How much does tiling cost in Darwin?
A Darwin tiler laying standard floor tiles charges $40–$90 a square metre for labour, around $60 on a typical job, and walls run $40–$100. If you would rather pay by the clock, the hourly rate is $50–$100 and a full day $500–$800. Tiling a whole bathroom, floor and walls, comes to $1,500–$4,500 in labour, with the tiles bought on top. The city sits in NCC climate zone 1, with hot humid summers and warm winters, and Darwin Airport averages 1736.8 mm of rain a year (BOM averages), so grout, membranes and slip ratings matter more here than the tile colour.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Tiling cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Tiling Cost in Darwin 2026
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor tiling — standard (labour) | $40/sqm | $60 | $90 |
| Floor tiling — large format (labour) | $60/sqm | $85 | $110 |
| Wall tiling — standard (labour) | $40/sqm | $60 | $100 |
| Mosaic / feature tiling (labour) | $80/sqm | $120 | $170 |
| Full bathroom tiling, floor + walls (labour) | $1,500total | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Outdoor / patio tiling (labour) | $50/sqm | $75 | $110 |
| Tile removal (existing) | $20/sqm | $35 | $55 |
| Waterproofing (wet areas) | $35/sqm | $55 | $80 |
| Floor levelling / prep | $15/sqm | $30 | $50 |
| Tile supply — budget ceramic | $20/sqm | $35 | $55 |
| Tile supply — mid-range porcelain | $50/sqm | $70 | $120 |
| Tile supply — premium natural stone | $100/sqm | $150 | $250 |
| Tiler (hourly rate) | $50/hr | $70 | $100 |
| Tiler day rate | $500per day | $630 | $800 |
| Tile supply — large format porcelain (600×1200 and larger) | $50/sqm | $85 | $160 |
| Tile supply — outdoor / non-slip porcelain (P4–P5, R11+) | $40/sqm | $65 | $120 |
| Tile supply — mosaic sheets | $75/sqm | $150 | $400 |
| Tile supply — subway / splashback ceramic (75×300, 100×300) | $30/sqm | $50 | $100 |
| Natural stone tiling — marble, travertine, limestone (labour) | $70/sqm | $100 | $150 |
| Bathroom tiling, floor + walls (supply + install, standard bathroom, excl. waterproofing) | $2,800total | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| Kitchen splashback tiling (supply + install) | $400total | $800 | $1,200 |
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Get Darwin quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Darwin metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
Tiling a 20 m² floor in Darwin, labour and tiles
A 20 m² Darwin floor in ceramic or porcelain
At the typical rates in our Darwin table, laying a standard floor is $60 a square metre in labour, budget ceramic tiles $35 a square metre and mid-range porcelain $70. Twenty square metres comes to $1,900 in ceramic or $2,600 in porcelain, and lifting old tiles first adds $700.
These answers use the prices in the table on this page.
What Affects Tiling Costs in Darwin
Hourly, daily or by the metre
Searches for what a tiler costs usually want one number, but tilers price three ways. Floors and walls are quoted per square metre; small repairs and odd jobs go by the hour at $50–$100; and a booked day is $500–$800. Eight hours at the typical hourly rate comes to $560, against $630 for a typical day, so ask which suits a half-finished room.
Big slabs, small mosaics
Large-format porcelain, 600×1200 and up, costs $60–$110 a square metre to lay, above the standard rate at every point in the band, because the slab must be dead flat and the heavy tiles need two people. Mosaics and feature work take longest at $80–$170, and marble, travertine or limestone run $70–$150. Herringbone and diagonal layouts add cutting time on top.
Waterproofing and permits
The National Construction Code requires showers, bathroom floors and laundries to be waterproofed before any tile goes down, and the membrane is its own line at $35–$80 a square metre. In the Territory, retiling a bathroom without changing its walls, fixtures or plumbing needs no building permit. Change any of those and the NT permit table says a permit is required wherever building control applies, so settle the plan before quotes come in.
Outdoor tiling and the wet
January alone brings an average 432.1 mm to Darwin Airport, while June and July together get under 3 mm (BOM averages). Patio and pool-surround tiling, at $50–$110 labour, needs a dry slab and adhesive that can cure, so the dry months suit it. For verandahs that take storm water, choose non-slip porcelain rated P4–P5 or R11 and up, which costs $40–$120 to buy.
Lifting the old floor first
On a retiling job, taking up the existing tiles adds $20–$55 a square metre. Once they are off, a slab that is out of level needs grinding or a levelling compound at $15–$50. Ask whether the removal price covers bagging the rubble and the tip run, and what happens if the bed underneath turns out to be drummy or cracked.
What the tiles cost
Tiles are billed apart from the laying. Budget ceramic runs $20–$55 a square metre, mid-range porcelain $50–$120, large-format porcelain $50–$160 and natural stone $100–$250. In a climate zone defined by humid summers, porous stone needs a penetrating sealer and periodic resealing, so count that in its running cost.
Tiling inside a unit block
Flats and apartments make up 25% of Greater Darwin dwellings, well above the 14.2% national share (ABS 2021 Census). In a block, boxes of tile and bags of adhesive travel by stairs or lift, and the body corporate may limit the hours for noisy grinding and cutting. A smaller job such as a kitchen splashback, supplied and laid for $400–$1,200, can often be done in a day.
How to Save Money on Tiling Cost in Darwin
Frequently Asked Questions — Tiling Cost in Darwin
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →