Removal and Replacement, One Crew, One Warranty
Most flooring problems we are called to fix in the Valley started at the removal stage, not the installation stage. Old tile that was broken out quickly, with the thinset left on the slab, produces a new floor that clicks, hollows, and telegraphs bumps within a year. That is why RDC treats removal as part of the installation itself. The same crew that installs your new floor removes the old one, so nobody can blame a bad result on somebody else's demolition.
- What we do: remove old tile, haul away the debris, grind the thinset, level and prepare the slab, and install the new floor.
- How it is priced: one written estimate with the removal as a clear line item, no separate demolition contract.
- What we do not do: demolition-only jobs with no new floor going in. For that, a dedicated demolition company is the right call.
A finished replacement: old tile out, slab reground, and new large-format porcelain installed by the same RDC crew.
Why Tile Removal in Phoenix Is Its Own Skill
Nearly every home in the Phoenix area is built on a concrete slab, and tile here is bonded to that slab with thinset mortar that has baked hard for years, sometimes decades. Getting the tile up is the easy half. The work that decides how your new floor performs is what happens next:
The step that decides everything: the bare slab, cleaned and patched flat before any new floor goes down.
- Thinset grinding. After the tile comes up, a layer of ridged mortar stays behind. It has to be ground off until the slab is flat. Skipping or rushing this step is the single most common shortcut in the Valley, and every bump left behind shows through the new floor.
- Dust containment. Breaking tile and grinding mortar creates fine dust that open floor plans and air returns spread through the whole house. We contain the work area, cover the vents in the zone, and clean the slab before new material arrives.
- Slab inspection. With the slab bare, cracks, moisture issues, and low spots are visible for the only time in the project. We check for all three and level where needed, which is exactly when a moisture test matters if luxury vinyl plank or wood is going down next.
- Haul-away. A typical tile removal produces a surprising tonnage of debris. Bagging, removing, and disposing of it is part of our scope, not your weekend.
What Goes In After the Old Tile Comes Out
Once the slab is clean and flat, it can take any floor. These are the replacements Phoenix homeowners choose most, with RDC's installed price ranges:
| New Floor | Installed / sq. ft. | Why homeowners switch to it |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) | $4–$9 | Warmer and quieter than tile, fully waterproof, the most popular tile replacement in the Valley |
| New porcelain / ceramic tile | $7–$18 | Modern large formats and wood-look planks that date a 1990s floor instantly |
| Engineered hardwood | $8–$16 | Real wood over concrete, stable in desert dryness when installed correctly |
| Carpet (bedrooms) | $3–$7 | Softness where it counts, usually paired with hard flooring elsewhere |
Please note: these are typical ranges and can vary. The removal itself appears as its own line in your estimate, priced by tile type, thinset condition, and access. Final pricing is set individually for each customer in your free written estimate.
LVP going down over a prepared slab, the most common tile replacement RDC installs.
Tile Removal Questions We Hear by City
The physics of removal are the same across the Valley, but the housing stock is not, and it changes what your project involves:
New large-format tile going down over the prepared slab, set with a leveling system.
- Chandler tile removal: many 1990s and 2000s Chandler homes carry the original 12x12 beige ceramic throughout. Large continuous areas make removal efficient, and most owners replace with LVP or large-format porcelain across the whole footprint. See our Chandler renovation page.
- Sun City West tile removal: most clients in Sun City West live in the home while we work. We plan those removals around occupied living: tight timelines, contained dust, and furniture moved and returned.
- Paradise Valley tile removal: Paradise Valley replacements often involve stone rather than ceramic, larger square footage, and finish-grade expectations to match, which is estate-standard work we plan accordingly.
- Anthem tile removal: Anthem's newer builds usually have builder-grade tile in kitchens and baths only, so removals there are often partial, tied into a larger flooring unification project.
One question exposes a shortcut before you sign: ask any contractor, "After the tile is up, how do you deal with the thinset?" The right answer involves grinding the slab flat. If the answer is "the new floor covers it" or a change of subject, the bumps left behind will become your new floor's problem.
RDC grinds and preps the slab on every removal, and you are welcome to look at the bare slab before the new material goes down.
Serving Tile Removal & Replacement Across the Valley
RDC removes and replaces tile throughout Phoenix, Chandler, Sun City West, Paradise Valley, Anthem, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Glendale, Tempe, Peoria, and Surprise. Start by choosing the new floor: compare options at our flooring store in Phoenix on Bell Road, where full-size samples of every replacement material on this page are on display.
Read more about LVP flooring installation, compare LVP vs. tile for your replacement, see porcelain tile flooring options, avoid the flooring mistakes we see in Phoenix homes, or explore all flooring installation services. Ready to start? Get a free estimate.