Kitchen backsplash cost in Fayetteville, AR
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (30 sq ft)
- $250 – $1,250
- Per sq ft
- $8.25 – $42.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −16%
- US $900
- Rank of 300 metros
- #296
- 1 = most expensive
A kitchen backsplash in Fayetteville, AR usually costs $250 to $1,250 for 30 sq ft. That works out to about $8.25 to $42.50 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $140 less. Tile and stone setters earn a median of $18.74 an hour in the Fayetteville area, 30% below the US median of $26.77.
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Estimated cost for 30 sq ft in Fayetteville, AR, standard level
$550 to $960
About $18.50 to $32 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 35% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $350 | $630 |
| Labor | $200 | $330 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $550 | $960 |
Cost breakdown for 30 sq ft in Fayetteville, AR
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $140 | $490 | $840 | 65% |
| Labor | $110 | $270 | $430 | 35% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $250 | $760 | $1,250 | 100% |
Why Fayetteville prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on tile and stone setters, who do 90% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $18.74 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Fayetteville is 0.71 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 35% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Arkansas statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Fayetteville is at 93.6 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $530 nationally becomes $490 here (midpoint, 30 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.4: $0 to $0.
Data note: 90% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Fayetteville. The wage table below marks each row.
Specs and site conditions that change a Fayetteville bid
Old backsplash removal
Removing the old one adds $2-$5 per sq ft.
Part of a remodel
A backsplash often gets bundled into a kitchen remodel and priced with it.
Material
A tile backsplash is $10-$50 per sq ft installed. A stone slab backsplash is $35-$200 and granite slabs are $50-$200.
What local crews earn in Fayetteville
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Fayetteville the blend is 0.71.
Tile and stone setters (47-2044) carry 90% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Fayetteville metro, so we used the Arkansas statewide median: $18.74 an hour against $26.77 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $17.62 and $21.63 an hour.
Carpenters (47-2031), 10% of the weighting: a median of $23.59 an hour, 19% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $21.44 and $28.27 an hour. About 1,130 work in the metro. That is 41.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (tile and stone setters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $35 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $15. That is a swing of roughly 1.9% to 4.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers has 275,180 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 93rd by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile and stone setters (47-2044) | 90% | $17.62 | $18.74 | $21.63 | $26.77 | 0.70 | state |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $21.44 | $23.59 | $28.27 | $29.12 | 0.81 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.71 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Fayetteville?
Jobs that often go together with kitchen backsplash are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Fayetteville wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, kitchen remodel comes out highest (−9%) and shower pan lowest (−17%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $16,800 – $28,600 | −9% |
| Kitchen cabinets | 25 linear ft | $3,800 – $12,100 | −13% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $1,800 – $8,700 | −15% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,000 – $19,800 | −15% |
| Shower pan | 1 pan | $740 – $2,350 | −17% |
Cost by quality level and size in Fayetteville
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Fayetteville. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from small kitchen (25 sq ft) to full-height (50 sq ft).
Basic
$250 to $660
Basic ceramic subway tile
Standard
$550 to $960
Mid-grade tile in a pattern
Premium
$860 to $1,250
Slab or natural stone
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small kitchen (25 sq ft) | $210 – $550 | $460 – $800 | $720 – $1,050 |
| average kitchen (30 sq ft) | $250 – $660 | $550 – $960 | $860 – $1,250 |
| full-height (50 sq ft) | $410 – $1,100 | $920 – $1,600 | $1,450 – $2,100 |
Is Fayetteville cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (30 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Joplin is the priciest of the group at $890. Little Rock is the cheapest at $750.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, ARthis page | $250 – $1,250 | $760 | |
| Fort Smith, AR50 miles | $250 – $1,250 | $750 | −1% |
| Joplin, MO70 miles | $300 – $1,500 | $890 | +18% |
| Springfield, MO100 miles | $260 – $1,300 | $780 | +3% |
| Tulsa, OK115 miles | $260 – $1,300 | $790 | +4% |
| Little Rock, AR135 miles | $240 – $1,250 | $750 | −2% |
| Arkansas (statewide) | $250 – $1,250 | $760 | level |
| United States | $300 – $1,500 | $900 | +19% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Fayetteville ranks #296 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Fayetteville is 0% above the Arkansas figure.
Elsewhere in Arkansas
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock, AR | 358,210 jobs | $240 – $1,250 | $750 | −2% |
| Fort Smith, AR | 95,560 jobs | $250 – $1,250 | $750 | −1% |
| Jonesboro, AR | 60,620 jobs | $250 – $1,250 | $750 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Fayetteville against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reno, NV | 275,680 jobs | $300 – $1,500 | $900 | +19% |
| Winston, NC | 271,980 jobs | $270 – $1,350 | $820 | +8% |
| New Haven, CT | 281,410 jobs | $310 – $1,550 | $930 | +23% |
| Ogden, UT | 271,370 jobs | $270 – $1,350 | $820 | +9% |
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Kitchen backsplash in Fayetteville: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a backsplash in Fayetteville?
For 30 sq ft, expect $250 to $1,250 in the Fayetteville area. A standard-spec job lands at $550 to $960. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for kitchen backsplash in Fayetteville?
About $8.25 to $42.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $0 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $10 to $50.
+Is kitchen backsplash cheaper in Fayetteville or Fort Smith?
Fort Smith is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 30 sq ft there is $750, which is 1% less than Fayetteville ($760). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Fayetteville?
About 35% at the midpoint, or $270 out of $760. Materials are 65% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 42%.
+What would average kitchen (30 sq ft) cost in Fayetteville?
$250 to $1,250. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does kitchen backsplash need a permit in Fayetteville?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $0 for fees in the Fayetteville area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Fayetteville expensive for kitchen backsplash compared with the rest of Arkansas?
Fayetteville is 0% above the Arkansas statewide estimate ($760 at the midpoint). We cover 4 metros in Arkansas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do tile and stone setters earn in Fayetteville?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $18.74 an hour, compared with $26.77 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.62 to $21.63.
+What do basic and premium kitchen backsplash work cost in Fayetteville?
For 30 sq ft, basic work runs $250 to $660 and premium work $860 to $1,250. Basic means: basic ceramic subway tile. Premium means: slab or natural stone.
Kitchen backsplash near Fayetteville
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: 2026 Backsplash Installation Cost (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Note on derived figures: Materials = installed price minus HomeGuide's $5-$20 per sq ft labor figure, matched low-to-low and high-to-high.