HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a tiler in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to tilers; preparation and waterproofing decide whether tiles last. The checks, the questions and what to look at.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a tiler in five steps

  1. Measure and chooseArea, tile size and type, and who supplies them.
  2. Ask about the backgroundBoarding, levelling and waterproofing before any tile goes on.
  3. Agree the layoutWhere cuts fall and how the pattern lines up.
  4. Electrics moved? ElectricianWork near a bath or shower is notifiable in England and Wales.
  5. Check before grout curesLines straight, no lips between tiles.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to tilers anywhere in the UK, and the tiling needs no building regulations approval.

Before work starts, ask who will apply for any approval the tiling needs. gov.uk →

Electrics near the bath or shower

If the tiling job moves sockets, lights or a shower supply near a bath or shower, that is notifiable electrical work in England and Wales, self-certified by a scheme electrician on the Registered Competent Person Electrical register or notified to building control.

Ask who will move any electrics and for the certificate. electricalcompetentperson.co.uk →

TrustMark

For the tiling, TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme — is a voluntary register organised by trade, and a useful independent check where no licence exists.

Look the business up on TrustMark for the trade the tiling falls under. trustmark.org.uk →

Insurance and trader status

For the tiling, a trader should hold public liability insurance; check the insurer and the cover. Trader status matters: it brings the Consumer Rights Act 2015 into play, and under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 an off-premises or online booking usually has 14 days' cancellation, with any work you asked to start early charged for and personalised goods outside the right.

Have the insurance details in hand before the tiling, and check the trader and ID-checked marks on the profile.

VAT

VAT on a tiler's work is charged at the standard 20%, and any business turning over more than £90,000 a year in taxable sales has to register, add it to the price and set it out on its own line.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the tiling quote per square metre. gov.uk →

“How will you prepare the walls and floor for the tiling?”

A good answer: Boarding, levelling and priming stated, with tanking in wet areas.

“Which adhesive and grout will the tiler use?”

A good answer: Products suited to the tile and the room, named.

“Where will the tiler put the cuts?”

A good answer: A layout agreed in advance, cuts kept even.

“Will the tiler leave movement joints?”

A good answer: Yes, at edges and where the floor needs them.

“Who supplies the tiles and how many spare?”

A good answer: Quantities checked, with spare tiles left for repairs.

“What does the tiler charge for, by area or by job?”

A good answer: A price per square metre with preparation stated separately.

Getting the quote right

  • Area by wall and floor, tile size
  • Preparation — boarding, levelling, tanking
  • Adhesive and grout named
  • Trims and silicone
  • Who actually attends — the tiler, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Tiles over a damaged or flexing floor
  • No waterproofing in a shower
  • Spot-bonds floor tiles
  • No movement joints
  • Moves electrics near the shower with no electrician
LOW
£30
TYPICAL
£55
HIGH
£100

What a tiler costs: £30–£100 per m²

Tiling is priced per square metre; preparation, tile size and type, and wet-room floors move it. Tiler price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Tilers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. PrepareBackground boarded, levelled, primed and waterproofed.
  2. Set outLayout marked so cuts are even.
  3. TileTiles fixed with full adhesive bed.
  4. Grout and sealJoints grouted, movement joints and silicone done.
  5. CleanHaze cleaned off and the room cleared.

Tanking
Waterproofing behind tiles in wet areas.
Backer board
Cement or foam board that tiles are fixed to.
Lipping
Uneven edges between neighbouring tiles.
Movement joint
A flexible joint that lets tiling move.
Large-format tile
Big tiles that need a very flat background.
Grout haze
A film left on tiles after grouting.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep spare tilesAnd the tile, adhesive and grout names.
Check the linesStraight joints, no lips, sealant clean.
Let the grout cureBefore using the shower, as the maker says.
Leave the reviewOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the tiling falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Contact the tiler in writingExplain clearly what has gone wrong with the tiling, what the quote or contract said, and when you need it put right. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats reasonable care and skill as part of the deal, and lets you claim a redo or a reduction when it is not met.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the tiling under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workAn approval that was needed for the tiling and never obtained is taken up by the council: building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or in Scotland the building standards service, which holds the owner responsible for the warrant. For a dispute about the tiling with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the tiling is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a tiler: questions people ask

No licence or register applies anywhere in the UK.

Electrics near a bath or shower are notifiable in England and Wales; the electrician certifies them.

£30–£100 per square metre, typically around £55. Standard wall tiles are cheapest; porcelain, large-format and wet-room floors cost more. Read the Tiler price guide for what is in and out of the price, and use the postcode search above to find local tilers.

Often a flexing floor or no movement joints; ask the tiler back.

In showers and wet areas, a waterproof layer behind the tiles is good practice.

Enough to replace a few later; batches vary in shade.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Bathroom FitterHow to hire: Wet Room InstallerHow to hire: Kitchen FitterHow to hire: PlastererHow to hire: Flooring InstallerHow to hire: BuilderHow to hire: Dry LiningHow to hire: Laminate & Vinyl FlooringAll 701 hiring guides →

Tilers near you

Tilers in LondonTilers in ManchesterTilers in BirminghamTilers in GlasgowTilers in BelfastAll tilers on Locufy →Do it yourself: tiling a wall →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Registered Competent Person Electrical register
  2. gov.uk — building work, replacements and repairs to your home (England)
  3. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  6. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  9. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  10. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  13. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register