Cost to Tile a Bathroom in Australia (2026 Prices)
The short answer
How much does it cost to tile a bathroom?
About $3,200 for a standard 2.5 x 2 m bathroom, tiled from the floor to the ceiling. Expect anywhere from $2,500 to $4,400, depending on your tiler. That covers the tiles, adhesive, wet-area membrane and labour, and labour is the biggest part of the bill.
We worked it out on a real bathroom, with our own tile prices and the rates tilers charge across Australia. Then you can price your own bathroom in the estimator further down.
What it costs to tile a 2.5 x 2 m bathroom
Our example is a standard bathroom: 2.5 x 2 m, with a 2.4 m ceiling and a shower in one corner. Every wall is tiled from the floor to the ceiling. Take away the door, and that's 5 m² of floor and 19.9 m² of wall.
The floor is Brescia Earth Ivory, a 600 x 600 mm matt porcelain tile rated P3 for slip. The walls are Chroma Pearl, a 52 x 160 mm gloss wall tile.
| Item | What you need | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Floor tiles | 4 boxes of Brescia Earth: 5 m² plus 10% for cuts | $242.40 |
| Wall tiles | 21 boxes of Chroma Pearl: 19.9 m² plus 10% | $798.00 |
| Adhesive | 3 bags of flexible tile adhesive, 20 kg each | $173.25 |
| Grout | About 19 kg | Usually in the tiler's price |
| Wet-area membrane | The floor and the shower walls: 8.8 m² | $484 $308 to $704 |
| Tiler's labour | 24.9 m² at about $60 a m² | $1,494 $996 to $2,440 |
| Total | Floor to ceiling, at typical rates |
$3,192 $2,518 to $4,358 |
Ask your tiler to put in writing whether their price covers the adhesive, grout and silicone. Some do and some don't, and it's an easy way for two quotes to look further apart than they are.
Not in the total: taking off old tiles, which adds about $900 here, levelling an uneven floor, delivery, and the plumber.
Price your own bathroom
Type in your bathroom's length and width, then pick what you're tiling. The estimator prices our tiles at today's price, with typical rates for the labour and the membrane.
Your bathroom, tiled
$3,192
$2,518 to $4,358, depending on your tiler. 5 m² of floor and 19.9 m² of wall.
- Floor tiles: 4 boxes
- $242.40
- Brescia Earth, 600 x 600 mm, at $60.60 a box of 1.44 m², with 10% extra for cuts.
- Wall tiles: 21 boxes
- $798
- Chroma Pearl, 52 x 160 mm, at $38 a box of 1 m², with 10% extra.
- Adhesive: 3 bags
- $173.25
- 20 kg bags, about $57.75 each. Grout, about 19.4 kg, is usually in the tiler's price.
- Wet-area membrane
- $484
- 8.8 m² at about $55 a m², laid by a licensed tradie.
- Tiler's labour
- $1,494
- 24.9 m² at about $60 a m².
Taking off old tiles adds about $870.
An estimate to help you budget. Tiles at today's prices; labour and membrane at national averages for November 2026. Plumbing, levelling and delivery are extra.
How much do tilers charge per m²?
Most tilers charge by the square metre, and the tiles are extra. These are typical labour rates across Australia. Sydney and Canberra run higher, and Adelaide and Hobart lower.
| Job | Per m² | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Floor tiling | $40 to $90 | $60 |
| Large tiles, 600 x 1200 mm and up | $60 to $110 | $85 |
| Wall tiling | $40 to $100 | $60 |
| Mosaics and feature tiling | $80 to $170 | $120 |
| Wet-area membrane | $35 to $80 | $55 |
| Taking off old tiles | $20 to $55 | $35 |
| Levelling the floor | $15 to $50 | $30 |
Some tilers charge by the day instead, usually $500 to $800 a day.
What about the tiles themselves? Budget ceramic tiles cost $20 to $55 a m², and mid-range porcelain $50 to $120. Our Chroma wall tiles are $38 a m², and our Brescia porcelain floor tiles are $42.08.
Cost by bathroom size
Here's the same sum for three bathrooms, each tiled from the floor to the ceiling with the same tiles, at typical rates.
| Bathroom | Tiled area | Tiles | Typical total | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ensuite, 2 x 1.5 m | 3 m² floor, 15.1 m² wall | $789.80 | $2,365 | $1,867 to $3,229 |
| Standard bathroom, 2.5 x 2 m | 5 m² floor, 19.9 m² wall | $1,040.40 | $3,192 | $2,518 to $4,358 |
| Large bathroom, 3 x 2.5 m | 7.5 m² floor, 24.7 m² wall | $1,351.60 | $4,136 | $3,266 to $5,632 |
What makes bathroom tiling cost more?
- Small tiles and patterns. Mosaics cost $80 to $170 a m² to lay. Herringbone needs 20% extra tiles instead of 10%.
- Large tiles. Tiles of 600 x 1200 mm and up cost $60 to $110 a m² to lay on a floor.
- Old tiles. Taking them off adds $20 to $55 a m².
- An uneven floor. Levelling adds $15 to $50 a m², only where it's needed.
- Where you live. Expect to pay more in Sydney and Canberra.
Do you need a wet-area membrane?
Yes. Before the tiles go on, a licensed tradie coats the shower and the bathroom floor with a wet-area membrane. It stops water getting through the tiles to the floor and walls behind them. It has to meet the building code and Australian Standard AS 3740, so ask for the certificate when it's done. Expect $35 to $80 a m², on top of the tiling.
In Queensland, tiling work worth more than $3,300 needs a wall and floor tiling licence, and that licence also covers the membrane for the tiling. Other states have their own rules, so ask any tradie for their licence number.
How to keep the cost down
- Tile to the ceiling only in the shower. Take the other walls to 1.2 m, and our example drops from 19.9 m² of wall to 12.3 m². That saves about $800 in tiles, adhesive and labour.
- Keep the layout simple. A straight lay or brick bond needs 10% extra tiles. Herringbone needs 20% and takes longer to lay.
- Buy the tiles yourself. Our porcelain floor tiles are $42.08 a m², and you see exactly what you're paying for.
- See the tile before you buy 20 boxes. Full-size samples of our tiles are $7 each, with $9.95 flat shipping.
- Get three quotes for the same job. List the tiles, adhesive, grout, silicone, membrane and certificate, so every tiler prices the same work.
Our tiles for bathrooms
- Floors: Brescia Earth, 600 x 600 mm matt porcelain rated P3 for slip, in Ivory, Beige, Grigio and Grafite, at $42.08 a m².
- Walls: Chroma, handmade-look wall tiles in 52 x 160 mm and 100 x 100 mm, gloss or matt, in eight colours, at $38 a m². See them in bathrooms on our zellige look tiles page.
Bathroom tiling cost: common questions
How much do tilers charge per m² in Australia?
$40 to $90 a m² for floors and $40 to $100 for walls, with $60 a m² typical. That's labour only. Mosaics and feature tiling cost $80 to $170 a m².
How much does it cost to tile a small bathroom?
About $2,365 for a 2 x 1.5 m ensuite tiled from the floor to the ceiling, with our tiles at typical rates. Expect $1,867 to $3,229, depending on your tiler.
How much does it cost to retile a bathroom?
About $4,100 for a 2.5 x 2 m bathroom at typical rates: about $3,200 to tile it and about $900 to take off the old tiles first.
How much are bathroom tiles per m²?
Budget ceramic tiles cost $20 to $55 a m², and mid-range porcelain $50 to $120. Our Chroma wall tiles are $38 a m², and our Brescia porcelain floor tiles $42.08.
How many tiles do I need for a bathroom?
Measure the floor and each wall, take away the door and windows, then add 10% for cuts, or 20% for herringbone. Our 2.5 x 2 m example takes 4 boxes of floor tiles and 21 boxes of wall tiles.
Is the wet-area membrane included in the tiling price?
Usually not. It costs $35 to $80 a m², and a licensed tradie lays it before the tiles go on.
Do you need a licence to tile a bathroom?
In Queensland, yes, for tiling work worth more than $3,300, and the wall and floor tiling licence also covers the membrane. Other states have their own rules, so ask your tiler for their licence number.
