Floor Tile Replacement Cost
Per Sq Ft & by Room (2026)

How much does it cost to replace floor tiles?

This question has two correct answers, and mixing them up is why so many people end up comparing quotations that are not for the same job. It comes down to one thing: does the old floor have to be broken out?

The tiling itself — supply and lay on a substrate that is already sound — is RM12–RM30 per sq ft. If the old floor must be broken out first, hacking and debris disposal is a separate line at RM1.50–RM3 per sq ft on top of that (both indicative 2026, Klang Valley).

That is why two quotations for “the same job” can be far apart: one includes hacking and disposal, the other assumes the new tiles go over the existing floor. The RM12–RM30 range is wide because it follows the tile grade — economy ceramic at the bottom, porcelain and large formats at the top — so the next sections break the price down by grade and by room, so you can place your own project in the right part of the range. If your floor is failing rather than just dated — tiles sounding hollow, cracking or lifting — read our popped and hollow floor tiles guide → first, because the cause decides the scope.

Rates per sq ft by scope of work

When three quotations come back far apart, this is nearly always why: one contractor has priced hacking, one has not, and the third has assumed a different tile grade. Ask each to write the scope as separate lines and the comparison becomes easy.

Prices by tile grade

The tile itself can be half the bill, so the grade you choose moves the number more than anything else. Supply-and-lay rates by type (indicative 2026, Klang Valley):

Two technical points that save money in the long run. First, water absorption: for bathrooms, wet kitchens and outdoor areas, choose a low-absorption tile (Group Ia, below 0.5% — porcelain, homogeneous and quality natural stone). Ordinary ceramic absorbs more water and does not belong on a wet floor. Second, slip resistance: for wet floors, look for R10 or higher (or a wet DCOF of 0.42 and above). Polished marble and high-gloss porcelain can become very slippery when wet. The full spec comparison is in our tiles compared guide →.

Budgets by room size

Using the supply-and-lay rate of RM12–RM30 per sq ft (hacking out the old floor, if needed, adds another RM1.50–RM3 per sq ft), these are overall budgets for typical spaces (indicative 2026, Klang Valley — the low end is economy ceramic, the top is large-format porcelain):

These figures are for the floor only. If you are planning a bigger renovation and want to see where flooring sits against the other trades, see our renovation cost per sq ft guide →. To work out the area and number of tile boxes, use the flooring & tiling calculator →.

The cost of hacking out the old floor

This is the line most often hidden in a quotation, and the one most often argued about on site. Breaking out an existing tiled floor and removing the debris typically costs RM1.50–RM3 per sq ft including disposal (indicative 2026, Klang Valley). For a 900 sq ft dry area, that is about RM2,700 just to break out and clear — before a single new tile is bought.

Three things make this line dearer than expected: access (an upper-floor unit with no service lift, or a lift that can only be used at set times, slows debris removal considerably); the thickness of the old floor (old tiles laid on a thick mortar bed produce far more debris than a thin-bed installation); and layered floors — some homes have two layers of tiles because a previous owner tiled over the old ones.

After hacking, the exposed substrate is rarely perfectly flat. If it needs levelling, add roughly RM2–RM6 per sq ft for levelling compound on the affected areas. An honest contractor writes this as a contingency with a unit rate, so you know where the number comes from if it is needed.

Laying over the old tiles without hacking

If the existing floor is still flat, sound, dry and not hollow, you can skip hacking altogether and lay a new floor on top. It is the cheapest and fastest option — no debris, no hacking dust, and one room is often done in a day or two.

• Vinyl / SPC (installed) — RM6–RM14 per sq ft. Water-resistant, stable in Malaysian humidity, hard-wearing and warm underfoot. The best all-rounder for most rooms — see our SPC flooring guide →.
• Laminate (installed) — RM6–RM12 per sq ft. Cheaper with a good timber look, but not for wet areas or anywhere at risk of minor flooding — see our laminate flooring guide →.

The non-negotiable condition: the floor underneath must be dry. If there are signs of moisture — dark grout, white salts, a musty smell, loose tiles in clusters — laying a new floor over it traps the water and ruins the new floor. Fix the cause first; the popped tiles guide → shows how to diagnose it. Epoxy coating over sound, dry, well-bonded tiles is another no-hack route for some rooms, but it is a surface layer and does not replace the waterproofing membrane under a wet-area floor. For the full comparison of floor types, see flooring types compared →.

What pushes the price up

• Tile grade and size — the biggest factor. Moving from economy ceramic to large-format porcelain can double the material cost.
• Large formats (60×120 cm and up) — need a flatter substrate, more mortar, and two people to lift each piece. Labour per sq ft is higher.
• Laying pattern — straight lay is cheapest; herringbone, diagonal or mixed patterns add cutting time and wastage.
• Number of cuts — small rooms with many corners, columns and pipe openings produce more cuts per sq ft than a big open space.
• Skirting and transitions — tile skirting, threshold transition strips and stair nosing are separate lines.
• Waterproofing — for bathrooms and wet kitchens, the waterproofing membrane under the tiles is separate, essential work. Our published bathroom waterproofing rate is RM8–RM18 per sq ft.
• Access and working hours — condo jobs with limited hours and lift bookings take longer than landed homes.

What the quotation must include

A floor quotation you can trust shows these as separate lines, not one lump sum:

• The actual area in sq ft, room by room — not “whole house”.
• Hacking out the old floor and debris disposal (or clearly stated as not included).
• Substrate levelling — at least as a unit rate in case it is needed.
• The brand, model, size and grade of tile being supplied. “60×60 tiles” alone is not enough.
• The wastage allowance (typically around 10% for a straight lay, more for patterns).
• The mortar type and bedding method — a full bed, not dabs.
• Grout and sealant: brand, colour, and where the flexible joints go.
• Movement joints — where they will be placed on large areas.
• Skirting, transition strips and nosing.
• Waterproofing, if the room is a wet area.
• The payment schedule and duration — see our renovation payment schedule guide →.

If the terms on a quotation are confusing, our renovation glossary → explains the words contractors use most, and the tiling contractor guide → covers how to inspect the work before you pay.

How to save without regrets

• Keep the existing floor if it is still sound. Skipping the hacking saves the break-out, the disposal and the time — the biggest saving available.
• Upgrade only where it is seen and walked on. Large-format porcelain in the living room, a more economical grade in bedrooms and storerooms.
• Choose standard tile sizes. Commonly stocked sizes cost less per sq ft and are easier to replace later.
• Do every room in one job. One mobilisation, one team, one material delivery — cheaper than calling the contractor back six months later.
• Do not skimp on mortar, waterproofing and movement joints. These are the costs you cannot see once the floor is finished, and they are exactly the three things that make floors fail early.
• Keep a spare box of tiles. It solves the colour-match problem on the day a tile cracks.

Replacing floor tiles in a condo

Flooring work in a condo has an extra layer that landed homes do not, and ignoring it gets jobs stopped half-way. Most strata schemes require a renovation application to management, a refundable deposit, restricted working hours (usually weekday daytime, with noisy work restricted further), a service-lift booking with protection, and a set route for debris removal. Our condo and strata renovation rules guide → covers the approvals.

Floor hacking is noisy, dusty work, so it is nearly always subject to the tightest restrictions. Ask management earlier than you think you need to, and make sure the contractor’s quotation allows for the restricted hours — a job that takes three days in a terrace house can take a week in a condo for logistics reasons alone.

How to get an accurate price

For a written quotation without guesswork, send us on WhatsApp: the size of each room in sq ft (or length × width), a photo of the whole floor in each room, close-ups of any damage, and whether you want hack and re-tile or lay over. If you already have a tile in mind, send a photo or the model name — that fixes half the price straight away. If there are signs of water (dark grout, white salts, loose tiles), mention it so the cause can be checked before any flooring work.

We write the scope as separate lines so you can see exactly what you are paying for — hacking, levelling, tiles, labour, skirting, grout — not a single lump sum.

How ClickBina handles this. ClickBina hacks out and re-tiles floors across KL & Selangor — hacking out the old floor, levelling, and supplying and laying the new tiles, with every line priced separately. Send photos on WhatsApp for a free quote; we reply within the hour. Flat price, no hidden charges. If the job needs a site visit, it is RM150, waived if you go ahead with the work. Where water is the cause, a leak detection visit is a separate paid service at RM300–RM800, booked before any tiling.

More on the service: our renovation services →.

Sources & methodology

How we estimated prices: where this guide gives renovation or service price ranges, those RM figures are typical Klang Valley market ranges for 2026, compiled from contractor quotations and supplier price lists. They are not official or fixed rates — the final price depends on your site, so confirm it on site before you commit. Statutory fees, fines, tax rates and tribunal limits come from the law or official body concerned, not from market quotes.