Tiling your room would significantly upgrade its appearance. However, you should always consider the cost of a project before you begin so you don’t stop halfway due to a lack of funds. So, if you have a 12×12 room (144 sq ft or 13.4 sq m), how much would it cost to tile it?
It will cost you between $866 to $3000 to tile a 12×12 room (144 sq ft or 13.4 sq m). The actual cost for your room would depend on several factors, including the quality of the materials, the labor hired, and the kind of tiling you desire.
In this article, I’ll explain the factors involved in tile costing for a 12×12 room (144 sq ft or 13.4 sq m) and how you can calculate the cost of tiling your room.
Estimating Tiling Costs for a 12×12 Room: Key Considerations
Several factors contribute to the cost of tiling a 12×12 room (144 sq ft or 13.4 sq m).
These factors impact the overall cost of tiling your room.
They include:
- The tiles
- Materials
- Labor
- Location
1. Tiles
The tiles are the primary materials you need. They come in varying colors, patterns, sizes, shapes, and materials.
You’ll always find something that suits your preference and budget.
The average tiles per sq ft (0.09 sq m) cost around $14-21.
However, the cost of tiles depends on the following factors:
- Size: Tiles come in various sizes, measured in square feet or inches. Bigger tiles are usually more expensive than smaller ones, although exceptions exist.
- Material: The cost of a tile depends on the quality of the material. Tiles may be made from ceramic, glass, porcelain, marble, granite, vinyl, stone, or slate. Each of these tiles costs differently. Ceramics are the cheapest tiles, while stone tiles are more expensive.
2. Labor
You may tile your room or hire someone else to do it for you.
Most people hire tilers to handle their tiling projects, which will impact the job’s overall cost.
While it may seem cheaper to DIY, you may not get it right unless you’re an expert, defeating the purpose of embarking on such a project.
While DIY saves you labor costs, there are some advantages to getting professional help, such as:
- The assurance of a perfect job
- The assurance of durability
- Saving the cost of buying tiling materials more than you may need
If you settle for professional help, certain factors will determine the price:
- The tiling pattern: Tiles can be placed in different patterns. Some are harder and more intricate than others. You’ll spend more on labor costs if you choose a styling pattern that involves more work.
- Renovations: Your labor bill increases if the tiler has to make some changes, such as removing old tiles and breaking the ground. These will add to labor costs because the project will take more time.
3. Materials
You’ll need several materials to tile your room.
Some of these materials may be readily available at home, but you may need to buy others.
The materials and tools you need include:
- Rubber mallet
- Grout
- Sand
- Mortar
- Measuring tape
- Tile cutter (electronic or manual)
- Tile spacers
- Uncoupling membrane
- Vacuum cleaner
- Gloves
You cannot tile a room without mortar, which helps to hold the tiles firm to the ground.
So you must include the cost of sand and cement when tiling a room.
You also need a white sand mixture to fill in the gaps between tiles.
These are essential, and they add to your cost.
4. Location
The location of the room can affect the tiling price.
If you’re looking to tile a room that has heavy traffic, you’ll need stronger tiles that can withstand this – so you may have to pay more.
Additionally, tilers in different states charge differently, and the cost of tiling materials will differ between states.
Depending on where you are.
How to Determine the Cost of Tiling
I’ll explain these calculations in more detail below to help you understand how the cost is estimated.
Step 1: Measure the Floor
The first step is measuring the floor size, which will give you an accurate estimation of the number of tiles needed.
Here’s an example:
Length × Width = 12 ft × 12 ft = 144 sq ft
(3.66 m x 3.66 m = 13.4 sq m)
Step 2: Measure the Skirting Area
Next, you want to get the number of extra short wall tiles – especially if the tile you’ve chosen is quite big.
12 ft × 4 walls = 48 ft
(3.66 m x 4 walls = 14.64 m)
Let’s say you’re using a 6″ (0.5 ft or 0.15 m) tile. You’ll have:
48 ft × 0.5 ft = 24 sq ft
(14.64 m x 0.15 m = 2.2 sq m)
Step 3: Measure the Total Number of Tiles
Now, you need to know the area you want to tile to find the number of tiles you’d need.
The total area of tiles = Size of room + area of skirting:
144 sq ft + 24 sq ft = 168 sq ft
(13.4 sq m + 2.2 sq m = 15.6 sq m)
Step 4: Add Miscellaneous
There’s every possibility that a tile may break or be unfit, which must be discarded.
Therefore, you need to budget for extra tiles just in case. Let’s say you make that 5%.
5% extra tiles:
0.05 × 168 sq ft = 8.4 sq ft
(0.05 x 15.6 sq m = 0.78 sq m)
Extra tiles + area of tiles = Total area of tiles:
8.4 sq ft + 168 sq ft = 176.4 or 176 sq ft
(0.78 sq m + 15.6 sq m = 16.4 sq m)
If the total area of tiles is 176 sq ft (16.4 sq m), and you’re using a 1×1 sq ft (0.9 x 0.9 m) tile, then you need 176 tiles.
Step 5: Calculating Tile Cost
Let’s say the tile is $15 per square foot.
To get the amount needed to tile a 12×12 room:
Total number of tiles needed × Cost per tile:
176 tiles × $15 = $2640
Therefore, it will cost you $2640 to tile a 12×12 (144 sq ft or 13.4 sq m) room.
This estimate is only for the tiles needed.
Conclusion
Tiles come in different shades, patterns, shapes, and sizes and are made from different materials.
Each of these materials contributes to the overall cost of tiling a room.
Other materials and labor add to the cost.
Ceramic tiles are the cheapest (at $2-$3 per square foot), while stone tiles are the most expensive (at $20).
Whatever the case, it may cost you up to $3000 to tile a 12×12 (144 sq ft or 13.4 sq m) room.
Other contributory factors include the tiling pattern, and you’ll spend more if you want a tiling pattern that requires more work.
Cheers, tools owners!
