Cost Guides

Tile Installation Cost Per Square Foot Across the GTA

Most GTA tile installation lands between $14 and $24 per square foot installed. Here is what sits at each end of that range and why.

By material

Material Installed / sq ft Water absorption Sealing
Ceramic $10–$18 Above 0.5% No
Porcelain $12–$22 0.5% or less No
Large format porcelain $18–$30 0.5% or less No
Natural stone $18–$35 Porous Yes, every 1–3 years
Glass and mosaic $20–$40 Non-porous No

What pushes you to the top of the range

Subfloor preparation. A flat, solid subfloor is the cheapest job we do. A slab that is out of level by an inch across a room needs self-levelling compound, which adds material and a full day of drying before anything else can happen.

Demolition. One layer of vinyl comes up quickly. Three layers of flooring over a board subfloor in an older Oshawa or Scarborough home is a different job entirely.

Layout complexity. Straight lay is the baseline. Diagonal adds cuts and waste. Herringbone adds considerably more of both.

Room shape. A square room with one doorway is efficient. A hallway with five doorways, a closet return and a stair nose is mostly cutting.

What the price should always include

  • Removal and disposal of the existing floor
  • Subfloor assessment for deflection and moisture
  • Levelling where required
  • Uncoupling membrane over plywood subfloors
  • Layout planning, levelling clips and back-buttering on large format
  • Grout, transitions, trims and cleanup

A note on comparing quotes

If one quote is dramatically lower, find out what it excludes. In our experience the gap is almost always membrane, levelling, or disposal — all of which you will end up paying for anyway, usually mid-project when you have least leverage.

Get a free estimate

Ultra Renovations Inc has been installing tile across Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa and the wider GTA for over ten years. We are a registered Ontario corporation, fully insured, and rated 5.0 on Google.

Call (647) 648-8985 or request a free estimate and we will come out, measure properly, look at your subfloor, and give you a written quote for your floors at no cost.