Cracked Tile Repair — Replace Broken Tiles, Reset Loose Tile, Regrout
One cracked tile in the middle of the floor, a few that sound hollow, or grout that is crumbling out — fixed one tile at a time, without tearing up the room.
Cracked tile repair is priced per unit: per tile replaced, or per room for regrouting. JMB Builders grinds out the grout around the broken tile, breaks it out from the center so the neighbors stay put, scrapes the old thinset, checks why it cracked, sets your matching tile and grouts it to blend. Loose or hollow tiles are reset the same way. Twin Cities metro, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per tile, or per room for regrouting
- Neighboring tiles stay in place
- Cause of the crack checked before the new tile goes in
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A cracked tile is a repair, not a new floor. The trick is getting the broken one out without chipping the ones around it. We cut the grout joints with an oscillating tool, score the tile, break it from the center outward, and lift the pieces. Then the old thinset comes off down to the substrate so the new tile sits at the same height as its neighbors.
Before the new tile goes in we look at why the old one cracked. A single tile dropped on by a pot is one thing. A crack that runs across several tiles in a line usually follows a seam in the subfloor or a crack in the slab, and a hollow sound means the tile let go of the thinset. Those get fixed at the cause, or the new tile cracks too.
Regrouting is the other half of this page. Grout that is crumbling, stained past cleaning, or missing in spots can be ground out and replaced without touching the tile. New grout, sealed, and the floor or shower looks new.
What you supply
- Matching tiles — spares from the original box, a piece from inside a closet, or a close match you found
- Grout color, or a piece of the old grout so we can match it
- For regrouting, nothing but a clear floor
What JMB supplies
- Grout removal around the damaged tile with a grout saw or oscillating tool
- Careful removal of the broken tile and the old thinset
- Repair of the substrate under it: filled voids, a screw into a loose subfloor, or a crack-isolation patch
- Thinset, spacers, grout blended to the existing color, and sealer
- Reset of loose or hollow tiles with fresh thinset
- Full regrout of a floor or shower when the grout is past saving
- Photos of the repair in your job folder
How it is priced: per unit
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Number of tiles replaced — the first one carries the setup, the rest are quick
- Whether you have matching tiles or we have to hunt for a close match
- Tile size and how it was set: a small tile on thinset comes out cleaner than a large one on a mud bed
- A substrate problem under the crack that has to be fixed first
- Regrouting a floor vs. a shower, where the old grout has to come out deeper
- Sanded vs. unsanded grout and whether the color has to be matched to an aged grout
- Sealing after the grout cures, which is a second short visit
Send a close-up of each cracked or loose tile and a wide shot of the room. If you have spare tiles, a photo of the box label helps.
How long it takes
One to five tiles: a couple of hours, then back the next day to grout. Regrouting a bathroom floor: one day, sealer a few days later once the grout has cured.
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
Single tile replacement
One or a few tiles cracked from impact. Cut out, substrate cleaned, new tile set flush, grouted to blend. The repair is invisible when the replacement tile is from the same box.
Loose and hollow tile reset
Tiles that click or sound hollow have let go of the thinset. We lift them, clean both surfaces, and reset them with fresh thinset. If a whole area is hollow, we check the substrate before resetting.
Crack that follows the floor
A line of cracked tiles over a subfloor seam or a slab crack. The tiles come out along the line, a crack-isolation membrane goes down over the seam, and the tiles are reset so the floor can move without telegraphing.
Regrout a floor or shower
Old grout ground out to the depth the new grout needs, vacuumed, and replaced with new grout in the color you want. Shower corners get silicone instead of grout. Sealed after it cures.
Cracked Tile Repair — Replace Broken Tiles, Reset Loose Tile, Regrout: questions, answered
Can you replace one cracked tile without damaging the ones around it?
Yes. We cut the grout out of the joints around it first so the neighbors are not connected to it, then break the damaged tile from the center out with a chisel and lift the pieces. The tiles around it stay put. Once in a while a neighboring tile is already loose and comes up too; if so we reset it.
Why did my floor tile crack?
The usual causes are a dropped object, a subfloor that flexes, a seam in the plywood or a crack in the concrete slab under the tile, or a tile that was set with a void under it. A single tile with a star-shaped crack is impact. A straight crack running through several tiles is movement under the floor. We look before we set the new tile so the same thing does not happen again.
I do not have spare tiles — can you still repair it?
Often. Check the back of a closet, under the vanity or the basement for leftover boxes first. If there are none, we can sometimes take a tile from under an appliance or a spot inside a closet and use it for the visible repair, then put a close match in the hidden spot. Tile stores also carry a lot of common lines for years.
Can cracked grout be fixed without replacing the tile?
Yes, if the tile is sound. Grout cracks along a joint because the joint was too shallow, the grout was mixed wet, or the floor moves there. We grind the old grout out, vacuum the joint and regrout it. If the crack is at a wall, a tub or an inside corner, that joint gets silicone caulk instead, because it will keep moving.
What does a hollow sound under a tile mean?
The tile has separated from the thinset, or the thinset never bonded to the floor under it. It may not be cracked yet, but it will be. Tapping a floor with a coin finds the hollow ones. We lift and reset them with fresh thinset. If a large area is hollow, the substrate is usually the problem and we talk about that before resetting tiles that will let go again.
Can you regrout a shower instead of retiling it?
If the tile is tight and the wall behind it is dry, yes. We grind out the old grout, regrout the field, and replace the grout in the corners and at the tub with silicone. If tiles are loose, the wall feels soft, or there are stains coming through the grout, the waterproofing behind the tile has failed and regrouting will not fix it. Then it is a retile.
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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