the shade can vary from one batch to the next. A replacement tile bought later, from a different batch, may not match the original floor, which is why a few spare tiles from the original purchase are worth keeping for future repairs.

These figures are supplier guidance, not a standard, and they are a starting point. Large-format tiles and intricate patterns can need a higher allowance, because each cut removes a larger share of a tile or the pattern demands more precise placement. Where either applies, ask the tiler what allowance they recommend for the specific tile and layout. The calculator accepts a custom percentage for this reason.

A worked example shows how much the layout matters. Take a laundry floor measuring 3.2 metres by 2.4 metres, an area of 7.68 square metres, to be tiled with 300 by 600 millimetre tiles. Each tile covers 0.18 square metres. Laid straight, with a 10 per cent allowance, the job needs 8.45 square metres of tile, or 47 tiles. Laid in herringbone, with a 15 per cent allowance, it needs 8.83 square metres, or 50 tiles. The difference is small on a laundry and grows with the floor, which is why the layout should be settled before quantities are ordered.

Where the homeowner is buying the tiles, the wastage figure is the homeowner’s to get right. A tiler who arrives to find the job a box short may have to wait while more tiles are found, and if the original batch has sold out, the replacement may not match. Confirming the quantity with the tiler before ordering is a sensible precaution.

What moves the per-square-metre rate

Two quotes at different square-metre rates are not necessarily for the same work. The rate is often derived from the time the job will take plus materials, then expressed per square metre, so anything that changes the time changes the rate. The main factors are:

1. Tile size, at both ends of the range. Small mosaics mean many more pieces to set and grout per square metre. Large-format tiles are heavy, need a very flat surface and require careful handling and levelling.
2. The layout pattern. Diagonal and herringbone layouts take longer to set out and cut than a straight lay.
3. Substrate preparation. An uneven floor may need levelling, and a damaged one may need repair, before tiling can begin.
4. Removal of old tiles, since demolition and disposal add time and cost.
5. Cuts around toilets, floor wastes, pipes and door frames, each of which is made individually.
6. Height and access. Wall tiling at height, or in a confined space, is slower.

Small rooms are a special case. A laundry or a small bathroom may involve as much setting out, cutting and travel as a much larger floor, and many tilers quote these as a job rate rather than a square-metre rate for that reason. The job rate reflects the fixed time a small job requires, whatever its area. When comparing, convert both quotes to the same basis, either total price or price per measured square metre, before drawing conclusions.

What the tiling quote should itemise

A tiling quote that can be compared with another should state each of the following:

In a wet area, waterproofing is a separate line and a separate job, completed and certified before any tiles are laid, and it is outside the scope of this guide.

The supply line deserves particular attention. Where the homeowner supplies the tiles, the tiler’s quote covers labour and possibly adhesive and grout. Where the tiler supplies everything, the quote includes materials, and the products should be named so that their quality can be compared. Two quotes on different supply arrangements cannot be compared directly until the materials are accounted for on both.

The calculator’s optional quote check is designed for this stage. Enter the square-metre rate from a quote, and it multiplies that rate by the area you measured. If the result is close to the quote’s total, the quote is pricing roughly the area you expect, and the remaining difference is accounted for by the itemised extras. If the result is well below the quote’s total, either the quote assumes a larger area or it includes charges that have not been itemised. Either way, it gives a specific question to put to the tiler.

Registration and standards in Victoria

Consumer Affairs Victoria sets out the general rule that a practitioner carrying out domestic building work worth more than $10,000 must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC). Work involving only one trade is exempt, and wall and floor tiling is on the list of exempt single trades. Registration is required where tiling is combined with other trades, or where the work requires a building permit.

In practice, the distinction turns on scope. A contract to retile an existing floor is a single trade. A contract that also covers new cabinetry, plastering or other trades is combined work, and if its value exceeds $10,000, the practitioner contracting for it should be registered. The written scope of the quote is therefore the document that determines which rule applies.

The BPC also registers a limited domestic builder class covering floor and wall tiling. Its existence does not mean that registration is mandatory for a tiling-only job; it means that some tilers hold registration in that class, and their registration can be checked on the BPC’s practitioner search.

Consumer Affairs Victoria also notes that Australian Standards apply to tiling. The relevant installation guide is AS 3958.1, the guide to the installation of ceramic tiles. A homeowner does not need to read it, but asking whether the tiler works to it is reasonable.

Whether or not registration applies, two checks are worth making on every tiler: public liability insurance, confirmed in writing, and references from recent jobs of a similar kind. For a tiling-only job with no registration requirement, those checks and a properly itemised quote are the main safeguards available.

Comparing quotes

With the area, wastage and quantities calculated in advance, comparing quotes becomes a structured exercise:

1. Confirm that each quote covers the same measured area. Where a quote’s area differs materially from your own measurement, ask why.
2. Confirm the same tile, the same layout and the same supply arrangement on each.
3. Confirm that demolition, preparation, trims and sealing are treated the same way, either included or itemised.
4. Then compare the rate or total, the start date and the workmanship warranty.

The principle is the same one that applies to painting: normalise the scope first, then compare the price. This site’s guide to reading a painter's quote in Melbourne applies it to paint, coats and preparation. Where a renovation involves moving fixtures such as a toilet, basin or floor waste, the plumbing is separate work for a licensed plumber, and the guide to choosing a plumber in Melbourne covers that side.

Tilers can be difficult to book for small jobs, and it can be tempting to accept the first available quote. The measurements and quantities make that decision more informed even when the choice is limited: a homeowner who knows the area and the tile count can at least confirm that the quote is for the right amount of work.

Measure first, then let them quote

A tiling quote is easier to assess when the homeowner already holds the numbers it should be based on. Measure the area in rectangles, add a wastage allowance that suits the layout, commonly 10 per cent for straight or brick patterns and 15 per cent for diagonal or herringbone according to supplier guidance, and round up to full boxes from a single batch. Expect the rate to rise with tile size extremes, complex patterns, preparation and demolition, and expect small rooms to be quoted as a job rate.

Then check that the quote itemises the area, the supply of materials, demolition, preparation, layout, trims, grout, sealing, silicone, timing and warranty. In Victoria, tiling alone does not require BPC registration, though combined work or permit work over $10,000 does. Compare quotes only once their scope matches.

Sources: Consumer Affairs Victoria, About builders, tradespeople and other building practitioners (https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/building-and-renovating/plan-and-manage-your-building-project/about-builders-tradespeople-and-other-building-practitioners); Building and Plumbing Commission, What is domestic building work? (https://www.bpc.vic.gov.au/resource-hub/info-sheets/What-is-domestic-building-work); Buildmat, How to calculate how many tiles you need (https://www.buildmat.com.au/blogs/help-centre/how-to-calculate-how-many-tiles-you-need); Standards Australia, AS 3958.1:2007 Ceramic tiles: guide to the installation of ceramic tiles (https://store.standards.org.au/product/as-3958-1-2007)