At a Glance
Sydney's open-plan apartment living and terrace house renovations drive strong demand for floor tiling. Concrete slab substrates in newer apartments make floor preparation straightforward, while older terraces on timber subfloors need more work. Floor tiling in Sydney typically costs $1,500–$10,000 per job.
What's Included in the Price
- Removal of existing flooring (old tiles, vinyl, carpet) if applicable
- Floor levelling and substrate preparation
- Supply and installation of floor tiles to AS 3958
- Cutting at edges, doorways, and around fixed elements (kitchen islands, columns)
- Movement joints at doorways, substrate changes, and at maximum 4.5m intervals
- Grouting and silicone sealing
- Cleanup and waste disposal
Materials (tiles, adhesive, levelling compound, grout) make up roughly 35–45% of the cost. The balance is labour, which scales with floor condition and pattern complexity.
What Affects the Cost
- Total area. Sydney's open-plan apartments and terraces often have 30–60m2 of continuous floor space. Larger areas get better per-square-metre rates because more time is spent on efficient runs rather than cutting.
- Floor preparation. Concrete slabs in modern apartments need minimal levelling. Timber subfloors in terraces require a cement sheet overlay ($25–$40/m2) plus levelling before any tiles go down.
- Tile type. Stone tiles (marble, travertine) are popular in North Shore renovations and add both material cost and laying complexity due to thickness variation. Large-format porcelain (600x1200mm) is becoming standard in Sydney open-plan spaces but requires a very flat substrate.
- Old flooring removal. Removing existing tiles costs $30–$65/m2. In apartments, noise restrictions may limit demolition to weekday business hours, stretching the job over more days.
- Pattern. Herringbone and chevron timber-look tile patterns are popular in Sydney. They look good but add 20–40% to labour.
- Strata restrictions. Apartment floor tiling may require acoustic underlay to meet strata by-laws for impact noise. Check your building's rules before the tiler starts.
A small laundry retile in a modern Mascot apartment with ceramic tiles on a flat slab sits toward $1,500. An open-plan living area in a Balmain terrace with old tile removal, timber subfloor overlay, large-format porcelain in herringbone, and underfloor heating pushes toward $10,000.
Sydney-Specific Considerations
Sydney's floor tiling market is split between straightforward apartment jobs and more complex renovation work in older housing.
Modern apartments. Zetland, Mascot, Rhodes, Olympic Park, Parramatta. Concrete slab construction with standard floor levels. These are the simplest floor tiling jobs in Sydney. The main complication is strata restrictions: many buildings require acoustic underlay beneath tiles and limit construction noise to business hours. Check your strata by-laws before commissioning the work.
Inner-west and inner-south terraces. Newtown, Marrickville, Leichhardt, Surry Hills, Redfern. Timber subfloors are common. Tiles cannot be laid directly on timber; a cement sheet overlay is needed first. This adds material and labour cost but produces a stable tiling substrate. Open-plan kitchen and living areas in these terraces are often created by removing internal walls, leaving a mix of floor levels and substrates that need reconciling.
North Shore. Lane Cove, Mosman, Chatswood. Natural stone tiles (marble, limestone, travertine) are common in higher-end renovations. Stone varies in thickness and requires careful layout to avoid lippage (uneven tile edges). Sealing is needed before grouting and periodically after installation.
Western Sydney. Penrith, Liverpool, Campbelltown. Newer homes on concrete slabs with straightforward access. Floor tiling is predictable and cost-effective. Large open-plan areas are standard, and bulk tile areas of 40–80m2 bring per-square-metre rates down.
Hiring a Licensed Tiler in NSW
In NSW, tiling work valued over $5,000 (including GST) requires the tiler to hold a licence issued by NSW Fair Trading. The licence class is "Wall and Floor Tiling."
Before hiring, verify:
- Current NSW tiling licence (check on the NSW Fair Trading licence search)
- Public liability insurance
- That the quote includes floor levelling or clearly states it as an additional line item after site inspection
- Experience with your tile type (especially important for large-format or natural stone)
Red flags: A tiler who quotes per square metre over the phone without seeing the floor, does not mention movement joints, or suggests skipping levelling to "save time."
How We Calculate
Estimates are based on surveyed trade rates for licensed tilers in the Sydney metro area, adjusted for property age and floor condition. All prices include GST. Bathroom tiling, outdoor tiling, and underfloor heating systems are separate costs not included in these figures.