How to choose a tiler in Australia
A bad tile job costs you twice. Once when you pay the dodgy tiler, and again when a leaking shower rots the timber under your bathroom floor 18 months later. This guide walks through the eight things that actually matter when picking a tiler in Australia, in 2026, written from the perspective of the trades themselves rather than a marketing site that has never held a trowel.
Tile work is part craft, part chemistry, part building science. Get it right and your bathroom looks like it belongs in a magazine and lasts 30 years. Get it wrong and you are calling a plumber, a tiler and a carpenter to fix the same wall. Use this checklist.
1. Licence check (and the waterproofing trap)
Plain tiling on a kitchen splashback or a feature wall does not always require a trade licence in Australia. That sounds permissive, and it is. The trap is waterproofing. Wet areas like bathrooms, ensuites, laundries and balconies must be waterproofed by a person licensed for that class of work in NSW, QLD, VIC and most other states. The waterproofer is legally responsible for the membrane, the falls, the upturns at the wall, the bond breakers in the corners and the way the membrane meets the floor waste.
When you ring a tiler about a bathroom, ask one question: do you hold a waterproofing licence, or do you sub it out? Both answers can be fine. The wrong answer is silence, or "we just paint some stuff on, mate". If they cannot tell you who is legally on the hook for the membrane, they are not the tiler for your bathroom.
2. AS 3740 compliance
AS 3740 is the Australian Standard for waterproofing of domestic wet areas. It is the document your insurer, your builder and the body corporate care about if water ever escapes a tiled floor. It covers minimum membrane heights at the shower, falls to the floor waste, how the membrane terminates at door thresholds, and the bond-breaker requirements at floor-to-wall junctions.
You do not need to memorise it. You just need to ask "do you work to AS 3740?" and watch the tiler's face. A tradesman who waterproofs every week will give you a normal answer in two seconds. A tiler who has been winging it will give you a blank look or change the subject. That blank look is the single most useful red flag in this entire article.
3. Fixed quote, with everything included
A real tiling quote is either per square metre or per job, and it includes adhesive, grout, substrate prep, silicone, edge trims, expansion joints and waste removal. The cheapest quote you will see usually excludes one or more of these and surfaces them as variations after the job starts. By that point you are committed.
Ask the tiler to itemise: tiles (yours or theirs), adhesive type and brand, grout type and colour, waterproofing membrane, edge trims, silicone, dump fees, and labour. If something is missing, that is where the variation will come from. The right price is the one that covers the whole job, not the one with the lowest first line.
4. Ask about the substrate
The substrate is what the tile actually sticks to. In Australian wet areas, that is usually cement sheet (for example James Hardie villaboard) over a timber or steel frame. In a renovation you might be tiling over an existing tiled floor, an old screed, or a poured concrete slab. Each needs different prep.
Tiling over plain plasterboard in a wet area is a fail under AS 3740, full stop. Tiling over old tiles can work, but only with a proper primer, a flatness check and an honest conversation about whether the floor will end up too high to clear the door. Ask the tiler what substrate they expect to find, what they will do to prep it, and what they will do if they pull up the floor and find rotten timber underneath.
5. Ask about lippage
Lippage is when one tile sits proud of its neighbour. On a 200x200 tile you will probably never notice. On a 600x600 or 1200x600 large format tile in side light from a window, lippage is the first thing the eye is drawn to. It is also one of the hardest things to fix once the adhesive has set.
A good tiler will, without prompting, mention three things: levelling clips and wedges to keep tiles flush during set, back-buttering the tile to fill voids in the adhesive bed, and a flatness check on the substrate before any tile goes down. If you mention "lippage" and the tiler treats it like a foreign word, that tiler is not ready for large format work.
6. Cement grout vs epoxy
Standard cement grout is fine for most domestic floors and walls, especially when sealed. Epoxy grout is the right answer in a few specific places: kitchen splashbacks behind the cooktop, pool surrounds, food prep areas, and any commercial space that gets cleaned with strong chemicals. Epoxy is more expensive, harder to apply and unforgiving if you leave it on the tile face too long.
A tiler who proactively recommends epoxy in the right places (and warns you about its cost and cleaning window) is a tiler who has done this for a long time. A tiler who says "grout is grout" has not.
7. Warrantied installation
Twelve months on workmanship is the minimum a domestic tiler should offer. Tile and adhesive warranties are separate and come from the manufacturer. Ask whether grout sealing is included for porous cement grout, whether silicone touch-ups at six months are part of the price, and what happens if a tile cracks because of substrate movement (this is the awkward edge case good tilers will be straight with you about).
Get the warranty in writing. A verbal warranty from a tiler you cannot reach by phone after the job is worth nothing.
8. The phone test
Tilers spend their day cutting tiles on a wet saw next to a building site radio. Phones get left in the ute. Voicemails pile up. The best tilers in your area solve this with an answering service or an AI receptionist that picks up every call, asks the right questions, and books the quote. If you cannot get a tiler on the phone before the job, do not expect to reach them afterwards either.
You can read more about how Australian tilers handle their calls on our tiler answering service page, and if you are also lining up other trades, see our guide on how much a plumber charges in Sydney.
FAQ
Do tilers need a licence in Australia?
Tiling itself often does not require a trade licence, but waterproofing in wet areas (bathrooms, balconies, laundries) almost always does and it is regulated separately. In NSW, QLD and VIC, the waterproofer must be licensed for that specific class of work. Always ask whether the tiler is the licensed waterproofer or whether they sub it out to a licensed mate.
What is AS 3740 and why does it matter?
AS 3740 is the Australian Standard for waterproofing of domestic wet areas. It covers falls, membrane upturns, junctions and the bond breakers that stop water tracking through to your subfloor. If a tiler gives you a blank look when you mention AS 3740, walk away. A leak six months after the job is far more expensive than picking the right tiler up front.
Should a tiler quote per square metre or per job?
Either is fine, but the quote must include adhesive, grout, substrate prep, silicone, edge trims and waste removal. Per-sqm pricing is common for floors and large walls. Per-job pricing is common for full bathrooms. The danger zone is a low per-sqm rate that excludes prep — you end up paying twice.
What substrate questions should I ask?
Ask whether they will tile over cement sheet, Villaboard, existing tiles or a screed. Each needs different prep. Tiling over old tiles can work but only with the right primer and a flatness check. Tiling onto plain plasterboard in a wet area is a fail under AS 3740.
What is lippage and why ask about large format tiles?
Lippage is when one tile sits proud of its neighbour. With 600x600 or 1200x600 large format tiles it is very easy to get and very hard to fix. A good tiler will mention levelling clips, wedge spacers, substrate flatness tolerances and a back-buttering technique without you needing to push.
When should I use epoxy grout instead of cement grout?
Epoxy grout is the right choice for kitchen splashbacks, pool surrounds, food prep areas and any commercial space that gets cleaned with strong chemicals. It costs more and is harder to work with, so a tiler who recommends it for the right reasons knows what they are doing.
What warranty should a tiler offer?
Twelve months on workmanship is the minimum. Manufacturer warranties on the tile and adhesive are separate and longer. Ask whether grout sealing is included in the price for porous grout, and whether the tiler will return to do a touch-up of silicone after six months.
Why does it matter if a tiler answers the phone?
Tilers spend their day on noisy job sites cutting tiles. Calls go to voicemail and quotes get forgotten. The best tilers run an answering service or AI receptionist that books in quotes while they keep working. If you cannot get a tiler on the phone before the job, do not expect to reach them after.
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