labour only, laying patio tiles on concrete base (high quote?)

4th horsemen

I have a concrete base for patio tiles to be laid over, 30sq meters size. So I got a quote for labour only to lay the porcelain paving tiles 60x60 size at €2000, that is €65 per sq meter for just the labour to lay the tiles. I am supplying the tiles, adhesive & grout myself and concrete base is already laid. Does that quote seem very high?

It is just a rectangular shape with no weird angles or anything.

Cheers for any feedback

Mick ah

It's possible it's too high, it's possible they don't want the job and this is their way of politely saying no. Or maybe it's bang on in line with local rates.

Best bet is to get another quote. Then at least you'll have a comparison.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058363875/labour-only-laying-patio-tiles-on-concrete-base-high-quote

at that kind of price I am YouTubing how to do it. It’s a days work for 2 men max.

4th horsemen

Yeah it just sounds high to me when it's a basic patio and only labour for laying them, with concrete base already down and i supply all materials. And can't imagine it taking more than a day, maybe 2. Just sounds very steep, 2k for labour only. But yeah guess need another quote or 2

Rows Grower

Works out at over 23 euro per 2ft square slab, I doubt you'll get a higher quote no matter where you ask.

A job like that would be a doddle to a competent tiler or decent handyman, one man on his own would do it in two days.

peckerhead

What part of the country are you in? If Dublin, maybe try calling a few smaller contractors a little further out (Meath/Kildare). I've often noticed a more 'realistic' approach to this kind of (let's face it, semi-skilled) labour; one of the two lads is usually just a young fella with a strong back taking orders from the older one who knows what to do. And he won't be getting €500/day, you can be sure of it! 😂

4th horsemen

Cheers all for the feedback so far., Good to know it's not just me then 👍️ Also I'm in the west of Ireland

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058363875/labour-only-laying-patio-tiles-on-concrete-base-high-quote

Had a tiler do a 60m2 patio (porcelain tiles on concrete) on our new build in the last few months and it worked out at around €28/m2 excluding materials

Twofeet

Labour is usually 2/3rds of the cost of any project. There is a serious lack of skilled tradesmen and most are chasing big jobs. Finding one for a domestic project is, for most people, proving to be a challenge these days. This has created opportunities for rogue ‘tradies’ with a with ‘gold rush’ mentality to operate with impunity. You’ll do as good a job if you DIY than hire one of them! Porcelain may be a slightly more difficult tile to cut but it’s do-able. Get yourself a good tile cutter. Cut all your tiles before you start so you’re not stopping and starting to cut tiles. Make sure you score the tiles well so they snap easily. Ensure your base is perfectly level and well compacted. Take your time laying the tiles. You might even enjoy it. YouTube is a great source of info and you’ll get great satisfaction doing it yourself and save yourself a bucket load of money.

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122530281#Comment_122530281

These tiles are hard to cut. A good tile cutter for these size tiles will run to well over a thousand by itself. Best way to cut big tiles is with an angle grinder and a diamond blade, slower but does the job at a fraction of the price.

Calahonda52

To quote another poster " you are being rode" at 2k

Be tough to get clean lines with a hand held a/g

OP, see if you can rent a water cooled tile cutter, these tiles IIRC are 20mm thick