Tile installation · Bellevue, Washington
Waterproofed first. Tiled second.
Tile and grout are not waterproof — the membrane behind them is. That hidden layer is the difference between a Bellevue shower that lasts twenty years and a $40,000 framing repair. We build the assembly, flood-test it for 24 hours, photograph it, then set a single tile.
Eastside floors since 2013
12 years · family owned · Bellevue based
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How much does tile installation cost in Bellevue, WA?
Tile installation in Bellevue costs roughly $14–$26 per square foot installed once you count tile, setting materials, substrate prep and labor — labor alone starts at $11/sq ft. A standard tub-shower surround runs $3,200–$6,800; a full bathroom with floor, shower and niche usually lands between $6,500 and $14,000.
The surprise for most homeowners: tile format moves the price more than tile price does. A $4 mosaic sheet can cost more to install than a $12 large-format porcelain plank, because labor follows cuts and grout lines, not the invoice.
Installed ranges for Bellevue homes, August 2026 · tile + materials + labor. Your written quote at the free estimate is the real number.
What's behind a shower that lasts
Seven layers, bottom to top. Every shower failure we're called to repair in Bellevue skipped one of them — usually the membrane, usually to save a few hundred dollars on a job that then costs five figures to open back up.
A shower leak doesn't announce itself. Water passes grout, soaks the substrate, and shows up two years later as a soft floor in the hallway or a stain on the ceiling below. By then the repair is framing, subfloor, drywall and a full re-tile.
Waterproofing is about 10% of a shower's cost. Skipping it is the single most expensive decision in a bathroom remodel.
What we tile in Bellevue
Starting prices — tile format, substrate condition and layout complexity move them. The real number is written, on site, free.
Shower & bath tile
Full waterproofed assembly: pre-slope, bonded membrane, flood test, niche, curb or curbless entry, then tile. The part you pay us for is the part you can't see.
Porcelain & stone floors
Bathrooms, kitchens, entries, mudrooms and basements. Subfloor flattened and an uncoupling membrane where movement or radiant heat calls for it.
Backsplash
Subway, mosaic sheet, herringbone or slab-look porcelain. Outlet cuts, edge trim, and grout matched to the counter — not to the tile box.
Heated tile floors
Electric radiant mat over an uncoupling membrane, resistance-tested before and after setting, on its own circuit. Only worth doing while the floor is open.
Tile repair & regrout
Cracked tile, failed grout, loose shower corners. We'll tell you straight whether it's a repair or the substrate below has already failed.
Demo & haul-away
Old tile, thinset and backer out, dust contained with sheeting and negative air, everything hauled. Nothing left in your driveway.
Which tile, and where
Most bad tile decisions in Bellevue homes are the right tile in the wrong room. Here's the short version we'd give you standing in your bathroom.
Rates are material only, before installation. We'll bring samples and tell you where each one earns its price.
Bellevue tile cost calculator
Price your tile job before we arrive
The same arithmetic we do on site — scope, square footage, format, prep. Not a quote, but close enough to plan around.
A bathroom, day by day
Four to six working days for a typical Bellevue bathroom. The two days people don't expect are the ones that make it last.
Tile in Eastside homes
What Bellevue clients say
“They placed plastic sheeting over the cabinets to contain the dust, so we noticed hardly any. The floors look as good or better than new.”
“We chose them because they were professional and top-notch. The work was smooth, fast and cost-effective — such skill and precision!”
“The installers were great! The floor is exactly what we wanted. We worked with OC Flooring previously — highly recommend.”
Tile installation FAQ — Bellevue, WA
Not here? Call us at (425) 595-1079 — you'll get an installer on the phone, not a call center.
How much does tile installation cost in Bellevue, WA?
Tile installation in Bellevue costs about $14 to $26 per square foot installed, counting tile, setting materials, substrate prep and labor. Labor alone starts at $11 per square foot. A standard tub-shower surround runs $3,200 to $6,800, and a full bathroom with floor, shower and niche usually lands between $6,500 and $14,000. Tile format drives the price more than tile price does: large-format and mosaic sheets take significantly more labor per square foot than 12×12.
How much does it cost to tile a shower in Bellevue?
A tiled shower in Bellevue runs $3,200 to $6,800 for a standard alcove, including demolition, a bonded waterproofing system, the pre-sloped base or pan, tile setting, a niche and grout. Curbless entries, benches, full-height stone and steam showers push above that. The waterproofing is roughly a tenth of the cost and prevents the one failure that costs tens of thousands.
Do you waterproof showers before tiling?
Yes. Every shower we tile gets a bonded waterproofing system behind the tile, not just cement board and thinset. That means a pre-sloped base, a sheet or liquid membrane carried up the walls, sealed corners, seams and pipe penetrations, and a documented 24-hour flood test before a single tile goes on. Tile and grout are not waterproof; the membrane behind them is what keeps water out of your framing.
How long does a bathroom tile job take?
A bathroom tile job in Bellevue takes about four to six working days: one day for demolition and dust protection, one for substrate and waterproofing plus a 24-hour flood test, one to two for setting tile, and one for grout, silicone and trim. Add 24 hours of cure time before the shower is used. Floors on their own are usually one to two days.
Porcelain or ceramic tile — which is better?
Porcelain is the better choice for floors, showers and anything that gets wet or heavy traffic: it is denser, absorbs less than 0.5% water, and chips less. Ceramic is fine for walls and backsplashes and costs less. In Bellevue we specify porcelain for every floor and shower floor, and let ceramic or glass earn its place on walls and backsplash.
Can you install a heated tile floor?
Yes. Electric radiant mat under tile adds about $11 to $16 per square foot installed including the thermostat, and it is the cheapest luxury in a Bellevue bathroom because it is only worth doing while the floor is already open. It goes in over an uncoupling membrane, is resistance-tested before and after setting, and runs on its own dedicated circuit.
Do I need to remove the old tile first?
Usually yes. Old tile removal and haul-away runs about $3.50 per square foot, and it is the only way to see the subfloor, check for rot or movement, and get the new floor height right at doorways. Tiling over existing tile is possible on a sound, flat, well-bonded floor, but it raises the floor and hides problems we would rather find at demolition than after grout.
How much does a kitchen backsplash cost in Bellevue?
A kitchen backsplash in Bellevue costs $1,100 to $2,200 for a typical 30 square foot run, installed with outlet cuts, edge trim and color-matched grout. Mosaic sheets, herringbone layouts, a picture-frame detail behind the range and full-height slab-look porcelain sit at the top of that range because of layout and cutting time.
Can you fix cracked tile or regrout instead of replacing?
Often, yes. Tile repair and regrout starts at $8 per square foot and is the right call when grout is stained or crumbling, a few tiles cracked from an impact, or shower corners need the grout cut out and replaced with silicone. If tiles sound hollow, are popping loose in a pattern, or the wall feels soft, the substrate below has failed and a repair only buys months — we tell you which one you have before we quote.
Which Bellevue neighborhoods do you tile?
We tile homes across all of Bellevue — West Bellevue, Downtown, Crossroads, Lake Hills, Factoria, Somerset, Newport Hills, Eastgate, Wilburton, Bridle Trails, Northwest Bellevue, Woodridge, Cougar Mountain and Clyde Hill — plus Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Sammamish, Mercer Island and the wider Eastside and Seattle.
What warranty comes with tile installation?
You get a 2-year workmanship warranty from OC Flooring on tile installation, longer than we give on carpet because tile failures show up in year two, not week two. Bonded waterproofing systems carry the manufacturer's own warranty when we install their full assembly, and we photograph the membrane and the flood test so the record exists if you ever sell the house.