Business idea · NZ · 2026
Start a Tiling Business in NZ
TL;DR
Tiling is one of the highest-skill, highest-margin LBP-licensed sub-trades in NZ. Bathroom + kitchen renovations need a tiler for 3-8 days each. Demand outstrips supply because the apprentice pipeline is thin and most tilers work as employees, not solo.
Startup cost
$5,000–$15,000
Realistic earnings
$2,400–$5,000/wk full-time year 1
Earnings explorer
Run the numbers for your situation
Charge-out hours on residential bathroom + kitchen tiling. Move the sliders to see realistic monthly and annual figures, plus how long the startup capital takes to pay back.
Per month
NZ$17,802
Annual run-rate
NZ$213,624
Weeks to recoup setup
3 weeks
Against NZ$10,000 startup
Modelled estimate, not a guarantee. Real outcomes depend on doing good work, answering the phone fast, and how aggressively you fill the calendar in the first 8–12 weeks.
What you need to start
- ▸LBP Waterproofing class licence (tiles in wet areas — strongly recommended) — annual renewal $340/yr
- ▸Tile cutter (manual + wet saw + grinder) — $1,500–$4,000
- ▸Trowels (notched, finishing), spacers, levellers, mixing tools — $400–$700
- ▸Knee pads + rubber mat + safety glasses + dust mask — $200
- ▸Substrate prep tools: scraper, primer roller, cement board cutter — $300–$500
- ▸Waterproof membrane + admixtures kit — $150–$300/job restocked
- ▸Reliable van or ute big enough for tile transport — varies
- ▸Public liability insurance + statutory liability — $120–$200/mo
- ▸Master Tilers / Building Industry Federation NZ membership (optional) — ~$500/yr
- ▸Sole App for invoicing — purpose-built for sole traders, NZ launch June 2026
Why this is AI-proof
Setting tile to a perfect plane on an uneven 1920s bathroom floor, scribing tile around an old cast iron drain, judging the right adhesive thickness for a heavy stone — every job is a different surface and a different problem. Software lays nothing. The customer is paying for visible craftsmanship that lasts 30 years.
The LBP Waterproofing class — your moat in wet-area work
Most residential tiling involves bathrooms, kitchens, laundries — all wet areas. Wet-area tiling that affects weather-tightness or waterproofing is Restricted Building Work under the Building Act 2004 and falls under the Waterproofing class of the LBP scheme. An LBP Waterproofing licence gives you the legal authority to sign off your own work and is the single biggest differentiator from unlicensed tilers.
Application requires 3+ years' relevant experience, a portfolio of completed work, and a successful skills assessment. Cost ~$1,300 application + $340/yr renewal. Most experienced tilers qualify on first application — and the licence approximately doubles your charge-out rate vs unlicensed solo work.
Where the renovation market is
NZ residential renovations have driven a sustained tiling-demand boom since 2020. Three primary work streams: (1) Subcontract to LBP builders running renovations — you tile the bathroom + kitchen as part of their job, they bill the client, you bill them; (2) Direct-to-homeowner work — you find the customer through Google search, manage the small renovation yourself; (3) Commercial fitouts — cafes, retail, hospitality. The subcontract path is steadiest in year 1; direct-to-homeowner is more profitable but slower to build. Most operators run a mix.
What to charge in 2026 NZ
- Hourly rate (LBP Waterproofing): $90–$140/hr
- Day rate: $720–$1,100
- Standard bathroom tiling (full strip + retile, ~30 sqm): $5,500–$11,000 labour + materials
- Kitchen splashback (per linear metre): $480–$880/m for premium installations
- Floor tile only (large bathroom, ~12 sqm): $2,200–$4,200 labour
- Per-sqm rate (subcontract to builders): $80–$140/sqm depending on complexity
- Waterproofing only (per wet-area room): $700–$1,400
Funding
Three WINZ programmes can stack to help cover this.
If you're between jobs and on Jobseeker Support, the Self-Employment Start-Up Payment can cover tools, wet saw, materials kit, and LBP licence renewal. Flexi-Wage adds up to NZ$16,800 over 28 weeks of living costs. Business Training Grant adds up to NZ$5,000.
Substrate + waterproofing — the part everyone underestimates
Tilers earn their premium not from laying tile (anyone can lay flat tile on a flat surface) but from doing the substrate prep, the waterproofing, and the awkward bits properly. Membrane application, primer compatibility, drainage falls, niche detailing — these are the skills that separate $80/sqm tilers from $140/sqm tilers. NZ tile failures (mostly waterproofing failures) cost insurers tens of millions a year. Be the operator who never causes one.
Industry bodies + builder relationships
Master Tilers (a small NZ-specific industry body) and the Building Industry Federation give technical CPD + dispute resolution + group buying. Cost ~$500/yr. More valuable, though, are direct relationships with 5-10 LBP builders + 5-10 architects/designers in your patch. Drop in person. Take them for coffee. Show them your portfolio. Repeat builder relationships fill 60-80% of a tiler's calendar in years 2+.
Common questions
Do I need the LBP Waterproofing licence to start?
Not legally for non-RBW work, but practically yes. Wet-area tiling is RBW; building consents require LBP-signed waterproofing; insurers ask. Without the LBP class, you're stuck with non-wet-area work (commercial floor tiling, splashback-only) which is a much smaller market. Get the LBP application in early.
What earning shift am I looking at vs being PAYE?
Most PAYE-employed tilers in NZ earn $65,000-$90,000/yr. Self-employed LBP-licensed tilers with a steady book pull $130,000-$220,000+ annually (BCITO industry data, MBIE construction sector reports). The financial leap is significant because tiling has high skill-rarity and the LBP licence creates a real moat.
Tile cutting machinery — manual or wet saw?
Both. Manual tile cutter for straight cuts and porcelain. Wet saw for angled / curved cuts and stone. Most professional tilers carry a $1,200-$2,500 wet saw and a $200-$500 manual cutter. Wet saw is non-negotiable for premium work — its cuts are visibly cleaner.
Stone vs ceramic — different skills?
Yes. Stone (marble, travertine, granite) requires different sealing, different blade selection, different handling. Premium stone work commands 30-50% higher rates than ceramic. Most tilers start ceramic, add stone competency in year 2-3.
Subcontract vs direct-to-homeowner?
Subcontract is steadier and lower-stress (no client management, builder handles design + materials). Direct-to-homeowner is more profitable per hour but you're managing the entire small renovation. Most operators run 60-70% subcontract / 30-40% direct in year 1, shift toward more direct work as their portfolio + reputation grow.
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If this fits
Ready to build it?
Self Made builds the digital infrastructure, runs the marketing, and gets the phone ringing. Same playbook that took Mr Mow to dominating local search across his Southland patch in weeks.
Last updated 6 May 2026