Floors
Tile a floor or backsplash
Area, ceramic or porcelain or stone, and straight or diagonal layout.
Tile is priced by the square foot, plus waste. A straight floor wastes about 10 percent. A straight backsplash wastes about 12 percent. A diagonal layout wastes more and adds about 18 percent to the labor.
Ceramic is the cheaper glazed field tile. Porcelain is the mid grade most remodelers install, including many wood-look planks. Stone means marble, travertine, or a similar natural tile that costs more to buy and more to set. Thinset, grout, and a share of backer board on floors are a separate line from the tile. Backsplash labor is higher per foot because the area is small and the cuts are many.
The surface underneath is assumed to be ready. Tear-out of old tile is not included. A shower pan, waterproofing, and a plumbing move belong on the bathroom page, not here. Use this page for a floor, a kitchen backsplash, or a simple surround you measure yourself. Prices are 2026 US national averages.
2026 US national average
Typical total
$3,111
Materials $1,461Labor $1,650
- Low
- $1,933
- Typical
- $3,111
- High
- $4,736
Breakdown
Each line is the typical column, rounded to the nearest dollar. The low and high totals use the low and high price of every line.
Floor tile, porcelain
150 sq ft plus 10% waste · straight layout
$1,073Mat $1,073 · Labor $0
Thinset, grout, and backer share
Setting materials for a floor, including a share of backer board
$388Mat $388 · Labor $0
Set and grout labor
Straight set on a sound substrate
$1,650Mat $0 · Labor $1,650
- This assumes the surface underneath is ready. Tear-out of old tile is not included.
- A shower pan, waterproofing, and plumbing moves belong on the bathroom remodel page, not here.
- Stone labor is higher than ceramic or porcelain because the pieces are heavier and slower to cut.
Worked example
The starting job is 150 square feet of porcelain floor in a straight layout. That is a modest kitchen or a bedroom. Waste is 10 percent, so the tile and setting materials are bought on 165 square feet. Labor is charged on the 150.
Typical materials are the tile line plus thinset and grout. Labor is $1,650. The typical total with labor is $3,111, with a low of $1,933 and a high of $4,736.
Change the place to backsplash and drop the area to something like 30 square feet. The labor rate per foot rises, which is why a small backsplash does not feel cheap even when the tile itself is ordinary.