Hiring the wrong tiler is an expensive mistake to fix, so the smartest thing you can do before any work starts is ask the right questions. The 10 below are the ones that quickly separate a genuine professional from a cowboy, and just as importantly, we tell you the answers to listen for.
You do not need to be a tradesperson to spot a good tiler. You just need to know what a confident, honest answer sounds like versus a vague brush-off. This guide sits within our Choosing and Hiring a Tiler in Adelaide pillar.
Why the questions matter more than the tiles
Most tiling that fails does not fail because of the tile. It fails because of what happened underneath: rushed waterproofing, skipped preparation, the wrong adhesive, or an operator who was long gone by the time the problem showed up. None of that is visible once the job is finished and the money has changed hands.
The questions below are designed to surface that hidden work before you commit. A good tiler will answer them easily and specifically. A cowboy will get vague, defensive, or try to steer you back to price.
The 10 questions to ask
1. Are you licensed and insured, and can I see it?
Tiling on its own is not separately licensed in South Australia, but the moment a job involves waterproofing a wet area or forms part of building work, licensing and standards come into play. Public liability insurance is non-negotiable for anyone working in your home.
Listen for: a straight answer, a policy they can email you, and a clear explanation of who holds the building work contractor licence if the job needs one. Walk away if: they get cagey, say insurance is "not needed for a small job", or cannot produce anything in writing.
2. Who is actually doing the work?
The person quoting is not always the person laying your tiles. That is not automatically a problem, but you deserve to know whether it is the owner, an employed tiler, or a subcontractor you have never met.
Listen for: clarity on the actual person on the tools and their experience. Walk away if: they are evasive, or the quote comes from a slick salesperson who cannot tell you who turns up.
3. How will you handle the waterproofing?
This is the single most important question for any bathroom, laundry, ensuite or balcony. Waterproofing a wet area must be done to Australian Standard AS 3740, and it is the layer that protects your home from slow, hidden water damage.
Listen for: a specific method, the products used, mention of the standard, and drying and curing time built into the schedule. Expect it itemised, usually $500 to $1,500 for a wet area. Walk away if: waterproofing is glossed over, bundled invisibly into "prep", or treated as optional.
4. What preparation is included in the price?
Preparation is where the cheap quotes cut corners. Levelling an uneven floor, repairing damaged substrate, priming, and setting out the tiles properly all take time and all get skipped when someone is racing to the bottom on price.
Listen for: specifics about the surface, whether levelling is needed, and how they will set out the job. Walk away if: they promise to start tomorrow with no mention of prep at all.
5. Is this a fixed quote, and what could change it?
A real quote should be a fixed price for a defined scope, not a loose guess that balloons halfway through. Honest tilers will also name the things that could genuinely move the number, such as rotten substrate found once old tiles come up.
Listen for: a written, itemised quote and a short, sensible list of possible variations. Our guide on how to read a tiling quote walks through exactly what a good one contains. Walk away if: the price is a vague verbal range with no paperwork.
6. What warranty do you offer on the work?
Materials carry their own manufacturer warranty, but you want the tiler to stand behind their workmanship too. A tiler confident in their work is happy to guarantee it.
Listen for: a clear workmanship warranty period stated in writing. Walk away if: they laugh it off or say "it will be fine, mate" without committing to anything.
7. Can I see recent Adelaide jobs like mine?
Anyone can show a photo from the internet. You want proof of real, local work, ideally similar to yours, whether that is a large-format floor, a full bathroom, or an outdoor area that has to cope with Adelaide's hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
Listen for: recent examples, addresses or suburbs, and a couple of contactable references. Walk away if: every photo is suspiciously perfect and none of it is local.
8. What is the timeline, and what happens between stages?
Good tiling cannot be rushed. Waterproofing needs to cure, adhesive needs to set, and grout needs time before the area gets used. A tiler who promises a full bathroom in 2 days is telling you they plan to skip drying time.
Listen for: a realistic, staged timeline with curing time built in. Walk away if: the schedule sounds too fast to be true.
9. How and when do you want to be paid?
Payment terms tell you a lot. A fair structure is a modest deposit, progress payments tied to stages on larger jobs, and the balance on completion once you are happy.
Listen for: reasonable, staged terms in writing. Walk away if: they demand a large cash deposit up front before any paperwork exists. That is one of the clearest dodgy tiler red flags there is.
10. What happens if something goes wrong later?
The final test. A cowboy vanishes; a professional has a plan. You want to know they will come back if a tile lifts or a grout line cracks within the warranty period.
Listen for: a calm, clear answer about how they handle callbacks. Walk away if: the question visibly annoys them.
Good answers versus red-flag answers at a glance
| Topic | What a pro says | What a cowboy says | | --- | --- | --- | | Insurance | "I will email you my certificate" | "Not needed for a job this size" | | Waterproofing | "Done to AS 3740, itemised at $500 to $1,500" | "It is all included, do not worry" | | Quote | "Here is a fixed written quote" | "Roughly a few grand, cash is easier" | | Warranty | "Workmanship guaranteed in writing" | "It will be fine, trust me" | | Deposit | "Small deposit, balance on completion" | "Half up front, cash today" |
How much does asking the right questions save you?
Consider the numbers. A full bathroom in Adelaide typically runs $2,500 to $6,500 or more, and waterproofing a wet area is $500 to $1,500 of that. If a cowboy skips the waterproofing to win the job on price, the failure might not show for a year, and then you are paying to tear out finished tiling and start again. Asking question 3 properly can be the difference between a job done once and a job paid for twice.
That is the whole point of these questions. They cost you nothing to ask, and they protect the biggest, most vulnerable part of the work: everything you cannot see once the tiles are on.
The easiest way to compare good answers
The fastest way to hear these answers side by side is to ask the same questions of a few tilers on the same job. When you find a tiler through us, you are only ever talking to vetted, licensed and insured Adelaide professionals, so the worst red flags are already filtered out before you pick up the phone. For more on weighing them up, see how to choose a tiler in Adelaide.
Tell us about your job and we will connect you with trusted local tilers who are happy to answer every one of these questions. Comparing quotes this way is free and there is no obligation, so get started here whenever you are ready.