How to invoice as a tiler (UK)

How tilers normally break the money down

A tiler's invoice is usually a rate per square metre or per room for the tiling, plus adhesive, grout and trims, plus any preparation such as levelling or tanking. Keeping those apart is what stops the customer asking what the total covered.

Step by step

1. 1Show the area in square metres and the rate per m². Tiling is one of the few trades where customers genuinely expect that breakdown.
2. 2Price small or awkward rooms per room instead — a tiny bathroom with six cuts per row is not a fair m² job.
3. 3Put preparation on its own line: levelling compound, tanking a wet area, removing old tiles.
4. 4List adhesive, grout, trims and spacers as one materials line, and note the grout colour used.
5. 5Add a curing note so nobody walks on a fresh floor or showers in a new enclosure too soon.

When to send it

On completion, once grouted and sealed. On a bathroom fit-out with other trades, invoice your part as soon as you leave site.

Tiling is usually the last visible trade, so customers often want to hold money for snags. Agree in advance that payment follows completion, not the whole project.

Common questions

Should a tiler charge per square metre?

For open runs of wall or floor, yes. For small or heavily cut rooms, a per-room price is fairer to you and easier for the customer to accept.

Who supplies the tiles?

Usually the customer, which is why your invoice should make clear it covers labour, adhesive, grout and trims — not the tiles themselves — unless you bought them.

Should tile removal be charged separately?

Yes. Stripping old tiles and making good the substrate is dirty, slow work and has nothing to do with your tiling rate.