We received a quote to do a lot of tiling , at "£** per square metre"- labout only, we supply tiles, adhesive, grout etc.
Having received the invoice, and noted the square meterage given by area is more than the actual meterage of the TILED area we challenged the invoice, and asked to show us how he calculated the square metres charged.

It appears "£** per square metre" does NOT mean £** per square metre of tiling laid ; it means £** per sqaure metre of wall/ floor , even if there is a large untiled window in the wall; and average wall / room measurements have been used rather than actual measurments.

We are not tilers but rather assumed a per square metre rate meant per square metre of actual TILING and were certainly not made aware it meant per square metre of wall space irrispective of windows.

IS IT NORMAL PRACTICE to charge for the entire wall , and (over) "average" measurements when a specific "£** per square metre " cost has been quoted ? -or is a quoted square metre price normally taken to be per Sq M of actual tiling done?

Any advice greatly appreciated !

Your best bet would be to get about 3 estimates/quotes and go from there to see what suits your requirments.

PLEASE REMEMBER, NO PRICING IN PUBLIC FORUMS

YES IMO,if i am doing a job on a sq meter rate i charge what i have handled and cut sq meterage wise to complete the job

if its a 20 sq metre bathroom and i have used 23 sq meters of tiles to complete i charge fir 23 sq meters,

Think they've already had the work done Mark. A lot of tilers will charge a m2 price based on how many m2 of tiles have been used to tile a room not what the room measures at. For example, if the room was 20 m2 you would need 22 m2 of tiles (10% for cuts etc) so the price charged would be for 22 m2 as that is how many tiles have been cut/handled/fixed etc.

I'm too slow, beat me to it Jamie!!!

As Jamie above for me, if you take into account the cuts that have to be fixed etc. Plus if you open out the reveals, soffit, and cill on a window, it could come out the same. I charge by the total m2 inc wastage. Just my take on it.

Same as Phil and others for me

same for me (now).....after posting this one a couple of weeks ago...

Originally Posted by andy allen

same for me (now).....after posting this one a couple of weeks ago...

Ditto....

As above there is as much work tiling around a window , it would be quicker to tile that space if it were a straight full wall.

Yep same here, always charge for the amount of tiles actually required incl. cuts and waste, otherwise you could be quoting for 17.3m on a wall and 4.2m for floor. I round it up to next full metre. Also like to leave the customer with at least 5 tiles dependant on size so they have spares instead of them having to go back to the store 3yrs later to ask if they still do that range (sorry we stopped doing that range a week after you bought them), when someone has flung open the bathroom door against the wall and cracked it with the handle.

Same as everyone above, measure tiled surfaces, add 10%, & thats your total price per m2.

One house builder we do work for states that we only claim for "tiles Laid".

Ok you will have to up our meterage rate then!!

Alls Fair In Love & War.

Originally Posted by paul damian

As above there is as much work tiling around a window , it would be quicker to tile that space if it were a straight full wall.

i was just going to say the same paul

Originally Posted by Mike

i was just going to say the same paul

I'd say there's "more"

Great minds think alike mike mate.. Is prestatyn still a good place to go mike,, spent many a good holiday there.

As above... I charge for tiles needed to do the job, not the exact area to be tiled.


Created on iPhone.....

Great minds think alike mike mate.. Is prestatyn still a good place to go mike,, spent many a good holiday there..........i don't go there tbh mate, i know a few freinds relatives who go there and like it. rhyl (next door) is really rough now though, i wouldn't be going there. you're not from r.o.i i see, where you from?

the wirral , looking across at wales. spent eighteen years there. Rhyl was a good spot then .

Originally Posted by paul damian

the wirral , looking across at wales. spent eighteen years there. Rhyl was a good spot then .

not far from my missus then (liverpool) how have you ended up in donegal?

Were do i start , left wirral at eighteen for work to go to luton , met my lovely wife there , moved here so wifey could be closer to her family,, the rest is history,, two daughters later 21 and 17, may move back home someday mike.

^^^^^^ do you two guys need to get a room?

Originally Posted by paul damian

Were do i start , left wirral at eighteen for work to go to luton , met my lovely wife there , moved here so wifey could be closer to her family,, the rest is history,, two daughters later 21 and 17, may move back home someday mike.

nice place donegal, i used to go there about 18 years ago with a lorry to load crab and lobster from burtonport, i was there when my ex wife went into labour with my daughter, false alarm thank god as it would take at least 12 hrs to get home

oh doug thought you would never ask,, you old dog you!!!!!

Originally Posted by doug boardley

^^^^^^ do you two guys need to get a room?

lol also i charge for sqm handled/needed to complete job not area size.

Originally Posted by Mike

nice place donegal, i used to go there about 18 years ago with a lorry to load crab and lobster from burtonport, i was there when my ex wife went into labour with my daughter, false alarm thank god as it would take at least 12 hrs to get home

I'd have to agree, Its where all the best tilers end up, eh Paul

As for this topic, I never take out for a window, open out the reveals and you have near the area of the window anyway, not to mention the cutting, fitting trim, leveling up cills, heads and reveals etc. We should be charging extra for windows?

If I read the Guest's OP correctly, he has been charged for metres not fixed.
I don't think its professional to charge for total areas including doors and windows which will take an area of tiling to say 40 metres when he has supplied 38 metres of tiles and it has done the job.

Can we keep on topic please

I'm with most of the guys here, but i spent a couple of years in Perth and the practice over there was to count every tile and every single cut. Then use that sum as whole tiles counted then times the sq area of the tile.So in effect count all cuts and tiles as whole tiles this allows for wastage and cutting within your rate per sq, mtr.
Normally I just check how many tiles supplied and subtract whats left in whole tiles
or just quote from total tiles supplied and stick to the quote.
But! I believe that the meterage is really just a guide to price the job, once the job has been quoted, I dont care what the meterage was in the end, a quote is a quote and if you have accepted that then its a done deal. If you have agreed to a price you should really pay it imo
If the Tiler or any Tradesman or woman should chose to use some discretion in a matter like this then thats up to them. But I am sure that if the job was under quoted, the client wouldnt offer to pay the difference.

Seeing as you supplied the tiles you should be aware of how many sqm you bought. If you purchased say 20sqm of tiles and the tiler has charged 30sqm labour then I would challange the invoice. If however you bought 20sqm and he has charged for 20sqm even though the areas measured 17.6sqm (for example) then yes some tilers do charge for tiles handled to complete the job.