12 Dec How Much Does Floor Tile Removal Cost?
Removing tiles is the first step to transforming your home with new flooring. Knowing the cost of removing floor tiles is essential to budgeting your renovation. Whether you have ceramic tiles, tile glue or tricky wet areas, this guide will break down everything you need to know about tile removal costs, processes and services.
Factors Affecting The Price
Tile removal cost depends on tile type, area size and labour complexity. For basic jobs expect to pay from $40 – $60 per square metre but prices can go up if we factor in subfloor preparation and potential levelling costs, which depend on what you wish to install afterwards.
Key Pricing Factors:
- Floor Tile Types: Ceramic or stone tiles take longer and more effort to remove.
- Glue vs Cement: Cement is much harder to remove compared to glued down tiles.
- Subfloor Preparation: Concrete grinding or adhesive removal adds to the cost.
- Subfloor Levelling: If you wish to install hard floors, additional levelling is often required.
- Wet Areas: Bathrooms and kitchens require special techniques and tools.
1. Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles are relatively easy to remove, but stubborn tile glue can increase the labour time. They often require thorough cleaning of the subfloor with concrete grinders for smooth installation of new flooring.
Cost to remove & dispose: $40 – $60 per square metre.
2. Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain is denser and harder to break compared to ceramic tiles, which can make tile floor removal more time-consuming. Special tools are needed to minimize subfloor damage. FloorVenue often needs to do subfloor levelling afterwards.
Cost to remove & dispose: $45 – $60 per square metre.
3. Stone Tiles (Marble, Granite, Slate)
Natural stone tiles (a.k.a Travertine) are heavy and durable, making their removal challenging. Additionally, they often use strong adhesives, necessitating concrete grinding or chiselling. Often times we require jackhammering followed by subfloor levelling.
Cost to remove & dispose: $50 – $70 per square metre.
4. Vinyl Tiles
Vinyl tiles look just like real tiles, however are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). They are usually easier to remove than ceramic or stone but often leave behind a sticky residue of tile adhesive, requiring additional labour. Often vinyl tiles are installed over a masonite sheet subfloor which also needs to be taken up.
Some loose vinyl tiles can be very easy to dispose of. It depends on whether the glue is old and weakened, or new and strong. In the event the vinyl floor tile was installed with hard-set glue, you may also need sanding or levelling.
Cost to remove & dispose: $10 – $40 per square metre.
After Tile Floor Removal: Subfloor Preparation & Levelling
The concrete or timber subfloor is easily damaged in the process of taking up old tiles. This means we must prepare the subfloor by patching any holes or sanding away glue before installing anything new on top. Sometimes it requires a full coat of levelling compound.
The cost of subfloor preparation and levelling can vary widely, depending on the extent of damage and the requirements of your new flooring. When removing tiles, the subfloor—whether concrete or timber—can suffer from residual tile adhesive, dents, cracks, or even significant gouges. Addressing these issues is critical to start with a stable foundation for your new tiles, carpet, or other flooring materials.
Subfloor Levelling and Smoothing (Prices Including Labour):
If the subfloor is uneven, sloped, or significantly damaged, a full coat of levelling compound may be required. This ensures a flat, smooth surface essential for flooring types like vinyl planks, laminate, or ceramic tiles that demand a level base.
Applying a levelling compound over can range from $40 to $90 per square metre, depending on the product used and the degree of unevenness. Wooden subfloors like yellow tongue and solid timber require gap sealing and non-porous primer before pouring levelling compound.
- Concrete Subfloor Levelling: $40 – $60 per square metre.
- Particle Board Subfloor Levelling: $60 – $70 per square metre.
- Timber Plank Subfloor Levelling: $70 – 90 per square metre.
Concrete Subfloor Preparation Cost:
Concrete slabs, while durable, are not immune to damage during jackhammering of tiles. Removing leftover tile glue and using concrete grinders to smooth the surface are common tasks. If the concrete is cracked or pitted, repairs might involve patching or even resurfacing, costing an additional.
- Concrete Grinding: $20 – $40 per square metre.
- Feather Edge Gap Filling: $10 – $20 per square metre.
Timber Subfloor Preparation Cost:
Timber subfloors may need additional attention, such as replacing damaged boards or reinforcing weakened sections. These repairs can cost between $30 and $70 per square metre, depending on the complexity. Additionally, timber may require sanding and sealing to ensure it is ready for tile installation or other flooring.
- Timber Sanding: $10 – $20 per square metre.
- Replacing Damaged Planks: $200 upwards, depending on amount.
How Much Does DIY Floor Tile Removal Cost
Looking to do your renovations on a budget? Floor tile removal can be DIY if you have prior experience and access to the appropriate tools and personal protective equipment. However, it is important to keep in mind safety is always number one, and should be prioritised above saving money.
Considerations for DIY Tile Removal:
- Equipment Hire & Tools
- Disposal Costs
- Time Investment
- Subfloor Levelling (If Required)
Equipment & Tools
Most of you will need to hire equipment for one-off floor tile removals because not everyone has a jackhammer and disc sander in the shed.
Don’t forget that personal protective equipment is crucial. Since there is no such thing as dust free tile removal, you might want to consider dust extraction equipment and proper masks to avoid inhaling excess dust.
You can expect to spend around $150 – $300 for equipment hire each day.
Skip Bin Hire For Tile Disposal
Some councils will allow free waste disposal services. We recommend contacting your council to confirm whether you are covered.
The absolute minimum cost of a skip bin hire will begin around $500 and will vary depending on the amount of tiles you wish to take up. You can always reach out to a waste disposal company like Aussie Skips for a quote.
Time Investment
Time is money! The average room will take a full day to remove and dispose floor tiles. If you have spare time for a weekend renovation and want to get some (heavy) exercise in, this might be the right task to take on.
Sometimes it might not be worthwhile to DIY given the costs and time, which is completely fine. You can always let the experts at FloorVenue take on the tile removal service.
Subfloor Levelling
As we have already established, the concrete subfloor can be uneven and damaged in the process of removing tile flooring. If you wish to DIY subfloor levelling, you can expect to pay around $15 – $20 per square metre for self-levelling compound and any primers required.
At FloorVenue, we have a variety of levelling compounds designed for different subfloors:
- SP Levelling Compound For Residential & Concrete Subfloors: $30 – $35 per 20kg bag
- SS Levelling Compound For Commercial & Stable Wooden Subfloors: $35 – $45 per 20kg bag
- SF Flexible Levelling Compound For Unstable Wooden Subfloors: $45 – $55 per 20kg bag
We recommend reaching out to one of our Flooring Consultants for advice on choosing the right levelling compound and primer for your substrate.
FloorVenue specialises in subfloor levelling. We’re confident that we have the best rates and highest quality levelling compound. Much cheaper and yet better quality and easier to apply compared to what you’ll find at bunnings.
Conclusion – Cost Of Removing Floor Tiles
The reality is every job-site and situation is different. Whilst we can account for the basic cost of tile removal and subsequent floor preparation, the exact cost may be difficult to determine without having a technician see the site in person.
Luckily FloorVenue offers free on-site inspections and consultations if you intend to install flooring or carpets after removing the tiles. Our team of experts can provide high quality tile removal services for small or larger areas. We’ll get your space ready for new flooring. Call us today for a free quote and we’ll take care of the rest.
