Tile Installation in Seattle — Showers, Bathroom Floors & Backsplashes That Stay Waterproof
Walk-in showers, tub surrounds, bathroom and kitchen floors, backsplashes, entries and mudrooms — porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaic and large-format tile. Waterproofed to a system, set on a flat substrate with levelling clips, and grouted so it doesn’t crack, stain or leak behind the wall.
Free in-home measurement · itemized price in writing the next business day · our own tile setters, no subcontractors
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Licensed · Bonded · InsuredWA L&I #INREAI*784MG · $1M liability
Most Seattle tile jobs are one of these four. Which is yours?
Tile doesn’t fail. What’s behind it does — and you find out two years later, through the ceiling below.
Almost every shower we tear out was tiled over drywall, greenboard or a “waterproof” paint that wasn’t. Here’s the difference, line by line.
The cheap tile job
- ✕Tile straight onto drywall or greenboard. Grout is not waterproof; the wall soaks, swells and grows mould behind the tile.
- ✕No slope in the shower pan, no pre-slope under the liner. Water sits, the pan smells, the curb rots.
- ✕Tile set on a wavy substrate. Lippage you can feel with bare feet, cracked grout lines within a year.
- ✕Grout in the corners instead of caulk. Every change of plane cracks as the house moves — then leaks.
How Inreal sets tile
- ✓Cement board or foam board plus a bonded waterproofing membrane (Schluter-Kerdi or equivalent) on every wet wall — flood-tested before tile.
- ✓Pre-sloped pan with a bonded drain, curb wrapped and tested, linear or centre drain — your choice.
- ✓Substrate flattened, then levelling clips on floors and large-format walls so every edge is flush.
- ✓Colour-matched silicone at every corner, sealed grout, photos of the waterproofing before it’s covered, and a 12-month workmanship warranty.
Shower, floor, backsplash and repair — porcelain, ceramic, stone and mosaic
We supply the tile or set what you’ve already chosen. Every wet area gets a waterproofing system, not just “waterproof” grout.
Shower & Tub Surround Tile
Walk-in showers, tub-to-shower conversions and tub surrounds. Cement board and a bonded membrane, pre-sloped pan, built-in niche and bench, curbless if you want it. Large-format, subway or mosaic.
Bathroom Floor Tile
Porcelain, hex, patterned encaustic-look and natural stone floors. Subfloor stiffened and flattened, uncoupling membrane so the tile doesn’t crack with the house, and electric radiant heat if you want warm feet in January.
Kitchen Backsplash Tile
Subway, herringbone, stacked, zellige, glass mosaic and slab-look porcelain. Outlets cut clean, edges finished with Schluter trim or bullnose, grout colour matched to the counter. Usually one day.
Large-Format & Marble-Look Porcelain
24×48 and bigger, up to full porcelain slabs. Fewer grout lines, spa look. Needs a dead-flat wall, a large-format mortar, back-buttering and a levelling system — which is why not everyone offers it.
Entry, Mudroom, Laundry & Kitchen Floors
The floors that take wet boots, dog paws and dropped pans. Porcelain rated for it, laid on a flattened subfloor with an uncoupling membrane, grout sealed. Transitions flush to the hardwood or LVP next door.
Tile Repair, Regrouting & Re-caulking
Cracked or loose tiles replaced with matches, crumbling grout raked out and regrouted, mouldy corners re-caulked with silicone, stone re-sealed. We’ll also tell you honestly when a shower has failed behind the tile and repair won’t hold.
What tile work actually costs in the Seattle area — labour and materials, installed
From our 2025–2026 jobs in King, Pierce and Kitsap County. Tile itself ranges from $3 to $30+ per square foot, so we show ranges with mid-range tile; you can spend less or more on the tile without changing the labour.
| Project | Typical range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in shower, tiled, ~90 sq ft of wallWaterproofing system, pan, niche, mid-range porcelain | $4,500–$12,000 | 4–6 days |
| Tub surround, three walls to the ceilingCement board, membrane, subway or 12×24 | $2,800–$6,500 | 3–4 days |
| Bathroom floor tilePer sq ft, uncoupling membrane included | $14–$28 / sq ft | 1–2 days |
| Electric radiant heat under tileAdd-on, mat + thermostat + install | + $10–$18 / sq ft | + ½ day |
| Kitchen backsplash, ~30 sq ftSubway or mosaic, outlets, trim | $900–$1,800 | 1 day |
| Large-format / marble-look porcelain walls24×48 and up, per sq ft | $35–$70 / sq ft | Per project |
| Entry, mudroom or kitchen floor tilePer sq ft, porcelain | $14–$28 / sq ft | 1–3 days |
| Regrout a showerRake out, regrout, re-caulk, seal | $450–$1,200 | 1 day |
| Demolition of old tilePer sq ft, disposal included | $3–$6 / sq ft | ½–1 day |
Porcelain vs ceramic vs natural stone vs glass mosaic vs large-format
| Porcelain | Ceramic | Natural stone | Glass & mosaic | Large-format porcelain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile cost, per sq ft | $4–$15 | $2–$8 | $8–$30 | $10–$30 | $8–$25 |
| Installed, walls | $25–$45 | $22–$40 | $40–$70 | $35–$60 | $35–$70 |
| Water & steam | Best — under 0.5% absorption | Fine on walls, avoid on shower floors | Needs sealing yearly | Non-porous | Best |
| Floors | Yes, any room | Light traffic only | Yes, sealed | Mosaic on shower floors only | Yes, needs flat subfloor |
| Maintenance | None | None | Seal, pH-neutral cleaner | Grout lines to keep clean | Least grout of all |
| Best for | Everything wet, floors, rentals | Budget backsplashes, walls | Spa look, owners who’ll maintain it | Accents, niches, shower floors | Modern spa showers, fewer lines |
From measurement to first shower — five steps, one crew, waterproofing you get to see
A tiled shower is only as good as the day it was waterproofed. So that’s the day we photograph and send to you.
Quick call
Shower, floor or backsplash; rough size; whether you’ve picked tile yet. Ten minutes.
Same or next dayMeasure & substrate check
We measure, check the walls and subfloor for flatness and damage, and talk through niche, bench, drain and trim options.
Within 2 daysItemized quote
Demo, backer board, waterproofing, tile, setting, grout, trim, caulk — each on its own line with a start date.
Next business dayDemo, board & waterproof
Old tile out, framing checked, cement board set, membrane bonded, pan built and flood-tested. You get the photos.
Days 1–2Set, grout, seal, walkthrough
Tile set with levelling clips, grouted next day, corners caulked, grout sealed. Cure time before first use, then we walk it with you.
Days 3–6Meet the Inreal crew — the same tile setters from measurement to the last bead of caulk
No subcontracted tile crews. Everyone below is on our payroll, trained on our waterproofing system, and answerable to you if a grout line isn’t right.
Three bathrooms, photographed before, during and after
A full-tile bathroom with a patterned floor, a marble-look spa bath, and a hex-tile floor — all set by the crew above.
Floor-to-ceiling tile, a black-and-white patterned porcelain floor and a wood-slat feature wall
Gutted to the studs, then cement board and a bonded membrane on every wet wall. Large-format porcelain set with levelling clips on the shower walls, patterned porcelain on the floor over an uncoupling membrane, black vanity and a wood-slat wall to warm it up. Cost band: mid-teens for the tile scope.
A yellow 1970s bathroom turned into a marble-look spa with a mosaic shower floor
Old tub, old floor tile, old everything. We removed it all, rebuilt the shower with a pre-sloped pan and bonded drain, set marble-look porcelain on the walls with a book-matched feature panel, laid a marble mosaic on the shower floor for grip, and finished with a floating wood vanity. Cost band: low-$20k range for the tile and shower scope.
1970s sheet vinyl replaced with a hex porcelain floor, levelled and sealed
The vinyl hid a subfloor that rocked. We replaced the damaged sheathing, screwed the rest down, set cement board, then laid hex porcelain with levelling clips so every edge sits flush. Grout sealed on day two. Cost band: $1,500–$2,500 for a floor this size.
Six things every Inreal tile contract includes
WA-registered, bonded, insured
Registration #INREAI*784MG, a $30,000 contractor bond and $1M/$2M general liability — certificates attached to every quote so you can verify us before signing.
Waterproofing photographed & flood-tested
You see the membrane, the pan and the test before a single tile goes on — proof for you and for the next buyer.
Itemized price, held 30 days
What’s on the quote is what’s on the invoice. If we find rot behind the old tile, you get a photo and a price before we continue.
Our crew, dated schedule
No subcontractors. You know who’s coming, which days, and when you can shower again — with a photo update each evening.
Dust contained, home protected
Doorways sealed, floors and stairs masked, tile saw outside or in a wet station. Old tile gone the day it comes down.
12-month workmanship warranty
A cracked grout line, a loose tile, a corner that opens — we come back and fix it at no charge.
Check us before you let us in the door
Washington law requires every contractor to be registered, bonded and insured. Plenty of “handymen” quoting your job are not. Here’s our paperwork so you can verify it yourself in about a minute.
Verify it yourself: search our registration number on the Washington State L&I Verify a Contractor page — you’ll see the active licence, the bond, the insurance, and that we have no lawsuits, violations or L&I tax debts on record. A current certificate of insurance and our L&I printout go out with every quote, and we’ll name you as certificate holder on request.
Get my free quoteWhat homeowners say once the grout has cured
We had a great experience with Inreal — they were responsive and took full ownership of the project and completed everything as per plan.
They did excellent work. Exactly what I needed. Flexible for work add-ons as well. I would recommend them and use them again.
These guys are absolutely fantastic. I will be hiring and referring them business any chance I get.
Bohdan takes his job seriously and goes above and beyond. Friendly and professional.
Seattle, the Eastside, South Sound and the Kitsap Peninsula
Most of our tile work is bathrooms in Seattle’s 1950s–70s homes — Wallingford, Ballard, West Seattle, Wedgwood — where the original tub surrounds and pink tile are finally coming out, plus Renton, Kent and Federal Way. We cover Bellevue and Redmond, go down to Tacoma, and take the ferry to Bremerton and Bainbridge.
King County
- Seattle
- Bellevue
- Redmond
- Kirkland
- Renton
- Kent
- Issaquah
- Federal Way
- Shoreline
- SeaTac
Pierce County
- Tacoma
- Gig Harbor
- Puyallup
- Lakewood
- Fife
- Key Peninsula
Kitsap County
- Bremerton
- Port Orchard
- Silverdale
- Poulsbo
- Bainbridge Island
- Olalla
Questions Seattle homeowners ask before hiring a tile contractor
How much does tile installation cost in Seattle?
Installed with mid-range porcelain: a tiled walk-in shower $4,500–$12,000, a three-wall tub surround $2,800–$6,500, bathroom or entry floor tile $14–$28 per sq ft, a 30 sq ft kitchen backsplash $900–$1,800. Large-format and marble-look porcelain walls run $35–$70 per sq ft. Demolition of old tile adds $3–$6 per sq ft. The tile you pick is the biggest swing — labour is roughly the same for $4 and $20 tile.
How much does it cost to tile a shower?
A typical Seattle walk-in shower — about 90 sq ft of wall, a pan, a niche and mid-range 12×24 porcelain — costs $4,500–$12,000 installed, including cement board, a bonded waterproofing membrane and a pre-sloped pan with a bonded drain. Curbless entries, benches, linear drains and large-format tile push it toward the top of the range.
What’s the best tile for a bathroom in Seattle?
Porcelain. It absorbs less than 0.5% water, handles steam and daily showers without sealing, and comes in every look including marble and wood. Ceramic is fine on walls and backsplashes but softer on floors. Natural stone looks beautiful and needs sealing every year in our humidity. For shower floors, small mosaic tile gives the grip and the slope.
How do you waterproof a tiled shower?
Cement board or foam board on the walls, then a bonded sheet or liquid membrane (Schluter-Kerdi or equivalent) over the whole wet area, a pre-sloped pan with a bonded flange drain, and a curb wrapped in membrane. We flood-test the pan for 24 hours before tiling and send you the photos. Grout and tile are not waterproof — the membrane is.
Can you tile over existing tile?
Sometimes on floors, if the old tile is well bonded, flat and the height works with doors and transitions. Never in a shower — you can’t waterproof over old tile, and you don’t know what’s behind it. For showers we always take it back to the studs, check for rot, and rebuild the wet area properly.
How long does a tile job take?
Backsplash: 1 day. Bathroom floor: 1–2 days. Tub surround: 3–4 days. Walk-in shower: 4–6 days including demo, waterproofing, flood test, setting, grouting and curing. Add 3–7 days before first use for grout and silicone to cure fully.
Do you install heated tile floors?
Yes. Electric radiant mats under bathroom, entry and kitchen tile add $10–$18 per sq ft including the thermostat and a licensed electrical hookup. They’re most worth it in bathrooms with tile floors that face a Seattle January.
Can you install tile I’ve already bought?
Yes. We install customer-supplied porcelain, ceramic, stone, glass and mosaic at labour-only rates. We’ll check the tile’s size and substrate requirements and tell you how much extra to order for cuts — usually 10–15%.
Is Inreal a licensed tile contractor in Washington?
Yes, and you can check it in a minute. Inreal Construction is registered as INREAL INC with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries — general contractor registration #INREAI*784MG, UBI 604 922 738 — with a $30,000 contractor bond (Contractors Bonding & Insurance Co, bond SN7110) and $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate general liability through CBIC (RLI), plus workers’ compensation for our crew. Look us up on the L&I Verify a Contractor page: no lawsuits against the bond, no licence violations and no L&I tax debts on record. Certificates go out with every quote, and we’ll add you as certificate holder on request.
Do you do full bathroom and kitchen remodels, not just tile?
Yes — tile is usually one part of a bigger job. We do complete bathroom remodels, kitchen renovations and flooring installation, so tile, plumbing, vanities and floors are planned and scheduled together.
Ready for a shower you’ll never worry about? Let’s measure.
Tell us the room and the tile you have in mind. The person who’ll set it calls you back with a date for the site visit — and brings samples.
(425) 474-3124Monday to Saturday, 8 am – 5:30 pm · Seattle and the greater Puget Sound
INREAL INC · Washington State contractor registration #INREAI*784MG · UBI 604 922 738 · $30,000 contractor bond and $1M/$2M general liability through Contractors Bonding & Insurance Company (an RLI company).
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Shower, floor or backsplash, rough size and the tile you have in mind — we’ll ring you back to book a measurement. Rather talk now? (425) 474-3124