Tile is the finish people notice with their eyes closed, because you feel a lippage underfoot before you ever see it. And it's the finish where the invisible layers matter most: the membrane behind a shower, the flatness of a floor, the bond coat coverage under a wall tile. None of it photographs, and all of it decides whether thier installation lasts.
Rhodex quotes tile on the surfaces and the system behind them, because a shower is a waterproofing project that happens to be tiled, and the quote should reflect that.
What the job actually involves
Surfaces first: walls and floors get checked and flattened, because tile copies whatever is under it. Wet areas get waterproofed (a membrane or waterproof board with sealed seams in showers and tub surrounds) before any thinset is mixed. The layout is dry-fit and planned: tile cuts hidden in corners and under trim lines rather than running down the middle of the feature wall, grout joints set with spacers rather than eyeballed.
Setting is the slow part, done properly: back-buttered or back-combed coverage so no voids hide behind the tile, levelling clips on large formats so edges sit flush, cut edges finished with trim profiles instead of raw edges. Then grout, chosen for the joint and the room, cured on its own schedule, and sealed where the grout type calls for it. The movement joints (corners, tub lines, changes of plane) get silicone rather than grout, because grout cracks where the house moves.
What changes the price
As general market estimates, a Canadian cost guide puts tile installation labour at roughly $7 to $15 per square foot, with high-end work $15 to $25, plus the tile itself, and removal of old tile adding roughly $1.50 to $4 per square foot. What moves an individual quote:
- Format. Large-format and mosaics each take more setter time than a standard tile; patterned layouts add layout and cutting hours.
- The system behind it. Waterproofing, backer board and flattening are real line items, and they're the reason quotes differ by more than the tile does.
- Wet areas vs. backsplashes. A shower includes membranes, corners and slopes a kitchen backsplash never needs.
- Substrate condition. Old tile removal, damaged drywall behind it, or an uneven slab all add prep work before the first tile goes down.
- Grout and profiles. Epoxy grout, colour-matched caulk and metal trim profiles are upgrades with real costs and real durability differences.
Rhodex's own prices are never published online. Each job is quoted from the surfaces and the system they need, itemised with labour, materials and HST.
Quick answers
How much does tile installation cost?
As general market estimates, a Canadian cost guide puts tile installation labour at roughly $7 to $15 per square foot, with high-end work $15 to $25, plus the tile itself; removing old tile adds roughly $1.50 to $4 per square foot. Lippage-prone formats and heavy prep move the labour number.
Do showers need waterproofing behind the tile?
Yes, because grout is not waterproof. A shower needs a membrane or waterproof board system behind the tile, with corners and seams sealed, or water reaches the studs and the failure shows up months later as mould or a loose wall. It's the step that never appears in a photograph yet decides the shower's lifespan.
Why is my existing tile cracked?
Usually movement or a weak bond: a crack that runs through multiple tiles in a line points at the subfloor or structure under it, while isolated cracks often mean the tile was set with voids behind it. Replacing tiles on top of the cause just repeats the failure.
Large-format tile or small — does it matter?
It matters more than it looks. Large-format tile demands flatter surfaces and careful lippage control; it looks spare and modern when the substrate is flat and shows every wave when it isn't. Small formats and mosaics handle uneven walls better but mean more grout to maintain. The wall's flatness should choose the format, and the other way around just fights it.
How long before I can walk on new tile?
Light foot traffic is commonly fine after 24 hours, but grout needs its cure time, typically around 72 hours before it gets wet, and a shower shouldn't be used until the whole assembly has cured per the products used. Rushing the wet test is how grout discolours.
How Rhodex handles tile work
Tell us the surfaces, whether that's a shower, a tub surround, a backsplash or a floor, and the tile you have in mind, or the look you're after and the budget. An office manager quotes the job including the waterproofing and prep it actually needs, and the cure schedule is part of the plan from the start. You approve the quote before anyone is dispatched; the work carries a 365-day warranty on workmanship.
Where we set tile
Tile setters work Etobicoke and Mississauga in the west; Vaughan's Woodbridge, Maple, Concord and Thornhill; and north through King City, Aurora, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Markham and Stouffville.
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Ready when you are
The tile is the easy decision, and the system behind it is the one that matters. (647) 205-7554, 8:30 am to 10:30 pm, every day.
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