Tile estimating software that wins more jobs

Build a tile price surface by surface, in the order the work happens:

1. Demolition: old tile, backer and underlayment, plus protection and haul-off.
2. Substrate: cement board on walls and floors, leveling, and the pan.
3. Waterproofing: a liquid or sheet membrane on every wet wall.
4. Setting: walls and floors, sized and patterned as the client chose.
5. Finishing: edge trim, grout, caulked movement joints and sealing.

Measure each surface, edge and corner

Measure each wall's width times the height the tile goes, and each floor's length times its width.

Count the edges that need trim, and the inside corners and perimeters that need caulk instead of grout.

Add more waste for patterns and stone

Then add waste to the tile quantity. Add more for:

• diagonal and herringbone layouts
• large tiles with lots of cuts
• natural stone with variation you'll want to sort

Price each line from your own hours

These are the common lines on a bathroom tile estimate and what each is measured in:

• Square foot: wall and floor work.
• Linear foot: trim and caulk.
• Each: a pan.

The hours and prices are yours to set, and every line's hours are editable for pattern, tile size or your crew's speed.

A shower and floor add up to 34.5 hours

Example: Here's how the math works on a 3-by-5-foot alcove shower tiled 8 feet high (88 square feet of wall) with a mortar-bed pan, plus 60 square feet of floor across the bathroom and shower. The hours below are example figures. Say your own records show your crew needs:

Edge trim along the top and sides of the shower, plus staging and mixing at the helper wage, go on top.

Small floors take longer per square foot

A small bathroom floor is mostly cuts around the toilet, tub and vanity. So it usually takes longer per square foot than an open kitchen floor.

Track your own times on both and price them differently.

Your labor rate covers more than the wage

The tile setter's wage is the start of your rate, not the whole of it. The rate also has to pay for:

• workers' comp and liability insurance
• saws, mixers, levels and dust control
• the extra trips while a pan or a mortar bed cures
• callbacks, and the hours spent bidding

BuildWell builds the rate in three steps

BuildWell builds the rate per line:

1. Wage: the median for that line's trade where you work.
2. Overhead: your labor overhead, starting at 100%, which doubles the wage.
3. Markup: your labor markup, starting at 20%.

Example: Say your setter costs you $30 an hour; use your real figure. The 34.5 setter hours on that shower and floor come to:

• Wages: 34.5 × $30 = $1,035
• With 100% overhead: $2,070
• With 20% markup: $2,484 for the labor

Demolition, trim, staging and materials come on top.

Price materials, allowances and every extra trip

• Setting materials: price backer, thinset, membrane, liner, grout, trim and sealer at what they cost near the job, plus your markup. BuildWell's material markup begins at 20%.
• The tile itself: price it at your cost plus markup, set an allowance per square foot, or mark it client-supplied. With an allowance, say in your terms how selections above or below it are billed.
• Extra trips: a mortar bed, a flood test and grout all need time between steps. Many installers flood test a pan before tiling, and some jurisdictions inspect it. Price the trips, or the job eats them.
• Niches, benches and linear drains: add them as custom line items with your own hours and rate.
• Plumbing and permits: moving a valve or drain usually needs a licensed plumber and a permit. BuildWell adds your flat permit fee to the estimate when it includes permits.

Earnings depend on the work and the market

Tile setter wages vary by metro area and by experience. Custom shower work often pays differently from production floors.

As an owner, you earn the margin between your price and your costs. So how you price prep and setting matters more than any wage table.

Self-employment tax is 15.3% of net earnings

As a sole proprietor or single-member LLC, you pay self-employment tax on your net earnings: 15.3% in total.

• Social Security, 12.4%: applies to net earnings up to the Social Security wage base, which is $184,500 for 2026.
• Medicare, 2.9%: applies to all of it.
• Deduction: you can deduct half of the self-employment tax on your income tax return.

Federal and state income tax are owed on top, so keep a share of each payment in reserve.

Pay estimated taxes every quarter

Pay estimated tax during the year with Form 1040-ES. Payments are usually due in:

• mid-April
• mid-June
• mid-September
• mid-January

Missing them can mean penalties even if you pay the full amount in April.

Track your deductions as you go

Tile businesses commonly deduct:

• wet saws, grinders, mixers, levels and hand tools
• dust control and safety equipment
• the business share of the truck or van
• fuel
• insurance and license fees
• training and certification
• phone and software

Keep receipts and a mileage log through the year.

Subs paid $2,000 or more get a 1099-NEC

If you pay an unincorporated subcontractor for services, you'll generally need to send them a Form 1099-NEC. For payments made in 2026 and later, that applies once you've paid them $2,000 or more in a year, up from $600 before 2026.

Collect a Form W-9 first.

A helper you direct is likely an employee

A helper you direct day to day is likely an employee, not a contractor. Ask a tax professional if you're unsure.

Check your state's sales tax on materials

States treat tile contractors differently:

• Some have you pay sales tax when you buy tile and setting materials.
• Others have you charge it to the client.

Check your state's revenue department. In BuildWell, sales tax applies to materials only, not labor, at the rate you set.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. A tax professional who works with contractors can tell you what applies to your state and business.