How Long Does It Take to Tile a Bathroom?

Stage 1: strip-out and inspection

If the room is being refitted, the old tiles come off first, along with old adhesive and anything loose behind them. This is where surprises turn up. Blown plaster, damp from a leaking shower, rotten boards under the bath and walls that are far from flat are all common, particularly in older houses.

This stage is often quicker than people expect, but what it reveals decides how long the rest of the job takes.

Stage 2: boarding, levelling and priming

Walls are made flat and sound, usually with tile backer board in the shower area and wherever the plaster is poor. Timber floors are overboarded so they do not flex. Uneven floors are levelled with a compound, which needs time to dry before tiling.

Surfaces are then primed so the adhesive bonds properly. You can read more about this stage on my preparation and waterproofing page.

Stage 3: tanking the wet areas

Around the shower and bath, the walls and floor are tanked with a waterproofing system before any tile goes on. Liquid membranes go on in coats, and each coat needs to dry as the manufacturer specifies. A wet room needs the whole floor tanked and laid to a fall, which takes longer again. What is a wet room explains that build in more detail.

This is one of the stages that cannot be squeezed. Tiling over waterproofing that has not cured is how leaks start.

Stage 4: setting out and tiling

Before the first tile is fixed, the layout is worked out so the cuts fall in sensible places and the full tiles sit where you look. On a simple room this is quick. With a feature wall, a niche, a herringbone floor or large format tiles, it takes longer, and it is time well spent.

Then the walls and floor are tiled. How fast this goes depends on:

• Tile size. Very small tiles and mosaics take longer per square metre. Very large tiles are quicker to cover an area but slower to handle, level and cut.
• Tile type. Porcelain is harder to cut and drill than ceramic. Natural stone needs sorting, sealing and careful handling.
• The number of cuts. Pipes, windows, boxed-in soil stacks and niches all add cuts.
• Pattern. Herringbone and diagonal layouts take noticeably longer than a straight lay.

Stage 5: grouting and sealing

Adhesive needs to set before grouting, so grout usually goes in on a later visit. After grouting, silicone goes around the bath, tray and corners. Natural stone is sealed again at the end.

The room should then be left for the grout and silicone to cure before the shower is used. The product instructions will say how long.

What usually adds time

• Walls or floors that need more work than expected once the old tiles are off.
• Tiles arriving late, damaged or from different batches, which do not match.
• Waiting on other trades, such as the plumber fitting a shower valve or the electrician moving a fan.
• Changes of plan mid-job, such as adding a niche or extending the tiling to full height.
• Drying times for levelling compound, tanking and grout, which cannot be skipped.

How to keep it on track

Have the tiles delivered, checked and counted before the start date, with around 10% extra for cuts. Agree the layout and grout colour in advance. Make sure the plumber knows when first fix needs to be done. And expect the bathroom to be out of use for the duration, so plan around a second toilet or shower if you have one.

When I quote, I'll give you a realistic timescale based on what I see, rather than an optimistic one.