Rental Property Investor · Plano, TX · Member since 2015 · 38 posts · 24 votes
Greetings Bigger Pockets! I am working on my first ever rehab project ... all thanks to Bigger Pockets, it's amazing content, books, and all the feedback and input I received from all the members. Never thought I would be working on my business, but here I am!!
I'm installing tile on my rehab in Dallas, TX. I have all the tile (includes all floor and bathroom tiles), so only need the labor. I asked a few contractors for bids but what I'm getting in return varies wildly -- from $4,200 to $15,000 -- again, this is for labor only (I'll also purchase the materials for the install). Tried to look up some info that could give me an idea of a good "per sq. ft. price" or something similar, but nothing.
Does anyone here have an idea on a reasonable price for tile install? Please help.
Scope: Floor tile (6X48) that looks like wood, subway tile in bathrooms, and other hex (mesh) tile on the shower floor.
Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
7y
Somewhere between $4200 and $ 15000 . It doesnt matter what anyone here says what they think it should be . Thats not going to change the contractors prices .
Rental Property Investor · New York City · Member since 2019 · 703 posts · 538 votes
7y
What does the job entail? Whats the condition of the current floor, Whats the material on the existing floor, How does the subfloor look, How old is the house and are the walls plaster and lath or sheetrock. The tiling in the bathroom alone is labor intensive and extensive because it needs to be prepped for a wet and humid location.
Its not just installing tiles because that's the easy part. The hard part is demolition and preparation of the surfaces for the tile.
IMO - The best bet is to get someone that is familiar with what you want and what needs to get done so you can put together a work scope. Once the detailed work scope (bid sheet) is done have the contractors walk the job and give them the bid sheet. Make sure what you want is clear so if they ask a question you can explain it. Personally, I don't like it when the client buys the materials because if there is ever a warranty issue is the failure in the material or workmanship or both? The contractor can easily say that its the product you bought and not their work and your stuck with paying someone to fix it. When the contractor buys the materials and does the work all legit warranty issues should be honored.
Real Estate Investor · Saint Paul, MN · Member since 2017 · 543 posts · 474 votes
7y
@Alex Mendoza You will find that in many markets there is so much work available the contractors can bid as much as they want - all they need is a few people to take the ridiculous price to fill their schedules at high margins. I have had subs tell me that to my face. Ask at your tile shop for the names of a few solid, preferably smaller tilers and check with them.
Flipper/Rehabber · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 27 votes
7y
@Alex Mendoza many good answers here, I also use https://www.homewyse.com/costs/index.html
To help get an idea of costs. Remember, sometimes you get what you pay for. As a handyman I start at about $13 a sq. Ft. Then adjust based on tile, design, number of cuts, conditions, any demo etc.
Developer · Houston TX · Member since 2018 · 423 posts · 400 votes
7y
@Alex Mendoza
Be careful who you hire. Price is not always the indicator of the quality you will get.
For tub/shower surround better to go with 12x12 than subway as it will be quicker and easier to install. We normally pay $300-$450 for that.
Shower floor is important done right. Look at YouTube on the right and wrong ways so u can test install to make sure its being done right. Shower floor from prep of mortar bed to tile $200-$500
Regular tile floor here in Houston can be $1-$3.50 sq ft.
Contractors will look at neighborhood and client to estimate job.
Don’t meet contractor in a suite or look flashy. As that will increase price.
First contractor u can just listen on what they will do and how. This info you can use to help learn to speak the trades language thus they will less likely gouge you on price.
Lastly..... make sure contractors coming out work primarily with investors and not homeowners. Big price difference between those two type of contractors.
If you having hard time PM me and I can give you a guy that has worked with one of my partners in the past who goes up to Dallas. He has reasonable rates.
Greetings Bigger Pockets! I am working on my first ever rehab project ... all thanks to Bigger Pockets, it's amazing content, books, and all the feedback and input I received from all the members. Never thought I would be working on my business, but here I am!!
I'm installing tile on my rehab in Dallas, TX. I have all the tile (includes all floor and bathroom tiles), so only need the labor. I asked a few contractors for bids but what I'm getting in return varies wildly -- from $4,200 to $15,000 -- again, this is for labor only (I'll also purchase the materials for the install). Tried to look up some info that could give me an idea of a good "per sq. ft. price" or something similar, but nothing.
Does anyone here have an idea on a reasonable price for tile install? Please help.
Scope: Floor tile (6X48) that looks like wood, subway tile in bathrooms, and other hex (mesh) tile on the shower floor.
I pay about $1/sf when installing 'in bulk' (several apartments, or at least 1000SF. Nothing exotic (odd patterns, etc. For smaller jobs, it might be as high as $2/sf. But I'd never pay more than $2/sf.
The last time I did my own apartments I did a 2 bedroom 800SF unit. Took me about 2 days. And that's just me. And I'm not THAT good. So that means I'd have paid between $800-$1,600 to someone for that job. Or $400-800 a DAY. [Edit: This was nail down bamboo, which I did on the upstairs units. Downstaris I put tile which took me a bit longer. Clsoe to four days as grout and clean up took a while. But still, thats me by myself, doing 800 SF of tile + grount + cleanup in ~3.5 days.]
So if a contractor complains that $1-2/sf is "too cheap", then they're asking to make upwards of $100/hr which IMO is too much for what's pretty basic labor.
@Frank Geiger The flooring is about 1,300sq ft ... so not a large house. Funny, a colleague at work recently had work done at his house (installed about 1,000 sq ft) and when I mentioned $15,000, he also responded with "that's outrageous!". I'm getting the sense that $15,000 is too high -- and frankly, its way out of my budget.
Dude, a 1,300 SF home would take, AT MOST, a few guys a few days. Find some guys on craigslist, pay them $200/day. You'll have it done for about $1/SF. Or $2/SF at *MOST*. Don't let a contractor rip you off. Installing tile isn't some magical skill. Hell, if I can do it anyone can.
@Alex Mendoza Watch some you tube videos buy a decent tile saw and do it yourself.
If you are flipping a home for a hobby or just for some side money and this is not your career, then I guess this advice is ok. If you are running a flipping business, this is not good advice at all. Your time is much more valuable than getting paid tile installer wages and you will no doubt take longer and not have as good quality as the pro! Hire it out and spend your time building the business, i.e. finding deals, finding money, design, building your team, etc. These tasks are more worthy of an owners time and not swinging the hammer. That said, if you have only done 3 flips or less, doing some things yourself when starting out is a great way to learn the actual time it should take and the cost it should be for each sub task. Being hands on when starting out also gives you great insight into what is done first, second, third, etc.
One thing to note about tile. Sometimes there are huge surprises.
For instance, we are remodeling our condo, and putting in Ceramic Tile that are 10"x36" tiles over the 1600 Sq Ft.
So far they haven't finished and it has taken over 4 weeks so far to lay the flooring down. I thought it was going to be an easy job for the contractors and be finished well under 1 week. However, we find that our floor is not level, from the front door in the hallway to the outside sliding doors there is almost a 2 inch difference. So to make the floor level and to have some mortar underneath the tiles by the outside wall/sliding doors they have to put almost 2 inches of mortar near the door way areas, and that takes quite a bit of time to put down. And therefore the labor costs are a whole of a lot more expensive than we had hoped. Maybe the contractor, while still crazy at 15K knows something the other contractor at 3K doesn't know about your install.
Mark
Mark, I think you need a better subcontractor for your tile work, this sounds like a horrible rookie job. If the floors are that uneven, then your framers or the tile installer should first level the floors, you never use 2" of fill with thinset! If it is a concrete slab your are working with, then self leveling cement will do the trick. If a raised foundation with wood subfloor, then wood or self leveling cement can be used. Plus, 4 weeks to install only 1600 SF of tile on the floor is insane, turtles move faster than that.
@Alex Mendoza - You should expect to pay $3-5 per SF for floor tile labor only and additional set up costs if the floors need leveling. For wall tile in showers or back splashes, you should expect to pay $8-$12 per SF for labor only (and same price for shower pan mosaics as well). Additional labor costs should be expected for any set up like cement floating or installation of hardi backer (cement board, etc) as well as additional labor costs for intricate layouts or details like metal edging or bull nosing stone.
Polson, MT · Member since 2017 · 115 posts · 105 votes
7y
@Mark S.
I see both sides of that coin. This is the first time in a long time that subs have actually been able to make ANY profit in their businesses. It’s kind of like how tenants think landlords are rich and trying to screw them with outrageous rent prices when really there’s usually not as much profit as it seems.
@Alex Mendoza many good answers here, I also use https://www.homewyse.com/costs... help get an idea of costs. Remember, sometimes you get what you pay for. As a handyman I start at about $13 a sq. Ft. Then adjust based on tile, design, number of cuts, conditions, any demo etc.
You start at $13sf? Can you elaborate? Is this floors, walls, both? How much tile work you do a year?
Flipper/Rehabber · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 27 votes
7y
@Erik Baumer thanks for the question. The rate includes walls floors and back splash. My basic rate breaks down like this...
Demo 3-4/sqft (depends on materials being removed)
Tile install 5/sqft
Backer/sub floor 3-4/sqft (depends on any leveling or repair)
$5 per cut beyond basic install. Meaning if I just have to trim, included but if I have to cut every tile because of size, spacing or design, then charge is calculated to cover time.
So this means a basic tub surround is about 900 to 1300. Bathroom floor of 5x6 will run about 400 plus labor for toilet and vanity if needed.
As a part time , weekend and evening handyman, I will do about 4 bathrooms a year and a few entryways, backsplashes and such. Along with my investments, which I at 2 this year.
@Erik Baumer thanks for the question. The rate includes walls floors and back splash. My basic rate breaks down like this...
Demo 3-4/sqft (depends on materials being removed)
Tile install 5/sqft
Backer/sub floor 3-4/sqft (depends on any leveling or repair)
$5 per cut beyond basic install. Meaning if I just have to trim, included but if I have to cut every tile because of size, spacing or design, then charge is calculated to cover time.
So this means a basic tub surround is about 900 to 1300. Bathroom floor of 5x6 will run about 400 plus labor for toilet and vanity if needed.
As a part time , weekend and evening handyman, I will do about 4 bathrooms a year and a few entryways, backsplashes and such. Along with my investments, which I at 2 this year.
Thankyou for explaining. That makes much more sense. At $13sf just install I was going back into tile business: )
Company is always expensive. So I never hire a company to do tiles job.
I pay between $1.00 to $1.75 maximum per sq ft for labor only last 9 years. I never paid more than $1.75 per Sq ft (any type of tiles, square, diagonals, wood-look tiles, all same price.)
There are many flooring guys (not company) charge much less than less the company.
Flipper/Rehabber · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2018 · 34 posts · 27 votes
7y
@Ran L. What area is that in? And does that include grouting and installing backer? Even at 2 bucks a sqft that only gives a guy $140 for a bath surround, which can be better than a days work, so maybe 20 bucks an hour if that.
Just comparing and definately would pay a guy that if I could find one that had the quality for that price.
Polson, MT · Member since 2017 · 115 posts · 105 votes
7y
@August Olgren
No offense, but in general if you have someone working for less than half of the going rate you should probably consider why. Would you want an electrician that charges $20 an hour? Tile can last a lifetime if done right, or it can be an easy removal for the next pro which will be along sooner than later. I know guys that ONLY demo flooring and they just love the $2 per sq ft guys!
Contractor · Evansville, IN · Member since 2019 · 142 posts · 208 votes
7y
Wow...
Bathtubs I am at $1500 minimum just for the surround, 12x24 tiles. Smaller the tiles, or anything resembling a pattern it goes way up.
I refuse to tile over drywall/plywood. I am taking it back to joists/studs and starting fresh every time. That means plumb and level and square then fiberglass hardie board. Wet environments get red guard. I back butter as well. And anywhere there is a change of plane, caulk no grout to accommodate for expansion. And I also use a tile leveling system to ensure no lippage.
I don't trust self leveling compounds. Eventually they crack, because if you haven't solved why the floor has moved to become unlevel, its gonna continue to get more unlevel. And then your self leveler will fail.
All those steps cost $$$ but ensure 100% it's gonna last. That's your main price difference right there. Look at the contractors methodology/scope. If they are "slapping tiles" on whatever existing surface you have, be prepared to do it again in the near future.
@Ran L. What area is that in? And does that include grouting and installing backer? Even at 2 bucks a sqft that only gives a guy $140 for a bath surround, which can be better than a days work, so maybe 20 bucks an hour if that.
Just comparing and definately would pay a guy that if I could find one that had the quality for that price.
It is in Las Vegas Area. Yes, it include grouting, but not hardiebacker in case it is upstairs. If it is upstairs, Hardie backer are $1.50 per sq ft additional. Usually, 2 people can finish 400 sq ft a day. At $1.50 per sq ft, 2 people make $600 per day, or $300 each person per day.
Mark, I think you need a better subcontractor for your tile work, this sounds like a horrible rookie job. If the floors are that uneven, then your framers or the tile installer should first level the floors, you never use 2" of fill with thinset! If it is a concrete slab your are working with, then self leveling cement will do the trick. If a raised foundation with wood subfloor, then wood or self leveling cement can be used. Plus, 4 weeks to install only 1600 SF of tile on the floor is insane, turtles move faster than that.
Thanks Will, I can go downstairs to the 18th floor and ask the owner of the condo below ours if they don't mind us pushing up on their ceiling to raise our floor foundation. ;) Yeah, I can totally understand why the 2 guys putting down our tile takes so long, and they have been doing this for over 15 years and have done about 15 condos already in our building and the ones I have seen that they have finished look amazing.
If this was a house, I would totally agree with you. But in a 25 story tall FL Condo building, it is quite different.
@Mark Spritz fire him now don’t pay any more money. That’s absolutely the wrong way to approach a floor out of level.
No no
No
No
I am in a 25 story Condo building on the 19th floor. I will not fire the best contractor this building has ever seen. He has done 15 of the other condos that look incredible when they get done.
Rental Property Investor · portland TX · Member since 2015 · 2 posts · 1 vote
7y
In Texas I'm paying $ 2-2.50 a square foot for floor tiles and $450 to tile the bathrooms.I pay for all materials with the contractors picking up as needed.