Price for labor on tile install?

[Drew Denham]

What is everyone paying for (labor) a basic tub to ceiling shower install? Subway tile horizontal cuts, maybe a built in shelf. Thanks,

[Tom Kairys]

Drew Denham I am tile installer here in Chicago suburbs. I charge $8.5/sf for subway tile and $150 for tile niche. But I use mortar, not mastic to install tile. I also, prep the corners and the seems where durrock meets the tub with mesh and mortar and waterproof them. If you just want to slap the tiles on the wall you can so it yourself in probably a day. If you want to do it right it would take at leadt 3 days with grout.
Again, if you only have the shower walls to be tiled, then I would probably charge per day which would be $350/ day. If that makes sense.