Job costing for tile and stone contractors

Tile jobs are bid by the square foot, but the margin lives in the details: how much attic stock and waste the layout really needed, how long the shower walls took compared to the open floor, and whether that stone slab shipped twice. JobMargin tracks each of those against the job while you’re still on it.

What tile contractors track in JobMargin

• Tile against the takeoff. Snap each delivery ticket or invoice and it posts to the job’s Tile & Stone budget, so you see waste and overage while there’s still time to adjust.
• Setting materials on their own line. Thinset, grout, membrane, and trim pieces add up fast on wet areas. Give them their own budget and you’ll know what a shower really costs you.
• Scope by area. Bid line items like “Lobby floor, 24x48 porcelain” or “Restroom walls” become the job’s scope, so you can log progress area by area.
• Layout changes as change orders. A pattern upgrade or an added accent wall goes in as a change order and straight into the contract value.

Set up for tile from the first day

When you pick Tile & Stone as your trade, JobMargin loads these cost categories for budgets, receipts, and job costs. You can rename or add your own at any time.

• Tile & Stone
• Labor
• Setting Materials
• Supplies
• Equipment Rental
• Freight
• Fuel
• Subcontractor
• Other

Bid line items use the units tile actually bid in: square feet (SF), linear feet (LF), each (EA), and lump sum (LS).

Example: what a tile job looks like mid-way

A porcelain lobby floor, restroom floors and walls, and a stone reception wall. About half the tile is set.

Labor is right on pace at 52% with about half the tile set. Tile looks high at 80% spent, but most of it was delivered up front, so check deliveries against the takeoff before calling it over. Freight is the one to watch: 95% is gone, and one more short shipment puts it over.

Guides and tools for tile contractors