Kitchens
Kitchen Tiling Cost UK 2026
Kitchen tiling runs £45–£110 per square metre fitted, by tile type. A splashback is the exception: at around 3 m² it is mostly cutting around sockets and behind the hob, so most tilers price it against a half-day minimum of about £320 rather than by area.
Kitchen tiling cost per m² fitted — 2026
The rate is set by how hard the tile is to cut and handle, not by how it looks. Prep is added on top and is where two quotes for the same kitchen diverge.
| Tile or work | Cost fitted | Why | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramic, standard size | £45/m² | Easiest to cut and fix | Budget splashbacks |
| Porcelain | £60/m² | Harder — better blades, more care | The usual choice |
| Large-format porcelain | £85/m² | Two-person handling, levelling system | Floors, feature walls |
| Mosaic or natural stone | £110/m² | Slow per metre; stone needs sealing | Feature splashbacks |
| Herringbone or chevron | +£22/m² | Heavy cutting and more waste | Any tile, laid on the diagonal |
| Strip old tiles first | +£14/m² | Strip, make good and dispose | Retiling over old work |
| Backer board or ply overlay | +£26/m² | Heat behind a hob; movement over joists | Behind hobs, timber floors |
Source: BestBuilders’ 2026 regional cost model (national cost guides × regional labour index), averaged across 519 UK towns.
What changes the cost
| Cost factor | Typical impact | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Area against minimum charge | +£0–£250 | Below about 5 m² the job is priced as a half or full day, not per metre |
| Surface preparation | +£14–£40/m² | Stripping old tiles, levelling, or boarding out before a single tile goes on |
| Cuts and obstacles | +£10–£30/m² | Sockets, switches, window reveals and a hob run all mean slow, careful cutting |
| Tile format | +£15–£50/m² | Large-format needs two people and a levelling system; mosaic is slow by the sheet |
| Layout pattern | +£22/m² | Herringbone and chevron add cutting time and 10–15% more waste |
| Grout and sealing | +£5–£18/m² | Epoxy grout behind a hob, or sealing natural stone, both add material and time |
Kitchen tiling cost by UK region — 2026
Labour rates drive the regional spread — the tiles cost much the same everywhere. Figures below are for porcelain, fitted.
| Region | Porcelain, per m² fitted | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|
| London | £77–£77/m² | +25–30% |
| South East | £71–£71/m² | +15–20% |
| South West & East | £64–£64/m² | +5–10% |
| Midlands | £60–£60/m² | Baseline |
| North of England | £57–£57/m² | −5% |
| Wales & Scotland | £58–£58/m² | −5% to baseline |
Getting it priced properly
1. Measure the area and the obstacles
Two walls of the same size price differently if one has four sockets and a window reveal. Say what is on the wall, not just how big it is.
2. Ask what the quote assumes about the surface
Tiling onto sound plaster, onto old tiles and onto a boarded-out wall are three different jobs. Get the assumption in writing.
3. Order the tiles in one batch
Buy 10–15% over the measured area, all at once. Shade varies between production runs and a mid-job top-up rarely matches.
Tiling & splashbacks costs compared
Where this job sits against the other kitchens jobs, on 2026 UK prices. Your own quote depends on size, access and spec.
Where a kitchen tiling budget actually goes
On most kitchen tiling jobs, labour is the larger half of the bill, not the tiles. A tiler charges by the day or by the square metre, and the rate reflects difficulty as much as area: a straightforward splashback is quick, while a floor, a full-height wall or a wet zone that needs tanking eats days. Cheap tiles fitted well beat expensive tiles fitted badly, so it is worth knowing which half of the quote you are cutting.
Preparation is the part that is invisible in a finished job and unavoidable in the quote. Walls have to be sound and flat, floors flat and decoupled, old tiles and adhesive removed, and any movement or damp dealt with first — skip it and the tiles crack or lift. This is where a low quote and a fair one usually differ.
Buy extra tiles for waste — ten per cent is a sensible allowance, more for a diagonal or herringbone layout or a strong pattern to match — because a mid-job top-up from a different batch rarely matches. To price a specific room interactively, use the kitchen tiling calculator.
Tiling & splashbacks — frequently asked questions
Around £320–£600 for a typical run between the worktop and the wall units. That is a minimum-charge job rather than an area job: about 3 m² of tile, but cuts around every socket, edge trim and a set-up, which is half a day whatever the area.
Yes, noticeably. One visit, one set-up and one minimum charge instead of two. If you are planning both, get them quoted together even if the work happens on different days.
Sometimes, if they are sound, flat and firmly stuck. It pushes the surface forward though, which matters behind a worktop and around sockets and switches. Stripping is about £14/m² and is usually the better job.
Often. Plasterboard behind a hob may need a heat-resistant backer, and the tile itself has to be rated for the heat. Ask what the quote assumes about the surface rather than discovering it afterwards.
Usually you. Order 10–15% more than the measured area for cuts and breakages, and buy it all in one go so the batch matches — shade varies between production runs.
Registered members: Kitchens
13 businesses offering kitchens have a public profile with BestBuilders. Each listing is a business that registered with us directly; the details shown are the ones it declared at registration, and a Companies House number appears only where one was given.
GSB Midlands✓ Companies House number given · ✓ Public liability insurance declared · Est. 2026Also: House Extension · Loft Conversion · Bathroom RenovationView profile →
PCP Group✓ Companies House number given · Est. 2018Also: House Extension · Loft Conversion · Bathroom RenovationView profile →
Steve Bebb Building Services Ltd✓ Companies House number given · Est. 2024Also: House Extension · Loft Conversion · Bathroom RenovationView profile →
Swansea Home Improvements✓ Companies House number given · Est. 2006Also: Carpentry & JoineryView profile →BHM Extensions Ltd✓ Companies House number given · ✓ Public liability insurance declared · Est. 2021Also: House Extension · Loft Conversion · Bathroom RenovationView profile →Domuss Property Service Ltd✓ Companies House number given · ✓ Public liability insurance declared · Est. 2022Also: House Extension · Bathroom Renovation · Painting & DecoratingView profile →
PJTC Bathroom & Kitchen Fitters GlasgowAlso: Bathroom Renovation · House Extension · Loft ConversionView profile →Gallery Kitchens & Bathrooms✓ Companies House number given · Est. 2004View profile →Thomas The Builder Ltd✓ Companies House number given · Est. 2005Also: House Extension · Loft Conversion · Bathroom RenovationView profile →Wirral Joinery & Construction✓ Companies House number given · Est. 2018Also: Carpentry & Joinery · House Extension · Loft ConversionView profile →ContractorEst. 2025Also: House Extension · Loft Conversion · Bathroom RenovationView profile →MID Construct✓ Public liability insurance declared · Est. 2019Also: Plumbing · Painting & Decorating · Carpentry & JoineryView profile →All 13 registered kitchens businesses · Recent projects · Run a kitchens business? Add your free profile
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Reviewed by the BestBuilders editorial team · Last updated: 29 August 2026 · See our editorial standards.