Rough Idea Of Fair Price For Tiling/sq M

[cr0ft]

Hi all. We contract to a conservatory installation company that pass us maybe 3 conservatories a month to do floor tiling on. They have just stated they will be self-levelling all floors for now on so they are flat and ready for tiling. We have to provide all tiling tools and materials other than this. They provide floor tiles which at £7 per square metre are fairly cheap and of poor quality to be honest.

We have been charging them £30 plus VAT per square metre which includes the materials. They are trying to get us to do their work for £25 plus VAT per square metre which I'm not too happy about.

What's the going rate these days for this sort of work? Maybe I am out of touch but I'm not really interested at the £25 figure.

Cheers for all feedback, would like to get other opinions before telling them whether or not to shove their price reduction. We are pretty busy with other work and so aren't desperate for this job but is the £25 the going rate??

Cheers,

Keiran.

 

[cr0ft]

Should add, they tell me there previous tiler has had a knee injury and so can't work for them any more. Apparently he would tile and grout a 16sq m conservatory in one day. I know I sure as hell can't do that!

 

[Chalker]

Hi croft. Are you the same "croft" on the plumbing forum?
I would tell them to get lost at £25 including adhesive, grout and cutting discs!

 

[AD Ceramics]

Stand your ground @crOft sure they'll come round if they value your work. If not they're not worth your efforts for them.

 

[White Room]

If your not interested at £25+vat don't do it, your price is your price...

 

[Mr Tiler]

i.m.o £20-£25 per m2 for cheap ceramics is just labour nothing more, all other materials are an added cost if not supplied. Dont lower your price and "buy your own work" as someone recently said. If they are happy with your work but wont pay the going rate there the mugs not you.

 

[Andy Allen]

I would do it providing I didn't have to travel to far.
Conservatory floors are easy. .......hardly any cutting, 16 m2 tile and grout is easily doable. .imo

 

[cr0ft]

Thanks all. My opinion is that the best tilers, i.e. the ones that can competently put down 16 sq. metres a day still to a good standard (the important bit) are going to be busy running their own businesses and not wanting to work for me!

As a result I can't really justify £20 per square metre once materials come off as I know that will take one of my lads a day and a half.

Going to tell them we can keep doing them for £30 inc. materials but at anything less I'm not interested. Cheers all.

@Chalker, yes I am

 

[widler]

£25 m2 plus materials is about right for around here, a good tiler should do it in a day, easy, tile it in a morning and grout mid afternoon

 

[cr0ft]

Brill. They want me to do it for £25 inc. materials. My thought is the materials for tiling work out at £5 per square metre I reckon so it's staying at £30 per sq. m. Don't suppose how long it takes really matters to them as they are paying the same price.

 

[widler]

Thats tight croft , i had one ring up before, told me "
he wouldnt pay more than £15 m2, none of this £20m2, you would do it in a day and be earning well over £200 a day, no man should be earning that"
Needless to say, i didnt do one for him

 

[Ian]

Yeah I don't think £25 is unreasonable that's £400 for a 16m floor less £80ish for materials. It'd take me 1.5 days so that's still clearing £200 per day. I charge £17 per metre (labour only) for big floors (ceramic/porcelain) and can easily clear £250+ per day working at a steady speed. When I say big floors, I'm talking 50 m2 and over.

 

[cr0ft]

Interesting one. One of our businesses USP's is that we undertake tiling, electrical and plumbing work. Particularly for tiling we work out slightly more expensive than a full time tiler as we aren't as fast. But, builders etc get the benefit of using one person for everything which I think is worth a small premium.

Will see what they think shortly as I am sticking to my guns!!

 

[Spud]

Its good money
conservatories are a dream to tile if they have flat floors
16m2 tiled and grouted per day should be no problem for a tiler on this type of work

 

[J Sid]

Its good money
conservatories are a dream to tile if they have flat floors
16m2 tiled and grouted per day should be no problem for a tiler on this type of work

Flat floor Gary, not seen one of those in a conservative for many years

 

[andyb1]

I'd be doing that in a day, tiled and grouted no problem, bread and butter work.

 

[StevieBoy]

Well it's horses for courses.

You say they are going to level the floor etc, but will it be as good as a flow screed floor finish?

For this, I would charge for priming the floor, then £25 per m2 plus materials nothing less.

Even if it was as good as a flow screed finish, I wouldn't ever tile / grout the same day - but that's just me

I also don't buy into the fact that people say, I'll only pay £12 per m2 or something stupid like that, because you'll tile and grout it in a day.

Would they pay extra if it took you 1 or 2 extra days?

I think not.

No need to rush any job.

 

[andyb1]

So why wouldn't you tile / grout same day ?

 

[StevieBoy]

Because you can't with slow set addy.

 

[andyb1]

I prefer to use slow set, but sometimes you have to use rapid, 16m conservatory floor, days work tbh.

 

[widler]

Well it's horses for courses.

You say they are going to level the floor etc, but will it be as good as a flow screed floor finish?

For this, I would charge for priming the floor, then £25 per m2 plus materials nothing less.

Even if it was as good as a flow screed finish, I wouldn't ever tile / grout the same day - but that's just me

I also don't buy into the fact that people say, I'll only pay £12 per m2 or something stupid like that, because you'll tile and grout it in a day.

Would they pay extra if it took you 1 or 2 extra days?

I think not.

No need to rush any job.

So much i could say about this, but i don't have the words

 

[StevieBoy]

So much i could say about this, but i don't have the words

My post, or the subject?

 

[StevieBoy]

I prefer to use slow set, but sometimes you have to use rapid, 16m conservatory floor, days work tbh.

On a snooker table type floor maybe, but not when building up.

 

[Andy Allen]

Well it's horses for courses.

You say they are going to level the floor etc, but will it be as good as a flow screed floor finish?

For this, I would charge for priming the floor, then £25 per m2 plus materials nothing less.

Even if it was as good as a flow screed finish, I wouldn't ever tile / grout the same day - but that's just me

I also don't buy into the fact that people say, I'll only pay £12 per m2 or something stupid like that, because you'll tile and grout it in a day.

Would they pay extra if it took you 1 or 2 extra days?

I think not.

No need to rush any job.

So if you did a small floor ...say ...4 m2 you would go back next day to grout it?

 

[J Sid]

Do people actually use slow set on floors, thought that was only for walls

 

[StevieBoy]

So if you did a small floor ...say ...4 m2 you would go back next day to grout it?

Yes, as I'd go onto another job to fill that day then go back and grout it the day after.

 

[StevieBoy]

Do people actually use slow set on floors, thought that was only walls

All the time for me.

 

[widler]

I use slow on walls and fast on floors , a bit like my lovemaking , slow stood up bu fast led down

 

[Andy Allen]

Yes, as I'd go onto another job to fill that day then go back and grout it the day after.

Sounds like the biggest waste of time ever....imo.....lol

 

[StevieBoy]

Sounds like the biggest waste of time ever....imo.....lol

Your point being ?