Answers to the questions we hear most from Canberra homeowners before they book a quote.
It depends heavily on the size of the bathroom, the tile you choose, and how much of the existing wet area needs to be stripped back and re-waterproofed. A straightforward re-tile of an existing standard bathroom will cost less than a full renovation that involves removing old tiles, repairing substrate, and re-waterproofing before new tiles go down. Premium, mosaic or hand-made tiles also take longer to lay than standard ceramic tiles, which affects labour cost. The only way to get an accurate figure for your bathroom is a proper on-site quote - we don't charge for these and there's no obligation.
Wet areas in the ACT (and across Australia) need to be waterproofed in line with AS 3740, the Australian Standard for waterproofing of domestic wet areas. In practice this means the shower base and lower wall sections need a compliant waterproof membrane before tiling, with the exact requirements depending on the floor and wall construction (timber vs concrete, for example). A licensed tiler will assess your specific bathroom and waterproof it to standard - this isn't an area worth cutting corners on, since a failed membrane can cause serious and expensive damage down the track.
A standard bathroom re-tile (walls and floor, no major structural changes) typically takes around one to two weeks once waterproofing, curing time and grouting are factored in - waterproofing membranes and adhesive need proper curing time, so rushing the schedule isn't an option if you want a job that lasts. A full bathroom renovation involving demolition, plumbing and electrical work will take longer. Kitchen splashbacks and smaller feature tiling jobs can often be completed in a day or two. We'll give you a realistic timeline as part of your quote.
For anything involving a wet area - bathrooms, laundries, ensuites - you want a tiler who understands waterproofing compliance, not just someone who can lay tiles neatly. Poor waterproofing is one of the most common (and costly) defects in home renovations. Look for a tiler who is licensed, insured, and can show you examples of completed wet-area work. GT ProTiling is fully licensed and insured, and every job is carried out personally by Geoff rather than handed off to subcontractors.
Standard ceramic or porcelain tiles come in uniform sizes and thicknesses, so they go up quickly with predictable results. Mosaics and hand-made tiles don't - piece thickness and shape can vary noticeably, so each one often needs to be checked and placed individually to keep the pattern looking deliberate rather than patchy. It takes longer, and the gap between a tiler who does this regularly and one who doesn't shows up clearly in the finished job. It's one of our specialities - worth asking any tiler you're quoting how much mosaic or hand-made tile work they've actually done.
Exact colour and pattern matches to discontinued tile ranges usually aren't possible, since manufacturers change their ranges over time. Where a partial re-tile is genuinely the better option (rather than a full re-tile), we'll be upfront about whether a good match is realistic and what your options are - including whether a complementary tile or a small feature change might work better than trying to match an old range exactly.
We handle waterproofing as part of the tiling job for wet areas - it's not something we outsource. Waterproofing needs to happen before tiling starts, so it makes sense for the same tradesperson to manage both, ensuring the membrane and the tile installation work together properly rather than being coordinated between two separate trades.
We work right across Canberra and Queanbeyan, including Tuggeranong, Woden, Weston Creek, Molonglo Valley, Belconnen, Gungahlin, the Inner North and Inner South, plus Queanbeyan, Googong and Royalla. See our service area list or the individual suburb pages linked in the footer below for more detail on each area.
Let's discuss how we could help bring your vision to life. Please reach out via phone, email or via the contact form below.