How much does it cost to replace a few tiles in Virginia?

There is no official or published price for replacing a few tiles in Virginia, and no state or federal source sets a going rate, so the honest number is a written quote for your floor or wall. What you can control is what goes into that quote. The tiles themselves are a small part of it. Most of what you pay for is the trip, the care it takes to cut out a tile without chipping the ones around it, and the time the mortar and grout need to cure.

What drives the price

A minimum charge for a short job. Replacing two or three tiles is usually a short job, so many businesses charge a minimum or a service-call amount. Adding other small repairs to the same visit is the easiest way to get more for that minimum. See what a handyman costs in Virginia for how small jobs are usually priced.

Whether you have matching tile. This is the biggest swing. Daltile recommends buying about 10% more tile than a job needs and storing it as attic stock,^[6] because colour can change slightly between dye lots and printing runs over the years.^[6] If you have spares, the job is straightforward. If not, someone has to hunt for a match, and for discontinued tile there may be none. Stone is harder still: natural stone from a quarry today may differ from what was available six months ago.^[6]

One visit or two. With ordinary thin-set, Daltile says you should generally wait about 24 hours before grouting.^[7] That can mean a second trip. A fast-setting repair mortar such as Custom Building Products' Tile Repair Professional Thin-Set can be grouted in 2 hours and opened to traffic in 4,^[8] which lets some businesses finish in one visit. Ask which they plan.

What is under the tile. A tile cracked by a dropped pan is a quick swap. Tiles cracked in a line, tiles that sound hollow, or a floor that flexes usually mean a problem in the subfloor or slab, and the quote will change once that is opened up. Read why floor tiles crack before you ask for prices, so you can describe what you see.

Where the tile is. A dry floor or a backsplash is the simple case. Shower and tub tile sits over the waterproofing that protects the wall, and a careful business will want to check that backing before setting a new tile. Large-format porcelain, mosaics and natural stone take longer to cut out cleanly and to match.

The age of the house. The concern here is mainly old resilient flooring rather than ceramic tile. Vinyl floor tiles and the backing and adhesives of vinyl sheet flooring are among the materials that have contained asbestos.^[9] If your "tile" is old vinyl, or new tile sits over old black adhesive, testing may come first, and EPA recommends that a trained and accredited asbestos professional take samples rather than the homeowner.^[10]

What the job usually does not need

A permit. Virginia's building code lists the installation or replacement of floor finishes among the ordinary repairs that need no permit application,^[4] so a few tiles add no permit fee. That changes if the repair grows into plumbing or structural work.

A licence, for a small job. Virginia's contractor licence classes start above $1,000: the Class C licence covers a single job worth over $1,000 but less than $30,000.^[1] A few tiles usually come in under that. If yours, together with anything added to it, goes over, the business needs a licence with a specialty that fits the work. The Board for Contractors has a tile, marble, ceramic and terrazzo (TMC) specialty and a flooring (FLR) specialty that covers ceramic, marble, stone and all other types of tile.^[2] The broader home improvement (HIC) specialty covers repairs to houses^[2] but not electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas fitting,^[2] so if the repair turns up a leaking pipe or drain under the tile, that part is a job for a licensed plumber.

Questions to ask in the quote

• Is it hourly with a minimum, per tile, or a flat price for the list?
• Who supplies the tile, and what happens if the match is not close?
• Does it include colour-matched grout, and sealing if the rest of the floor is sealed?
• Is it one visit with a fast-setting mortar, or two?
• What happens, and what does it cost, if hollow tiles or a soft subfloor turn up?
• Who moves appliances or a toilet if the tile is under one?

Clear photos of each damaged tile, close up and from standing height, get you closer quotes and fewer surprises.

Contracts and deposits

With a licensed business, the paperwork protects you. Licensed contractors doing residential work must use a legible written contract,^[3] although routine maintenance and service contracts are excluded.^[3] The required terms include the total cost, the contractor's licence number and class, and a statement that any change to the cost, materials, work or completion date must be in writing and signed by all parties.^[3]

DPOR's consumer guide has rules that fit any size of job: at least three written bids for the same work and not automatically accepting the lowest,^[5] and a deposit of no more than 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less.^[5] It also warns: "Beware of any bid substantially lower than the others."^[5] A very low tile quote often leaves out the grout match or the second visit.

Doing it yourself instead

If you have a matching spare and the floor is solid, one cracked tile is a reasonable DIY job with a grout saw, a chisel, a small bag of thin-set and a little grout. See how to replace a cracked tile.

Stop and call a pro if

• Cracks run across several tiles in a line, or the floor bounces, dips or creaks.
• Many tiles sound hollow, or tiles are loose in a shower or tub surround.
• There is a water stain on the ceiling below, or the backing behind wall tile is soft.
• The floor is old vinyl, or there is old black adhesive under the tile, and you do not know what it contains.

To compare who to hire, read handyman or tile installer. You can browse tile and grout repair, find flooring businesses around Blacksburg, or read the other handyman answers.

When you have photos, describe the tile repair once and local businesses quote it.