Tiling in California

Almost always substrate or installation, not the tile: movement in the floor, missing expansion joints, adhesive coverage too thin (spot-dabbing), or tiling over a drummy layer. Cracked single tiles from impact are replaceable if you kept spares — always keep a box.

Sometimes — if the old tiles are solidly bonded and the extra height works at doors and fittings, tiling over is legitimate and avoids messy removal. It fails when old tiles are drummy (hollow-sounding) or the wall can't take the weight. A good tiler taps and checks before promising either way.

A full bathroom (floor plus walls) typically takes 3-5 days: prep and waterproofing first, then setting, then grouting after the adhesive cures. Add days if old tiles must come off or the substrate needs levelling. Rushing cure times is the classic cause of cracked grout later.

Confirm five things: substrate prep (levelling, boards), waterproofing in wet areas, adhesive and grout type, cuts and trims (edge profiles), and silicone to finish. Tiles themselves are usually excluded, and removing old tiles is a separate line that can rival the laying cost.

Tilers price labour per square metre (or square foot), with tiles, adhesive, grout and prep on top. Small-format ceramic on a flat floor is the base rate; large-format porcelain, natural stone, mosaics, herringbone patterns and wall work all cost more per unit because they are slower and less forgiving.

Either works, but you usually choose and buy tiles yourself and the tiler supplies adhesive, grout and trims. Order 10-15% extra for cuts and breakage (more for patterns and large formats) and keep leftovers for future repairs. Have tiles on site before the tiler starts.

Labour typically runs $5-15 per sq ft for standard ceramic/porcelain floors, $10-25 for showers, mosaics and stone. A full tub-surround retile commonly lands $2,000-5,000 including demo and waterproofing, before tile cost.