Material is only part of the number
Tile material itself can range from a few dollars a square foot for basic ceramic to well over $15 a square foot for premium imported porcelain or natural stone. But material is often less than half of the total project cost once labor, substrate prep, and waste factor are included.
What drives labor cost up
Large-format tile, intricate patterns, natural stone (which cuts differently than porcelain), and any substrate repair before tile can even go down all add labor hours. A straightforward ceramic backsplash and a large-format natural stone shower wall can have very different labor costs even at similar material prices.
Getting an accurate number
The only reliable way to get a real number is a quantity takeoff against your actual room dimensions and chosen material — square footage estimates from memory are usually off by enough to matter. We provide a written quote once material is selected, before you commit to an order.