How much does tiling cost per m² in Australia?

Tiling is one of those jobs where the headline rate hides most of the real cost. A tiler might quote "$60 a metre", but that's usually labour only, and a finished bathroom involves tile supply, waterproofing, removal of the old surface, and sometimes floor levelling on top. This guide pulls those layers apart so you can read a quote properly and estimate your own job.

All figures are 2026 estimates for Australian residential work, GST inclusive.

Tiling cost per m²: the layers

| Cost layer | Typical rate (per m²) | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Labour, standard floor/wall | $45-$90 | Square tiles, straightforward layout | | Labour, large-format / mosaic / pattern | $70-$150 | Slower set-out, more cuts | | Tile supply (budget → premium) | $50-$120+ | Porcelain mid-band; natural stone higher | | Waterproofing (wet areas, AS 3740) | $40-$70 | Mandatory before tiling wet areas | | Tile removal + prep | ~$45 | Range ~$25-$65 depending on substrate |

These bands line up with current Australian guides putting fully-installed tiling broadly between $50 and $150/m² once labour and supply are combined (TradieVerify, Airtasker, Yellow Pages).

What drives the price

• Tile size and layout. Big tiles look great but are unforgiving. A 600×1200 large-format tile needs a dead-flat substrate, levelling clips and often two people to place. Mosaics are the other extreme: tiny pieces, huge set-out time. Both cost more to lay than a standard 300×300.
• Wall vs floor. Wall tiling generally costs a little more per m² than floor because of gravity, temporary support and cuts around fixtures.
• Waterproofing. Under AS 3740, showers, bathroom floors and laundries must be waterproofed before tiling. It's a code requirement and a building-inspection checkpoint, not an upsell.
• What's already there. Stripping old tiles, grinding off old adhesive, and levelling an uneven or sloping floor all add labour before a single new tile goes down.
• Job size. Small rooms cost more per m² than big open areas, because setup, cutting and clean-up time barely change whether it's a 4 m² laundry or a 60 m² living floor.

A worked example: a standard bathroom

A typical bathroom re-tile: 5 m² of floor and 20 m² of walls (25 m² total), mid-range porcelain, removing the existing tiles, with the wet area waterproofed to AS 3740.

| Line item | Estimate | | --- | --- | | Remove old tiles + prep (25 m² @ ~$45) | $1,125 | | Waterproofing wet area (~7 m² @ ~$60) | $420 | | Tile supply (25 m² @ ~$80) | $2,000 | | Labour (25 m² @ ~$70) | $1,750 | | Total (inc GST) | ≈ $5,300 |

That's about $212/m² all-in for a mid-spec bathroom, a useful benchmark. Choose budget tiles and skip removal (tiling over a sound surface where allowed) and you'd come in lower; choose large-format stone with a feature wall and the same room can climb past $8,000.

How prices vary across Australia

Tiling labour follows the same broad pattern as most trades: Sydney and Melbourne sit at the top, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide a little lower, and regional rates depend on how busy local tilers are. Tile supply prices are more national. The same porcelain range costs much the same in any capital, so the regional swing mostly shows up in the labour line. A premium large-format bathroom in inner Sydney can cost noticeably more to lay than the identical job in suburban Adelaide, even though the tiles cost the same.

Lead times matter too. Imported stone and designer tiles can take weeks to arrive, and a tiler who has to come back for a second mobilisation because the tiles weren't on site will charge for it.

How to keep tiling costs down

• Standardise the tile size where you can, for fewer cuts, faster lay and lower labour.
• Don't cut waterproofing. It's cheap insurance against a four-figure leak and a failed inspection.
• Decide supply early. If you're supplying tiles, order ~10% extra for cuts and breakages and confirm lead times before the tiler starts.

Questions worth asking before you commit

• Is waterproofing included and who's licensed to do it? Confirm it's quoted and compliant with AS 3740, not assumed.
• Does the quote include removal, prep and levelling? These hidden lines are where "cheap" quotes balloon on the day.
• Who supplies the tiles, and how much wastage is allowed? Aim for ~10% extra on supply to cover cuts and breakages.
• Is the price per m² or a fixed job total? A fixed total for a defined scope is easiest to compare between tilers.
• What happens if the substrate isn't sound? Agree upfront how variations (rotten floor, hollow render) are priced.

The cheapest tiling quote is often the one that quietly leaves out waterproofing, removal or levelling. Compare like-for-like scopes, not just headline rates.

Get a real number

A per-m² average can't see your tile choice, your wet-area size, or what's hiding under the old floor. Drop your floor and wall measurements into Karven's tiling calculator, pick your tile band and wet-area options, and get an itemised, fixed-price quote in minutes.