Replies

1. 
   EricPaulson | Mar 16, 2006 12:45am | #1

   Ya gotta tell us where you are. Labor rates vary wildly throughout the country.

   Yes you should use a membrane. Your tile guy should use his choice.

   In addittion to materials, I would charge you roughly $10.00 per sq ft min depending on conditions.

   You can find out my location by clicking on my profile.

   Eric

   [email protected]

    

    

   It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been

    

    

    

1. 
   Gene_Davis | Apr 02, 2006 03:41am | #13

   Wow, Eric!  You'll cause a southern migration of tilesetters!  The guys up here don't get nearly that.

1. 
   EricPaulson | Apr 02, 2006 04:10pm | #14

   Yeah but you guys have way nicer scenery![email protected]

    

    

   It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been

    

    

    

1. 
   davidmeiland | Apr 02, 2006 05:26pm | #15

   It's $10+ per SF here, including CBU, thinset, rock screws, mesh tape, sealer. I'm doing one shortly, about 360 SF of 12x12 tile over 1/4" CBU, in a VERY cut up layout that will require lots of cutting and notching, about $4400, owner provides tile and grout. I'll have roughly $2 per SF in setting materials alone, so doing it for $3 or $5 or even $7 per SF would be ridiculous--better to stay home in my bathrobe and slippers than to even start the truck.

2. 
   Frankie | Mar 16, 2006 01:47am | #2

   $20 - $25/sqft - labor, thinset, isolation membrane, grout and sealer.

   F

   There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.

   —Hunter S. Thompson
   from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

1. 
   NathanL | Mar 17, 2006 01:04am | #3

   I am in milwaukee and am only looking for a labor guidline on this, I expect that she will be paying for all materials used in the project.  i wonder about why I need a membraine over concrete but not concrete board ,could you explain this?  I am not trying to take work from anybody but as I stated they are friends of the family but if I have to work I feel it should be worth something to be away from my own family.  Did I also explain that this would be a hour and a half trip each way from my own home not cheap when you only have a truck @ 12 mpg. any help is greatly appreciated.

1. 
   JDRHI | Mar 17, 2006 01:44am | #4

   Forget "labor rates"

   You are not a proffesional tile setter. You will not be able to do the job as quickly as another who makes his living at such. What takes him two days, might take you a week.

   I'd be looking to back out of a job, for a friend of a friend, an hour and a half away....not looking to give them a "fair price".

   If you feel you gotta do it...decide how much your time is worth...$10/hr.......$20/hr.....$30/hr.....and either charge them time and materials, or estimate how long you think its going to take...3 days?....4 days?.....and base an estimate on that. An estimate which includes your travel time.

   If they were looking to pay the "going rate" they wouldn't be asking you to do it.

   J. D. Reynolds

   Home Improvements

2. 
   SamT | Mar 17, 2006 01:50am | #5

   Labor rate (your pay)            = $20-$40/hrLabor burden (taxes,SS,Etc) = 50%-80%Milage (180m  x $.45?)          = $81/dayDrive time                               =3hrs labor charge/day                  

   5hrs clean & prep and membrane5hrs tile5hr grout and clean5hrs Oops, Etc.

   $90500.01SamT

3. 
   Frankie | Mar 17, 2006 02:00am | #6

   You want to isolate the tile from any concrete movement or cracking. When using Hardibacker or cement board, that serves as the isolation barrier. When I started laying tile I tried to resist the concrete movement by using wire mesh - much cheaper. Fugetadaboutit! You need an isolation membrane, period.FrankieThere he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.—Hunter S. Thompson
   from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

3. 
   traini | Mar 17, 2006 03:37am | #7

   For what it's worth #1 I would normally use thinset directly over concrete  as a cost factor and never had a problem, however if the concrete slab is not insulated under using a layer under may be needed to reduce the a cold floor. #2 20 x20 tile can be a problem if the floor is not perfect, any unlevel areas will send a large tile to cantilever causing uneven edges. #3 I would charge between $5.00-7.00 per sq. ft. for such a job.  20 x30 is 600 sq. ft. @ $5.00  is $3000.00 no a bad wage for two guys for a weeks work.

4. 
   djj | Mar 17, 2006 04:49am | #8

   Here (NE Iowa) the tile guys I know are charging ~5$ sq foot for setting, incl grout, and sealing, not including tile. Diagonal layout adds a buck a foot. $2 sq ft incl materials for laying backer board or leveling compound.

1. 
   smslaw | Mar 28, 2006 07:11pm | #9

   In Maine, I just paid (as homeowner) about $10 per square foot for 12 x 12 slate installation, about 1000 square feet.  It included material (except for the tile) i.e. Ditra membrane, grout, sealer, thin-set ( or whatever it was they used).  I thought it was a fair price for nice work. 

1. 
   custombuilt | Mar 30, 2006 05:26am | #10

   IN west central Illinois I can only get about 3 bucks a sq foot!

   Sucks doesn't it!

    

1. 
   robert | Mar 30, 2006 06:51am | #11

    

    Friend of mine lives an hour south of Chicago.

    When he told me what he paid for hsi house I almost fell of my chair.

    3500sqft on an acre.

    Same money on the West End of Allentown PA would get you a Nice twonhouse or a fixer upper single on 1/4 Acre.

5. 
   DaveMason2 | Apr 02, 2006 12:37am | #12

    In Alaska I'm charging $5-7per sqft for floors(labor only). 

   I would use the membrane especially with that big of a tile.

    Good luck, Dave

   
   

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   Edited 4/1/2006 5:50 pm by DaveMason2