Pricing and business
Labour time estimate from area and daily output
- where
- area to tile (m²)
- your daily output for this kind of work (m²/day)
- extra days for prep, set-out, grouting and sealing
- working hours per day
Explain this equation
Estimates how long a tiling job will take on site. Use it to plan your diary and to price day-rate work.
A is the area and P is how much of this kind of work you finish in a day. X adds the days that are not laying tiles: stripping out, boarding, priming, setting out, grouting and sealing. h converts days into hours.
Time is area divided by output, plus fixed jobs that do not scale with area. Multiplying by hours per day gives labour hours for costing.
Sense check: 25 m² at 10 m² a day plus half a day for grouting is 3 days, or 24 hours at 8 hours a day.
Watch out: curing and drying waits stop work but are not labour. Plan around them separately.
Estimates how long a tiling job will take from the area and your own daily output, plus time for preparation and finishing.
Enter your values to see the result.
Good to know
Output is an input because it depends on tile size, pattern, substrate and how cut-up the area is. A published UK guide puts typical floor tiling at around 8–12 m² a day; your own records for similar work are better. Remember curing and drying waits (adhesive set before grouting, screed drying) that stop work but are not labour.
Common mistake
Forgetting non-tiling days: strip-out, boarding, tanking cure times and grouting can add a day or more to a small bathroom.
Limits
Single tiler, continuous working. Does not account for waiting time, access or travel.
Sources
Results are calculations from the published methods and manufacturer figures shown, and depend on the data you enter. Always follow the tile, adhesive and grout manufacturers’ instructions, BS 5385 and the Tile Association guidance. Coverage rates vary by product and substrate. Check prices and VAT rules with your own records and HMRC.