Here are a few tips to help you get the best tile installation for your buck:


Get at least three bids from licensed contractors. Ask who will be doing the work.
Check their references. Try to see some of their work, no one will give you a bad reference. The cheapest bid may not be your best choice. Pick someone you feel you can work and communicate with.

Hire a licensed tile contractor. Your daughter's boyfriend and your brother-in-law can build your project and it will look like a fantastic improvement over what you had but, what will it look like in two years? If it leaks or cracks will he be available to provide knowledgeable customer service?

When a tile contractor comes to your home or place of business to estimate your project, follow him out to his truck. It should be pretty full of tools and setting materials. The tools should look dirty and worn yet organized and in cases or tool boxes. The guy that spent that many hours putting the wear on that tool probably knows how to use it.

Don't find yourself next Christmas looking at your project and wishing you had waited those extra two weeks shipping time or spent that extra $200 to get what you really wanted.

Some customers provide ice cold drinks and show up Friday afternoon with pizza. They move their cars and open their garage doors so their tile contractor and his helpers can start work as soon as they get there. They remove all the breakables and artwork beforehand, even what furniture they can. They make sure their pets are safe and not a hindrance. They provide easy access to electricity and the facilities. They set their thermostat to the workers needs. In short, they treat their tile contractor and everyone else that works on their projects with respect. They understand that their contractor has the skills, expertise and tools to accomplish what they never could. They realize that the faster their job gets done the happier they are and the more money their workers make.

On the other hand, some customers treat their contractors like hired help from a lesser societal class. Which customer do you think gets the better job? All day long we contractors and journeymen make decisions about what is "good enough" to work or, is that "cut" really the best I can do. Do I really need to take another 5 minutes to improve on something the customer may never notice? Here's something all too commonly heard at the site, "you can't see it from my house". A little courtesy and respect along with ten bucks in cokes and cheap pizza could have a substantial influence on the quality of your project.

Change orders cost you money. Sometimes it is helpful to see how a project develops before you make a final decision on some of the details. Make sure your contractor is clear on what might be adjusted later on. He can then better manage the construction schedule to accommodate changes. No contractor likes to tear out what he's already built, he will charge accordingly.