Tiling, floors and decorating
Splashbacks and tiling
A kitchen splashback is the washable surface on the wall behind the worktop, sink and hob that protects the plaster from splashes, steam and grease. It can be a tiled strip between the worktop and wall units, full-height wall tiling, a single panel of toughened glass behind the hob, or a stone upstand templated with the worktop. Fitting it is one of the last jobs in a kitchen fit.
When do you need splashbacks and tiling?
Most splashback jobs start in one of two ways. Some people are finishing a new kitchen and need the wall between the worktop and wall units closed in. Others are keeping their units and want a cleaner, more up-to-date look without replacing them. Either way, the result depends on preparation: flat, sound walls, sockets set at the right depth, straight setting-out lines and a flexible seal where the tiles meet the worktop, so water cannot get behind.
We fit splashbacks as part of a new kitchen or as a job on their own. At the free survey visit we check the walls for flatness and soundness, agree final socket and switch positions, and talk through tile size, grout colour and edge trims. Tiling starts once the worktops are fixed and second-fix positions are agreed. Glass is measured off the fitted worktops and made to size with socket cut-outs, and stone upstands are templated with the worktop.
What is included?
- Free survey visit to check the walls, agree the layout and give an itemised quote
- Old tiles removed and walls prepared, patched or boarded where needed
- Tiled splashbacks between the worktop and wall units, set out from a centre line
- Full-height or feature tiling behind the hob, sink or open shelving
- Toughened glass splashback measured after the worktops are fitted, with socket cut-outs
- Stone upstands and splashbacks templated and fitted alongside a stone worktop
- Grout and sealant chosen for easy cleaning, with flexible sealant at the worktop joint
- Socket and switch plates refitted by an electrician once the tiling is finished
How much does splashbacks and tiling cost?
These are national guide prices including VAT at 20%. Prices are higher in London and the South East and lower in much of the North, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area below for a local range.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Tiled splashbackBetween worktop and wall units | £150–£400 |
| Kitchen wall tiling, 4–6 m²Preparation, tiling and grouting | £300–£800 |
| Toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fittedMade to measure after the worktops are in | £250–£600 |
| Stone upstands and splashbacksTemplated with the worktop | Priced with the worktop |
Tiling guide ranges cover preparation, adhesive, grout, trims and fixing, with the tiles themselves confirmed once chosen; the glass range includes a made-to-measure panel, and stone upstands are priced with the worktop. Your price is confirmed after a free survey visit.
How long does it take?
Typical timescale: 1 to 2 days. The programme for your kitchen is set out in the quote, and depends on the size of the room, what is moving, lead times for units and worktops and, after plastering, drying time.
Do you need permission or building regulations approval?
The rules differ across the UK. Choose your nation:
Tiling or fitting a splashback in England needs no planning permission or building regulations approval. If sockets or switches are moved to suit the new wall finish, that is electrical work to BS 7671; adding to an existing kitchen circuit is not notifiable under Part P, but a new circuit is. Behind a gas hob, follow the hob maker's clearance instructions, and in a listed building, removing historic tiles or panelling may need listed building consent.
In Wales, splashbacks and tiling need no planning permission or building regulations approval. Electrical changes are different: because Part P in Wales treats extending an existing circuit within a kitchen as notifiable, moving or adding a socket to suit new tiling is normally notifiable work, certified through a competent person scheme or building control. In a listed building, listed building consent may be needed before historic tiles or features are removed.
In Scotland, tiling and splashbacks do not need a building warrant or planning permission. If sockets or switches are moved to suit the new wall finish, the electrical work must meet the building standards and BS 7671, and you should receive an Electrical Installation Certificate or a Minor Works Certificate. In a listed building, removing historic tiles or panelling may need listed building consent, so check with the local authority first.
In Northern Ireland, fitting a splashback or retiling a kitchen needs no planning permission or building control application. Domestic electrical work does not have to be notified, but sockets moved to suit the tiling should still be installed and tested to BS 7671 and certified. In a listed building, removing historic tiles or other original features may need listed building consent, so check with the council before work starts.
What should you think about before starting?
- Agree socket, switch and cooker hood positions before tiling starts; moving them afterwards means cutting tiles out and patching in replacements that may not match.
- Order spare tiles from the same batch to cover cuts and breakages, and keep a few back so a later repair matches.
- Heavy tiles, such as large porcelain or natural stone, may need a stronger backing board and a suitable adhesive, so have the wall checked first.
- Pale grout behind a hob or sink shows stains quickly; a mid-grey or stain-resistant grout in narrow joints is easier to keep looking fresh.
- Toughened glass cannot be cut once it is made, so it is measured after the worktops are fixed and every socket position is final.
- Choosing stone worktops? Decide on upstands or a full-height splashback before templating, so they can be cut from the same material and priced together.
How does the project run?
- Guide price. Use the online guide-price tool or call us for a realistic range for your area
- Free survey visit. We measure the room, check walls, floors and service positions, and look at the plan or delivery
- Itemised written quote. Broken down by stage and trade, with any worktop templating, engineer or approval costs listed
- Fitting in the right order. Strip-out, first fix, units, worktops, second fix and finishing, with the trades booked in sequence
- Final check and handover. A walk-round together, certificates for electrics and gas, and the manufacturers' documents
Questions about splashbacks and tiling
How much does a kitchen splashback cost?
A tiled splashback between the worktop and wall units typically costs £150 to £400 including VAT, before regional adjustment. Tiling a larger area of 4 to 6 square metres is usually £300 to £800, and a toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fitted, is around £250 to £600. Stone upstands are priced with the worktop. Your price is confirmed after a survey visit.
Can a glass splashback go behind a gas hob?
Yes, usually, as long as the glass is toughened and the hob maker's instructions allow it. Toughened glass handles heat far better than ordinary glass, but a gas hob must still keep the clearances set out in its installation instructions, so we check those before ordering. The panel is measured after the worktops are fitted and made with cut-outs for sockets, because it cannot be cut once toughened.
When are splashbacks fitted during a kitchen installation?
Splashbacks go on near the end, once the worktops are fixed and the electrician has agreed where the sockets and switches will sit. Tiles need a finished worktop to start from, glass is measured off the fitted worktop, and stone upstands are templated at the same visit as the worktop. Faceplates go back on after tiling, so the sockets sit neatly against the new finish.
Can you tile over existing kitchen tiles?
Sometimes, but it is rarely the better choice in a kitchen. Tiling over old tiles adds thickness, so sockets, switches and the edge against the wall units may no longer line up, and the new tiles rely on the old ones staying firmly bonded. If the existing tiles are sound and flat it can work for a small area; otherwise we remove them and prepare the wall.
Which grout and sealant are easiest to keep clean?
A darker or mid-tone grout in narrow joints is usually the easiest to keep looking clean in a kitchen, and an epoxy or stain-resistant grout helps behind the hob and sink. Where the tiles meet the worktop, a flexible sealant is used rather than grout, because that joint moves slightly. The sealant can be cut out and renewed later without disturbing the tiles.
Can heavy tiles or stone go on any kitchen wall?
Not always. Heavy tiles such as large-format porcelain or natural stone need a backing that can carry their weight and an adhesive suited to both the tile and the wall. Old plaster, painted plaster or plasterboard may need preparing, priming or replacing with a tile backer board first. We check the wall at the survey and follow the tile and adhesive makers' guidance.
Related kitchen services
Where do we carry out splashbacks and tiling?
We take on splashbacks and tiling across England, Wales, mainland Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area for local guide prices and the rules that apply there.
England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- the East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- the Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- the West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire