Key takeaways
- At RDC, 12x24 porcelain costs $9 to $18 per sq ft installed.
- A diagonal or herringbone layout adds 10 to 20 percent to the tile labor.
- Natural stone runs $12 to $25 per sq ft installed and is sealed at installation.
- Tile on stairs, transitions and baseboards are priced after RDC measures the home.
- Phoenix water is hard, so RDC picks the grout for each area with that in mind.
RDC Renovation & Design Concepts is a flooring contractor in Phoenix, Arizona, that sells and installs flooring, tile and countertops from its Bell Rd showroom.
How Much Does Tile Installation Cost per Square Foot?
Ceramic and porcelain tile cost $7 to $18 per square foot installed at RDC in the Phoenix area. That price already includes the tile and the labor to set it. Large-format tile ($12 to $22) and natural stone ($12 to $25) cost the most.
Tile installation is the work of bedding each tile in mortar over a prepared floor, then filling the joints with grout. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says tile and stone setters "install pieces of ceramic, marble, granite, glass, or other materials."
Installed prices from RDC Renovation & Design Concepts, Phoenix, AZ (2026).
| Floor tile at RDC | Installed per sq ft | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic tile | $7 to $14 | Guest baths, laundry rooms, lighter-traffic floors |
| Porcelain tile (incl. 12x24 and wood-look) | $9 to $18 | Living areas, kitchens, entries, busy households |
| Large-format tile (24x48 in. and up) | $12 to $22 | Open great rooms with few grout lines |
| Natural stone (travertine, marble) | $12 to $25 | Entries and feature areas, sealed at installation |
| For comparison: LVP | $4 to $9 | Whole-home plank floors |
Please note: these are RDC's installed ranges, not quotes. Final pricing is set individually for each customer based on your specific project, materials, and scope, confirmed in your free written estimate.
Tile costs more to install than LVP because each piece is set in thinset and grouted, and larger tile needs a flatter slab. Room-by-room trade-offs are compared in LVP vs. tile for Phoenix homes. For the installation itself, see porcelain tile installation in Phoenix.
A Phoenix living room where RDC replaced an old tile floor with 12x24 porcelain.
What Changes the Price of Tile Installation?
Six things move a tile installation price at RDC: the tile, its size, the layout, the old floor, the slab and the details. Details means stairs, transitions and baseboards. On RDC's written estimate, the old floor, the slab and the details each get their own line.
- The tile. Ceramic, porcelain and natural stone each have their own range, set out in the table above.
- The size. Pieces of 24x48 inches and larger have their own, higher range, because the bigger pieces take more handling and more slab prep.
- The layout. A diagonal or herringbone pattern needs more cuts and more layout time. It is priced after measuring.
- The old floor. One removal rate covers carpet, LVP, laminate, tile or Saltillo. RDC removes it only together with a new floor, as tile removal and replacement in Phoenix explains.
- The slab, leveled only where needed. For tile with any edge of 15 inches or more, ANSI A108.02 allows no more than 1/8 inch of variation in 10 feet. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation explains the rule. RDC's testing steps are on slab moisture testing and floor leveling.
- Stairs, transitions and baseboards. Tile on stairs is priced per project after measuring. Transitions and baseboards are separate lines on the estimate.
Travertine and marble options are compared on travertine and stone flooring installation.
After the old tile comes out, low spots in the slab are patched before leveling.
How Much Does It Cost to Install 12x24 Porcelain Tile?
At RDC, 12x24 porcelain tile costs $9 to $18 per square foot installed, because RDC prices it as standard porcelain. The large-format range of $12 to $22 starts at 24x48 inches. On 1,000 sq ft, that is $9,000 to $18,000 for 12x24 against $12,000 to $22,000 for 24x48 tile.
The bigger the piece, the more any dip in the slab shows as a raised edge between tiles. A 12x24 tile already has an edge over 15 inches, so the same flatness check applies to it.
24x48 tile on the walls of a Phoenix walk-in shower.
How Much Does It Cost for 1,000 Sq Ft of Tile?
At RDC, 1,000 sq ft of tile costs $7,000 to $14,000 installed in ceramic and $9,000 to $18,000 in porcelain. Large-format tile runs $12,000 to $22,000 and natural stone $12,000 to $25,000. Each total is the floor area times RDC's published price per square foot, before removal and leveling.
Installed prices from RDC Renovation & Design Concepts, Phoenix, AZ (2026).
| Line on the estimate | Per sq ft at RDC | On 1,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic tile, installed | $7 to $14 | $7,000 to $14,000 |
| Porcelain tile, installed | $9 to $18 | $9,000 to $18,000 |
| Large-format tile (24x48 in. and up) | $12 to $22 | $12,000 to $22,000 |
| Natural stone | $12 to $25 | $12,000 to $25,000 |
| Removal of the old floor | add $3 to $5 | add $3,000 to $5,000 |
| Slab leveling, where needed | add $1 to $4 | add $1,000 to $4,000 |
Please note: these are RDC's installed ranges, not quotes. Final pricing is set individually for each customer based on your specific project, materials, and scope, confirmed in your free written estimate.
Worked example, 800 sq ft of porcelain replacing old tile: the porcelain is 800 x $9 to $18 = $7,200 to $14,400. Removal adds 800 x $3 to $5 = $2,400 to $4,000. If the whole slab needs leveling, add 800 x $1 to $4 = $800 to $3,200. The full stack is $10,400 to $21,600, before baseboards and transitions.
Not every floor needs every line. A flat, dry slab may need no leveling at all. Whole-house totals for other floors are in the Phoenix flooring installation cost report. One job size is priced line by line in 1,200 sq ft tile installation quotes.
How Much Does It Cost to Tile a Bathroom or Kitchen Floor?
At RDC's rates, the tile on a 10x10 bathroom floor costs about $700 to $1,400 in ceramic or $900 to $1,800 in porcelain, installed. A 150 sq ft kitchen floor in porcelain comes to $1,350 to $2,700. Small rooms are confirmed after RDC measures them, since toilets, thresholds and cuts weigh more there.
A 10x10 bathroom floor
A 10x10 floor is 100 square feet. Ceramic is 100 x $7 to $14 = $700 to $1,400, and porcelain is 100 x $9 to $18 = $900 to $1,800. Taking up the old floor adds 100 x $3 to $5 = $300 to $500.
That is the floor tile alone. A full bathroom remodel is priced as its own project, and a standard small bathroom starts at $9,000. The bathroom remodel cost in Phoenix page explains how. Shower walls and pans belong to walk-in shower installation.
A kitchen floor
In RDC's measurements, a kitchen floor runs about 100 to 200 sq ft. At 150 sq ft, porcelain is 150 x $9 to $18 = $1,350 to $2,700. Removal adds 150 x $3 to $5 = $450 to $750. RDC replaces a kitchen floor without removing the cabinets; countertops and backsplash are on kitchen remodeling in Phoenix.
A bathroom tile floor RDC installed in a Glendale home.
What Is the Labor Cost to Install Tile?
At RDC the labor to install tile is not published as a separate rate. RDC's per-square-foot price is an installed price, because RDC supplies the tile and manages the installation. On the written estimate, the tile, the removal, the slab prep and the installation each get their own line.
That makes two bids easy to compare. A low labor figure with no removal, moisture test or leveling on the page may be missing work. Those items can come back as extra charges once the old floor is up.
With one company supplying and installing, there is one warranty to call. RDC's 1-year workmanship warranty transfers to a later owner of the home, on top of the tile maker's warranty. To get your own lines priced, call or text (602) 788-1446.
How Long Does Tile Installation Take?
At RDC, about 1,200 sq ft of tile is one to two weeks of work. Each tile is bedded in thinset and grouted, so tile takes longer than any plank floor. If an old tile floor comes out first, removal takes 1 to 4 days. Slab leveling, where needed, also comes before the new tile.
How long a whole house takes depends on the area that gets tile, the floor coming out and the slab. RDC sets the schedule after measuring and explains which rooms you lose, and for roughly how long. Furniture and appliances are moved as part of the job, and toilets are pulled and reset.
How Long After Laying Tile Can You Walk on It?
After RDC lays tile, plan on 24 to 48 hours before light foot traffic. That is the cure time RDC gives every customer. Furniture and heavy use wait longer, and the mortar maker's data sheet sets the exact time for each product.
- MAPEI's Ultraflex LFT large-tile mortar: no light traffic or grout "for at least 24 to 48 hours." It then asks for at least 3 days before general traffic and 7 days before heavy traffic.
- Custom Building Products' ProLite large-format mortar: "Allow 24 hours before grouting and light traffic," and 7 to 10 days before heavy traffic.
The same MAPEI sheet limits installation to 40°F to 95°F. In a Phoenix summer, keep the air conditioning on so the house stays in that range while the tile goes down and cures.
How Much Does Tile Installation Cost in Phoenix?
In Phoenix, tile installation at RDC costs $7 to $18 per square foot installed, the same as across the Valley. What moves the total is the house: its age, the floor coming out, and the concrete underneath. Two Phoenix homes of the same size can land far apart once removal and leveling are added.
Home age: Arizona's median home was built in 1992, and Phoenix's in 1985 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024, table B25035). An older house may still have its original tile or Saltillo. In Phoenix, RDC has replaced an old tile floor with new 12x24 porcelain, and Saltillo and carpet with LVP.
The slab. The homes RDC works in sit on a concrete slab, and for tile the slab is the subfloor. RDC moisture-tests it following ASTM guidelines and checks it for flatness before any tile is ordered.
Hard water and grout. The City of Phoenix 2025 Water Quality Report puts total hardness at 10 to 17.6 grains per gallon. RDC chooses the grout for each area, cement-based, sealed or epoxy, with the hard water in mind.
For the work itself, start with tile installation in Phoenix.
Where Can You See Tile Before Pricing It in North Phoenix?
You can see tile before pricing it at RDC's showroom at 1610 E Bell Rd, Suite 101, in North Phoenix. Full-size tiles are on display, not only small chips, and samples go home free. The showroom is open Sunday to Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and closed Saturday.
RDC works with tile brands such as Daltile, Emser Tile, Marazzi, MSI and Happy Floors. A same-day estimate at the showroom is possible, and the exact written quote follows a free measure at your home. You can also text photos of the room to (602) 788-1446 for a preliminary estimate. More is on the flooring showroom and store in Phoenix page.
Full-size tile samples at the Bell Rd showroom in North Phoenix.
Tile Installation Cost in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Mesa and Peoria
RDC's tile prices are the same in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Mesa and Peoria. The local difference is the age of the house and what has to come out first. (Median year built: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024, table B25035.)
- Scottsdale. The median Scottsdale home was built in 1991. RDC has set 12x24 tile through a Scottsdale great room, hallway and stair landing. See flooring contractor in Scottsdale.
- Paradise Valley. The median home dates from 1985, the same as Phoenix. On an older slab, leveling may come before the new floor. See tile and stone in Paradise Valley.
- Mesa. The median Mesa home was built in 1989. In one Mesa home, RDC took out the old kitchen tile and installed LVP through the house. See flooring contractor in Mesa.
- Peoria. Peoria has the youngest housing of the four, with a median year built of 1999. A newer slab still gets the moisture test before tile goes down. RDC has removed tile and installed new floors in Peoria. See tile installation in Peoria.
12x24 tile laid through a Scottsdale great room, one of the RDC jobs in that city.
Tile Installation Across the Rest of the Valley
Each city page covers its own housing and the tile work done there.
- Glendale: RDC has set white marble-look tile through a Glendale bathroom hallway and a bathroom floor. Flooring and tile in Glendale
- Chandler: tile removal is what RDC is called for most in Chandler. Tile and tile removal in Chandler
- Gilbert: tile showers and countertops are the most common requests there. Tile installation in Gilbert
- Anthem: RDC replaced old carpet with tile in an Anthem home. Flooring in Anthem
RDC also serves Tempe, Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West, Buckeye, Arcadia, Cave Creek, Carefree, Fountain Hills, New River and Happy Valley.