Flooring and tiling
Wall and floor tiling
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Wall and floor tiling: what the job involves
Tiling bathroom, en-suite and kitchen walls and floors in ceramic, porcelain or natural stone, including the preparation and waterproofing behind it. A tiled shower only stays watertight if it is tanked underneath; grout and tiles alone are not waterproof.
Also asked for as: tiler · bathroom tiling · wall tiling · kitchen splashback tiles · shower tanking
How the job is usually done
- Inspect and prepare the surfaces: remove old tiles, check walls are sound and flat, and check floors for movement and level.
- Board or level where needed: cement board on timber floors and in showers, self-levelling compound on uneven floors.
- Tank wet areas with a waterproofing membrane, with tape at corners, the tray and pipe penetrations.
- Set out so cuts fall evenly and are not thin slivers at doors and edges, and agree the layout with the customer.
- Fix tiles with the adhesive suited to the tile and the surface, using levelling clips for large formats.
- Grout, then seal movement joints and the bath or tray edge with silicone, and seal natural stone.
- Clean down and leave the floor protected until the adhesive and grout have cured.
Wall and floor tiling: what is included
Usually included
- Surface preparation and priming
- Tanking of shower and wet areas, where agreed
- Fixing, grouting and silicone sealing
- Trims and edge profiles
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Removing old bathrooms or kitchens, unless agreed
- Plumbing: taking off and refitting sinks, toilets and showers
- Electrical work for underfloor heating mats, which needs a registered electrician
- Replastering walls that are badly out of true
- The tiles themselves, which customers often choose and buy
Materials and who supplies them
- Tiles, often bought by the customer, with a margin of about 10% for cuts and breakages
- Adhesive, grout, primer, levelling compound and tanking kit, usually supplied by the tiler
- Cement backer board, trims and silicone
How long it takes
Usually two to five days for a bathroom; longer for large-format or natural stone, herringbone patterns, or floors that need levelling and drying first.
When to book
Tile after first-fix plumbing and electrics and before the final fix; floors with new screed must be dry before tiling.
Wall and floor tiling: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
Old thermoplastic or vinyl floor tiles and their black bitumen adhesive, in buildings built or refurbished before 2000, can contain asbestos and must be identified before they are lifted or sanded; removal of asbestos is controlled work.
Applies to: the contractor and the homeowner
Health and Safety Authority — asbestos regulations · hsa.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Electric underfloor heating mats need a supply that is Restricted Electrical Works for a Registered Electrical Contractor, who issues a Completion Certificate.
Applies to: the electrician
Safe Electric Ireland, for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities · safeelectric.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Building work on a home is charged at the reduced VAT rate of 13.5%, but where the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, the goods rate applies to the whole job; ask how a supply-and-fit quote is charged.
Applies to: the contractor
Revenue · revenue.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Anybody who takes the old flooring or tiles away must hold a waste collection permit, and handing waste to an unpermitted collector is an offence for the householder.
Applies to: the homeowner and whoever removes the waste
National Waste Collection Permit Office · nwcpo.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
What wall and floor tiling costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Area of walls and floor, and the number of cuts around fittings
- Tile size: very small mosaics and very large formats both take longer
- Surface preparation, levelling and tanking
- Pattern: herringbone, diagonal or feature walls
- Removing old tiles and disposing of them
- Natural stone, which needs sealing and gentler handling
- VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.
Paperwork to ask for at the end
- Product names and batch numbers of the tiles, adhesive and grout, for repairs later
- Tanking system details for the shower or wet room
- The electrician’s Completion Certificate for any underfloor heating
Safety
- Cutting porcelain and stone creates fine silica dust; cutting should be wet or with dust extraction, outdoors where possible.
- Old floor tiles and adhesives in pre-2000 houses can contain asbestos and must be checked before they are broken up.
- Polished floor tiles can be slippery when wet; choose a slip rating suited to bathrooms and halls.
Wall and floor tiling: before you hire
Questions to ask a tradesperson
- How will you waterproof the shower area?
- What adhesive and grout will you use for these tiles?
- Is surface preparation and levelling included?
- Who takes off and refits the toilet, sink and shower?
- Can I see photographs of similar work?
What you can do yourself
Small splashback tiling is a reasonable DIY job; showers, floors and large-format tiles need proper preparation and tanking and are better left to a tiler.
What to put in your task
- Which room is it?
- Roughly how many square metres of tiling?
- What size are the tiles?
- Do old tiles need to come off first?
- Is there a shower or wet room to tank?
- What layout do you want?
Photos that help
- Each wall and the floor as they are now
- The shower or bath area, including the tray
- The tiles chosen, with a size label if possible
- Any cracked tiles or soft spots in the floor
Wall and floor tiling by county
Choose your county for wall and floor tiling close to home.
- Wall and floor tiling in Dublin
- Wall and floor tiling in Cork
- Wall and floor tiling in Galway
- Wall and floor tiling in Kildare
- Wall and floor tiling in Limerick
- Wall and floor tiling in Meath
- Wall and floor tiling in Tipperary
- Wall and floor tiling in Donegal
- Wall and floor tiling in Wexford
- Wall and floor tiling in Kerry
- Wall and floor tiling in Wicklow
- Wall and floor tiling in Mayo
- Wall and floor tiling in Louth
- Wall and floor tiling in Waterford
- Wall and floor tiling in Clare
- Wall and floor tiling in Kilkenny
- Wall and floor tiling in Westmeath
- Wall and floor tiling in Laois
- Wall and floor tiling in Cavan
- Wall and floor tiling in Offaly
- Wall and floor tiling in Sligo
- Wall and floor tiling in Roscommon
- Wall and floor tiling in Monaghan
- Wall and floor tiling in Carlow
- Wall and floor tiling in Longford
- Wall and floor tiling in Leitrim
Flooring and tiling
Need wall and floor tiling? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals near you reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about wall and floor tiling
Does wall and floor tiling need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Is grout waterproof?
No. Cement grout and tiles let water through over time, which is why showers and wet rooms need a tanking membrane underneath. A leak behind tiles can rot floors for years before it shows.
Can you tile over old tiles?
Sometimes, if the old tiles are firmly stuck, flat and the extra weight and thickness are acceptable. In showers and on floors most tilers prefer to strip back so they can check and tank the surface.
How many extra tiles should I buy?
Usually around 10% more than the area, more for diagonal or herringbone layouts. Keep a few spares from the same batch for future repairs.
How soon can I use the shower?
Usually after the grout and silicone have cured, often 24 to 72 hours depending on the products used. Your tiler should tell you for the products they used.