Tile & Stone · Nashville, TN
The Nashville homeowner's guide to tile and stone
What the work involves, what drives the price, what your options are, and what a bad job looks like — written so you can judge any tile contractor in Middle Tennessee, including us.
Estimate request
Tell us about the job.
It comes straight through to us and we respond immediately.
Warning signs
How to know you need us
If you recognize any of these, it is worth having somebody look before it becomes a larger job.
- Grout cracking along the same joint
- Tiles that sound hollow when tapped
- A shower leaking into the ceiling below
- Edges you catch with a bare foot
- Stone that has stained and was never sealed
- A layout that ends in a sliver at the wall
- Movement or flex underfoot
Your options
More than one right answer.
A tile contractor who only ever recommends the most expensive option is not giving you advice. Here is the honest range.
Repair and regrout
Where the installation is sound and only the grout has failed. Cheapest by a wide margin and often all that is needed.
Tile over
Occasionally possible on a sound, flat floor. Raises the height, so doors and thresholds have to be considered.
Full replacement
Up to the substrate, made flat, and reset. The right answer when tiles are hollow or the floor moves.
Natural stone
Beautiful and unforgiving. Needs sealing, needs the right cleaners for life, and needs the veining laid out before it is fixed.
What it costs
What actually drives the price.
We do not quote tile and stone over the phone, because an honest number needs somebody to look at the job. These are the things that move it.
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Tile size and material
Large-format tile needs a flatter substrate and more labour to set without lippage. Natural stone adds sealing and far more care in handling.
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Condition of the substrate
Most of the cost people do not expect is flattening the floor or building the shower correctly. Tile is only as good as what it is stuck to.
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Pattern
Straight lay is quickest. Herringbone, diagonal and mixed-format patterns take longer and waste more material in cuts.
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Waterproofing
A shower needs a tested waterproofing system, and the system is not optional. It is the difference between a shower and a slow leak.
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Demolition and disposal
Taking up an existing floor, especially one bedded in mortar, is a real part of the job rather than a rounding error.
Every estimate is free, written and carries no obligation — including the parts we would find only after starting, which are priced up front rather than left open.
What happens
From your call to the finished job.
Layout first
Where the full tiles land and where the cuts go, agreed before anything is bonded. This is what separates a good tile job from an expensive one.
Prepare the substrate
Flattened, reinforced or rebuilt as needed. Large-format tile is unforgiving of a floor that is out by even a little.
Waterproof
In wet areas, to a single tested system rather than a mixture of products that were never designed to work together.
Set
Back-buttered where the tile needs it, levelling system used on large format, and spacing kept consistent throughout.
Grout and seal
Grouted after the setting material has cured properly, then sealed where the material requires it.
Done badly
What goes wrong, and why it matters.
These are the shortcuts that make a quote look cheaper and cost you more later. Ask anyone you are considering about them.
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Starting without a layout
Setting from a corner and working out is how you end up with a half-inch sliver at the most visible wall.
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Skipping the uncoupling membrane
On a floor that moves, the membrane is what stops the movement reaching the tile. Without it the crack telegraphs straight through.
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Mixing waterproofing systems
Products from different systems are not tested together, and the manufacturer warranty for both is void the moment they are combined.
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Grouting too early
Grouting before the setting material has cured traps moisture underneath and discolours the grout permanently.
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Leaving stone unsealed
Marble and travertine stain from almost anything. Sealing is a maintenance item, not a one-off at installation.
Before you hire anyone
Six questions worth asking any tile contractor.
Including us. If a contractor cannot answer these easily, that is the answer.
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Are you licensed for tile and stone and can I see the certificate?
A licensed and insured contractor will have this to hand and will not be irritated by the question.
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Is the estimate written, itemized and free?
A verbal number is not an estimate. Itemized means you can compare two quotes on the same basis.
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What happens if you find something once you start?
The honest answer names a rate and a process. The answer to worry about is that it never happens.
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Who is actually doing the work?
Employee crew or subcontractor is not a wrong answer either way, but you should know which, and who carries the insurance.
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What is the workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
Materials carry a manufacturer warranty. Workmanship is the contractor, and it should be written down.
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Will you pull the permit?
For permitted work, a contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something important about the rest of the job.
FAQ
Choosing a tile contractor in Nashville
How do I choose a tile contractor in Nashville?
Check the license and the insurance certificate, get the estimate in writing and itemized so you can compare quotes on the same basis, and ask what happens if something is found once work starts. A contractor who cannot answer those easily has told you what you need to know.
Should I get more than one quote for tile and stone?
Yes, and compare what is in them rather than the number at the bottom. The cheapest quote is often cheapest because it leaves something out, and on tile and stone the thing left out is usually the preparation that decides how long the work lasts.
Is the cheapest tile and stone quote usually a bad idea?
Not automatically — but an unusually low number is information. Ask specifically what is included, what grade of material is quoted, who is doing the work and what the workmanship warranty is. If all four answers are good, the low quote is a good quote.
Do I need a permit for tile and stone in Nashville?
It depends on the scope. Metro Nashville and the surrounding counties permit and inspect a good deal of this work, and a contractor suggesting you skip a required permit is telling you something about how they approach the rest of the job. We pull the permits our work requires.
How far in advance should I book tile and stone?
A few weeks where you can. Booking in the quiet season usually means better scheduling and sometimes better pricing than booking in the rush, and it gives you time to make the selections properly.
Free estimate
Need a tile contractor in Nashville today?
Tell us what is going on and we will get you a free estimate from a local tile contractor. No obligation, no pressure.