Tile flooring installation in Canada

For a durable, waterproof, lifetime surface in limitless colours and formats, tile never lets you down. Our tile-setting experts handle floors, backsplashes, feature walls, custom showers and heated bathroom floors.

Porcelain vs. Ceramic

Both are ceramic; porcelain is fired denser and absorbs less water, making it the choice for floors, showers and exterior spaces. Ceramic is great for walls and backsplashes.

Custom Showers & Wet Rooms

Waterproofing systems (Schluter, Wedi, liquid membranes), linear drains and curbless designs — done right the first time because tile is a permanent installation.

Large Format & Heated Floors

Large-format tiles need flat substrates and the right thinset. We install electric in-floor heating under tile for warm bathrooms and entries.

What tile flooring costs installed

Typical installed prices per square foot before tax, from our provincial price guides. Every project is confirmed with a written quote after a free measure.

Province	Supply & install	Labour only
Alberta	$10–22	$7–13
British Columbia	$14–28	$8–15
Ontario	$12–25	$7–14
Manitoba	$10–21	$6.5–13
New Brunswick	$10–20	$6–12
Nova Scotia	$11–22	$6.5–13
Quebec	$11–22	$6.5–13
Saskatchewan	$10–21	$6.5–13
Newfoundland and Labrador	$12–24	$7–14
Northwest Territories	$16–32	$9.5–18
Nunavut	$19–38	$11–21
Prince Edward Island	$11–22	$6.5–13
Yukon	$15–30	$9–17

What to look for when buying tile flooring

Porcelain vs ceramic

Both are ceramic products; porcelain is fired denser, absorbs under 0.5 percent water and resists chipping better, which is what a floor needs. Ceramic is easier to cut and cheaper, and is perfectly good on walls and backsplashes.

PEI rating

A wear rating from 1 to 5. PEI 3 suits residential floors with normal traffic, PEI 4 handles heavy residential and light commercial use, PEI 5 is for commercial floors. Wall-only tiles are often PEI 0 or 1 and must not be used underfoot.

Slip resistance

Measured as a coefficient of friction, and it matters in bathrooms, entries and anywhere that gets wet. Textured and matte surfaces grip better than polished. For a bathroom floor, smaller tiles with more grout lines also provide more traction.

Format and rectification

Rectified tiles are machine-cut to precise dimensions and allow very thin grout lines and a seamless look, but they demand a flatter substrate. Large-format tiles need a substrate flat within tight tolerance and usually a levelling clip system during installation.

Looking after a tile floor

Sweep or vacuum to remove grit, and damp-mop with a pH-neutral cleaner. Avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar on natural stone and on cement grout, because they etch both. Seal cement grout on installation and reseal every one to two years in wet areas, which is what keeps it from staining. Epoxy grout costs more upfront and never needs sealing. Wipe standing water in showers and use a squeegee to reduce mineral deposits.

Tile flooring installers by city

Local cost, climate notes and installers for tile flooring in the cities where we do the most work.

Not in one of these cities? We cover 88 cities across Canada — find yours.

Common questions

Why does tile cost more to install?

Tile takes more prep, materials (thinset, grout, waterproofing, trim) and precision than other floors. A properly installed tile floor will outlast every other flooring type.

Why does my grout keep staining?

Cement grout is porous and absorbs whatever sits on it. Sealing it on installation and resealing every one to two years prevents most of it. In a high-use shower or an entry, epoxy grout is the permanent answer: it costs more to install and never needs sealing.

Can I tile over an existing tile floor?

Sometimes, if the existing tile is fully bonded, flat and the resulting floor height still works at doors and transitions. It requires a bonding primer and adds 15 to 25mm of height. More often removal is the better decision, at $2 to $4 per square foot.

What causes tile to crack?

Movement. Either the substrate flexes more than the tile can tolerate, usually from joist deflection in older homes, or the slab beneath it moves and cracks. An uncoupling membrane addresses the first. The second needs the structural cause fixed before retiling.

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