Tile Installation cost in Des Moines, IA
Des Moines, IA · updated August 2026
$5,400
Typical local cost
$1,700 – $15,400
Typical range
- per sq ft installed
- $6.50 – $24
- Permit
- Usually no
- Typical timeline
- 3-7 days including cure time
Installed, local pricing
$0 – $145 in fees
3-7 days including cure time
Des Moines runs -4% against the U.S. average · data confidence High · modeled estimate, not a quote
Most Des Moines homeowners pay around $5,400. The local adjustment for this trade is x0.961 — driven mainly by Polk County labor rates and 5% exposure to local code requirements.
Estimate your Des Moines job
Priced with this market's cost index, so the calculator, the size table and the ranges on this page all agree.
Tiles needed
57 tiles
Includes 12% waste
- Boxes to buy
- 8 boxes
- Thinset (50 lb bags)
- 2 bags
- Grout (25 lb bags)
- 1 bags
- Tile cost estimateMaterial only
- $252 – $907
Estimates only. Local pricing, site conditions and code requirements change the real number.
Cost by project size
Generated from the same unit pricing the calculator uses.
| Project size | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| 200 sq ft installed | $1,300 – $4,800 |
| 275 sq ft installed | $1,800 – $6,600 |
| 350 sq ft installed | $2,300 – $8,400 |
| 450 sq ft installed | $2,900 – $10,800 |
| 600 sq ft installed | $3,900 – $14,400 |
Based on Des Moines pricing of $7–$24 per sq ft installed.
Cost by material
Installed cost in this market, with expected service life.
| Material | Installed range | Lifespan | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porcelain Tile | $4,900 – $8,100 | 40–75 yrs | Low |
Where the money goes
- Labor
- $3,300
- 60% of median
- Materials
- $2,100
- 38% of median
- Permit & fees
- $75
- 1% of median
Des Moines project costs-4% vs U.S. average
Based on Polk County labor rates, local material logistics and permit-fee posture for this trade.
What the project looks like start to finish
Typical sequence for this scope. Timing varies with contractor backlog and plan-review queues.
01
Planning & quotes
Scope, material choice, contractor selection
02
Scheduling
No permit typically required for this scope
03
Materials & staging
Order lead time on non-stock materials
04
Installation
3-7 days including cure time
05
Closeout
Final sign-off, warranty and documentation
Des Moines labor intelligence
What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.
Loaded hourly rate
$48–$63
Interior crews in Polk County · -5% vs U.S. ($58/hr)
Typical crew
2 × 4 days
On-site time for a typical tile job here.
Labor in the price
$3,300
62% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.
Because labor is 62% of this job, Des Moines wage levels move the price far more than material prices do. A quote well under this labor figure usually means a smaller crew, a longer schedule, or unlicensed help.
Basis: Hometriva labor model: national interior crew rates adjusted by the Polk County labor factor (x0.948). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology
Why Des Moines differs from the national average
The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.
Trade labor rates-$175
Polk County crews price 5% below the national average, and labor is 62% of this job.
Material and delivery-$50
Materials are nationally traded, so they move less — but delivery into this market runs 2% under baseline.
Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Des Moines median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Des Moines building department, Hometriva methodology
Des Moines vs Iowa vs the U.S.
Change the inputs, see your number
The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.
Simulated tile installation in Des Moines
$5,475
Likely range $1,775 – $15,475
Simulated from the same local model as the numbers above — it changes the inputs, not the pricing method.
What makes the number move
- Tile size and format — large format costs more to set
- Layout pattern and diagonal cuts
- Shower waterproofing membrane
- Substrate preparation and leveling
- Natural stone sealing
Who issues each permit
Tracked per discipline — the building permit issuer is not always the body that reviews electrical, plumbing, zoning or fire.
| Discipline | Issuing authority |
|---|---|
| building | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| electrical | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| mechanical | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| plumbing | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| zoning | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| fire | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
Permit requirement in Des Moines
Usually no permit is required in Des Moines, but zoning rules such as setbacks and HOA approval can still apply.
- Permitting authority
- City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate
- Permit fee
- Estimated allowance $0–$145Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.
Local conditions that change this job
Only the exposures that materially affect tile installation.
Humidity
High62/100
Deep frost line and derecho wind history change footing depth and roofing decisions relative to milder Midwest markets.
Nearby market comparison
| Market | Local factor | Median | Per sq ft installed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines (this page) | x0.961 | $5,400 | $6.50 – $24 |
| Omaha | x0.950 | $5,300 | $6.50 – $24 |
| Minneapolis | x1.148 | $6,400 | $8 – $28.50 |
| Kansas City | x0.981 | $5,500 | $7 – $24.50 |
What Des Moines homeowners actually paid
Real reported invoices from this market, aggregated. Add yours — it takes 20 seconds and no personal details.
Quotes homeowners were given in Des Moines
Quotes run ahead of final invoices. Reporting yours shows the local spread and where there is room to negotiate.
How Hometriva estimates Des Moines tile costs
Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Des Moines estimate for tile installation is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:
- National baseline$5,600
Typical U.S. cost for tile installation on a single-family home.
- Local labor factorx0.948
Des Moines-area trade labor rates, weighted at 62% of this job.
- Material factorx0.978
Material and delivery pricing into Polk County, weighted at 38%.
- Regulatory factorx1.029
Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 5% for this project type.
- Applied multiplierx0.961
Blended Des Moines adjustment specific to tile installation.
- Permit component$0 – $145
Budgeted separately from the contract price because it is paid to the jurisdiction.
Because labor, material and regulatory factors are weighted per project, tile installation in Des Moines carries a different local adjustment than other trades in the same market.
Reviewed by
Hometriva Cost Data Desk
Maintains the unit-cost baselines, local adjustment factors and material pricing. Reviewed for tile installation pricing in Des Moines, IA.
- • National unit-cost baselines against current trade pricing
- • Local labor and materials factors for the market
- • Material installed-cost ranges and service life
Last reviewed August 2026 · Editorial standards · Report an error
Frequently asked questions
How much extra tile should I order?
Order 10 percent extra for a straight layout and 15 to 20 percent for diagonal or herringbone patterns to cover cuts, breakage and future repairs from the same dye lot.
Sources
Sources & verification
- City of Des Moines building department
- Des Moines permit portal
- Iowa Department of Public Safety
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Last verified August 2026. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing — they are not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.