For me if I measure a job and really want to get it I tell the homeowners that if they just pay me 37.5 an hour I will come out less then other quotes that they may get. That gives me $300 a day $1500 a week , and more if I work longer hours. To me thats a good weekly wage for a guy with little bills. Sometimes I measure a job by the foot and walk out with $80-$100 an hour although that doesn't happen very often. Usually falls around the $40-$50 range.
I've landed many jobs by asking for $300 a day.

What do you guys do? By the foot? By the job? I would think most of you are by the job and just break it down to SF price if they ask.

I also buy all my material wholesale and charge retail. Do you guys do that? Good way to make a few extra hundred per job. I buy tile too if I can. Did it this afternoon, made $280 in 2 hours.
My thoughts are that I set tile for a living but I'm in the business of making money.

Would like to hear what others have to say.

Well, I'm slaving like a pig dog right now, for a hundred bucks a day, if that makes you feel any better.

Randy and I were talking about this the other day.Yeah,I wish I could make consistently $1500 a week for my labour...for a five day week,six even.I've had a hard time doing that this year.

Me,I think that I should be able to get $50 an hour for my company and pay myself as a employee $40.Customers don't seem to feel the same way.At least,not around these parts.
I have a hard time squeezing money out of rich people.Most of them have no problem buying expensive stuff but will squawk when they hear how much this guy in dirty workclothes wants for installing said expensive item.

For me,this year has sucked as far as contracting goes.I think I've made between $27 to $30 average...just worked a lot to pay the bills.Still owe taxes from 2006 ...about $4200.I know my bills are high but I should be able to get better paying jobs at this stage in my career.It's time for me to promote myself better.Advertise,website and such.

Sorry if I bummed anyone out. :p

Not all jobs suck though...One that came from this site(a travertine tile floor in a kitchen at Dufferin and Lawrence)was a good one.The customer even gave me some shirts and a vest from the company he works for and $150 bonus.Good people.

I should add that for me I don't work every day of the year, although this year has been great and I'm good till February. Competition here isen't the same as in cities, mind you many jobs are still an hour away due to driving so far in the bush.
One thing I've started to do was stopping in at new houses being built around here. Especially if I know the homeowners are contracting the house themselves. If they are getting any tile they are always up to getting a quote while I'm there. I've only got one house this year doing that but I'm expecting another next spring.

I've written the test and I'm on the list to join the local electrical union. Journeyman are around $32 an hour $3 and hour for vacation and taking home $200 a week for pension. Thats over $40 an hour when you add in benefits.

Nice goin' Randy!

I'm in about the same situation as Ron. By the time I take out expenses, it seems I'm working for bills. I did incorporate a few years ago and get a set salary no matter how much or little I work. Most of my jobs make around $50 per hour.

Over the past few months, though, I've looked at a lot of jobs, including a lot of remodels. I noticed that I was doing a lot of extras for little or no extra charge, and I decided that I wouldn't do that anymore. If someone decides to go with a cheaper contractor, I'll come back in a few months and repair/redo at an even higher price. At least I won't work myself to death for peanuts. There will always be some fly-by-night tile setter that can do the job cheaper, but the people will get what they pay for.

I don't get premium price for everything I do, and I still do some charity work when I can. I just don't believe a qualified tile setter should have to work for the same price as a hack.

Incidentally, Randy, I wanted to try the electrician thing years ago, but the training and schooling was so long, I let it go. Good luck with it.

It is long so the sooner for me the better. I'll be around 40ish assuming i stay working for 6 years straight in the apprenticeship. The plan is to be self employed again once I'm qualified.
I can get a job tommorrow as a sheet metal worker in the Ottawa union, there is absolutley no one on the waiting list. Journeyman again is $35 an hour with benefits and pension. Pushing $50 an hour. Problem there is what do you do if you want to work for yourself again down the road. You dont see to many sheet metal only businesses. Lose your freedom of self employment of course.
With proper investing pension money in 25 years I'd have half a million in pension. Won't have that doing this.
Mind you I'm swamped with work now for a while but I know it will eventually end, Probably in the spring time. I'd prefer to get out when the getting good. I cant see myself crawling around on peoples floors when I'm 50 anyhow.
Hats off to you older folks that are still doing it.

ONe more thing. I stopped at a convenience store about a year ago and there was this refrigeration mechanic working there on a cooler. I would say he was pushing 70 still working. He could barely get into the back of his truck. JUst by looking at him you could be 99% sure that he had to be there, for whatever reason he was there because he had to keep working. I don't want to be like that at that age.

I hear ya, Randy. I make more per hour setting tile than I do working at my full time job. The problem is that the full time job provides me with benefits (full pension at 52, health insurance for the whole family with no premiums, dental/vision ins., etc.) that construction doesn't provide. The main thing is that I can't see myself at 65 or 70 still scooting around on the floor trying to earn enough money to buy Geritol and Depends.

It's smart of Randy to be looking ahead with the pension and benefits and such.That old mechanic probably didn't look into that or,if he's working for himself,didn't invest anything.

I guess I should put money into some good investments...I'll ask my accountant.

I don't think I could work for someone else anymore after having been on my own so long.Or,I think that I'm just too proud to give up on my little business to do something else.I know it's gonna get better soon.The problem with contemplating working for a company is that the starting salary is kinda low and currently my monthly bills are over $3000 a month and that doesn't include gasoline,food and other stuff.

I honestly believe that regardless of your chosen trade or skill ... finacial progress depends on the individual. I know a lot of plumbers and electricians who just scrape by where as others are doing quite well.
I trained my son to be a tilesetter about 5 years ago and this month he bought his first house.
Then there's me .... I'm always broke.

Thats something else that I've also been think about. I think that If a guys having a slow period maybe its really their own fault for not getting out there and advertising enough. I feel that way a lot sometimes.
One thing I do is not look for work when I'm busy. I know though that I should be looking for work all the time. I don't even advertise on my truck. Thats dumb of me because truck advertising is great when everyone can see it everywhere you go. IF I was willing to work in Ottawa I'm sure I'd be working everyday, but I just won't go there. I'm willing to travel, but an hours drive is my limit.

Id like to chime in on this one if I can. I live and work in eastern Ontario, Canada. I have been self employed now for 7 years. My father who is now 57 still works with me every day as does my brother. We install tile mostly. I like to think we are one of the top 5 installation companys in the area for sure!

After 7 years of installations. we are still not turning a profit. Im not even sure some times how many hours we put into a week. But I can say that my father and myself as installers are only making $500 - $700 a week clear. we pay my younger brother per hr to labour for my dad at $11/hr

Our price has not changes in 7 years. we also supply all grout and motar ( MAPEI) included in a $3 sq/ft start rate for floors, new contruction homes.

Im at the point now that I need to start seeing a profit or find another way to provide for my family. But Im also worried that if my rates increase My "Bread and butter" costomer a stick home builder will just toss us aside and find another sucker. Are my rates to low? to high? I welcome any PMs or advise you can offer

I found that the only way to make decent money in Eastern Ontario, it too do "custom work". Working for 3 bucks a foot is good in a big open area..but if you are doing a lot of cutting,you need to charge quite a bit more, or your helper ends up making more money than you at the end. Hooking up with some high end builders is the way to go.Of course, that means doing high quality stuff too...big walk in showers,heated floors, big stone and marble jobs, Ditra, Kerdi...that sort of thing. I spent 30 years in Eastern Ontario trying to make money...oh, if I could go back in time.

Thanks Bri. We would love to take on a custom home builder. My problem is that most builders like to one stop shop for installers along with there tile. we only install. I do sell schluter shower kits and electic heating kits. We currantly install 95% of our tile on Ditra. little cuting on floors. soaker tubs are the biggest killer for us at this time. Im only making around $200 a tub for the better part of a days work. Not to metion the time spent preping a complete mess before we even start to install tile.

There are so many stores open now in this area. Im worried that trying to sell tile to gain more customers is just diging a deeper hole for my self?

I recently moved from Vancouver to Williams Lake. In vancouver I was charging $35 to $40 per hour and there was never a shortage of work. I usually had a few months wait list.

Here in williams lake I am still self employed, but 80% of my work is for United Carpet. They pay me $30/hour for bathrooms, etc, or $3/sf on the bigger floor jobs. They take care of the estimates, ordering, billing, materials, and even deliver the tile. It's pretty hassle free. For my own jobs I charge $40/hr or $4/sf. for ceramics

My thoughts are that tile setters should make about the same as the other trades. Around here carpenters, plumbers, and such charge around $50/hr, so I am comparatively pretty cheap.

So far I have never spent a cent on advertising and have yet to miss a day of work, in fact I usually have to put in 6 days a week to keep up. My secret is pretty simple: always do the best possible job and always compliment the customer on their choice of tile or design or wall colors. All of my work has been customer referrals, so I must be doing something right.

Hi Guys,
I'm slowly getting out of tile work. I'm still taking on the larger well paying jobs but I've been passing on the smaller renovation type jobs like bathrooms for example. The aggrivation of tripping over cats, dogs, and kids, just pisses me off to much. Mind you I did do a reno job a month ago but the guy said he didn't care about cost he just wanted it done. He's got more work for me at his commercial properties.

I'm getting into timber framing and square log building doing dovetail corners. I've got a 30 year woodworking craftsman teaming up with me. I'm pretty sure in a year or so we'll be kiking ass.