If your last job disappeared into a piece of software, whether it was quoting, scheduling or an entire layer of middle management that a system rendered unnecessary, there’s a particular appeal to a trade where the result is something you can literally stand back and admire: a perfectly level bathroom floor, a herringbone splashback, a run of tiles with joints so consistent they look machine-made, except they were laid, cut and set by hand. Tiling is exacting, physical, skilled work, and it remains stubbornly beyond the reach of automation. Going out on your own as a tiler is a way of trading uncertainty in someone else’s business for total ownership of your own.

Most people starting a tiling business are already qualified tilers who’ve spent years working for a builder, a bathroom renovation company, or a larger tiling contractor, and are ready to trade under their own name. If you’re new to the trade, the standard route is a Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling through a TAFE apprenticeship, typically three to four years, which gives you the precision and speed that separates professional tiling from a competent DIY job.

What Does It Take to Start a Tiling Business?

A completed tiling apprenticeship and genuine hands-on experience are essential, since tiling rewards precision in a way few other trades do, a millimetre out on a level line is visible forever. Several states require a contractor licence for tiling work above a certain value threshold, so check your specific state regulator before quoting larger jobs. Beyond the technical skill of setting out, cutting and laying tile, this trade demands patience, a genuine eye for pattern and symmetry, and the physical resilience for a job that’s hard on the knees and back over a long career. Waterproofing knowledge is critical too, since a poorly waterproofed wet area causes expensive, reputation-damaging problems down the track.

Setting Up the Business

Register your ABN and start as a sole trader, moving to a company structure if you take on staff or larger commercial tiling contracts. Confirm whether your state requires a specific tiling or building contractor licence for the scale of work you’re taking on — this varies significantly by state, so check with your local regulator such as the QBCC, VBA or NSW Fair Trading.

Public liability insurance (typically $5–10 million) covers the inevitable accidental damage to floors, fixtures or adjoining surfaces that comes with cutting and laying tile in an occupied home. Tool insurance is worth having given the cost of a good wet saw and laser level. If you’re doing waterproofing work yourself rather than subcontracting it, check whether your state requires a specific waterproofing licence or accreditation, since this varies and carries real liability if it fails. A White Card is required for construction site work.

What It Costs to Get Started

Tiling has meaningful equipment costs, particularly for cutting tools:

  • Tools and equipment (wet saw, tile cutters, laser level, mixing equipment, trowels): $5,000–$12,000
  • A ute or van for transporting tile, tools and materials: $12,000–$35,000
  • Licensing (where required) and insurance in year one: $2,000–$5,000
  • Waterproofing materials and consumables as working stock: $1,000–$3,000
  • Quoting and invoicing software: $30–$100 per month

Most tiling jobs have materials supplied or paid for by the client upfront, which keeps working capital requirements lower than some other trades.

Finding Your First Customers

Bathroom and kitchen renovation companies, builders and kitchen designers are strong, steady referral sources, since they need a dependable tiler for every project and rarely switch once they find one who’s reliable and neat. A Google Business Profile stocked with sharp, well-lit photos of finished bathrooms and feature walls performs extremely well, since tiling is one of the most visually driven trades and homeowners searching “tiler near me” want to see proof of quality before they call. Tile shops and bathroom showrooms are excellent referral partners, since customers regularly ask them for a tiler recommendation after choosing their tiles. Local Facebook renovation and community groups are useful for smaller residential jobs. Always request a Google review with photos once a bathroom or splashback is finished and the client has seen the final result.

Common Mistakes First-Time Owners Make

  • Underquoting the time needed for proper waterproofing and substrate preparation, which is invisible once finished but critical to the job’s longevity
  • Not clarifying who is responsible for supplying tiles, leading to delays waiting on client-ordered materials
  • Skipping detailed photos of waterproofing and prep work, which protects against disputes if problems surface later
  • Taking on jobs with poor substrate or structural issues without flagging them in writing first

Your First 90 Days

Weeks 1–2: sort your licensing, insurance, ABN and core tool kit before taking your first job.

Weeks 3–4: build your Google Business Profile with any photos of past work, and reach out to tile shops, builders and past employers about referral relationships.

Month 2: prioritise smaller bathroom and splashback jobs that build a strong photo portfolio and reviews quickly.

Month 3: review job profitability and quoting accuracy, and formalise a referral relationship with at least one local tile shop or renovation company.

Thinking through your options? A few related guides worth a look: plastering business, air conditioning and hvac business and pest control business.

Losing a career to redundancy or automation can leave you questioning your own value, but a beautifully set bathroom floor is proof of value no algorithm can produce. Tiling gives you a trade that rewards patience and precision, on your own terms. When you’re ready to build your local reputation, GrowOnline can help with the market research, website and marketing systems to keep quality tiling work coming your way.