Pricing/quoting a period floor

Why pricing by the square metre doesn't work

These floors are made up of three parts - the pattern, the border and the outer plain tiles that are cut to the skirting called the fill. The cost of any given pattern per sq.mtr is different from the border and the plain fill is of course usually the cheapest, however it is not the area that determines what is required and the price but the rooms shape and dimensions combined.

In the above images, the square room and rectangular room have the same area, but different amount of border/fill and pattern. This can throw off the quantity of tiles supplied if you are quoted by the metre.

We are happy to work out a price initially to give you a rough figure, but we much prefer, and highly recommend you give us a sketch with specific measurements. This often works out cheaper and is certainly more accurate in terms of how many tiles we supply.

Our competitors usually supply by the square metre which isn't as accurate, can be more expensive and can lead to higher labour costs as your tiler has to make more cuts from "generic" tiles rather than specific shapes we incorporate into the design and supply to make up the geometric patterns.

Get a rough price

For a rough and quick price we have our quick quote facility where you can enter some room dimensions and choose from one of the popular pattern and border combinations, submit the form from our website and we will be able to quote you quite quickly.

More accurate pricing

For an accurate price or for designs not on our quick quote page of our website the best way to obtain a price from us is to email us a sketch of the area to be tiled as if looking down from above and include the measurements of all the lengths going around the area as shown below. Your sketch / drawing does not have to be to scale or very neat, we just need to understand the shape of the area to be tiled, the important thing is please try to measure accurately and don’t miss anything off.

For exactly what is needed for an accurate price, click here

The advantages of giving you an accurate quote

When pricing floors accurately we always try to allow for as many pre-made items as possible, an example is for patterns that are at 45 degrees we usually allow for the triangles around the edges of the pattern to be supplied by us as triangles, this looks much neater and is easier for the tiler since they don't have to make lots of cuts

Our competitors may be cheaper, and will be happy to provide you with a rough price based on the square metres but this is not best for you as you may have too many or too few tiles, plus lots of cuts to make, adding labour costs. When we price a floor we will normally draw some or all of the floor to scale and in doing so we plan the best way to tile it to achieve the best symmetry we can and for the floor to look at its best within the space you have.

What affects the price?

There are lots of factors that affect the price of a period floor

• Complexity - more complex patterns = more tiles, which means a higher cost.
• Colours - different coloured tiles cost different amounts, depending on the minerals used in the clay and dyes. Black and White is generally the cheapest.
• The state of the floor as is - if the floor is level and rock solid, for example a hardwood floor, the materials and labour costs to prepare the floor will be relatively low compared to a creaky floor with floorboards that need ripping up/fixing down and levelling.
• How many cuts are required - a completely square floor with level walls and no "fiddly bits" will usually cost less than a floor of the same area with radiator pipes, doorways, curves and complex skirting to work around. The more cuts, the longer the floor takes to tile and the higher the labour cost/more spares you will need.

I am on a budget - what would you recommend?

Generally speaking, black and white, simple patterns like chequerboards or octagons are the best on a budget. We don't just sell period wall and floor tiles, however. If you want something that looks Victorian, we can supply printed patterned tiles or Victorian-style mosaic tiles for less than the price of a reproduction period floor.

If you'd like to view simple designs that might be more budget-friendly, visit our gallery here

Click here for important information on colour, size and texture variation and more...