The tile itself is often the smallest part of a tile price. Demo, backer board, waterproofing, layout, cuts, setting, grout and the days the thinset needs to cure are where the hours go. Price the prep and the days, then the square foot number.
- Price prep and waterproofing on their own lines; they are the part customers cannot see.
- Fixr puts a tile floor at $1,000 to $5,000, about $3,500 for 200 square feet.
- Fixr lists shower tiling at $1,800 to $5,000, about $2,700 for a 3 by 4 foot shower with 8 foot walls.
- Labor for most tile showers runs $4 to $15 a square foot in Fixr's guide.
- Count the trips. A shower with cure time between steps is four or five visits.
Setting your labor rate
Start with the wage. The closest group the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes is tile and stone setters. In its May 2025 wage survey, that group's national mean wage was $28.49 an hour and the median was $26.77 (BLS OEWS 47-2044).
Add your labor burden on top: payroll taxes, workers' comp and any paid time off. If burden in your state comes to 20% of wages, a $28 an hour tech costs you $33.60 an hour. That loaded number is what goes into the job cost.
Published tile prices
| Job | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tile floor, typical job | $1,000 to $5,000 | Fixr |
| 200 sq ft tile floor | About $3,500 | Fixr |
| Shower tiling, typical | $1,800 to $5,000 | Fixr |
| 3 x 4 ft shower, 8 ft walls, ceramic | About $2,700 | Fixr |
| Porcelain shower tile, installed | $17 to $46 a sq ft | Fixr |
| Labor, most tile showers | $4 to $15 a sq ft | Fixr |
A worked example: tiling a 3 by 5 foot shower
Every input is an assumption for the example.
- Scope: tear out an old tile alcove shower, new backer and waterproofing, ceramic on three walls to 8 feet and a mosaic floor, about 103 square feet.
- Tile: 110 square feet with waste at $4 a square foot.
- Setting materials: $450 for backer, membrane, thinset, grout and trim.
- Time: four days of nine hours at $33.60 an hour loaded.
- Driving at 76 cents a mile, the IRS business rate for the second half of 2026 (IRS standard mileage rates).
- Overhead 20% of the price and profit 15%.
- Wall and floor tile with waste: 110 sq ft x $4 = $440
- Backer board, waterproofing, thinset, grout and trim: $450
- Demo and disposal: $200
- Labor: 1 setter x 4 days x 9 hours x $33.60 = $1,209.60
- Drive: 5 trips x 20 miles x $0.76 = $76
- Direct cost: $440 + $450 + $200 + $1,209.60 + $76 = $2,375.60
- Overhead plus profit: 20% + 15% = 35% of the price
- Price: $2,375.60 / (1 - 0.35) = $2,375.60 / 0.65 = $3,655
Check it: 35% of $3,655 is about $1,279, and $3,655 minus $1,279 is about $2,376, the direct cost of $2,375.60. The profit and overhead are inside the price, not added on top of a cost you guessed.
Fixr's example of a 3 by 4 foot shower in ceramic is about $2,700 and its range is $1,800 to $5,000. This one is a little larger and includes demo, so $3,655 lands in the range.
Good, better, best for a shower
- Good: ceramic subway tile, standard grout, a niche.
- Better: the $3,655 job above, with a mosaic floor.
- Best: large-format porcelain or stone, epoxy grout and a bench.
Send them with Koira's estimates. The customer picks one, signs and pays the deposit on the same page. Bill demo, set and grout as stages with progress invoices.
Common tile pricing mistakes
- Pattern ignored. Herringbone and diagonal layouts take longer and waste more tile.
- Subfloor assumed sound. Price leveling and repair per square foot before you start.
- Large-format tile at the small tile rate. Big tile needs a flatter surface and more handling.
- Cure time free. Each return trip costs drive time and setup.
Sources
Every published figure on this page was read on the source page itself on the date shown. Worked example inputs are assumptions, labeled as such.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, Tile and Stone Setters (47-2044), checked October 9, 2026
- Fixr: Tile flooring installation cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Fixr: Shower tiling cost, checked October 9, 2026
- IRS: Standard mileage rates, checked October 9, 2026
Questions contractors ask
How much should I charge per square foot to lay tile?
Build it from prep, setting days and material. Fixr's example of a 200 square foot tile floor is about $3,500.
What does it cost to tile a shower?
Fixr lists $1,800 to $5,000, about $2,700 for a 3 by 4 foot shower with 8 foot walls.
What is the labor cost for tiling a shower?
Fixr lists $4 to $15 a square foot for labor on most tile showers.
Should I charge more for large-format tile?
Yes. It takes a flatter surface, more handling and often two people, so price the hours.
