How To Choose A Reliable Tiler

Tiling jobs are often a large undertaking and once you’ve finally decided on the type of tiles you want to use, it’s time to start thinking about how you’ll install them. As a nation of DIYers, many will opt to do the job themselves, but if a tiling job is particularly tricky and/or you’re not confident of taking it on yourself then you could well be in need of hiring a tiler. If this sounds like you and you’re unsure as to how to make sure you’ve chosen the right person for the job then read on as we’re about to take a look at the things you should consider to make sure you appoint a reliable tradesperson…

Personal Recommendations

We tend to trust advice from friends and family on all sorts of matters so it makes sense to listen to those you trust when it comes to hiring a tradesperson. If someone close to you has had works carried out and can recommend a tiler then it’s well worth checking them out, providing they can vouch that a timely, cost-effective and professional job was done of course. That’s not to say that you should put all your eggs in one basket though – ask around other friends and family members for recommendations too and then compare a few tilers against each other using trade-specific review sites…

Find A Tradesman Websites

Sites such as Checkatrade, MyBuilder, and RatedPeople offer a great way to find and check out all sorts of tradespeople from your locale and beyond in just a few clicks. Even if you’ve been given a word of mouth recommendation, it’s still worth looking them up on one of these sites and reading the reviews of their work. These websites allow you to enter your postcode and the type of tradesman you need for a job and work in much the same way as TripAdvisor and its like do in that you can see verified reviews from real customers in order to gauge the quality of a tradesman’s work and help you make a decision. Quotes and price guides are also offered by these sites and you can even message a tiler directly to make a booking.

Social Media

Another great way of checking out a tiler’s prowess is via social media. Look up any potential hires on Facebook and read through their reviews – tilers will usually post several examples of their work themselves or be tagged in images from satisfied (or not so satisfied!) customers too, so you can used these pics as a benchmark for their work. You can also do a name search on Twitter or Instagram to see completed projects and read through the comments to see if a particular tiler or tiling company is held in high regard. Finally, Google reviews can help you in your decision too as a high quotient of positive or negative reviews can affirm or dispel those word of mouth recommendations you got from pals!

Getting A Quote

Once you’ve narrowed down your search for the right tiler to two or three then it’s time to get a quote. You can either do this over the phone or via one of the ‘Find A Tradesman’ websites we mentioned earlier, or in person and have the tradesperson come round to your address to size up the project (we’d recommend latter as you can really get across the size and scope of the job if the tiler is there in person). You should always try to get at least quotes from at least two tilers and make sure you’re comparing like for like (i.e. don’t compare a large company with a team to dedicate to the task with a sole trader). Don’t automatically go with the cheapest quote either – go with the option who you are most confident in to complete the project to the standards you require.

Questions To Ask 

When obtaining quotes you should be asking both yourself and the tiler the following questions:

When can the tiler start?

Good tilers are usually very in demand so be very wary of anyone who can start straight away. On the other hand, if you need this particular job completing quickly then it’s no good if you have to wait 3 months for a tiler to become available.

How long will the job take?

Tiling jobs can often mean a lot of disruption to your daily lives, especially if it’s a kitchen or bathroom project. Find out a timescale for completion and enquire whether the tiler will be working alone or as part of a team and if they’ll be working on weekends.

What is covered in the quote?

Nobody likes being stung with extra costs so it’s important to make sure what you’re getting for your money before the work starts. Ask if you’ll be required to supply any materials, if any delivery costs will be payable by you, and most importantly, if the quote includes VAT.

Following these steps should see you end up with a good, reliable tradesperson, but if you’re still unsure, you can always give our friendly and helpful customer services guys a call on 01782 223822 or use the LiveChat function on our website and they’ll be happy to provide help and advice where they can.

You might also enjoy these posts on the Tile Mountain blog…

National Pet Month: Five Tips For Keeping Your Pet Calm During DIY

Top Five Mistakes To Avoid When Installing Kitchen Wall Tiles

Top Five Free Online Interior Design Tools