Tile setting in Fredericton: Plan and Compare Quotes

Define the job before comparing installers

Send each installer the room dimensions, photographs, tile selection and intended layout. Identify whether you want a backsplash, floor, shower or a repair. Include details about fixtures you plan to keep, transitions to adjoining floors and any trim you want replaced. Ask for an inspection before accepting a final scope.

For a repair, show the installer the damaged area and any spare tiles you have. Ask them to investigate the cause before pricing replacement. For a floor, ask how they will assess the existing surface and finished height. For a backsplash, agree where the tile will stop and how the installer will finish exposed edges and openings.

For a shower, request a written description of the proposed waterproofing, drain connection, wall preparation and finishing details. Ask who will supply each component and who will take responsibility for the completed assembly. Request photographs of comparable work and ask the installer to explain the approach they propose for your room.

Compare the full quote and manage unknowns

Ask for separate amounts for removal, disposal, surface preparation, installation and finishing. Specify whether you or the installer will buy the tile. Have them identify the proposed mortar, grout, trim and waterproofing materials where applicable. Ask for the total payable amount, including any applicable tax, and a list of exclusions.

Agree on a process for concealed damage before demolition starts. Ask the contractor to photograph unexpected conditions, explain the proposed repair and obtain your written approval for extra work. Set out whether the quote includes a preparation allowance and how the contractor will calculate work beyond it.

Ask for proof of liability insurance, references for similar projects and written warranty terms. Confirm who will perform the work and who will coordinate any other trades. Compare those answers alongside price, especially if one quote leaves preparation, waterproofing or disposal undefined.

Resolve permit responsibilities before demolition

The City requires building permits before new buildings, additions or significant alterations to existing buildings. Its published guidance encourages applicants to discuss project details and required documents with the Building Inspections Division before applying. Describe the entire renovation, including any wall, structural or plumbing changes, when asking about your project. [1]

New Brunswick's plumbing-permit guidance says a plumbing contractor must obtain a permit before installation, extension, alteration, renewal or repair of a plumbing system. The same guidance identifies Fredericton as a city that issues its own permits and performs its own inspections. Ask the contractor handling plumbing to confirm the municipal requirements and include that responsibility in the schedule. [2]

For a project with a building permit, agree who will arrange inspections before work proceeds past the relevant stages. The City requires correction and reinspection of deficiencies before construction continues. It also requires the owner to request a final inspection once construction finishes. [1]

Arrange removal and room access

Fredericton directs construction and demolition debris to the CRSC landfill and excludes it from curbside pickup. Ask whether the installer will carry debris out, supply containers, haul it away and include disposal charges. Confirm the route through your home and how the crew will protect floors along it. [3]

For demolition that removes gyprock, plan separate storage from household garbage. CRSC requires customers to separate those loads before arrival and deliver gyprock to the construction and demolition site at 1775 Alison Boulevard. Ask your contractor to explain their sorting and hauling plan before accepting a disposal allowance. [4]

CRSC's rate page lists segregated construction and demolition waste at $45 per tonne and regular garbage at $109 per tonne as retrieved on October 14, 2026. Use those figures to understand the disposal line in a quote. Ask the hauler to identify labour, transport and disposal charges separately; a landfill rate alone does not establish your removal cost. [5]

Before work starts, agree on access hours, material storage, dust control and cleanup. Ask when you can walk on the floor or use the shower under the proposed product instructions. If the room contains your only toilet or shower, arrange alternatives around the contractor's written sequence and return-to-use date.

CRSC published disposal rates for planning tile removal

Match the quote to your project

Your hiring checklist

1. Provide dimensions, photographs, tile details and the intended layout to each installer.
2. Request an inspection and a written surface-preparation plan.
3. Identify who buys tile, installation materials and finishing trim.
4. For a shower, request the waterproofing scope and plumbing responsibilities in writing.
5. Confirm permit and inspection responsibilities for the full renovation.
6. Include debris sorting, hauling and disposal in the quote.
7. Agree on written approval for concealed repairs and other extra work.
8. Record access arrangements, cleanup expectations and the return-to-use date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a building permit just to replace tile?

The City's page requires permits for significant alterations but does not give a tile-replacement exemption. Describe your full scope to Building Inspections and ask for a project-specific answer before work starts. [1]

Who handles permits if I move the shower drain?

New Brunswick's guidance assigns plumbing-permit purchase to the plumbing contractor before plumbing alterations begin. Fredericton issues its own permits and conducts its own inspections, so have that contractor confirm the municipal process. [2]

Can I put removed tile and wallboard in curbside garbage?

Fredericton excludes construction and demolition debris from curbside collection. Arrange delivery to CRSC, and separate gyprock from household garbage before arrival. [3] [4]

How should I compare quotes with different preparation allowances?

Ask each installer to describe the preparation included, identify assumptions and explain how they will price additional repairs. Compare the same scope and require approval before extra work begins.