THE ESTIMATING ANSWER
For three shower walls, start with a defined scope and measurement basis. Measure each wet wall separately and record niches, corners and tile size so purchasing and installed areas are distinct. Keep tile, edge trim and waterproofing products visible as separate selected or provisional items. Price the listed tasks separately and state the condition that would require a revision: Unsound backing discovered after tile removal requires a separate substrate repair decision.
This guide uses a fictional project in Vancouver, British Columbia: Three shower walls. Its matching estimate and PDF give each scope decision a visible CAD cost line. Use the document to understand the structure; verify the actual building, product schedule, labour and supplier inputs before preparing a client quote.
1. Define the measured job
Retile three sound shower walls within the existing enclosure, including substrate preparation, waterproofing allowance, tile setting and grout. Fixtures stay in place. Measure each wet wall separately and record niches, corners and tile size so purchasing and installed areas are distinct. Record the measurements and existing condition in the estimate before turning quantities into line items. The scope should make clear why this is a separate project from a broader renovation or maintenance quote.
Measurement basis: Measure each wet wall separately and record niches, corners and tile size so purchasing and installed areas are distinct.
2. Build a product and labour schedule
Keep tile, edge trim and waterproofing products visible as separate selected or provisional items. This example has 7 distinct lines, including wet-area protection, existing tile removal, substrate and waterproofing allowance. Use actual supplier prices and labour inputs for a customer job; the displayed amounts are fictional document inputs.
Selections to confirm: Keep tile, edge trim and waterproofing products visible as separate selected or provisional items.
3. Sequence the work and handoffs
Allow demolition, substrate inspection and curing stages before the screen is refitted. Show which task depends on access, a selected product or another trade. If that dependency is still open, label the price preliminary and identify the information needed before a firm quote.
Work sequence: Allow demolition, substrate inspection and curing stages before the screen is refitted.
4. Set a change boundary
Unsound backing discovered after tile removal requires a separate substrate repair decision. The example excludes shower tray replacement, plumbing alteration or hidden framing repair. Record the discovery, agree the revised work and update the estimate before adding it to the job.
If the job changes: Unsound backing discovered after tile removal requires a separate substrate repair decision.
Review the Canadian job address
Verify the existing water, waste and fixture connections on site. Confirm who handles any required trade work, approvals and inspections for this address; this fictional document does not decide them.
The existing tile removal line uses 95 sq. ft., approximately 8.83 m². Keep the actual site measurement and the supplier’s selling unit together when you replace this quantity. The example amounts are fictional CAD document inputs, not current rates for Vancouver, British Columbia or another community. A site visit and current supplier information are needed to replace them.
Work through the itemized calculation
Check each extension of quantity and rate in the paired PDF. Two lines from this project are:
- Existing tile removal: 95 sq. ft. × C$11.00 = C$1,045.00.
- Substrate and waterproofing allowance: 95 sq. ft. × C$17.00 = C$1,615.00.
Adding all 7 rounded line amounts gives C$7,224.00. The PDF shows 0% tax and the same total before any markup. The sample shows 0% tax only to make the arithmetic visible. Determine any applicable GST, HST or PST and markup for the actual work before sharing a quote.
| Work item | Quantity | Unit rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet-area protection | 1 job | C$210.00 | C$210.00 |
| Existing tile removal | 95 sq. ft. | C$11.00 | C$1,045.00 |
| Substrate and waterproofing allowance | 95 sq. ft. | C$17.00 | C$1,615.00 |
| Tile material allowance | 105 sq. ft. | C$9.80 | C$1,029.00 |
| Tile setting labour | 95 sq. ft. | C$27.00 | C$2,565.00 |
| Edge trim and grout | 1 job | C$450.00 | C$450.00 |
| Cleanup and screen refit allowance | 1 job | C$310.00 | C$310.00 |
| Illustrative subtotal | C$7,224.00 | ||
Scope and pricing boundaries
Retile three sound shower walls within the existing enclosure, including substrate preparation, waterproofing allowance, tile setting and grout. Fixtures stay in place.
Outside this example: No shower tray replacement, plumbing alteration or hidden framing repair.
Keep the product allowance, installation work and any unresolved condition visible as separate decisions. If access or the selected product changes, update the affected quantity or rate and explain the revision before the client relies on the estimate.
Before you send the estimate
- Measure each wet wall separately and record niches, corners and tile size so purchasing and installed areas are distinct.
- Keep tile, edge trim and waterproofing products visible as separate selected or provisional items.
- Allow demolition, substrate inspection and curing stages before the screen is refitted.
- Unsound backing discovered after tile removal requires a separate substrate repair decision.
Check the business, client, property, dates, line extensions and notes. The shower wall tiling PDF example shows one way to present them. Its short PDF note lists the brief's scope exclusions; the fuller project limits above should guide your own scope.
Questions about this estimate
Which quantity controls this shower wall tiling estimate?
Measure each wet wall separately and record niches, corners and tile size so purchasing and installed areas are distinct.
When should this shower wall tiling quote be revised?
Unsound backing discovered after tile removal requires a separate substrate repair decision. No shower tray replacement, plumbing alteration or hidden framing repair.
MAKE THE NEXT ESTIMATE YOUR OWN
Build a shower wall tiling estimate.
Enter the job scope in Estimates on iPhone or Android or start from an AI-assisted draft. Check every quantity, rate, allowance, client detail and note before exporting the PDF. Some app features may require an in-app purchase.
