What to Expect When You Hire a Tile Contractor: From Measure to Finished Floor

Key Takeaways

The tile installation process has six distinct stages, each of which affects how the finished floor performs and looks
A trustworthy contractor walks you through every stage in advance, so there are no surprises on installation day
The free in-home measure is where subfloor conditions are assessed, scope is defined, and an accurate estimate is built — this step protects you from cost surprises later
Most bathroom tile projects take 2 to 4 days of active work plus a 48–72 hour cure period before use
Leicester Flooring calls you the day before installation to confirm timing and answer last-minute questions

Hiring a tile contractor for the first time can feel like a process with a lot of unknowns. What exactly happens between “I want new bathroom tile” and “I can walk on my finished floor”? How long does it take? What does the installer actually do each day? What do I need to have ready?

After 50 years of installing tile in WNC homes, Leicester Flooring has walked thousands of homeowners through this process. Here’s an honest, stage-by-stage account of what a professional bathroom tile installation looks like from start to finish.

Stage 1: The Free In-Home Measure

Every Leicester Flooring tile project starts with a free in-home measure. This is not a sales call dressed up as something useful — it’s a genuine assessment that shapes the accuracy of everything that follows.

What happens during the measure:

One of our professionals visits your home and measures the bathroom accurately. Square footage is confirmed. Obstacles like toilet bases, vanity footprints, doorways, and fixture locations are documented. The subfloor is inspected for flatness, softness, and evidence of previous water damage. Any existing flooring that needs to come out is assessed. The shower enclosure is evaluated for waterproofing requirements.

All of that information goes into an estimate that reflects your actual project rather than a generic per-square-foot number. You’ll know before any commitment what cement backer board costs, whether subfloor repair is needed, and what the full labor and materials total looks like.

Why this step protects you:

Contractors who quote bathroom tile over the phone without seeing the space are guessing. When their guess encounters a wood subfloor that needs backer board or a shower that needs full waterproofing prep, those become change orders. Our in-home measure builds the real scope upfront, so the estimate you get is the estimate you pay.

Schedule your free in-home measure to start the process.

Stage 2: Tile Selection

After the measure, you visit our showroom in Asheville or Hendersonville — or we bring samples to your home — to select tile, grout, and any other materials.

What the showroom visit involves:

Our non-commission sales team walks you through tile options appropriate for your bathroom’s specific applications. If you’re tiling a shower floor, they’ll steer you toward appropriate porcelain with an adequate traction rating. If you’re choosing a main bathroom floor, you’ll see options across price points in formats that work for your bathroom size.

Seeing tile at scale in a showroom display is meaningfully different from looking at a sample. Decisions made in front of a full floor display are almost always more confident than decisions made from a 4-inch tile square. We encourage showroom visits for this reason.

Grout color and type are selected at this stage, too. Our team helps you choose a grout that works aesthetically and is appropriate for the application — epoxy grout for shower floors, sealed cement grout for other areas. For more on grout selection, our grout selection guide covers the decision in detail.

You’ll also confirm:

Whether any existing flooring needs to be removed, and whether that’s included in the project price
The installation timeline and scheduled start date
Payment terms and any applicable financing arrangements

Stage 3: Materials Ordering and Delivery

Once selections are made and the project is confirmed, materials are ordered. For American-made tile from the brands we carry — Shaw, Emser, Armstrong, and Mannington — lead times vary by product and availability.

We order enough tile to complete your project, plus the industry-standard waste allowance (typically 10% to 15% depending on pattern complexity). Ordering the first time matters correctly: tile from the same dye lot has consistent color matching. A tile ordered later from a different production run may be visually close but not an exact match. We manage this detail so you don’t have to worry about it.

Materials are delivered to your home or our location and confirmed complete before installation is scheduled.

Stage 4: Installation Day(s)

The day before: Leicester Flooring calls to confirm the installation start time, remind you of any remaining prep steps on your end, and answer last-minute questions.

Arrival: Our crew arrives with all tools and materials. They introduce themselves, confirm access to the bathroom and a path through your home, and get set up.

Day 1 — Subfloor preparation:

Existing flooring is removed if it’s part of the scope. The subfloor is cleaned, inspected, and repaired as needed. In most bathroom tile installations, cement backer board is installed over the wood subfloor and fastened according to the manufacturer’s specifications. In shower enclosures, a waterproofing membrane is applied to the backer board and allowed to cure before tile installation begins.

This day involves more noise and demolition than tile-setting days. It’s the least glamorous part of the job, but it’s where the long-term success of the installation is determined.

Day 2 — Tile installation:

Tile layout is planned dry before any mortar is mixed. The crew marks reference lines, confirms the starting position, and identifies where cut pieces will fall against the walls. This planning step is a visible preparation that takes time but prevents the layout problems that make amateur installations obvious.

Mortar is mixed and applied with the appropriate notched trowel for the tile size and format. Tiles are set, leveled, and spaced consistently. Cuts are made at walls, around fixtures, and at transitions. The work is methodical and precise.

Day 3 — Grouting:

After the mortar has cured (typically overnight), grout is applied across the entire installation. This involves pressing grout into joints, removing excess from tile faces before it hardens, and final cleaning of the tile surface. Grout is applied in sections and cleaned as the installer moves through the space.

For shower installations, grouting includes the wall tile, floor tile, and all transitions. Caulk is applied at all inside corners and plane changes — floor-to-wall, wall-to-wall corners in the shower, and at any fixture base or curb. This is a professional detail that prevents grout cracking at joints that experience movement.

After grouting: Our tile care and maintenance guide covers what you’ll need to do to keep the installation performing well long term.

Stage 5: Cure Time

When the crew leaves, the work looks done. The bathroom isn’t ready to use yet.

Mortar cure: Thin-set mortar continues to cure and gain strength after installation. Walking on tile before the mortar is fully cured can shift tiles out of alignment. Our crew won’t leave without giving you the specific cure timeline for your installation.

Grout cure: Grout needs at least 48 hours before any foot traffic, and shower grout needs at least 72 hours before water exposure. Running water over uncured grout washes out the binding agents before they’ve set, which leads to weak, crumbly grout that needs to be replaced.

What a cure time looks like in practice:

Bathroom floor tile installed Monday → walkable Wednesday morning
Shower tile grouted Tuesday → shower usable Friday morning at the earliest

We communicate these timelines clearly before we leave, so there are no misunderstandings about when the bathroom is back in service.

Stage 6: Final Walkthrough and Cleanup

Before leaving, our crew walks through the finished work with you. This is your opportunity to inspect every detail in good light before we consider the job complete.

What to look at during the walkthrough:

Grout lines for consistency of width and fill
Tile alignment and evenness across the installation
Cut quality at walls, around fixtures, and at transitions
Caulk lines at corners and plane changes
Any areas that warrant a second look

If anything isn’t right, we address it before we leave or schedule a follow-up to resolve it. Our lifetime installation warranty means that if an issue develops after we leave, that’s attributable to our workmanship, we return and make it right.

Cleanup is part of our job. We remove all installation debris, excess material, and protective coverings. Your bathroom should be clean and ready to use (after the cure period) when we’re done.

Total Timeline Summary

Project Type	Installation Days	Cure Time	Total Before Use
Small bathroom floor only	1–2 days	48 hours	3–4 days
Shower tile only	2–3 days	72 hours	4–5 days
Full bathroom renovation	3–5 days	72 hours	5–8 days

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be home during the tile installation?

You don’t need to be present the entire time as long as we have reliable access. Many homeowners leave for work and return to find the installation in progress or complete. We ask that you be available the morning of the first day to walk through the space with us and confirm details.

What if my bathroom has only one shower and I can’t be without it for a week?

Tell us during the scheduling conversation. We can sometimes structure the project to prioritize getting the shower functional first, or we can discuss timing that minimizes your household disruption. We’ve handled this situation many times in WNC homes.

Can I change my tile selection after the order is placed?

Once the tile has been ordered from our suppliers, changes may involve restocking fees depending on the supplier. Changes before the order is placed are straightforward. If you’re uncertain about your selection, we encourage taking time in the showroom before committing.

What payment is due and when?

Payment terms are discussed during the estimate and confirmed when you schedule. Typically, a deposit is collected when the project is scheduled, and the balance is due at completion. We accept checks and credit cards. Our flooring financing options are also available if you want to spread the cost over time.

How do I maintain the tile after installation?

Grout sealing is the most important ongoing maintenance task in wet areas. Seal shower grout annually. Use pH-neutral cleaners on both tile and grout — avoid vinegar and bleach-based products. Address cracked grout promptly. Our tile care guide has the complete routine.

Summary

The tile installation process with Leicester Flooring runs from free in-home measure through tile selection, materials ordering, installation days, cure time, and a final walkthrough. Every stage is communicated clearly in advance. There are no hidden steps, no surprise change orders from conditions that should have been caught at the measure, and no guesswork about when you can use your bathroom again.