How long does a splashback take?

A standard kitchen splashback is often tiled in a day and grouted the next, depending on the adhesive. Allow extra time if old tiles are coming off or an electrician needs to move power points.

Can tiles go over an existing splashback?

Sometimes, if the old tiles are firmly bonded and flat, but it adds thickness at power points and window reveals. Many tilers prefer to remove the old tiles so the new ones sit flush and the edges finish cleanly.

Is tile or glass better behind a cooktop?

Both are used. Tiles are easier to repair and come in more styles; a glass panel has no grout lines. Whatever you choose, follow the cooktop maker's clearance instructions, which the installer should read before starting.

Should the splashback go to the rangehood or the ceiling?

That is a style choice. Running tiles to the underside of the rangehood is the usual approach; full height looks more finished in an open kitchen but adds area to tile and cut around the window.

Kitchen Splashbacks and Wall Tiling in Albury NSW

A tiled kitchen splashback is usually a one or two day job: the wall is prepared, the tiles are set out around the power points and rangehood, then laid, grouted and sealed where they meet the benchtop. Wall tiling in laundries and feature walls follows the same method on a larger scale. Requests from this website go to an independent local tiler, and that tiler is the one who prices and does the work.

Illustrative photo for Kitchen splashbacks and wall tiling in Albury

Why people tile a splashback or wall

A new benchtop or kitchen where the old splashback no longer fits.
Painted walls behind a sink or cooktop that stain and mark.
A laundry upgrade where the walls around the trough and washing machine take splashes.
A cracked or dated splashback in a rental or a house going on the market.
A feature wall in a living area, entry or behind a vanity.

Splashback materials compared

Option	Good for	Watch for
Subway or rectangular ceramic	Classic look, easy to replace a broken tile	Lots of grout lines to wipe
Large format porcelain panels	Few joints, easy to clean	Needs a flat wall and exact cut-outs
Mosaic sheets	Curves, feature strips, small areas	Slower to lay and grout, higher labour
Natural stone tiles	Matching a stone benchtop	Needs sealing, can stain near the cooktop
Glass or acrylic panel (not tiles)	One sheet with no grout lines	Usually done by a glazier or panel installer, not a tiler

If you like the look of a panel but want tiles, large format porcelain is the closest tiled option.

What the provider checks first

The wall. Old tiles may need to come off, and the plasterboard behind them repaired. Painted walls need sanding or priming for the adhesive to grip.
Power points and switches. Tiles add thickness, so outlets usually need to be brought forward. Moving or adding a power point is electrical wiring, and in NSW that needs a licensed electrician (Service NSW lists wiring among the work that needs a licence).
The cooktop. The provider checks clearances and the manufacturer’s instructions for the cooktop and rangehood before tiling close to a burner.
The set-out. Where the grout lines fall against the window, the rangehood and the end of the bench. A good set-out avoids thin slivers at the edges.
The finish line. How the tiles stop at the side of a cabinet or the end of a wall, using a trim or a finished edge.

How a splashback job runs

Remove the old splashback if there is one and repair the wall.
Electrician loosens or relocates outlets where needed.
Mark out a level line off the benchtop, which is rarely perfectly level itself.
Lay the tiles with spacers, cutting around outlets and the window reveal.
Grout, then seal the joint to the benchtop and internal corners with flexible sealant.
Electrician refits the power points.

What do splashbacks and wall tiling cost?

National figures from What’s The Damage, last verified October 2026:

A kitchen splashback, supplied and installed: $400 to $1,200.
Standard wall tiling, labour only: $40 to $100 per sqm.
Mosaic or feature tiling, labour only: $80 to $170 per sqm.
Taking off existing tiles: $20 to $55 per sqm.

Electrical work is priced separately by the electrician. The Albury tiling cost guide covers how small jobs and minimum charges affect the price.

Licences and rules

A splashback on its own will often be under the NSW contractor licence threshold of 5,000 dollars including GST, but a wall tiling job that is part of a kitchen or laundry renovation can pass it. Above that figure the tiler needs a contractor licence for wall and floor tiling and must give you a written contract (NSW Government contracts guidance). Wall tiles in a shower or behind a bath are wet area work, which brings waterproofing into the job. See shower and wet area waterproofing for that part.

What a careful tiler will not do

Tile over the faces of live power points.
Use grout instead of flexible sealant in the bench joint and internal corners.
Fix heavy stone or large format tiles to a wall that cannot carry them.
Start without agreeing how the tiles will finish at exposed edges.

The Albury angle

A third of occupied homes in the Albury council area are rented, 33.8 percent at the 2021 Census (ABS QuickStats). For a rental kitchen, durable mid range tiles and a plain set-out are easier to patch later than a one-off feature tile that goes out of production. Owners refitting a kitchen often add the laundry walls to the same visit, and it can be worth asking for a bathroom tiling price at the same time if a wet area is next on the list. If you are in a growth suburb such as Thurgoona, a new kitchen may still be under the builder’s warranty, so check before changing anything the builder installed.

What to do next

Measure the length and height of the splashback, count the power points in it, and take a photo from front on. Then send a splashback or wall tiling enquiry with your suburb and preferred tile.

Send a job enquiry

Kitchen splashbacks and wall tiling in Albury