Splashbacks and tiling in Smethwick

Who usually needs splashbacks and tiling in Smethwick?

When a Smethwick kitchen is getting stone worktops, upstands or a matching splashback are usually planned at the same time, so they are templated in one visit.

Some households in the West Midlands 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. Homes right across Smethwick are covered, as are nearby places such as West Bromwich, Birmingham and the villages in between.

What we cover for splashbacks and tiling in Smethwick

Here is what usually goes into splashbacks and tiling, adjusted to your Smethwick kitchen after we have measured it:

Socket and switch plates refitted by an electrician once the tiling is finished
Stone upstands and splashbacks templated and fitted alongside a stone worktop
Toughened glass splashback measured after the worktops are fitted, with socket cut-outs
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
Grout and sealant chosen for easy cleaning, with flexible sealant at the worktop joint

Splashbacks and tiling prices in Smethwick

Use these ranges to plan your budget. They include VAT, reflect costs in the West Midlands, and are firmed up once we have seen your Smethwick kitchen. Costs in the West Midlands sit close to the national guide.

Splashbacks and tiling prices in Smethwick
Typical project	Guide price
Tiled splashbackBetween worktop and wall units	£150–£400
Kitchen wall tiling, 4–6 m²Preparation, tiling and grouting	£300–£800
Toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fittedMade to measure after the worktops are in	£250–£600
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%.

Local homes and their kitchens

The housing mix across the West Midlands includes Victorian terraces, 1930s semis, post-war council-built houses and post-war flats and maisonettes, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Victorian terraces often have a long galley behind the back room, while 1930s semis across Birmingham and the Black Country tend to have a small kitchen at the rear.

Busy terraced streets, permit parking near town centres and blocks with shared lifts can each affect delivery times and how worktops reach the kitchen. Birmingham's water is relatively soft, while much of the Black Country and Coventry is harder, so check your supplier's hardness figure before choosing a filter.

Building regulations, electrics and gas in Smethwick

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 and listed buildings, including parts of Birmingham and Solihull, may need consent for new vents, and flat owners usually need the freeholder's consent first.

Before you book splashbacks and tiling in Smethwick

Choosing stone worktops for a Smethwick kitchen? Ask for upstand and splashback heights to be confirmed before the template visit, not after.
Hold a few of your chosen tiles against the wall in your Smethwick kitchen, in daylight and under the kitchen lights, before ordering the full quantity.
Ask to see where the tiling will start before the first row goes on in your Smethwick kitchen, so narrow cut tiles end up in corners rather than on show.
Toughened glass cannot be cut once it is made, so it is measured after the worktops are fixed and every socket position is final.

Questions about splashbacks and tiling in Smethwick

How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Smethwick?

Guide prices in Smethwick are about £150 to £400 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 Smethwick before quoting?

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

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.

Also covering nearby towns

We also carry out splashbacks and tiling in these towns near Smethwick: