Going self-employed
Going self-employed as a tiler?
Setting out a wall and keeping your cuts tight you've got covered: get the pricing, quoting and job paperwork organised before you take on your first bathroom or floor on your own.
Instant digital downloads · UK-focused templates and guides · Not a substitute for professional advice.
The work is one thing. The setup is another.
Setting out a wall and getting your cuts tight is the part you've got covered. Running it as a business is the bit that bites: working out whether you price per square metre or by the day, deciding if you're supply-and-fit or fit-only, allowing for waste on the cuts, and pricing in the prep you only find once the old tiles come off. Then there's taking a deposit on a bigger wet room, handing over a tidy quote, and chasing the balance after. LaunchKit is a set of UK-focused, downloadable templates and guides to help you think through that setup side and get organised from day one. It's a practical starting point, not a substitute for professional advice.
- Quoting per square metre and remembering to allow for cuts, waste and the fiddly mosaic or large-format work that eats time
- The supply-and-fit versus fit-only question: pricing your labour cleanly when customers source their own tiles that turn up short or wrong
- Substrate surprises behind the old tiles, so your quote covers levelling, tanking and prep you couldn't see on the first visit
- Taking deposits on bigger wet room and full-bathroom jobs without it feeling awkward
- Chasing the final payment from builders and bathroom fitters once the job's signed off and you're already on the next one
What to sort first
Your get-set-up checklist
- 1
Decide how you'll price work
Settle your per square metre rates and day rate, and how you'll load for cuts, waste and trickier large-format or mosaic work before you quote.
- 2
Sort your supply-and-fit position
Decide whether you'll source tiles and materials or fit customer-supplied ones, and price your labour clearly either way.
- 3
Build prep and tanking into your quotes
Have a way to flag levelling, substrate repair and waterproofing so surprises behind the old tiles don't come out of your margin.
- 4
Get your quote and invoice templates ready
Have consistent, professional documents to send so quoting domestic and subcontract work doesn't eat your evenings.
- 5
Plan deposits and payment terms
Decide upfront how you'll take a deposit on larger wet rooms and full bathrooms, and when the balance is due.
- 6
Set up simple money records
Get a basic system for tracking what's coming in and going out so tax time isn't a scramble.
- 7
Make yourself easy to find
Plan how homeowners, builders and bathroom fitters will see your before-and-after work and pass you the next job.
Recommended LaunchKit tools
Tools that help you get set up
Walks you through the practical first steps of setting up as a self-employed tiler so you're not guessing what to sort first.
See what’s inside Your paperworkReady-to-use quote, estimate and invoice templates for the paperwork you hand homeowners, builders and bathroom fitters.
See what’s inside Your pricingHelps you work through per square metre and day-rate pricing, with room for cuts, waste, prep and supply-and-fit versus fit-only.
See what’s inside Getting foundContent templates to help you show off before-and-after tiling work and stay visible to homeowners and fitters who refer you.
See what’s inside Your wordsHelps you write clear quote follow-ups, job descriptions and local listings without staring at a blank screen after a long day on your knees.
See what’s inside Money adminA set of forms to help you keep deposits, materials costs and final payments organised across multiple jobs.
See what’s inside Record-keepingA structured workbook to help you keep records organised for Making Tax Digital as a sole trader.
See what’s insideNot sure where to start? See everything for tiler or browse all LaunchKit products.
Suggested starter stack
A sensible order to build up
The same tools, grouped in the order most people pick them up. You don’t need everything at once — start with the essentials, then add the rest as your business grows.
Add next
Common questions
Before you buy anything
- Do I need to buy everything before I start taking jobs?
- No. Most tilers start with the startup guide to get the basics organised, then add quote and invoice templates and a pricing tool as they go. It's designed to help you build up your setup at your own pace.
- Are these legal or certification documents?
- No. These are downloadable templates and guides to help you get organised and set up practically. They are not a substitute for professional advice and don't replace any qualifications, insurance or registrations you're responsible for as a tiler.
- Can I use these if I'm already trading?
- Yes. Plenty of tilers who are already working pick these up to tidy up their quoting, deposits and per square metre pricing rather than starting from scratch.
- How do I receive the files?
- They're instant digital downloads. After purchase you can download the templates and guides straight away and start using them.
- Which should I buy first?
- A good practical starting point is the startup guide, followed by the business documents for your quotes and invoices and the pricing calculator to set your per square metre and day rates. From there you can add the other tools as you need them.
Start with the right tools
Get the admin side organised so you can focus on the work. Browse the tools built for tiler businesses.
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