Splashbacks and tiling in Purley

Is splashbacks and tiling right for your Purley kitchen?

Homeowners in Purley 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.

Landlords around Greater London 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. If your home is in Purley or close by in Coulsdon or South Croydon, the same survey, quote and fitting process applies.

What does the job involve?

Your written quote lists everything included. For splashbacks and tiling, that normally means:

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
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
Tiled splashbacks between the worktop and wall units, set out from a centre line

Guide prices for splashbacks and tiling in Purley

These guide ranges include VAT at 20% and are adjusted for prices in London. We confirm your price in writing after a free survey visit. Expect costs in London to sit somewhat above UK averages, reflecting local labour rates.

Guide prices for splashbacks and tiling in Purley
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 around Purley

In and around Purley, homes range across Victorian and Edwardian terraces, conversion flats, mansion block flats and 1930s semis. 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.

Permit parking, red routes and flats without lifts are common, so parking suspensions, stair carries and lift bookings may need arranging before delivery day. 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.

Regulations for kitchen work in Purley

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.

Tips before you start

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 Purley 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 Purley kitchen, in daylight and under the kitchen lights, before ordering the full quantity.
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.

Questions about splashbacks and tiling in Purley

How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Purley?

Guide prices in Purley 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.

Can you measure up in Purley before quoting?

Yes. Every quote starts with a free, no-obligation survey visit to your home in Purley. 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

Close to Purley? We cover these nearby towns too: