- 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 actually needs fixing when a renter moves out
Most landlords in Killeen pull the same checklist. Loose tiles get reset, cracked ones get swapped, grout lines get scrubbed or recaulked. If the substrate is still solid, no hollow sound when you tap it, you can usually keep the layout and just freshen the surface. Water behind the tile is the red flag; once the backer board is spongy, the whole surround has to come out. We check every wall with a moisture meter before we quote so you know whether you’re looking at a patch job or a full rebuild.
Durable tile and grout that survive renters
On a rental turnover you want tile that cleans up fast and grout that doesn’t stain. Porcelain is the usual pick, dense, waterproof, and hard to scratch. For floors, go with a through-body porcelain so chips don’t show. Grout color matters more than brand; light grout shows dirt, dark grout hides it but can look dingy if it’s not sealed. We use a penetrating sealer that soaks in and lasts a year, so the next tenant walks into a room that wipes clean. If the old grout is just dirty, a steam clean and reseal is cheaper than a full regrout.
- Porcelain tile for walls and floors, no glazed ceramic in wet areas
- Epoxy grout in showers; sanded cement grout everywhere else
- 1/8-inch grout lines minimum so the joint doesn’t crack when the building settles
- Bonded waterproofing membrane behind every tub surround
- Thresholds set in a solid bed of thinset so they don’t rock when the door slams
Regrout versus rebuild, what the lease schedule can handle
Regrouting a tub surround takes a day, start to finish. We scrape the old grout, vacuum the dust, mix the new color, tool the joints, and seal it. You can have the unit back the next morning. A full rebuild, demo, new backer board, waterproofing, tile, grout, seal, runs three to four days on a typical 5×8 alcove. If the lease ends Friday and the new tenant moves in Monday, regrouting is the only play. If you have a two-week window, a rebuild gives you a fresh surround that will last the next five tenants. We’ll tell you straight which one the room needs so you can plan the turnover calendar.
Scheduling around the lease date
We book rental turnovers first-come, first-served. Call as soon as the tenant gives notice so we can slot the job between move-out clean and carpet install. Most of the time we can start within three business days of the first phone call. If the unit is empty and the power is on, we can measure and quote the same day. Once the tile is picked, either you bring it or we meet you at the Temple supply house, we lock in the start date. On tub surrounds the price is $2,000 flat, so you know the number before we pull the first tile. For floors or backsplashes, call for a straight quote after we see the room.
What the $2,000 tub surround price covers
The $2,000 flat rate is labor and materials for a standard 5×8 alcove tub surround. It includes demo of the old tile, new cement backer board, bonded waterproofing membrane, porcelain tile, sanded grout, penetrating sealer, and cleanup. We set the tile plumb and level, cut around the valve and spout, and install a bullnose edge if the tile has one. What it does not cover is moving plumbing, replacing the tub, or fixing drywall outside the tiled area. If the substrate is rotten or the wall framing is out of plumb more than half an inch, we’ll quote the extra work up front so you can decide whether to repair or replace.