Find a trusted tiler in Adelaide

Ground movement, cracked grout and movement joints

Cracked grout and tiles that lift or sound hollow are common in Adelaide homes, and the ground is often part of the story. Reactive clay moves slabs and walls a little as it wets and dries through the year, and tiles laid tight from wall to wall with nowhere to go will eventually crack or tent up. A good tiler leaves flexible movement joints around the edges of the room, at changes of plane and through large floors, as the Australian Standard for tiling calls for.

Older villas raise a different issue. Many of their bathrooms and laundries sit on timber floors over a subfloor, and timber flexes. Tiling there needs a stiff base, usually fibre cement sheeting fixed at the right spacing over sound joists, or the grout won’t last long.

Tessellated verandahs and outdoor tiling in the heat

Adelaide villas often have tessellated tile verandahs and front paths, laid in geometric patterns of small tiles. When they crack or lift, a tiler with heritage experience can usually relay the loose sections and patch in reproduction tiles, which keeps the original look and costs far less than starting again.

Outdoors, summer heat changes how tiles go down. Adhesive skins over quickly on a hot day, so careful tilers start early and work in smaller areas. For alfrescos and pool surrounds, choose a slip-rated tile for wet bare feet, make sure the surface falls to the drains, and remember that dark tiles get very hot in direct sun.

Tiling licences and the bathroom catch

Tiling under contract counts as building work in South Australia, which means your tiler needs a building work contractors licence from Consumer and Business Services. There’s a catch worth knowing: a licence limited to wall and floor tiling doesn’t cover a full bathroom or laundry renovation. If the job involves stripping out the room, new waterproofing, plumbing and fit-off, whoever runs it needs a licence that covers the whole renovation. Check the conditions on the CBS Occupational Public Register, and see our SA licence checks page.

Tiling prices in Adelaide

Adelaide is often one of the cheaper capitals for tiling. As a guide, laying standard floor tiles costs around $45–$100 per m², and small jobs are charged at about $50–$100 an hour. Retiling a standard bathroom is typically $2,000–$5,500 in labour, waterproofing $30–$70 per m², and a kitchen splashback $400–$1,200. Lifting old tiles adds roughly $20–$55 per m². When you compare quotes, check who does the waterproofing, which membrane goes in and what written warranty comes with the job. See the tiler price guide for more.

One Adelaide tiler, matched for you

Tell us what you’re tiling and your suburb, from Torrensville to Aldinga Beach, and we’ll match you with a single local tiler who has passed our licence, insurance and review checks. You won’t be passed around a crowd of tilers, and it costs you nothing.

Need a tiler in another city? See our tilers page, or check the Adelaide page for other local trades. Get a free quote and we’ll find your tiler.