Bathroom Floor Tile Installation — Porcelain Set Flat and Level
Old vinyl or cracked tile out, the subfloor flattened and stiffened, new porcelain set flat with straight grout lines and the toilet reset — one crew from demo to the last bead of caulk.
Bathroom floor tile installation is a per-project job. JMB Builders pulls the old floor and the toilet, checks the subfloor, adds cement board or an uncoupling membrane, lays the tile out so the cuts hide under the vanity and along the tub, sets it flat, grouts, seals the grout and resets the toilet on a new wax ring at the new floor height. Twin Cities metro, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per project
- Cement board or uncoupling membrane included
- Toilet pulled and reset on a new wax ring
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A bathroom floor is small, so people assume it is a quick tile job. The floor is the easy part. What makes a bathroom tile floor last is what is under it: a subfloor that does not flex, a flat surface, and a toilet flange that ends up at the right height for the new floor. Skip any of those and the grout cracks within a year or the toilet rocks.
We take the bathroom down to the subfloor, fix what we find, and build it back up: cement board or an uncoupling membrane, thinset, tile, grout, sealer. Then the toilet goes back on a new wax ring, the base and shoe go back on the wall, and the doorway gets a transition that does not catch a bare foot.
Porcelain is what most people buy for a bathroom floor and it is what we set most. Ceramic, small hex mosaics, wood-look planks and large-format tile all work, each with its own layout and prep. Send a photo of the tile box and we will tell you what it takes.
What you supply
- The tile, with about ten percent extra for cuts and a few spares in the closet
- Grout color, or leave it to us to pick a match from the standard chart
- A new toilet if you are replacing it at the same time (we reset the old one otherwise)
- Any new vanity or fixtures you want set on the new floor
What JMB supplies
- Removal and haul-away of the old floor, underlayment and the toilet pull
- Cement board or uncoupling membrane, screws, seam tape and thinset
- Grout, caulk at the tub and vanity, and grout sealer
- New wax ring, closet bolts and a flange spacer where the new floor is higher
- Transition strip at the door to the hall floor
- Base and shoe reinstalled, or replaced when the old pieces do not survive removal
- Photos of the finished floor in your job folder
- Painting of new base or shoe when you want it, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Floor size and how many cuts the shape forces (a long narrow bath cuts more than a square one)
- Tile format — large-format porcelain needs a flatter floor than a standard tile
- Pattern: straight lay is fastest, herringbone and diagonal add a day of cuts
- What comes up first: one layer of vinyl, layers of old floor, or an old mud bed
- Subfloor repair if there is rot around the toilet or tub
- Raising the toilet flange to the new floor height
- Whether a heated floor mat is going in under the tile
Send one wide photo of the floor, one of the toilet base, one of the doorway, and a photo of the tile box label. That is enough to quote it firm.
How long it takes
A hall bath is usually three days: demo and prep on day one, set the tile on day two, grout and reset the toilet on day three. A bigger floor or a pattern adds a day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Porcelain over cement board
The standard build. Cement board screwed and taped over the subfloor, thinset, porcelain tile, sanded or unsanded grout to match the joint width. Works for any tile size on a solid wood subfloor.
Uncoupling membrane
An orange or gray dimpled membrane instead of cement board. Thinner build-up, better at absorbing movement between the wood subfloor and the tile, and the way to go when a heated floor is going in.
Small mosaic and hex
Sheet-mounted mosaics set on a very flat floor so the sheets do not show. More grout joints mean more sealing, and the layout is centered on the room so the edge pieces are even.
Wood-look plank tile
Long porcelain planks set in a staggered pattern. Set with a leveling system to keep the long edges even, offset no more than a third so the planks do not lip at the ends.
Bathroom Floor Tile Installation — Porcelain Set Flat and Level: questions, answered
Can you tile over the existing vinyl bathroom floor?
We can, but we usually do not. Vinyl over a subfloor hides what is under it, and it adds height at the door and the toilet. We take the vinyl and its underlayment up, look at the subfloor, and tile over cement board or membrane instead. The extra demo is a couple of hours and it is the difference between a floor that lasts and one that cracks.
Does the toilet have to come out to tile a bathroom floor?
Yes. Tiling around a toilet leaves a ring of cuts that never looks right and traps water. We pull the toilet, tile under it, and reset it on a new wax ring. Because the new floor is higher than the old vinyl, we add a flange spacer so the ring seals and the toilet does not rock.
What size tile works in a small bathroom?
Anything works if the layout is planned. Large tile means fewer grout lines and a floor that looks bigger, but it needs a very flat subfloor. Small hex or mosaic gives more grip and hides an out-of-square room better. We center the layout on the door or the tub so the cut pieces land at the walls where the vanity and base cover them.
Do you use cement board or an uncoupling membrane under bathroom tile?
Either, depending on the floor. Cement board is the standard over a wood subfloor. An uncoupling membrane is thinner, handles movement better, and is what we use when a heated floor is going in under the tile. Both get set in thinset, not just screwed down, and both get the seams taped.
How long before I can use the bathroom after the tile is installed?
You can walk on the floor the morning after it is grouted. The toilet goes back that same day, so you are without it for about two nights on a typical hall bath. Grout sealer goes on a few days later once the grout has cured, and that takes an hour.
Will the new tile floor be higher than the hallway floor?
Usually a little. Cement board, thinset and tile add up to more than sheet vinyl. We set a transition at the door that ramps the difference so it is not a trip edge, and we cut the door bottom if it no longer clears. If the hall is carpet, a tile-to-carpet edge holds the carpet tight.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All tile pages
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