Splashbacks and tiling · Dorset
Splashbacks and tiling in Dorchester
Whether your Dorchester 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 Dorchester?
If the units in your Dorchester kitchen are already fitted and only the walls are unfinished, we can take on the tiling or splashback as a job on its own.
Many people in Dorset choose a single panel of toughened glass behind the hob because it wipes clean quickly and has no grout lines to hold grease. We cover all of Dorchester, including the DT1 postcode district, and travel out to neighbouring towns across Dorset.
What is in a typical job?
Here is what usually goes into splashbacks and tiling, adjusted to your Dorchester kitchen after we have measured it:
- Full-height or feature tiling behind the hob, sink or open shelving
- Socket and switch plates refitted by an electrician once the tiling is finished
- Toughened glass splashback measured after the worktops are fitted, with socket cut-outs
- Old tiles removed and walls prepared, patched or boarded where needed
- Grout and sealant chosen for easy cleaning, with flexible sealant at the worktop joint
- Stone upstands and splashbacks templated and fitted alongside a stone worktop
How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Dorchester?
These guide ranges include VAT at 20% and are adjusted for prices in the South West. We confirm your price in writing after a free survey visit. Prices across the South West are broadly in line with UK averages.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Tiled splashbackBetween worktop and wall units | £150–£410 |
| Kitchen wall tiling, 4–6 m²Preparation, tiling and grouting | £310–£820 |
| Toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fittedMade to measure after the worktops are in | £260–£620 |
| 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%.
House types around Dorchester and what they mean for a kitchen
Across Dorset you will often find thatched cottages, Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows, and each shapes the kitchen differently. Edwardian villas in Bournemouth often have a separate kitchen and scullery, while 1930s semis and bungalows tend to have a compact room at the back.
Flats in converted villas may have no lift and shared hallways, and narrow village lanes can make delivering long worktops difficult. Most of Dorset has hard water, so limescale on taps, sinks and boiling water taps is common, and a scale-reducing filter can help.
Regulations for kitchen work in Dorchester
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.
Thatched and listed cottages may need listed building consent for internal changes, and owners of flats in converted houses usually need the freeholder's consent before work starts.
Getting the most from your splashbacks and tiling
- 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.
- If your Dorset kitchen has a gas hob, check the hob instructions for splashback clearances before choosing glass or tiles for the wall behind it.
- Give fresh grout and sealant the full curing time shown on the packaging before scrubbing them or letting water sit on the joint at the back of the worktop.
- 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 Dorchester
How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Dorchester?
Splashbacks and tiling in Dorchester typically cost £150 to £410 including VAT for a tiled splashback, based on prices in the South West. Larger or more involved jobs cost more, and your price is fixed in writing after a free survey visit.
Do you cover all of Dorchester?
Yes. We work across Dorchester, including the DT1 postcode district, and nearby towns such as Weymouth and Bridport. Book a free survey visit and we will arrange a time that suits you.
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
The same service is available a short drive from Dorchester, including:
- Splashbacks and tiling in Weymouth
- Splashbacks and tiling in Bridport
- Splashbacks and tiling in Blandford Forum
- Splashbacks and tiling in Sherborne
- Splashbacks and tiling in Yeovil
- Splashbacks and tiling in Poole
- Splashbacks and tiling across Dorset