Splashbacks and tiling · Surrey
Splashbacks and tiling in Caterham
Whether your Caterham kitchen is a narrow galley or an open-plan room, splashbacks and tiling follow the same careful order: survey, written scope, fit and a final check together.
What prompts splashbacks and tiling in Caterham?
Landlords around Surrey 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.
Homeowners in Caterham often add a splashback as the final stage of a new kitchen, once the worktops are in and the bare wall above them needs a washable finish. Kitchens in every part of Caterham are covered, and the survey visit is free wherever you are in Surrey.
What is in a typical job?
The exact scope is agreed after the survey, but a typical job in Caterham covers:
- Tiled splashbacks between the worktop and wall units, set out from a centre line
- Toughened glass splashback measured after the worktops are fitted, with socket cut-outs
- Socket and switch plates refitted by an electrician once the tiling is finished
- Old tiles removed and walls prepared, patched or boarded where needed
- Full-height or feature tiling behind the hob, sink or open shelving
- Stone upstands and splashbacks templated and fitted alongside a stone worktop
How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Caterham?
As a starting point for Caterham, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in the South East. Labour in the South East generally costs more than the UK average, which lifts these ranges a little.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Tiled splashbackBetween worktop and wall units | £170–£460 |
| Kitchen wall tiling, 4–6 m²Preparation, tiling and grouting | £340–£920 |
| Toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fittedMade to measure after the worktops are in | £290–£690 |
| 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 Surrey includes 1930s semis, Victorian and Edwardian villas, detached family houses and new-build estates, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. 1930s semis often have a narrow kitchen beside the dining room, while larger detached houses and Edwardian villas may have room for an island or a separate utility.
Private roads, long drives and village lanes can be awkward for large lorries, while town-centre flats may need lift bookings and parking permits for delivery day. Surrey's water is hard across most of the county, so limescale on taps and boiling water taps is common, and a scale-reducing filter is worth considering.
Building regulations, electrics and gas in Caterham
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.
Listed buildings and conservation areas in older towns and villages may need consent for new vents, and flats in managed blocks usually need the freeholder's consent first.
Practical advice for Caterham homeowners
- If your Surrey kitchen has a gas hob, check the hob instructions for splashback clearances before choosing glass or tiles for the wall behind it.
- Keep the tile boxes until the job is finished and note the batch number, so matching replacements can be found if a tile cracks later.
- Ask to see where the tiling will start before the first row goes on in your Caterham kitchen, so narrow cut tiles end up in corners rather than on show.
- 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 Caterham
How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Caterham?
Guide prices in Caterham are about £170 to £460 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.
Can you measure up in Caterham before quoting?
Yes. Every quote starts with a free, no-obligation survey visit to your home in Caterham. We measure the room, check the walls, floor and service positions, then send an itemised written quote.
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.
Also covering nearby towns
Neighbouring towns where we offer splashbacks and tiling:
- Splashbacks and tiling in Coulsdon
- Splashbacks and tiling in Purley
- Splashbacks and tiling in Redhill
- Splashbacks and tiling in South Croydon
- Splashbacks and tiling in Banstead
- Splashbacks and tiling in Reigate
- Splashbacks and tiling across Surrey