Tilers: services, qualifications and finding the right help
A tiler sets out and installs durable finishes in bathrooms, kitchens and floors, with waterproofing and substrate preparation central to success.
What do tilers do?
A tiler sets out and installs durable finishes in bathrooms, kitchens and floors, with waterproofing and substrate preparation central to success. The right approach depends on the property’s condition, the full job scope, and any other trades needed. Agree deliverables in writing rather than relying on a verbal estimate.
Typical services explained
- Bathroom walls: tile layout and trims around fittings
- Shower enclosures: compatible waterproofing and sealing details
- Kitchen splashbacks: easy-clean surfaces and accurate cut-outs
- Floor tiling: substrate checks, movement joints and level finish
- Regrouting: assessing whether grout failure is a symptom of movement or damp
Qualifications, insurance and safety checks
Check evidence of comparable tiling work, waterproofing competence, insurance and understanding of movement joints and suitable adhesives. Tile-related qualifications can help, but practical experience with tanking and wet-area systems is particularly important.
Ask for evidence relevant to your exact job, up-to-date insurance where appropriate and examples of similar completed work. Client Hive does not guarantee or independently certify the competence of every registrant; verify credentials with the relevant awarding body, register or authority.
Before you request a quote
Confirm tile dimensions, quantity, pattern, room measurements, spare tiles and whether old coverings must be removed. Check for weak or moving floors before buying heavy tiles.
What affects the cost?
Tile size and material, patterned layouts, substrate levelling, waterproofing, cutting and preparation affect labour. Ask whether estimates include travel, labour, parts or materials, VAT where applicable, clean-up and changes to the agreed scope.
Compare written quotes using the same specification. Our guide to comparing trade quotes explains what to check before choosing a professional.
How Client Hive works
- For customers: learn what the trade does and use Get a Quote for information about the staged rollout of free customer enquiries.
- For professionals: create a free Worker Bee account; add truthful services, qualifications, experience and service areas.
- Verification: supply any relevant evidence requested before accessing paid leads. Registration and business profiles carry no joining or subscription fee.
- When enquiries launch: choose whether to pay a clearly displayed one-off fee for an optional customer lead. A lead is not a guaranteed booking.
Client Hive is an introduction platform, not the employer or contractor carrying out the work. Customer and professional agree the job and payment directly.
Common questions about tilers
Are waterproof grout and silicone enough for a shower?
No. Wet areas need an appropriate waterproofing system behind the finish.
Who supplies spare tiles?
Allow for cuts and breakages and keep some matching spares for future repairs.
Is it free to join Client Hive as a tiler?
Yes. Worker Bee registration and maintaining a professional profile are free. Future customer enquiries may have an optional lead-access fee, shown before payment.
Does this page mean a local tiler is available now?
No. Service and professional availability varies by location and customer services are being introduced area by area.
More useful guides: Browse UK trades · Find your local area · Improve your Worker Bee profile.
Practical tiling project guide
Use these expandable sections to prepare a clearer enquiry, compare quotations fairly and know what to check when work is finished. Specific requirements depend on the job and the part of the UK where it takes place.
1. What to prepare before contacting a professional
Measure the approximate tileable area and identify wall, floor or wet-room locations. Bring tile dimensions and sample or product link, preferred layout, grout colour and any patterned direction. Flag loose tiles, cracked backgrounds, uneven floors, movement, damp or leaks. Large-format tiles may require more preparation than standard sizes.
2. What a detailed quote should include
Ask whether the cost covers lifting old tiles, substrate repairs, levelling, waterproof tanking where required, adhesive, grout, trims, silicone, waste disposal and tile cuts. Agree who orders extra tiles to allow for cuts and breakages. Request an explicit plan for edging, transitions, pipe penetrations, falls to drains and where partial tiles will land.
3. Competence, insurance and regulatory checks
Ask for relevant installation experience and photos using similar tile sizes and substrates; training and professional memberships can be useful indicators. For wet areas, confirm an appropriate waterproofing system and its compatibility with the chosen products, rather than assuming grout itself makes a shower watertight. Check manufacturer instructions and whether underfloor heating affects adhesives or movement provision.
4. Common mistakes, warning signs and safety
A polished tile with a low slip rating may be unsuitable for wet floors; check the stated intended use. Adhesive cannot always compensate for a highly uneven substrate. Grout discolouration might be a ventilation or moisture issue, not simply poor cleaning. Cheap quotes may omit waterproofing, surface preparation or adequate setting time.
5. Completion and aftercare checklist
Check tile alignment, lippage, grout consistency, trims and silicone joints. Keep spare tiles, batch numbers and spare grout information for future repairs. Ask when foot traffic, showers or heating can safely resume: cure times vary by product. Clarify which seals or flexible joints need routine maintenance.
Client Hive availability: Registration for independent Worker Bees is free across the UK. These guides do not mean that a professional or customer lead is currently available in a particular location. Customer job enquiries are opening in stages.
Are you a tiler? Join the Hive for free 🐝
Create a Worker Bee profile describing the jobs you actually take on, your normal travel area and your experience. Registration and advertising have no joining or monthly membership fee. Optional leads, when launched in an area, have separate one-off prices that you can consider before buying.
Services you could feature on your profile
- Kitchen splashbacks
- Bathroom wall and floor tiling
- Porcelain and ceramic installation
- Large-format tiling where competent
- Wet-room waterproofing systems where trained
List only services you are genuinely qualified and insured to perform. Availability, permissions and certification requirements vary by task and UK nation.
What can make your profile more useful?
Photograph grout lines, cuts, corners, trims and completed wet areas. State your experience with waterproof tanking, underfloor heating and different tile sizes, and whether you provide adhesives and trims.
Add accurate service locations, suitable examples of past work, honest lead times and relevant documentary evidence. You may be asked for trade-specific verification before purchasing leads. A profile is not a guarantee of customer enquiries or jobs.