Splashbacks and tiling in Greater London

When do splashbacks and tiling make sense in Greater London?

If your Greater London home is an older property with uneven walls, the splashback may start with patching, skimming or boarding so the tiler has a flat surface to work from.

Some households in Greater London want tiling taken up to the ceiling behind a range cooker or open shelving, turning one whole wall into a practical feature that is easy to wipe down.

What do splashbacks and tiling in Greater London 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 Greater London?

Typical splashbacks and tiling prices for homes in Greater London, including VAT and adjusted for London. Your own figure depends on the size of the kitchen, the layout and what is moving. Labour in London generally costs more than the UK average, which lifts these ranges a little.

How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Greater London?
Typical project	Guide price
Tiled splashbackBetween worktop and wall units	£200–£520
Kitchen wall tiling, 4–6 m²Preparation, tiling and grouting	£390–£1,000
Toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fittedMade to measure after the worktops are in	£320–£780
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 Greater London

Across Greater London you will often find Victorian and Edwardian terraces, conversion flats, mansion block flats and 1930s semis, and each shapes the kitchen differently. Victorian terraces often have a narrow galley beside the side return, while conversion flats and mansion blocks usually fit the kitchen into a small room or along one living-room wall.

London's mains water is hard, so limescale builds quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth planning in. Permit parking, red routes and flats without lifts are common, so parking suspensions, stair carries and lift bookings may need arranging before delivery day.

Opening a narrow galley into the dining room or side return is one of the most common terrace projects in London. Leasehold flats often call for a full kitchen in a small space, worked around building rules on noise, working hours and waste.

Rules for splashbacks and tiling in Greater London

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.

Conservation areas are widespread across London, so a new extractor vent on a front wall may need permission, and leaseholders usually need the freeholder's written consent first.

Before you start

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.
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.
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.
Choosing stone worktops for a Greater London kitchen? Ask for upstand and splashback heights to be confirmed before the template visit, not after.
If you are renting out a flat in Greater London, a single glass panel or large plain tiles cut down the grout that needs cleaning at each check-out.

Questions about splashbacks and tiling in Greater London

How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Greater London?

Guide prices in Greater London are about £200 to £520 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.

Do you cover the whole of Greater London?

Yes. We carry out splashbacks and tiling across Greater London, including Brent, Islington, Westminster and Bexley. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.

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.

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.

Splashbacks and tiling in towns across Greater London

Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:

Splashbacks and tiling in Greater London

When do splashbacks and tiling make sense in Greater London?

What do splashbacks and tiling in Greater London include?

How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Greater London?

Kitchens in homes across Greater London

Rules for splashbacks and tiling in Greater London

Before you start

Questions about splashbacks and tiling in Greater London

Splashbacks and tiling in towns across Greater London

Splashbacks and tiling in nearby areas

Book a free survey visit in Greater London

Book a free survey visit