How much does backsplash installation cost?
Published Aug 11, 2026 · 5 min read · By Lucas Barbosa
The short answer
A standard kitchen backsplash starts at $1,000. Taking out an old backsplash usually adds $200 to $300. Custom layouts and bigger backsplashes run higher, and the price never includes the tile itself.
Most kitchen backsplashes are somewhere between 30 and 40 square feet, and most are a 1 to 2 day job. Because the area is small, what actually drives the price isn't size. It's the pattern you pick and how many outlets are in the way.
Why a backsplash is priced differently from a floor or shower
Two things make it different, and they pull in opposite directions.
It's simpler than a shower. A backsplash stays dry, so it skips the waterproof barrier a shower needs. That's a whole step off the quote.
But it's fussier than a floor. A floor is mostly open space, which is why floors are priced per square foot. A backsplash is a narrow strip full of things to cut around: outlets, switches, the range hood, the edges of your cabinets, and the window over the sink. Almost every piece needs measuring and cutting.
What changes your price
The pattern. Straight rows of subway tile are the fastest thing we install. Herringbone, chevron, and other angled patterns mean cutting nearly every edge piece, and can double the hours on the same wall.
How many outlets. Every outlet and switch needs the tile cut around it and the cover plate reset afterward. A kitchen with two is a very different job from a kitchen with seven.
Tile size. Small tiles like mosaic or penny tile have many more pieces and many more grout lines than larger tile covering the same wall.
The wall itself. A flat, sound wall is ready to tile. One with old adhesive, patched drywall, or a dip in it needs prep first.
What a complete quote includes
- Our work, priced for your actual pattern and layout
- A note that the tile is never included
- Cutting around outlets and switches, and resetting the cover plates
- Any wall prep needed first
Get a real number for your kitchen
We come look at the space for free, talk through the tile and pattern you're considering, and write up a quote that says what is included. See how we install backsplash, or browse finished tile work.