Hire a Tiler Sunshine Coast QLD - Get Local Quotes

Finding the Right Tiler for a Sunshine Coast Home

Tilers on the Sunshine Coast range from sole traders who lay floors and walls for builders to small firms that strip, waterproof and retile whole bathrooms. The right choice depends on whether your job is only tiling or also involves demolition, plumbing, waterproofing and electrical work. For a plain living room floor, a licensed tiler working alone can quote, supply the adhesive and grout, and finish within a few days. Rebuilding a bathroom brings in more trades, so you either hire a builder or bathroom renovator to manage them or book each trade yourself in the right order. If you want statewide background on tile types and wet areas first, read our guide to tiling services in Queensland before planning a job on the coast or in the hinterland.

Before you call anyone, write a short brief that every tiler can price in the same way. List each area with rough measurements, the tile you have chosen or your budget per square metre, and whether old tiles or carpet need to come up first. Note the floor under each area, such as a concrete slab, a timber floor or fibre cement sheeting, because preparation can change the price more than the tile does. Add photos of the existing floor, the access from the street and any steps the tiler will carry materials up. Say whether the house is lived in, empty or let to holiday guests, since that affects working hours and how the site is left each night. With this brief, you can compare quotes line by line instead of guessing what each price includes.

Sunshine Coast Tiling Prices for 2026, Job by Job

Labour for laying standard ceramic or porcelain tiles on a prepared floor or wall is estimated at $55 to $110 per square metre in 2026. Large format porcelain is a term tile sellers use for tiles roughly 600 millimetres or longer on one side. Labour for it rises to around $70 to $150 because the floor must be flatter and each tile takes longer to set. Outdoor porcelain laid around an alfresco area or pool is estimated at $110 to $220 per square metre supplied and laid, and travertine pavers at $140 to $260. Those supplied and laid figures include a mid range tile, adhesive and grout, but not demolition, screeding (laying a sand and cement bed to level the floor) or waterproofing. Brisbane prices for the same work appear in the Brisbane tiling cost guide, and the Sunshine Coast bands overlap them closely.

Bathrooms are priced as a whole job because the tiler works through many cuts, corners, niches (recessed shelves in the wall) and junctions in a small space. Retiling the floor and walls of a standard bathroom after the old tiles are removed is estimated at $4,500 to $9,500 with tiles supplied, depending on size, tile choice and the number of niches. Waterproofing a shower recess by a licensed waterproofer adds an estimated $500 to $1,000, with a full bathroom floor costing more. Small jobs such as replacing a few cracked tiles carry a minimum call-out, estimated at $250 to $450, which covers travel, setting up and cleaning tools.

Square Metre Rates, Day Rates and Hinterland Travel

Tilers price larger floors and walls by the square metre, with separate allowances for cuts, trims and edge details. Small or awkward jobs, such as a laundry splashback or a few rows of tiles around a new vanity, are priced by the hour or as a day rate. One experienced tiler on a day rate is estimated at $550 to $850 in 2026, before materials. Square metre pricing suits you on a simple open floor, while a day rate can work better on a small job full of cuts. Whichever method is used, the quote should state how many days the tiler expects to be on site. That figure helps you plan around other trades, anyone living in the house and curing times, when adhesive, membrane or grout is left to set.

Travel charges depend on where the tiler is based and how far your site is from that base. Someone working out of Kunda Park or Caloundra West may add nothing for a job in Buderim but charge for the drive to Kenilworth, Conondale or Cooroy. Hinterland travel is estimated at $50 to $150 per visit, and a job needing separate visits for waterproofing, curing and grouting multiplies that figure. Range roads such as the climbs to Maleny and Mapleton also slow delivery trucks, so check whether tiles are delivered to the site or collected by the tiler. Grouping the visits, or choosing a tiler who lives on the range, can bring the total down.

Checking a Tiler's QBCC Licence Class Before You Book

Queensland treats wall and floor tiling as a licensed trade, with its own class issued by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, known as the QBCC. The scope of that class covers cutting and fixing ceramic, glass, marble, slate, stone and terracotta tiles to floors, walls, hearths, spas and swimming pools. It also includes applying waterproofing for wall and floor tiling, which is why some tilers apply the membrane, the waterproof layer under the tiles, themselves. Building work valued over $3,300 needs a licence, and the QBCC counts materials, labour and GST (goods and services tax) in that figure for home warranty purposes. You can search any licence number on the QBCC website to see the classes held and whether the licence is current.

Holding only the wall and floor tiling class, a tiler can tile and waterproof under the tiles, but cannot carry out plumbing or drainage work without a plumbing licence. Moving a floor waste (the drain outlet in the floor), shifting a shower outlet or connecting a new basin is work for a licensed plumber, and you can start by hiring a plumber on the Sunshine Coast. New lights, a heated floor or an exhaust fan need a licensed electrician, and Sunshine Coast electricians can quote that part separately. On a bathroom job, check whether the tiler plans to subcontract those trades or expects you to book them. Some firms also hold the separate waterproofing class, which covers applying, installing and repairing waterproofing systems more broadly. Where one firm holds every licence the job needs, a single contract can cover the whole bathroom.

Alfresco Floors That Run On From the Living Room

When a living room opens through sliding or stacking doors onto a covered alfresco area, owners may want one tile running through both spaces. Tile makers handle this by producing the same design in an indoor finish and a textured outdoor finish, so the colour matches while the grip changes at the door. The outdoor version is rougher to the touch and takes a little more cleaning, which is the trade-off for better grip when wet. Check the outdoor tile's slip rating on the maker's data sheet before you order, and not the indoor rating printed on the sample board. Request both finishes from the same production batch, since shade can vary from one batch to the next.

Outdoor tiles must fall away from the house so rain runs off instead of pooling against the door track. The fall is a gentle slope built into the floor. The slab, or the screed of sand and cement mortar under the tiles, is shaped to create that slope. Where the indoor and outdoor floors meet at the same level, a grated drain in front of the door track can collect water before it reaches the sill. Stormtech makes linear drainage grates for this kind of threshold, along with slot drains for showers. Level thresholds look clean, but they only work when the drainage is designed in from the start.

Covered alfresco areas on a concrete slab are simpler to tile than decks or suspended floors raised off the ground. Timber decks flex and move with moisture, so they are not a suitable base for tiles as built. Tiling one means rebuilding it with a sheet substrate, meaning the surface the tiles are stuck to, and an outdoor membrane. On a tiled balcony above a room, the membrane and drainage matter more than the tile, so get advice on balcony waterproofing and repair before choosing finishes. Keep a record of the membrane product and the installer's licence number in case the area leaks later.

P-Ratings and Barefoot Ratings for Outdoor Tiles

Slip resistance in Australia is tested and classified under AS 4586, a standard published by Standards Australia. The wet pendulum test, which swings a rubber slider across a wet sample, gives a P-rating from P0 to P5, and a higher number means more grip on a wet surface. Another test, the barefoot ramp test, has a barefoot person walk on a wet tilting ramp and grades tiles A, B or C for areas where people walk with bare wet feet. A companion handbook, HB 198, suggests minimum ratings for different areas, and tile suppliers commonly quote it as P4 and a B barefoot rating around swimming pools. The same summaries list P5 and C for ramps and stairs leading into a pool. The handbook is a guide and not a law, so confirm the rating with your designer and check the test report for the exact tile you are buying.

Higher P-ratings come from a textured or grainy surface, which also holds more dirt and needs firmer cleaning. Tile ranges sold for outdoor use should carry a test report, and the rating should appear on the supplier's data sheet. Confirm the rating applies to the finish you are buying, since one design can be sold in matt, polished and textured versions with very different results. Sealers and coatings can change slip resistance, so check with the sealer maker whether a product affects grip before it goes on. For tiles already laid that turn slippery when wet, a non-slip coating or anti-slip strips can improve grip without lifting the floor.

Coping, Paving and the Pool Fence Line

Coping is the row of stone, tile or concrete that caps the top edge of a pool wall. It takes the most foot traffic and the most splashing, so it needs a strong bond, a slip rating suited to bare feet and a flexible joint where it meets the paving. On a new pool, check whether the pool builder or your tiler supplies and lays the coping, because each quote may assume the other one does. Tiles and grout inside the pool shell are a separate job, covered under pool tile and surface repairs. Coping on an existing pool can be relaid in sections when it lifts, and a pool builder or tiler can quote that repair.

Paving or tiling near a pool fence can change whether the fence still meets the Queensland pool safety standard. The QBCC says a pool fence must be at least 1,200 millimetres high, measured from the finished ground level to the top of the fence. The gap between the finished ground and the bottom of the barrier must be no more than 100 millimetres. New paving laid higher than the old surface reduces the fence height, while paving laid lower can widen the gap under it. Steps, ledges and raised planters count as climbable objects and must stay at least 900 millimetres from the outside of the fence. Measure the fence before and after the work, and talk to a pool safety inspector if the new levels come close to either limit.

Glass pool fences are held by spigots, which are short metal posts, or by channels set into the slab or paving, and tiling around them needs care so the fixings stay sealed and secure. If panels must come out while the area is tiled, the pool still needs a compliant barrier for the whole time. The QBCC allows a temporary fence for up to three months when a building certifier or pool safety inspector approves it. Agree in advance whether the tiler or the fencing contractor removes and refits each panel. If a panel or spigot is damaged during the work, a contractor for pool fence repairs and compliance can check it before the pool is used again.

Travertine, Sandstone and Sealing Stone Outdoors

Travertine is a natural stone formed from mineral deposits around springs, and its surface has small holes and channels through it. Pavers can be bought with the holes left open, called unfilled, or with the holes filled with resin or cement at the factory. Unfilled travertine has more texture and grip, but the holes collect dirt and need regular cleaning. Because travertine is a form of limestone, it reacts with acids, so acidic cleaners and some pool chemicals can etch the surface. Sandstone and granite pavers are other options, each with its own sealing needs and price.

Penetrating sealers, also called impregnating sealers, soak into the stone and line their pores without leaving a film on top. They reduce how much water, salt and oil the stone absorbs while keeping its natural look and texture. Dry-Treat makes penetrating sealers for natural stone, and Aqua Mix makes sealers and cleaners for stone and grout. Around saltwater pools, choose a sealer the maker states is suitable for salt exposure, because salt crystals forming inside the stone can break down its surface over time. Sealers wear and need reapplying, and the maker's data sheet gives the interval and the cleaning products to use. Have the sealer named on the quote, with the number of coats and whether the stone is sealed before laying, after grouting, or both.

Stone pavers are laid on a full bed of adhesive or mortar over a slab, and the back of each paver should be fully covered so water cannot gather in hollow spots. Back-buttering means spreading adhesive on the back of the tile as well as on the floor, and it helps achieve that full coverage. Hollow spots under outdoor stone can lead to cracked or loose pavers, which are costly to lift and relay later. If existing stone has lost its sealer or looks patchy, honing, which grinds the surface smooth, and resealing can be arranged through a specialist in tile repairs.

Hinterland Homes on Slopes and Timber Floors

Houses on the Blackall Range and in the valleys around Eumundi, Pomona and Kenilworth include older timber homes with floors raised on stumps or posts. Timber floors bend slightly underfoot and move as the timber takes up and loses moisture, and rigid tiles do not cope well with that movement. Before tiling, the floor is stiffened where needed and covered with fibre cement sheet underlay or an uncoupling membrane, which is a thin plastic layer that separates the tiles from movement below. Schluter-Systems makes uncoupling membranes and tile edge trims, and Wedi makes foam building boards used as a tile backing. Your tiler or builder should first check the size and spacing of the joists, the timber beams that hold up the floor, since no underlay can make up for a floor that bounces. If the joists are undersized, a carpenter adds or doubles them before the tiler starts.

Steep driveways and houses set well below the road add labour to any tiling job on the range. Tiles, adhesive bags and sand may have to be carried down steps by hand when a delivery truck cannot reach the house. Show the access in your brief with photos, so carrying time is in the quote and not added later as a variation, meaning an extra charge for changed work. Damp or poorly ventilated space under a timber house can make the floor move more, so finish any subfloor repairs and ventilation work before tiling starts. Where a floor needs straightening before tiles go down, compare the tiler's plan with the methods used in floor levelling and screeding.

Tiling a Holiday Home While You Live Somewhere Else

Owners who live in Brisbane, interstate or overseas and keep a holiday home at Coolum, Peregian or Noosa need a way to approve work without standing on site. Agree in writing how the tiler will report progress, such as dated photos at the end of each stage sent by email or message. Useful photos show the floor before tiling, the membrane before tiles cover it, the first tiles set out and the finished grout lines. The membrane photos carry the most value, because they record work that cannot be seen once tiles are laid. Keep these photos with the contract, invoices and product details for as long as you own the house.

Queensland limits deposits on building work, and those limits protect owners who cannot watch a job day to day. For work valued at $3,300 or less, the maximum deposit is 20 percent. For a level 1 contract, valued from $3,301 to $19,999, the maximum is 10 percent, and for a level 2 contract of $20,000 or more it drops to 5 percent. After the deposit, each progress payment must relate to the amount of work completed. The contractor cannot claim more than half the contract price, including the deposit, until at least half the work on site is done. Tying each payment to a stage you can confirm by photo keeps you within these rules.

If the property is let to holiday guests, block the dates for the whole job plus curing time before taking new bookings. Grout and adhesive need time to cure before the floor takes heavy use, and the product data sheet gives that time. Arrange key access, alarm codes and a local contact who can let in other trades or check the work if needed. Tell the tiler about water, power and parking arrangements so the first day on site is not lost.

Closed-Up Beach Houses, Grout Choice and Sealers

Bathrooms in houses that stay shut between visits can grow mould, because warm humid air has nowhere to go. Standard cement grout is porous, so it absorbs moisture and gives mould a surface to grow on. Epoxy grout is made from resin and hardener, and it absorbs far less water and resists staining, although it costs more and takes more skill to apply. Mapei makes epoxy grouts, Laticrete makes SpectraLock epoxy grout, and Kerakoll makes grouts and tile adhesives. Upgrading to epoxy grout is estimated to add $30 to $60 per square metre in 2026.

Grout fills the gaps between tiles, while sealant is a flexible silicone used where two surfaces meet, such as wall to floor or around a bath. Grout is rigid and cracks at those junctions, so a quote should name sealant for every internal corner and every spot where a wall meets the floor. Silicone sealant also collects mould over time and is replaced as part of normal upkeep. Bostik makes silicone sealants, and Davco makes cement-based grouts and tile adhesives. Ventilation also counts, and an exhaust fan ducted outside gives damp air somewhere to go. If mould has already spread behind the sealant or into the wall, a specialist in bathroom mould removal and prevention can deal with it before new tiles go in.

Mould along the base of a shower wall, loose tiles or stains on the other side of the wall can signal a leak, not only a grout problem. Regrouting will not fix a failed membrane underneath, and the order of checks for a leaking shower is set out under shower regrouting and leak repairs. Where the membrane has failed, a licensed waterproofer strips and rewaterproofs the shower as described for bathroom waterproofing in Queensland, and only then is it retiled. Act early, since water held in a wall or floor can damage framing and the room next door.

Large Format Porcelain, Lippage and Levelling Clips

Large format porcelain looks clean across a big open floor, but it shows every small dip in the slab underneath. Lippage is the height difference between the edges of two neighbouring tiles, and it catches the light and can catch a bare toe. Rectified tiles are ground to precise square edges after firing, which allows thin grout joints but also makes any lippage easier to see. Tile levelling clips hold neighbouring edges flush while the adhesive sets, and Raimondi makes tile levelling systems of this type. No clip can fix an uneven floor, so confirm whether the tiler will grind high spots or pour a self-levelling compound first. AS 3958, the Australian Standard for installing ceramic and stone tiles, was updated in 2023 and now covers both in one document.

Long tiles are heavy and flexible enough to crack if lifted by one end, so two people carry and set them. Rubi makes tile cutters and wet saws, Montolit makes manual tile cutters, and Sigma makes cutters for large tiles. Back-buttering, described in the stone section above, matters even more with large tiles, because a hollow under one corner can lead to a crack. Jobs using large tiles also produce more offcuts, so check with the tiler how much extra tile to order for cuts and breakage. Ordering all the tile at once, from one batch, avoids a shade mismatch halfway across the floor.

Body Corporate Approval for Hard Floors in Coastal Units

Units in a community titles scheme are run by a body corporate, and its by-laws can affect a tiling job inside your own unit, known legally as your lot. The Queensland Government notes that some bodies corporate require approval before an owner installs hard flooring. Noise from a hard floor can also breach a by-law or count as a nuisance even where no approval is needed. Acoustic underlay is a thin cushioning layer laid under tiles to reduce footstep noise reaching the unit below, and some buildings set a minimum standard for it. Work that changes common property needs approval from the committee or a general meeting, depending on its cost and effect, as set out on the Queensland Government website. Get any approval in writing and give a copy to the tiler before work starts.

Plumbing in a unit bathroom can involve shared pipes that belong to the building, so a plumber experienced in strata and body corporate plumbing should check before a floor waste is moved. Balcony slabs and membranes may be common property, so balcony tiles over a unit below should not be lifted without the body corporate's agreement. Tell your neighbours the dates for demolition, which is the loudest and dustiest stage. Keep the approval letter, the underlay product details and the tiler's licence number on file in case the work is questioned later.

Old Beach Houses, Asbestos and Silica Dust

Fibro beach houses and brick homes built along the coast before 1990 can hide asbestos in places tilers disturb. The QBCC says a house built before 1990 has a good chance of containing some asbestos, listing linings behind floor or wall tiles, wet area splashbacks and vinyl among the places it is found. Asbestos cannot be identified by looking at it, so a sample has to be tested by a laboratory before old tiles are removed. Removing 10 square metres or more of bonded asbestos, where the fibres are held in cement or another binder, needs a licensed removalist. Smaller amounts still require strict safety precautions, and the waste cannot go in household bins, skips or council collections. Arrange asbestos testing and inspection early, so the result is known before tiling quotes are compared.

Cutting and grinding tiles, stone and grout releases respirable crystalline silica, a fine dust that can cause serious lung disease. Queensland banned the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs from 1 July 2024. Porcelain, and sintered stone made by fusing minerals under heat and pressure, are exempt from that ban when they contain no resin, but cutting them still produces dust that needs controlling. Since 1 May 2023 a code of practice on silica dust in construction has applied, and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland publishes guidance on wet cutting and dust extraction fitted to the cutting tool for tilers to follow.

Defects, Warranty Claims and the QBCC

If tiles crack, lift or a shower leaks after the job, start by writing to the tiler with photos, the dates you noticed each problem and a deadline for repairs. The QBCC advises giving the contractor written notice of every defective or unfinished item and allowing reasonable access to inspect and fix it. If that does not settle it, a complaint about non-structural defects must reach the QBCC within 12 months of the work being completed. For structural defects, the QBCC asks for a complaint within 12 months of noticing the defect. Residential work valued over $3,300 is covered by the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme, and the licensed contractor must collect the premium from you and pay it to the QBCC. Under the scheme, a non-structural defect must be noticed within 6 months of completion and the claim lodged within 7 months.

These time limits are short, so walk through the finished job with the tiler and note anything you are unsure about straight away. Keep the contract, the variation records, the membrane details and your photos together, since the QBCC and the insurer will ask for them. Disputes that cannot be settled through the QBCC process can go to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, known as QCAT. Under the Australian Consumer Law, services must be provided with due care and skill, and that guarantee applies alongside the building rules. With a single cracked tile, a repair visit may be quicker than a formal complaint, as long as the cause of the crack is understood.

What to Look Out For Before Signing With a Tiler

A tiling quote that gives one total with no breakdown makes it hard to tell whether preparation, waterproofing or trims are included. Check that the tile is named by maker, range and size, or that a supply allowance per square metre is stated if you are buying the tile yourself. Look for the adhesive and grout products, and confirm they suit the tile and the surface, since large porcelain and stone need stronger adhesives. Ardex makes tile adhesives and waterproofing membranes, while Dunlop makes tile adhesives and grouts for home and trade use. Any licence number that does not match the business name on the quote should be checked on the QBCC register before you pay anything.

Be wary of a deposit request above the legal limit, or a request for most of the price before any tiles are laid. Question any offer to tile over old tiles without first checking that they are firmly bonded, since a loose layer underneath will let the new floor fail. Large floors and outdoor areas need movement joints, so a quote with no mention of them on a long alfresco is incomplete. Waterproofing lines with no product named and no licence holder identified leave you with nothing to check later. Low prices that leave out old tile removal, skip bins or travel to the hinterland can rise once work starts. Each of these gaps is easy to raise with the tiler before signing, and the answers should be added to the written quote.

Comparing Tiling Quotes From Caloundra to Cooroy

Send every tiler the same brief, photos and tile details, and have each one price preparation, waterproofing, tiling, trims, sealing, travel and waste on separate lines. Three quotes give a useful spread without taking weeks to arrange. Where possible, meet each tiler on site so they can tap the existing floor to listen for hollow tiles, check the slab or timber and see the access. Quotes prepared from photos alone may change after the first day, so find out how variations are priced and approved. Compare the number of days on site and the curing time allowed, because a much shorter schedule can mean steps are being skipped.

If you own property elsewhere in South East Queensland, use the same approach when hiring a tiler in Brisbane or hiring a tiler on the Gold Coast. Owners nearer Caboolture or Redcliffe can find tilers in Moreton Bay and Redcliffe, including those who work on new estate homes. Prices differ slightly between regions, but the licence checks, deposit limits and warranty rules are the same across Queensland. Once you choose a tiler, confirm the start date, the order of trades and the payment stages in the signed contract.

Investors who need tiles fixed quickly between tenants at rentals further south can look at tilers in Logan and the Redlands. Cracked tiles caused by moving clay soils are a bigger issue for tilers in Ipswich and the Lockyer Valley, where the slab may need checking first. If your job is a full bathroom, the order of work from strip-out to sealant is set out under bathroom tiling across Queensland. Whichever tiler you choose, keep the contract, membrane details, photos and receipts together for as long as the warranty periods run.