Tiling is the part of a renovation people see most and understand least. Two things decide the price: the size of the tile and what has to be removed first, because demolition is usually more than half the bill.
Full price list
All reference prices are in Hong Kong dollars (HKD).
Every price here is the published starting rate for the work shown, not a quotation. The tradesman prices the job after seeing the site, so parts, transport and access to old buildings can move the final figure.
- Tile laying per sq ft
- Tile removal per sq ft
- Partition wall build per sq ft
- Granite floor grinding & polishing per sq ft
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Common questions
Why does removing the old tiles cost so much?
Taking up tiles is slow work: they come off one by one, the bed and the adhesive have to be cleared, and the rubble has to be carried out, often down stairs and into bags. In a small flat that rubble fills several bags and takes more time to move than the laying that follows. Ask whether the removal, the disposal and the making good of the wall underneath are inside the quote, because on a small job they can be the larger half of it.
How is the tiled area measured, and do patterns cost more?
The usual measure is the area of the finished surface in square feet, and the price is worked out from the size of the tile, the number of cuts and how complicated the pattern is. Diagonal or herringbone layouts need more cutting and more setting out, and small mosaic tiles take much longer per square foot than a large tile. Before you accept a price, ask whether the tiles are supplied by the tiler or by you, because that changes the total a lot.
What stops water from the new floor reaching the flat below?
Nothing about the tiles themselves; the waterproofing underneath is what does the work. The floor should be made good, a waterproof layer applied and the corners and pipe penetrations treated, then tested by flooding the area before the tiles go down. If a tiler is happy to lay the tiles straight onto the screed without doing that, treat it as a problem. Ask to see the flood test, and keep a record of it for the flat below.
How are the floor falls and the drain position handled?
In a bathroom the floor is laid to a fall towards the gully so the water runs off instead of sitting, and the position of the gully decides where the cuts and the slopes are. Moving the gully to a different place means cutting the floor slab and re-forming the drainage, and it is one of the reasons a bathroom refit costs more than the tile price suggests. Ask where the gully will be and whether it stays where it is.
How do I check tiling before the tiler leaves?
Look along the rows from a low angle to check they are straight, because a wall that runs off line is obvious in raking light and hard to hide. Tap each tile with a knuckle and listen for a hollow sound, which means the bed underneath was not solid. Check that the joints are even, and pour water on the floor to see it runs towards the drain and does not pond.
Who is responsible if the new tiles crack or leak, and does the work need approval?
Ask for the warranty period on the tiling in writing, and note that the waterproofing underneath is normally a separate item with its own period, so a failure in the wrong layer is not the tiler problem. In a rented flat, any work that touches the structure or the common drainage needs the landlord to agree. Where the work is in a managed building, the permitted hours and the noise rules also apply.
Before you book
Get the area, the tile size and the pattern written into the quote, together with who supplies the tiles, because a change of tile moves the price more than most people expect. Ask whether the removal of the old tiles, the disposal of the rubble, the waterproofing under the floor and the making good are included or extra. Pay the balance after the tiles are checked and the floor has been tested with water, and keep a copy of the written scope.
How the prices work
The reference figures are the square-foot rates for laying and removing tiles, and they assume the screed is sound and the area is easy to reach. A real quote moves with the tile size, the amount of cutting and the pattern, the condition of the surface underneath, the thickness of the tiles and whether the waterproofing has to be redone. Tiling in a small bathroom with many cuts sits above the reference figure, while laying a straight run of large tiles in a square room sits closer to it.