Bathroom tile · Tacoma
Bathroom tile installation in Tacoma.
Bathroom tile installation in Tacoma by a tile-first contractor: shower walls, floors, herringbone, mosaics and large-format porcelain, set flat and lined up.
Bathroom tile done well looks simple: straight lines, even grout, cuts you never notice and no lippage between tiles. Getting there takes a flat substrate, a planned layout and patience. White Saber started as a tile company, and tile is still the part of the job Aleksey does not hand off lightly.
Prep is most of the job
Old Tacoma floors are rarely flat and old walls are rarely plumb. Before tile goes down we deal with dips, humps and out-of-square corners, because large-format tile shows every flaw in the surface below it.
Layout before mortar
We dry-fit and mark the layout so full tiles land where the eye goes first, cuts hide at the back corners, and niches line up with grout joints. That planning is invisible when it is done and obvious when it is skipped.
Patterns and what they ask of you
- Stacked or straight-set: clean, modern, fastest to set
- Running bond subway: timeless in craftsman houses
- Herringbone and chevron: more cuts, more time, more wow
- Hex and penny mosaics: classic for older-home floors
- Large-format porcelain: fewer joints, needs a very flat wall
Tile for older homes
If you want the bathroom to look like it could have come with a 1920s house, unglazed hex or basketweave on the floor and a white subway wall with a simple trim piece are hard to beat. If you would rather contrast with the house, the same care in setting applies.
Budget
Tacoma planning ranges
Shower or tub-wall retile
Same layout, new waterproofing and tile on the walls and pan
$8,000 to $16,000Tub-to-shower conversion
Tub out, new pan, valve and drain moved as needed, tiled walls
$12,000 to $25,000Hall or guest bath, full remodel
Studs-out rebuild of a typical 5x8 to 5x10 room, layout mostly kept
$20,000 to $40,000Primary bath with layout changes
Walls or fixtures relocated, larger shower, double vanity, heated floor
$40,000 to $80,000+Estimates only, for planning. Not a quote. Your written estimate is the real number.
Questions
Bathroom tile questions from Tacoma.
Do you only install tile you supply?
We can work with tile you pick out yourself, and we can help you choose so quantities and trim pieces are right.
Can you tile over existing tile?
We generally do not in showers, because the waterproofing is what matters and it cannot be checked through old tile.
Do you do kitchen backsplashes too?
Yes. Ask about it when we come out for the bathroom.
Ready to plan your bathroom tile?
Free walkthrough, written scope, no pressure.