Tile Installation cost in Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, NC · updated August 2026

$5,500

Typical local cost

$1,800 – $15,700

Typical range

per sq ft installed
$7 – $24.50

Installed, local pricing

Permit
Usually no

$0 – $155 in fees

Typical timeline
3-7 days including cure time

3-7 days including cure time

Calculate my tile cost

Raleigh runs -2% against the U.S. average · data confidence High · modeled estimate, not a quote

Most Raleigh homeowners pay around $5,500. The local adjustment for this trade is x0.982 — driven mainly by Wake County labor rates and 5% exposure to local code requirements.

Estimate your Raleigh 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
$260 – $937

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.

Estimated cost by project size
Project sizeEstimated range
200 sq ft installed$1,400$4,900
275 sq ft installed$1,900$6,700
350 sq ft installed$2,500$8,600
450 sq ft installed$3,200$11,000
600 sq ft installed$4,200$14,700

Based on Raleigh pricing of $7–$25 per sq ft installed.

Cost by material

Installed cost in this market, with expected service life.

MaterialInstalled rangeLifespanMaintenance
Porcelain Tile$5,000 $8,3004075 yrsLow

Where the money goes

Labor
$3,400
61% of median
Materials
$2,100
38% of median
Permit & fees
$80
1% of median

Raleigh project costs-2% vs U.S. average

Based on Wake 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.

  1. 01

    Planning & quotes

    Scope, material choice, contractor selection

  2. 02

    Scheduling

    No permit typically required for this scope

  3. 03

    Materials & staging

    Order lead time on non-stock materials

  4. 04

    Installation

    3-7 days including cure time

  5. 05

    Closeout

    Final sign-off, warranty and documentation

Raleigh labor intelligence

What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.

Loaded hourly rate

$50–$64

Interior crews in Wake County · -3% vs U.S. ($58/hr)

Typical crew

2 × 4 days

On-site time for a typical tile job here.

Labor in the price

$3,400

62% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.

Because labor is 62% of this job, Raleigh 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 Wake County labor factor (x0.974). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology

Why Raleigh differs from the national average

The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.

Trade labor rates$100
Dollars of the Raleigh difference owned by each driver, versus the U.S. median for tile installation.
  • Trade labor rates-$100

    Wake County crews price 3% below the national average, and labor is 62% of this job.

Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Raleigh median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Raleigh building department, Hometriva methodology

Raleigh vs North Carolina vs the U.S.

Raleigh$1,800$15,700North Carolina average$1,700$15,000U.S. average$1,800$16,000
Modeled ranges for tile installation. The tick marks the median in each geography.

Change the inputs, see your number

The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.

Simulated tile installation in Raleigh

$5,580

Likely range $1,880$15,780

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.

Permitting authority by discipline
DisciplineIssuing authority
buildingCity of Raleigh building departmentModeled estimate
electricalCity of Raleigh building departmentModeled estimate
mechanicalCity of Raleigh building departmentModeled estimate
plumbingCity of Raleigh building departmentModeled estimate
zoningCity of Raleigh building departmentModeled estimate
fireCity of Raleigh building departmentModeled estimate

Permit requirement in Raleigh

Usually no permit is required in Raleigh, but zoning rules such as setbacks and HOA approval can still apply.

Permitting authority
City of Raleigh building departmentModeled estimate
Permit fee
Estimated allowance $0$155Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.
Full Raleigh permit guide for tile installation

Local conditions that change this job

Only the exposures that materially affect tile installation.

Humidity

High74/100

Rapid growth and North Carolina's statewide licensing rules keep general-contractor pricing tighter than the Southeast average.

Nearby market comparison

MarketLocal factorMedianPer sq ft installed
Raleigh (this page)x0.982$5,500$7$24.50
Charlottex0.972$5,400$7$24.50
Richmondx0.992$5,600$7$25
Columbiax0.931$5,200$6.50$23.50

What Raleigh homeowners actually paid

Real reported invoices from this market, aggregated. Add yours — it takes 20 seconds and no personal details.

No name, email or address is collected. Reports are reviewed before they count.

Quotes homeowners were given in Raleigh

Quotes run ahead of final invoices. Reporting yours shows the local spread and where there is room to negotiate.

No name, email or address is collected.

How Hometriva estimates Raleigh tile costs

Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Raleigh estimate for tile installation is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:

  1. National baseline$5,600

    Typical U.S. cost for tile installation on a single-family home.

  2. Local labor factorx0.974

    Raleigh-area trade labor rates, weighted at 62% of this job.

  3. Material factorx0.991

    Material and delivery pricing into Wake County, weighted at 38%.

  4. Regulatory factorx1.033

    Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 5% for this project type.

  5. Applied multiplierx0.982

    Blended Raleigh adjustment specific to tile installation.

  6. Permit component$0 – $155

    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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh, NC.

  • 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

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.

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