Swimming pool tiling in Australia
Costs, Advice & Common Mistakes
Last updated June 2026
This article was written to give pool owners and builders clearer, more accurate information about swimming pool tiling in Australia. Many online articles / blogs create unrealistic expectations about pool tiling costs, installation, preparation, and the level of skill required to do the job properly. The information on this page is based on extensive industry research, direct experience, and discussions within the Australian swimming pool trade. While prices and methods can vary depending on location, pool condition, and market changes, every effort has been made to provide information that is useful, realistic, and accurate for the Australian swimming pool tiling market in 2026. This page should be used as a general guide. All image rights are owned by LPR.
Choosing to tile a swimming pool
Fully tiled pools can add value to your home especially in upper market suburbs since fully tiled pools are very much the standard in these locations. Full tiled pools make your pool area more attractive and add elegance to your backyard. When are pools tiled? Tiles can be installed into a newly built pool or added during a swimming pool renovation. Can fibreglass swimming pools be tiled? No, Fibreglass pools & Vinyl lined swimming pools should never be tiled. Tiles are best for concrete pools. Can tiles be laid on top of pool paint? No, Swimming pool paint should be removed prior to tiling a pool. Can tiles be laid on top of tiles? No, Tiling a swimming pool is complex, old tiles should be removed, while there is some very good products that are made for tiling over tiles, the main issue is that the integrity of the old tiles may be compromised, tiling on top of existing tiles is not recommended in swimming pools because the render behind the tiles may be weak & the old adhesive behind the tiles might be failing. Tiling on top of old tiles may be a waste of money since you don’t know if what is behind the tiles can cope with the added weight and it is impossible to guarantee that type of work.
Looking for a pool tiler?
For Melbourne pool owners wanting their concrete pool fully tiled, visit our main tiling page to learn more about our swimming pool tiling and renovation service.
Cost of swimming pool tiles
Swimming pool tiles are normally sold by the square metre and prices can vary. Pool tile supply range from around $60+ per square metre for ceramic tiles to around $97+ per square metre for glass tiles. These are an estimated supply price only. Installation costs extra, which varies by state. We recommend The Pool Tile Company for all your pool tile supply needs.
How much does it cost to tile a swimming pool?
Cost of tiling pools vary by location The cost of pool tiling will vary depending on the complexity of the job, but also changes according to the state you are in. Tiling a swimming pool is difficult and should be carried out by swimming pool professionals. Average pool tiling costs across Australia are: Keep in mind that this is only the price of laying & grouting tiles. Last updated June 2026 $200-$380 per square metre in New South Wales $200–$380 per square metre in Victoria $140-$150 per square metre in Western Australia $160-$240 per square metre in Queensland These prices are for tiling of new pool builds & it does not include the cost of rendering the pool before tiling, these prices do not include the tiling of pool renovations. Renovations are normally much higher priced due to the complexity involved. Prices once used to include rendering Pool tiling prices once often included rendering, but that is no longer always the case. In the past, many swimming pool tilers would quote one set price to render and tile the pool. Over time, the industry has changed. Rendering is now often treated as a separate stage of the job, rather than something automatically included in the tiling price. One reason for this shift is that fewer pool tilers now know how to properly render a swimming pool before tiling. As a result, pool builders and pool owners are often required to organise a renderer first, before the tiler can begin. This has changed the way pool tiling is quoted. Today, the tiling price may only cover laying and grouting the tiles, while the preparation and rendering of the pool shell may be quoted separately. This is important to understand when comparing prices. A cheaper tiling quote may not include the rendering, preparation, repairs, waterproofing, or other work needed before the tiles can be installed properly.
Shape and size of your swimming pool will affect the cost Normally pool tilers have a minimum square metre charge, meaning, as an example, they will charge for a minimum of 60 square metres, if the pool is smaller than 60 square metres, you are still charged the minimum for their time and expertise. Pools with a spa will obviously cost most due to the added work, a spa is normally charged separately to a swimming pool, pool tilers also charge a minimum for a spa, but usually if it’s a standalone spa and no swimming pool work is involved. Complex designs & curved pools will generally cost more to tile than rectangular swimming pool with flat walls and a flat floor. Pools with rounded curves can look amazing when tiled, but you need the right tiler, tiling a pool can require thousands of tiles to be custom cut manually to suit the curvature of the swimming pool, all these details add to the cost of tiling.
How to choose a swimming pool tiler
Quotes from pool tilers
When getting quotes for swimming pool tiling, ask many questions and get to know the tilers, a professional pool tiler should be able to answer your questions with ease and be comfortable answering all your questions. A swimming pool tiler should be knowledgeable about all aspects of swimming pools, not just tiling, they should understand what certain pipes do, they should understand about pool lighting, cabling & concrete etc… knowing how to lay tiles is great, but they should know how to spot a potential problem before tiling & how to work for the prevention of potential future problems. There are many tradies offering pool tiling services throughout Australia, however few are true swimming pool tiling professionals, it is vital that pool owners and pool builders try their best to select the right person for the job. You can also check if they are a registered member of Pool Trades Group
General Advice
Anyone that is getting a new swimming pool built should be asking their pool builder for the pool tilers’ credentials, business name etc… you want to make sure a real experienced professional has been hired for the job. Handy Tip! If a pool tiler doesn’t know how to render a pool before tiling, beware!
Keep in mind that swimming pool tilers may not require a trade certificate in some states. Instead you should be asking for references and doing a check directly on the pool tilers’ history, regardless of what the builders say, request to visit their previous jobs or call former customers, especially from jobs that were not done by your pool builder. Check the tilers reviews and more importantly do not rely on just photos presented to you, since some might use photos of jobs they laboured in for someone else and maybe didn’t actually do themselves. If you discuss this first and the builder can arrange it, you could meet the tiler prior to any work commencing, you should be able to trust your pool builder and in turn they should be transparent with you, meeting the tradies they work with is not considered normal, but it should be, after all you are the one paying the bills.
Bad pool tiling workmanship
We will not reveal which pool tiling business did this work in Melbourne, but we can reveal that the customer did say: “ Most quotes were double the price this guy quoted, so I went with the cheapest quote, now i have to spend triple the amount to get it done right “
Worst Pool Tiling Example
This is the result of cheap quotes, always do background checks!
Bad pool tiling
The tiles were placed wherever they fit, there was no care by the “tiler”.
Sharp Pool Tile Edges
It is important that you check if your chosen tiler smooths out the cut tiles.
Not knowing where to start or finish.
True professionals won’t ever have this problem, this comes with experience.
Bad tiling of a pool corner
Not only is this corner cut wrong, none of the tile edges were smoothed & remained sharp.
As can be seen in the above images, we come across many of the cheapest quote swimming pools. Pool Tiles should be for the most part uniform, even in the corners, around steps and bends, while it isn’t always possible, you can tell when the pool tiler is a professional or has no idea, the images show what we consider one of the worst pool tiling jobs we have ever come across. These images show, unnecesarry cuts, tiles not in alignement, tiles falling off and the tiling was done on top of a painted pool surface, everything about that tilers work was just plain wrong. Which brings up the next vital point.
“Cowboy” swimming pool tilers
The swimming pool industry has a long history of allowing people to work in certain trade areas without formal certifications, qualifications, or proper apprenticeships. Swimming pool tiling is one of the areas most affected by this, which is why the industry has always had problems with what many people call cowboy tilers. This is why asking the right questions matters.Many people offering pool tiling services did not start as specialist swimming pool tilers. Some began as labourers, general tilers, or house tilers, then after only a short time around pools, they saw an opportunity to make money and began offering pool tiling services directly to pool builders or pool owners. The problem is that swimming pool tiling is not the same as ordinary tiling. A swimming pool is a complex structure that holds thousands of litres of water, moves with pressure, reacts to ground conditions, and depends on the correct preparation, rendering, waterproofing, adhesive system, tile selection, grout, pipe penetrations, lights, fittings, and expansion details. Unfortunately, some pool owners and even some pool builders choose the cheapest quote without looking deeper into who is doing the work. Once an inexperienced tiler gets a few jobs, they often gain confidence and continue taking on pool tiling work without fully understanding the damage poor workmanship can cause.This is how bad work spreads through the industry. A tiler may know how to lay tiles, but that does not mean they understand swimming pools. If the person tiling the pool does not understand the structure, the surface preparation, the plumbing, the lighting, the render, the waterproofing, and the long term movement of the pool shell, the job can become very expensive to repair later. Never judge a swimming pool tiling quote by price alone. Look closely at who the quote is coming from, how much real pool experience they have, what preparation they include, and whether they can clearly explain the process. Any “pool tiler” who offers to tile directly over a painted surface, or tile over old existing pool tiles without properly removing and assessing the surface underneath, should be treated as an immediate red flag.
Pool Tiling is not expensive, knowing how to do things, the exact mix of products, which products & everything else is underestimated, while the monitary value seems high, customers are paying for knowledge, like everything, experience is important & valued, customers can never pay too much for something that in theory should last for almost a lifetime. Yes it does cost a lot do get a swimming fully tiled, which is why it should be done properly the first time around.
Final Words Swimming pool tiling is one of the most detailed and specialised parts of building or renovating a concrete swimming pool. The final result may look simple when it is finished, but the work underneath depends on correct preparation, rendering, surface repair, tile selection, adhesive, grout, set out, and workmanship. The main advice is simple. Do not judge a swimming pool tiling quote by price alone. Look at the experience behind the quote, the preparation included, and whether the person doing the work truly understands swimming pools. A properly tiled swimming pool can look incredible and last for decades, but only when the work is done correctly from the beginning, which ultimately means done by the right people. but only when the work is done correctly from the beginning by people who truly understand swimming pools.
Other costs to consider around your pool Pool tiling costs may not be all you need to consider when you’re installing or renovating a pool. You may also need other services, including: Pool coping (normally done by pool tilers & landscapers) Paving (normally done by some pool tilers, general tilers or landscapers) Decking (normally done by carpenters or landscapers) A pool tile installer may be able to do more than just tile a pool but you may also have to coordinate with different tradies, ask the pool tiler for their contacts, good tradies know other good tradies, ask them for help in contacting the right people for the jobs you need. Pool tiling always looks stunning and may add to the value of your home should you decide to sell, but if you don’t sell your home, you will be over the moon that you decided to tile your swimming pool, pool tiles need the least maintenance of all pool surfaces and last longer than any other pool interior.
Choosing the right pool tiler is essential.
A swimming pool tilers job is the final touch to your swimming pool, anything a tiler does to your swimming pool will be seen.
Swimming pool tiling is an artform & pool tilers should have pride in doing their jobs.
Looking for a swimming pool tiling service? For Melbourne pool owners wanting their concrete pool properly prepared, rendered, and fully tiled, Local Pool Renovations provides specialist swimming pool tiling. SWIMMING POOL TILING SERVICE