- 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.
How the Flat Rate Works for a Georgetown Backsplash
The price is $1,000 for labor. That is the whole labor cost for a standard kitchen backsplash. Tile material is separate. You buy the tile. Most people either bring their own or come with us to the supply house in Temple. What you pick is what gets set. We do not add a markup on the tile. The $1,000 covers measuring the wall space, setting the tile, grouting, sealing and cleaning up behind ourselves.
Georgetown kitchens vary. A standard backsplash runs from the countertop up to the bottom of the upper cabinets. That is the typical field. If you want tile to run full height to the ceiling, that takes more material and more cuts. The $1,000 labor still holds for a standard backsplash. A full height backsplash is a larger job. We quote that after we look at the room. The same person who quotes the job is the person who sets the tile.
What a Tile Setter Looks at on Your Backsplash Wall
- Layout off the countertop. The first row of tile sits on the counter. If the counter is not level, the tile has to be cut to follow it.
- Outlet and switch boxes. Every box gets cut out of the tile. The cut needs to be clean and covered by the plate.
- The range wall and the hood. Tile behind a cooktop gets grease and heat. Grout choice matters here. A darker grout hides staining better than a white grout.
- Ending an edge. Where the tile stops, the edge needs to be finished. We use a metal profile or a bullnose piece.
- Working around a window. The tile has to land square to the window frame. Cuts around the casing have to be tight.
Grout Choice Behind the Cooktop
The grout behind a cooktop takes the most abuse. Grease splatter, heat and scrubbing. A standard sanded grout works. But a darker grout hides the staining. A lighter grout shows it. That is not a sales pitch. That is just what happens. We can talk through the options when we look at the room.
The grout gets sealed after it cures. Sealing helps keep the grout from soaking up oil and water. We do that as part of the job. Reapplying sealer later is on you. That is typical maintenance. Most homeowners do it once a year or every couple of years depending on how much cooking you do.
Tile Materials and What Works in a Georgetown Kitchen
Zellige tile has a handmade look. The edges are not perfectly straight. That is part of the look. But it means the grout lines are wider and less uniform. Marble is soft. It can etch from lemon juice or vinegar. Porcelain and ceramic are harder and easier to clean. Terrazzo and mosaic come in sheets or individual pieces. Each material cuts differently. We set them the same way.
You pick the tile. We do not push one material over another. We just need to know what you want before we start. If you are not sure, we can go to the supply house together and look at what is in stock. That is usually the fastest way to settle on something. The supply house in Temple carries the same brands and grades that showrooms in Georgetown carry.
The Written Warranty and What It Covers
Every backsplash installation carries a written one year limited labor warranty. It starts from the day the job is finished. It covers issues that come from the original installation. Loose tiles, cracked grout from movement, or a profile that pulls away from the wall. It does not cover the tile material itself. That falls under the manufacturer's warranty. It does not cover damage from something done after we leave. Hanging a new pot rack or drilling into the tile for a shelf is not covered.
The warranty is in writing. You get a copy. We keep a copy. If something goes wrong that is our fault, we fix it. If a tile cracks from a drop or a cabinet shifts and pinches the tile, that is not installation work. That is something else. We can look at it and tell you straight what happened.