How Much Does It Cost to Tile a Bathroom? (Price Guide)

Tiling a bathroom can mean a floor, a shower, the walls, or all three, and the price changes a lot with that choice. Most published guides price the work by the square foot, then add the cost of preparing the surface and waterproofing wet areas. A small powder room floor and a full shower surround sit at opposite ends of the range.

The numbers below come from published cost guides and carry a check date of Oct 14, 2026. Guides define the job differently, so the tables separate bathroom size, scope, and cost per square foot.

Room size is the simplest way to estimate a budget. This Old House gives an average price for three sample bathrooms, based on pricing from several home services marketplaces.

Those totals scale with floor area, but they are averages. A tight room with a toilet, vanity, and tub still needs many small cuts, so a small bathroom can cost more per square foot than a large open one.

Showers cost more to tile than floors because walls need precise cuts and waterproofing behind the tile. The table shows the national average and the range for each scope, followed by a separate guide that prices a complete shower installation.

The full shower figure is higher than the shower retile figure because the two guides count different work. One covers retiling an existing shower, and the other covers a complete installation that may include the waterproofing layers, backer board, and more tile.

Per square foot pricing combines the tile with installation. The first row is an overall average, and the rest depend on the tile type.

Ceramic and porcelain are the budget options, and most homeowners choose one of them. Marble and glass cost more to buy and more to install, since stone is heavy and glass chips easily when cut.

Two guides can look far apart and still be correct for their own definition of the job. This Old House describes smaller retile projects, while Networx prices an average bathroom with floor and walls or a shower. Other differences may include regional labor rates, how much old tile has to come out, and whether the quote includes waterproofing.

A third reference, Networx, also splits the work by project size.

Labor is often the largest part of a tile bill. Intricate patterns, small mosaic tiles, and tight spaces take longer to set, and the price rises with them.

Several choices push a bathroom tile quote up or down:

• Tile type: Natural stone and glass cost more than ceramic, and they often need more careful installation.
• Pattern and layout: Straight grids are faster than herringbone, diagonal, or mosaic layouts.
• Surface condition: Uneven floors, damaged walls, or rotted subfloor have to be fixed before any tile goes down.
• Demolition: Removing and hauling away old tile is usually a separate line item.
• Plumbing changes: Moving or resetting fixtures around a tiled surface adds time.

Ask for a written quote that lists tile, setting materials, waterproofing, demolition, and disposal separately. Confirm who buys the tile and who pays if extra pieces are needed. Ask whether the installer carries insurance and whether the job needs a permit where you live. In a shower, ask how the walls are waterproofed, since a leak behind tile is expensive to find and repair.