Waterproofed first. Tiled second.

Sum tile, setting supplies, substrate preparation and labor on Mercer Island and the result reads roughly $14 to $26 for the square foot, installed; on its own, the labor component enters at $11 per square foot. Surrounds for the standard tub-shower open near $3,200 and crest around $6,800, while a complete bathroom — floor, shower and niche — finishes anywhere from $6,500 up to $14,000. Format is the multiplier hiding in plain sight: mosaic sheets and oversized planks alike demand notably more labor per square foot than a plain 12×12 grid.

On Mercer Island a standard alcove shower opens near $3,200 and crests around $6,800, a figure that folds in demolition, the bonded waterproofing, a sloped pan or base, the tile itself, the niche, the grout. Benches, curbless thresholds, steam and full-height stone raise it — so does structural correction where a 1960s bath has seen water before. Call the waterproofing a tenth of the bill; it's the tenth that spares you the tens-of-thousands repair.

Yes — arguably it's the whole job. Under every shower goes a bonded waterproofing build: base sloped before membrane, the membrane brought wall-high, corners, seams and pipe penetrations sealed, and then a 24-hour flood test recorded in photographs before tile is allowed on. Water moves through grout and tile freely; the membrane is what protects framing that has stayed dry here for sixty years and ought to keep doing so.

Give a Mercer Island bathroom four to six working days. The sequence: demolition under dust control; substrate correction and membrane work, the flood test standing its own 24 hours between; setting across a day or two; the closing pass of grout, silicone and trim. First use waits 24 hours while grout cures. Should demolition turn up subfloor repairs, you hear about it that same day, priced — never as an end-of-job surprise.

Porcelain for every floor and wet area: under 0.5% water absorption, denser and more chip-resistant than ceramic. Ceramic is a fair economy for walls and backsplashes. In mid-century Island baths we specify porcelain underfoot and in shower floors without exception, and let ceramic or glass argue for wall space.

Yes. Heated tile figures at $11 up to $16 for the square foot, installed, thermostat within the price — and over a crawlspace or daylight basement it's the least expensive cure a cold mid-century floor can get. The mat lies on uncoupling membrane, has resistance confirmed before setting and confirmed again after, and is fed from a dedicated circuit of its own. The window for it closes when the floor closes.

Usually, and on the Island especially. Removal and haul-away run about $3.50 per square foot, and demolition is the only honest look at a 60-year-old subfloor — rot, movement, past leaks — plus the only way to hold floor height at doorways. Tiling over existing tile on a flat, sound, bonded floor is possible, but it buries exactly the evidence we want to see.

Thirty square feet of Mercer Island kitchen backsplash goes in for $1,100–$2,200, with outlet cuts, trimmed edges and grout keyed to the counter as part of it. The premium end of that spread belongs to herringbone, mosaic sheeting, framed details at the range and slab-look porcelain — what you're paying for is layout and cutting hours rather than fancier tile.

Often, and we'll say when. Repair and regrout start at $8 per square foot — appropriate for stained or crumbling grout, a few cracked tiles from an impact, or corners needing silicone in place of grout. Hollow-sounding tile, a pattern of loosening, or a wall that flexes means the substrate is finished, and repairs only rent you time. We diagnose first, quote second.

The whole Island — Town Center, First Hill, East Seattle, Roanoke, Mercerdale, Mercerwood, Barnabie Point, Faben Point, Proctor Landing and The Lakes, North End to South End — plus Enatai, Beaux Arts Village, Newport Shores, Bellevue and Seattle over the bridges.

A 2-year workmanship warranty stands behind our tile — carpet gets half that, because tile defects favor year two over week two. Where a manufacturer's bonded system goes in complete, the maker's own coverage applies alongside. And since your membrane and flood test were photographed, the record survives — small engineering history worth having when an Island house changes owners.