Service
Commercial tiling
Commercial tiling is usually priced per m² from drawings, and the cost guides we use give no commercial rate; the domestic guides put labour at £15 to £50 per m² and a day at £150 to £350 (Checkatrade, MyJobQuote 2026). Shops, kitchens and washrooms add slip resistance, out-of-hours work and site rules to the price.
What this covers
Typical jobs
- Slip-resistant floor tiles in a restaurant kitchen
- Tiling washrooms in an office refit, out of hours
- A large porcelain shop floor with planned movement joints
- Tiling a new-build block's bathrooms to a site programme
- Changing rooms at a gym, tanked and tiled
What is involved
Commercial tiling covers shops, offices, restaurants, hotels, schools, gyms and the bathrooms in new-build flats. The tiling is the same craft, but the brief is different. Floors take far heavier traffic, trolleys and cleaning machines, so porcelain and large tiles are common, and slip resistance is specified, often as a pendulum test value, for wet and greasy areas such as commercial kitchens and changing rooms. Grout may be epoxy for hygiene and chemical resistance. BS 5385 applies as it does at home, and large floors need movement joints planned into the layout.
The work is run differently too. A main contractor usually issues drawings and a programme, and the tiling contractor prices per m² from them, with extras listed for cuts, trims, steps and movement joints. Most sites ask for a CSCS card for everyone working there, risk assessments and method statements before starting, and proof of public liability insurance. Shops and restaurants often need the work done at night or over weekends so the business can keep trading, and that is priced on top.
For a small business, a commercial job may be one washroom or a café floor, and a domestic tiler may well take it on. For a larger project, look for a firm with the people to meet a programme, and ask for references from similar sites. In either case, agree in writing who prepares the floor, who supplies the tiles and adhesive, and what happens if the floor is not ready on the day the tilers arrive.
Choosing someone for the job
On a commercial job the firm's capacity and paperwork matter as much as its tiling.
- Can you give references from similar commercial jobs?
- Do you have enough people for our programme?
- Does everyone on site hold a CSCS card, and can we see your risk assessments, method statements and insurance?
- How do you price extras such as cuts, trims and movement joints?
- Can you work out of hours, and who prepares the floor and supplies materials?
Read next
Common questions
What slip resistance do commercial floor tiles need?
It depends on the area. Wet and greasy areas such as commercial kitchens, changing rooms and entrances need more slip resistance than a dry office. It is usually specified as a pendulum test value; the tile maker publishes it.
Do commercial tilers need a CSCS card?
Most construction sites require one for everyone working there. It is a site requirement rather than a legal one for all tiling, and a small job in a shop may not ask for it.
Can commercial tiling be done out of hours?
Often, yes, at a higher rate. Shops, restaurants and offices commonly have floors and washrooms tiled at night or over a weekend so they can keep trading.
How is commercial tiling priced?
Usually per m² from drawings or a site measure, with extras for cuts, trims, steps and movement joints. The guides we use give no commercial rate; the domestic guides put labour at £15 to £50 per m².