A good tiler is the difference between a floor that looks right for thirty years and one that rings hollow within two. Tilers prepare the base, set out the tiles, lay them in adhesive, cut around fittings and grout the joints. Some work alone, others run small teams, and building contractors often sub the work out. Send one request with the rooms, the tile size and whether you are supplying the tiles, and tilers in your area send written quotes. It is free, and you choose who to hire.
What a tiler does and does not do
A tiler's core job is setting out, laying, cutting and grouting. Most also lift old tiles, scrape the floor and mix a levelling screed, but check each item, because they are often quoted separately. Plumbing, electrical work, waterproofing membranes and plastering usually fall to other trades, although many tilers will apply a shower membrane if you ask.
Decide up front who buys the tiles, the adhesive and the grout. A tiler who supplies everything carries the risk of shortages and mismatched batches, while a tiler who only lays leaves the ordering to you. Either arrangement works if it is written down.
Per m² or per day: how tilers charge
Most quotes are per square metre, roughly R160 to R380 per m² in 2026 for labour, and more for small rooms, diagonal patterns, large format tiles or mosaics. Some tilers charge a day rate instead, typically for repairs, odd jobs and awkward spaces. A per m² price protects you if the job runs long, while a day rate suits work where the scope is unclear.
Expect a deposit for materials, often 30% to 50%, and the balance when the job is finished and you have walked through it. Ask for the quote in writing with the area, the price per m² and exactly what is included. Our floor tile price guide shows how the pieces add up.
Checking a tiler before you hire
Ask to see photographs of recent jobs, or better, a finished floor you can visit. Look at the grout lines for even width, the edges where tiles meet the wall and the cuts around toilets and pipes. Ask for a past client you can phone, and check whether the tiler will return to fix problems.
- Do they check the screed with a long straight edge before laying?
- Do they back-butter large tiles for full coverage?
- Do they leave movement joints at walls and across big areas?
- Will they list snags with you at handover and fix them before the final payment?
A tiler who answers these without hesitation has done it before. See tile adhesive and grout for what the right materials look like.
How long a job takes
A tiler lays about 15 to 30 m² a day of standard tiles. A bathroom of 6 m² with walls takes three to five days because of waterproofing, curing and grouting, and a 60 m² open-plan area takes about a week. Preparation can double the time: lifting old tiles, chasing out hollow patches or levelling an uneven slab. Weather matters outside, where adhesive should not be laid in rain or direct midday sun.
What to include in your request
- Rooms to tile and the area in m²
- Tile size, and who supplies the tiles
- Floors, walls or both
- What is on the floor or wall now
- Your suburb and your preferred start date
Tilers for different projects
- Homeowners renovating: a tiler for one bathroom, the kitchen or every floor in the house
- New builds and extensions: a tiling team that follows the plasterers and keeps pace with the builder
- Landlords and body corporates: quick, tidy floor and wall replacements between tenants at a fixed price per m²
- Guesthouses, hotels and restaurants: night or off-season tiling for guest rooms, kitchens, bars and stoeps
- Shops, offices and showrooms: large format floors laid in short windows around trading hours
- Schools, clinics and public buildings: slip-resistant floors laid in phases so classrooms and clinics stay in use
- Workshops, warehouses and gyms: tilers who handle heavy-duty adhesive, ablutions and canteen floors
- Patios, stoeps and pool areas: tilers who build falls and movement joints for patios and pool surrounds
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a tiling contractor or an independent tiler?
Does the tiler's quote include removing old tiles?
How much deposit is normal?
Can a tiler work around load shedding?
Tilers by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg