Splashbacks and tiling in Rochester

Is splashbacks and tiling right for your Rochester kitchen?

If the kitchen in your Rochester home is sound but the tiles are dated, cracked or stained, a new splashback is one of the simplest ways to refresh it without replacing units.

Many people in Kent choose a single panel of toughened glass behind the hob because it wipes clean quickly and has no grout lines to hold grease. We work throughout Rochester (ME1) and across the wider Kent area.

What is included in the work?

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

Full-height or feature tiling behind the hob, sink or open shelving
Free survey visit to check the walls, agree the layout and give an itemised quote
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
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

What should you budget for splashbacks and tiling in Rochester?

As a starting point for Rochester, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in the South East. Expect costs in the South East to sit somewhat above UK averages, reflecting local labour rates.

What should you budget for splashbacks and tiling in Rochester?
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%.

What kind of kitchens do we fit in Rochester?

The housing mix across Kent includes Victorian terraces, weatherboarded cottages, 1930s semis and oast house conversions, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Victorian terraces in the Medway towns and along the coast often have a narrow back-addition kitchen, while 1930s semis usually have a small kitchen beside a separate dining room.

Water across Kent is hard, so limescale builds up quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth considering. Seaside terraces, permit parking and narrow village lanes can each make deliveries slower, so the route for long worktops is best checked at the survey.

What rules apply to splashbacks and tiling in Rochester?

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 weatherboarded and timber-framed cottages, oast conversions and homes in conservation areas such as historic Canterbury may need consent for new external vents.

Tips before you start

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.
Ask to see where the tiling will start before the first row goes on in your Rochester 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 Rochester kitchen, in daylight and under the kitchen lights, before ordering the full quantity.
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 Rochester

How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Rochester?

For a tiled splashback, budget around £170 to £460 including VAT in Rochester. That reflects typical costs in the South East; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.

Can you measure up in Rochester before quoting?

Yes. Every quote starts with a free, no-obligation survey visit to your home in Rochester. We measure the room, check the walls, floor and service positions, then send 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.

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.

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.

Splashbacks and tiling near Rochester

Close to Rochester? We cover these nearby towns too: