- Tub surround tile work: $2,000 flat.
- Kitchen backsplash tile work: $1,000 flat, labor.
- Tile floors: $3 per square foot labor, or $2 per square foot labor on jobs of 2,000 square feet or more.
What a shower tile job in Copperas Cove looks like
Most houses here are ranch style with one bath, so the shower is usually a 36-inch alcove or a 60-inch tub surround. We start with a cement backer board screwed to the studs, then a bonded waterproof membrane that laps over the curb and up the walls. The pan slope is 1/4 inch per foot, built with deck mud or a pre-sloped liner. If the shower has a niche, we frame it with treated lumber so the tile doesn’t crack when the house settles.
We measure the walls twice, then dry-lay the tile on the floor to mark the layout. The goal is to center the field tile so the cuts at the corners are even and the ceiling course is full tile or a clean cut. If the shower has a window, we wrap the tile around the opening so the grout lines stay straight. On military housing we often see landlords who want the same 4x4 white tile every turnover, but long-term owners pick marble or large-format porcelain that needs fewer grout lines.
The parts of a shower that give people trouble
- The curb: if the mud bed cracks, water sits and leaks into the bathroom floor. We use a metal lath base and pack it tight so it doesn’t shift.
- Inside corners: if the tile isn’t mitered, the grout cracks. We use a 45-degree bullnose or a brass edge profile to protect the joint.
- The ceiling course: if the last row is a sliver, the wall looks crooked. We adjust the layout so the top row is at least half a tile.
- Niches: if the shelf isn’t sloped, water pools. We build the niche with a slight pitch so it drains back into the shower.
- The pan threshold: if the tile meets the vinyl or concrete floor without a proper transition, the edge chips. We use a metal or Schluter edge to finish it.
How we handle the tile itself
We buy the tile out of the Temple supply house, so what you pick is what gets set. If you bring your own tile, we check it for lippage and warping before we start. Porcelain and ceramic are the most common in Copperas Cove because they’re durable and low-maintenance. Marble needs sealing every year, and zellige has uneven edges that make grout lines wider. Mosaic sheets are tricky because the mesh can shift if the thinset isn’t troweled right.
We mix the thinset to the manufacturer’s spec and use the right trowel notch for the tile size. Large-format tile needs a larger notch so the coverage is full. If the tile is over 15 inches, we back-butter it to prevent voids. Grout color is picked after the tile is set, and we seal the grout once it’s cured. On military turnovers we usually use sanded grout because it’s tougher, but on custom jobs we use unsanded for a smoother finish.
What can go wrong and how we fix it
Waterproofing is the biggest risk. If the membrane isn’t lapped right or the corners aren’t sealed, water gets behind the tile and rots the studs. We test the pan with a 24-hour flood test before we set the tile. If it leaks, we tear it out and start over. Another common issue is tile lippage, when one edge is higher than the next. We use leveling clips on large tile and check every row with a straightedge.
Grout can crack if the substrate moves. We use an anti-fracture membrane on joints where the backer board meets the drywall. If the grout does crack, we rake it out and re-grout it under warranty. Tile can also pop off if the thinset isn’t mixed right or the substrate isn’t clean. We scrape the backer board before we set the tile so the thinset bonds properly.
How to get a straight quote for your shower
Call us at (512) 297-7493 or email info@merlanstile.com. We’ll come look at the room, measure the walls, and talk about the tile you want. If it’s a tub surround, the price is $2,000 flat. For a custom shower with niches, curbs, and large-format tile, we’ll give you a straight quote after we see the space. The same people who quote the job are the ones who do the work, so there’s no bait-and-switch.
We’ll walk you through the supply house in Temple so you can pick the tile and see the samples in person. Once the job starts, we set the tile, grout it, seal it, and clean up behind us. Every installation carries a written one-year limited labor warranty from the date of completion. It covers issues from the original installation, but not modifications made after we’re done.