When carrying out works in our house, many of the times we do not know totally the cost they will have, and that is why we are reluctant to seriously consider them.
One of the most common reforms is the tiling of bathrooms. As sooner or later it will be a task to be carried out in a house, it will be necessary to know how it is done and what is the estimated cost of a work of these characteristics.
How much does it cost to tile a bathroom?
When budgeting a work, there are many aspects that must be taken into account.
The surface is the first of them. Although a professional can give a price per square meter, that impact per unit area is not linear. The larger the surface area, the lower that value will be, for performance reasons.
Materials have the most influence when preparing a budget. Quality and commissioning are the two elements that most influence the total cost.
Then, there are other types of concepts that also influence when making a budget. Auxiliary works, the cost of labor, if the bathroom is newly built or renovated or, even, the distance to the dumping of debris.
All these items are necessary to know what is the real cost of tiling a bathroom. Although a professional can give a reference cost, there will always be a deviation for some cause not contemplated in the initial forecast.
Price breakdown
To prepare a reliable budget when estimating the cost of tiling a bathroom, these are the items that must be taken into account:
- Labor: it is the cost for the personnel involved in the process. The cost of a bricklayer can be set between 20 and 35 euros per hour worked.
- Cost of materials: here all the materials used in the work are taken into account. It is not possible to establish only the cost of a tile, because to install it it will be necessary to apply a fixator. However, when making a budget, the main material is taken into account, since the auxiliary elements, such as glue, are already directly affected in it. Depending on the tiles to be placed, the indicative prices can be:
- Ceramics: 30 euros per square meter.
- Stoneware: 35 euros per square meter.
- Hydraulic tile: 60 euros per square meter.
- Stone: between 50 and 80 euros per square meter.
- Gresite: 40 euros per square meter.
- Debris removal: all work involves a cost associated with this item. The reason is that throwing products to a landfill has a cost that implies their collection, transport and the fee paid. It is usually estimated by cubic meters, but in the case of a work of this style, it is applied by the volume that fits in a sack. A cost of 65 euros per bag can be estimated.
- Other types of work: the costs of this item can be caused by different reasons. Some examples can be:
- Replacement of toilets: depending on the necessary elements it will cost more or less.
- Plumbing works: a general replacement can be estimated in an average bathroom of about 600 euros.
- Skirting board installation: valued in linear meters and by the material used. It can be estimated at about 300 euros.
As a reference, and taking into account a statistical value, a total cost of tiling a bathroom of 10 square meters can be set at 3000 euros. If only the bathtub or shower area is tiled, the cost can be estimated at 800 euros. And if you tile the full bathroom halfway up the wall at 1800 euros.
Materials for tiling the bathroom
The most used materials in bathroom tiling are those that have the most suitable characteristics to be used in wet rooms. The main qualities they must have are: great resistance to moisture, non-slip and be easy to clean. Here are some of the examples of materials that meet all of these requirements:
- Ceramic tiles: they are the most common in this type of rooms due to their low price and the great variety of shapes and colors they present. They are formed by a ceramic base with a tile finish.
- Stoneware tiles: formed by the mixture of clays with other materials that give these elements great resistance, hardness and impermeability, which makes them perfect for wet rooms.
- Tile tiles – types of glazed tiles whose main advantage is their impermeability. It is very reminiscent of Roman mosaics. It is a tiling that presents great aesthetic qualities, but due to its size, the placement is slow and laborious.
- Hydraulic tiles: material manufactured on the basis of high pressures that gives it resistance similar to those of stone materials. Ideal for floors, although it can also be used in vertical walls.
- Stone: very resistant material and natural beauty. It is one of the most expensive that can be used, but its aesthetic conditions are unquestionable.
How to get the best price
When we talk about a work, getting the best price does not mean that it is the cheapest. First of all, the objective should be that the bathroom is beautiful and with a perfect finish, so it is advisable that the work is carried out by professionals with proven experience.
However, there are several actions that can influence when it comes to getting a smaller budget for the tiling of our bathroom, and all this without conditioning the quality in its execution.
Establishing a previous budget is very important when undertaking a work. In this way, the contractor already knows what he is going to charge and will avoid the temptation to try to increase his bill. The budget limit can set the work in general, or by partial parts, such as the cost of the tiles or the auxiliary works to be carried out.
On the other hand, maybe we are interested in not tiling the whole. We can focus exclusively on the floor or stay halfway up the wall. You can even play with a combination, such as tiling certain areas and in the others put a water-repellent paint, which will always be cheaper than tiling.
We can also choose that our reform of the bathroom is carried out with another that we have planned in our house. In this way, it will always be cheaper, since we will take advantage to pay the shared costs of both and thus save on the price of some games. On the other hand, in this way it is possible for a contractor, having a greater volume of work, to make certain discounts and get a lower cost for tiling our bathroom.
Process for tiling the bathroom
The normal thing is that a work of this style is carried out in the following way:
- In the case of being a reform of the bathroom, the first step is to remove the existing materials in the areas to be reformed. It is always advisable this option to place them on the existing ones.
- When detaching the old materials, it is surely necessary to proceed to level floors and walls due to the possible sticks and residues caused in the previous process.
- At this point, it will be necessary to have planned the distribution of the materials to be placed. If the materials are smooth there is no problem, but if certain designs are foreseen, it will be necessary to have it clear before proceeding to its placement.
- For the placement of the tiling it will be necessary to use a fixative to the facing. Normally, it is done by means of a glue cement. First, it expands in the area to be fixed and, subsequently, the tiles are placed taking care that they are perfectly level.
- Finally, and so that the final result is perfect, it will be necessary to fill the joints between the tiles. For this, a mortar or special grout is used that is filled and cleaned to leave everything in perfect condition.
How long does it take to tile a bathroom
The duration will depend on factors such as the number of works to be carried out, the surface area of the bathroom or the experience, professionalism and coordination of the professionals involved.
However, and so that the question does not remain unanswered, a global reform of a bathroom of an average surface, can be done as follows:
- Day 1: dismantling of toilets, wall lamps, mirrors, etc. Lifting and dismantling of walls, floors and bathtub. Preparation of swiddens and spaces to channel drains.
- Day 2: assembly and testing of pipes, together with the preparation of the tiling.
- Day 3: completion of tiling on walls and floors.
- Day 4: filling of joints, moldings and screed finish.
- Day 5: finishing of all the elements and final cleaning of the work.
This is a very basic scheme of the order of completion of the works. If it were only the tiling of the bathroom, professionals could do it without problems in 3 or 4 days.
The total cost of tiling a bathroom will depend on several parameters: its surface, the quality of the materials, the need for auxiliary works and the professionalism of the specialists involved, will be the aspects to be taken into account to establish its final price.