Splashbacks and tiling in Bedford

Thinking about splashbacks and tiling in Bedford?

If the units in your Bedford kitchen are already fitted and only the walls are unfinished, we can take on the tiling or splashback as a job on its own.

Landlords around Bedfordshire often prefer plain tiles with mid-grey grout or a glass panel, since both stand up to heavy use and are quick to clean between tenancies. Kitchens in every part of Bedford are covered, and the survey visit is free wherever you are in Bedfordshire.

What is included in the work?

After the survey visit we write the scope down. For splashbacks and tiling in Bedford it usually covers:

Stone upstands and splashbacks templated and fitted alongside a stone worktop
Socket and switch plates refitted by an electrician once the tiling is finished
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
Old tiles removed and walls prepared, patched or boarded where needed
Free survey visit to check the walls, agree the layout and give an itemised quote

Guide prices for splashbacks and tiling in Bedford

Use these ranges to plan your budget. They include VAT, reflect costs in the East of England, and are firmed up once we have seen your Bedford kitchen. Prices in the East of England usually run above the national guide, mainly because labour and parking cost more.

Guide prices for splashbacks and tiling in Bedford
Typical project	Guide price
Tiled splashbackBetween worktop and wall units	£160–£430
Kitchen wall tiling, 4–6 m²Preparation, tiling and grouting	£320–£860
Toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fittedMade to measure after the worktops are in	£270–£650
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. Prices include VAT at 20%.

Local homes and their kitchens

The housing mix across Bedfordshire includes Victorian terraces, 1930s semis, post-war council-built houses and new-build estates, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Terraced houses here often have a narrow galley or back-addition kitchen, while interwar semis tend to have a small square kitchen at the rear.

Town-centre terraces can have tight on-street parking, so it helps to plan where a van unloads and how long worktops will pass through a narrow hallway. Water across most of Bedfordshire is hard, so limescale builds up quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth considering.

Regulations for kitchen work in Bedford

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.

Fitting a kitchen needs no planning permission, but listed cottages in the older market towns may need listed building consent for changes such as a new vent through a historic wall.

Getting the most from your splashbacks and tiling

Clear the worktop and empty the nearest wall cupboards before the tiler arrives at your Bedford home, as cutting dust and adhesive travel further than you expect.
Ask to see where the tiling will start before the first row goes on in your Bedford kitchen, so narrow cut tiles end up in corners rather than on show.
Hold a few of your chosen tiles against the wall in your Bedford kitchen, in daylight and under the kitchen lights, before ordering the full quantity.
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.

Questions about splashbacks and tiling in Bedford

How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Bedford?

Guide prices in Bedford are about £160 to £430 including VAT for a tiled splashback. The final price depends on the size of the kitchen and what is moving, and is set out in an itemised written quote.

Which parts of Bedford do you work in?

All of them. Our Bedfordshire coverage takes in the whole of Bedford, including the MK40 postcode district, as well as surrounding towns such as Kempston. If you are unsure, send us your postcode.

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 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.

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.

Nearby places we cover

We also carry out splashbacks and tiling in these towns near Bedford: