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labor cost for backsplash small tiles vs. big tiles?

12 years ago

We are getting our kitchen remodeled and we initially wanted 12x12 marble tile laid on the backsplash. Our contractor said he was only willing to do it if we used straight tiles (i.e. not diagonally like we would have preferred) so we wrote that into our contract.

Then we decided we don't like the vertical tiles and would prefer a brick pattern with 2.5 x 8 tiles.

He is quoting us an extra $400 in labor only for the additional work of laying out small bricks rather than big tiles. This is for about 20sq ft total.

Is this reasonable?

Comments (3)

GreenDesigns
12 years ago
What you want is a LOT more labor intensive than 12x12. More than 6x the amount of fussing that laying 12x12 involves. More math, more precision, more cutsl. A LOT more time. Yes, the labor upcharge is appropriate. Average backsplash labor is $20-$40 per square foot because of the difficulty. Be very very careful using a general guy for tile though. It doesn't sound as though he wants the job, and this is an important aspect of your kitchen that should only be done by an expert. Sounds like your guy is OK doing simple floor type installations, but if he's not OK with doing a simple diagonal with 12x12 then he isn't your guy. This backsplash isn't within his skill set.
annzgw
12 years ago
I agree with GD that this doesn't sound like the guy you want for tile work. If this contractor is doing the other portions of your remodel himself then I'd tell him I prefer the tile work be subbed out.
Red flags start going up for me whenever a contractor tells someone what he's willing to do vs finding a way to build what you want.

Charges per square foot can vary depending on where you live, and I find an upcharge of $400 to be high for 20 sq ft. I think he's quoting that because he doesn't want to deal with the design.
I've installed my share of tile and don't find a brick pattern to be 6x more difficult than a straight. I'm not a professional but anyone who understands tile can figure out the design without much difficulty.

I suggest you visit some tile stores (not big box) and ask for referrals for installers. Then have them come out and bid the job.
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I am dealing with tile size and proportion with my small fireplace now. I would strongly suggest mocking both sizes up in person. I predict the answer will be clear to you immediately if you do that. Tile that is too big for a small space can look really weird because only a few tiles cover the whole space. There isn't enough tile repetition for it to look right. You could continue your counter top material up just behind the sink to take care of the window issue. Like this:
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catbuilder
12 years ago
I don't agree. Depending on the tile, installing large tile can actually involve more labor because it can be very difficult to get it all flat, especially if the joints are very small. If the wall isn't flat, that needs to be addressed as well. Perhaps he wasn't willing to install the 12 x 12 on the diagonal because unless the backsplash is exactly 17" high it wouldn't look good. The diagonal measurement of a 12 x 12 tile is 17", so a larger height backsplash would mean skinny tiles at top and bottom, and less than 17" would mean cutting off the points of all the tiles.

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