Splashbacks and tiling · Scotland
Splashbacks and tiling in Fife
Homeowners and landlords across Fife can book us for splashbacks and tiling: tiled, glass and stone splashbacks and wall tiling, fitted once the worktops and sockets are in.
What prompts splashbacks and tiling in Fife?
Many people in Fife choose a single panel of toughened glass behind the hob because it wipes clean quickly and has no grout lines to hold grease.
Landlords around Fife 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.
What do splashbacks and tiling in Fife include?
Your written quote lists everything included. For splashbacks and tiling, that normally means:
- 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 do splashbacks and tiling cost in Fife?
The figures below are guide prices for Fife, including VAT and adjusted for typical costs across Scotland. The fixed price comes after we have measured up. Prices in Scotland usually come in below the national guide, as labour rates are lower than in the South East.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Tiled splashbackBetween worktop and wall units | £140–£380 |
| Kitchen wall tiling, 4–6 m²Preparation, tiling and grouting | £280–£750 |
| Toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fittedMade to measure after the worktops are in | £240–£560 |
| 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%.
Kitchens in homes across Fife
The housing mix across Fife includes pantiled fishing cottages, sandstone tenement flats, post-war council-built houses and new-build estates, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Fishing cottages in the coastal villages often have a tiny kitchen at the back, while ex-council houses and new-builds around Dunfermline and Glenrothes tend to have compact L-shaped rooms.
Fife's mains water is soft, so limescale is rarely a big concern and taps and boiling water taps tend to stay cleaner. Narrow coastal village streets with little parking can make deliveries tricky, while new-town estates usually have easier access for vans and long worktops.
Thick walls, low ceilings and small rooms usually shape the layout of a fishing cottage kitchen, and extraction needs careful thought. Newer homes around Glenrothes and Dunfermline more often need a straight replacement of the builder's original kitchen, with integrated appliances, more storage and better lighting.
Rules for splashbacks and tiling in Fife
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.
Listed cottages and conservation areas, including St Andrews and the East Neuk villages, may need consent for a new vent on a visible wall.
Before you start
- 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.
- 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.
- If your Fife 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.
Questions about splashbacks and tiling in Fife
How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Fife?
For a tiled splashback, budget around £140 to £380 including VAT in Fife. That reflects typical costs in Scotland; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.
Do you cover the whole of Fife?
Yes. We carry out splashbacks and tiling across Fife, including Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes and St Andrews. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
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.
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.
Splashbacks and tiling in towns across Fife
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Splashbacks and tiling in Dunfermline
- Splashbacks and tiling in Kirkcaldy
- Splashbacks and tiling in Glenrothes
- Splashbacks and tiling in St Andrews