Cost Of Tiles?

[Nipponho 0]

Hi,

I noticed that some contractors quote their labour separately from tile cost, which was not the norm. I called a contractor that i saw on papers and received a quotation from them.

I was quoted $4800 for hacking 2 bedroom & 1 living room floor tiles, kitchen wall tiles, & all tiles & bowls in 2 toilets. This quote also include relaying the bedroom & living room floor tiles, & all tiles in 2 toilets. Kitchen walls will be tileless. Plastering kitchen wall will be separately charged.

Gurus like Mace, Apple, do u think this number is reasonable?

Mine is a 3 room 69 sqm. So that means for floor tiles, assuming average of $3.5 psf, i need to pay 69 X 10.76 X $3.50 = $2598

How to calculate estimate cost of wall tiles? I want to choose a cheapo cheapo ceramic $2.50.

I thought of overlay, but i scared the height will become shorter, plus i am quite tall.

[applefreak 1]

aiyo dun say like that leh, next time i don't want to say anything liao

i can only offer suggestions based on what i have done

so i'd say i don't know anything about labour cost of hacking and relaying tiles

but i do know that if the cost is separate, you can actually buy your own tiles and bargain for discounts

i got my own tiles at around 28% discount, usually can get at least 20% off the display price.

this is the kickback from the tile shop to the ID / Contractor !!

[Nipponho 0]

Haha. Being able to share is a privilege & is positive karma.

Although they say cost of tiles is separate, when i select from Harfary, i will still not purchase direct from them, still go through contractor. I heard that go through contractor is cheaper than walk in.

Wh shop is better? Harfary or the chinese one at the other end?

But yours at 28% is quite steep. Harfary told me contractor discount is only 10%. True or not? Or is it bec u press & press & press them, that's why u get 28%?

[MaCe 3]

wall tiles, need to measure lor.

if i remember correctly, their charges is sum of the following;

$1.00 psf hacking - could be separated

$1.50 psf laying tiles

$2.00-$3.00 psf tiles(material)

btw, unless you are going for those very HIGH CLASS BILL GATEs' house looks - the usual ceramic wall tiles are all below $3.....i think mine only $2.20 or $1.80 psf.

[Nipponho 0]

Hi Mace, looks like your charges seems in line with market. I checked classifieds this morning, it is around this price, i even saw some cheaper than yours. But i was told that apart from tiles, they still need to pay for sand, so $2.5 psf for hack & relay, any idea is that figure final? Never mind, i can call & ask during lunch.

U got $1.8 psf wall tile? It does not give problem? I believe this is contractor price & not the display price. Sure, i can live with $2.20 tiles, if i can get $1.8 like yours, even better. ($$$). Where did u get yours? Hafary?

[MaCe 3]

Hi Mace, looks like your charges seems in line with market. I checked classifieds this morning, it is around this price, i even saw some cheaper than yours. But i was told that apart from tiles, they still need to pay for sand, so $2.5 psf for hack & relay, any idea is that figure final? Never mind, i can call & ask during lunch.

U got $1.8 psf wall tile? It does not give problem? I believe this is contractor price & not the display price. Sure, i can live with $2.20 tiles, if i can get $1.8 like yours, even better. ($$$). Where did u get yours? Hafary?

forgot liao...mine are just plain white 450 tiles. very common thats why cheap.

[Devilaz 0]

it depends what tiles you are getting. if im not wrong white horse brand tiles arent that good.

[applefreak 1]

erm while i was at hafary, a guy came in to buy ONE piece of tile

immediately the salesperson gave him 20% off display price

but that was back in Mar this year, don't think the practice changed much.

standard is 20% off display price, but you can squeeze them for more if you buy in bigger quantity

i got my tiles from hup kiong, in between hafary and the chinese shop

[Nipponho 0]

Hi Apple, i believe u went to all 3, but u end up at hup kiong, means hup kiong offers u the best?

OK, 20% standard, i will take note of that. The saleswoman told me is 10%, means bayday one.

That means the saleswoman at harfary

Thanks for your info!!

[applefreak 1]

hehehe, i went to all 3 but only the tile in hup kiong caught my eyes

coz i think staying in my flat for long long time must get something i like 8|

find that hafary and the chinese shop both offer tiles that are rather non-descript :P

or maybe just not my stle

[Nipponho 0]

Hi again Mace,

I called someone who advertised 3 lines on classifieds.

He quoted me 80cents psf for hacking, 1.50 psf for laying, very in line with what you thought..... BUT $2 psf for sand cost. So total $4.30 psf for labour.

Anybody has engaged contractor and would like to introduce? (hopefully can get some discounts since it is a customer who bring in another customer)

[MaCe 3]

Hi again Mace,

I called someone who advertised 3 lines on classifieds.

He quoted me 80cents psf for hacking, 1.50 psf for laying, very in line with what you thought..... BUT $2 psf for sand cost. So total $4.30 psf for labour.

Anybody has engaged contractor and would like to introduce? (hopefully can get some discounts since it is a customer who bring in another customer)

btw, for tiling - I find it that price might be very important but the workmanship is crucial.

just make sure that the tilers are malaysians...any other nationality...forget it.

[Nipponho 0]

I have a question for Mace & Apple & whoever else who can advise.

I called some contractors (not ID). Some say they get from Hafary, some from Soo Bee Huat, some from White Horse, some import their own. Those who import their own says that by doing so, it is cheaper than Harfary. True or not? I asked them is variety limited, they say no. Now confused.

And hor, apple, u say standard is 20%. I asked them, they say not necessary, depends. If your info is correct, which I believe so, that means they might have eaten away some percentages. I believe not all home owners knows about this contractor discount thing. They will just accept the display price, & contractor pocket the discounts. True?

Also hor, devil, white horse supplies those small white ugly square ones that u see in coffee shop toilets?

[applefreak 1]

the discount is the reason why some using hafary and some using white horse

it depends on what kind of deal they manage to strike with the tile shop !!

so the price psf that is stated by the ID / contractor is the display price

that's why some will charge you more if you only use their labour coz they earn nothing from the tile

as for tiles, think most of the tile shops are carrying similar tiles

i won't say it's the same coz there are minor differences

unless you are looking at those $16psf tiles then of course got difference lah

[Nipponho 0]

I noticed that Harfary prices are a little cheaper than the other 3 shops.

And yes, the patterns that they have are all the same. Only prices a little difference, but also not much too.

I saw so many nice designs, but regrettably, they are ceramic & cannot be used on floor. The glossy homo ones that were available were of lighter shades of beige. I don't like too light colour bec dust, dirt, and fallen hair is obvious. They don't have darker shades of beige, they only have black wh i like, but disallowed due to FS.