How tile installers normally break the money out
A tile installer's invoice is usually a price per square foot that varies with tile size and pattern, substrate prep and waterproofing priced separately, and setting materials itemized. Keeping those apart is what stops the customer asking what the total covered.
Step by step
- 1State the tile size, pattern and square footage. A herringbone mosaic and a large-format porcelain are not the same job per foot, and the invoice should show why.
- 2Price substrate prep, backer board and waterproofing separately. It is hidden work the customer never sees and always questions.
- 3Say who supplied the tile, and note the overage allowance for cuts and breakage so a shortfall is not your fault.
- 4Itemize thinset, grout, sealer, trim and Schluter-type edging rather than burying them in one materials line.
- 5Note curing and grout times on the invoice so nobody walks on it early and then calls you back.
When to send it
Deposit for materials where you supply the tile, balance on completion after grout and sealing. Bathroom work often bills in two stages: waterproofing, then finish.
Collect at completion while you are still on site. Builder and remodeler accounts run on job numbers and 30-day terms — invoice against their number, not the street address.
Common questions
- Why does pattern change the price?
- Diagonal, herringbone and mosaic layouts add cuts and time per foot. Naming the pattern on the invoice explains the rate without an argument.
- Who buys the tile?
- Either, but say which on the invoice. If the customer supplies it, add a line noting breakage and shortfall are their responsibility.
- Should waterproofing be separate?
- Always. It is the part of a shower that protects the house, and it deserves a visible line.
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