Kitchen backsplash cost in Lake Charles, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (30 sq ft)
- $260 – $1,300
- Per sq ft
- $8.70 – $44
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $900
- Rank of 300 metros
- #284
- 1 = most expensive
A kitchen backsplash in Lake Charles, LA usually costs $260 to $1,300 for 30 sq ft. That works out to about $8.70 to $44 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $110 less. Tile and stone setters earn a median of $21.52 an hour in the Lake Charles area, 20% below the US median of $26.77.
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Estimated cost for 30 sq ft in Lake Charles, LA, standard level
$580 to $1,000
About $19.50 to $33.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 38% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $350 | $630 |
| Labor | $230 | $370 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $580 | $1,000 |
Cost breakdown for 30 sq ft in Lake Charles, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $140 | $490 | $840 | 62% |
| Labor | $120 | $300 | $480 | 38% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $260 | $790 | $1,300 | 100% |
What is behind the Lake Charles number
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 $21.52 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Lake Charles is 0.80 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 38% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Louisiana statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Lake Charles is at 93.7 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 85.9: $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 Lake Charles. The wage table below marks each row.
What local crews earn in Lake Charles
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 Lake Charles the blend is 0.80.
Tile and stone setters (47-2044) carry 90% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Lake Charles metro, so we used the Louisiana statewide median: $21.52 an hour against $26.77 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $18.96 and $22.99 an hour.
Carpenters (47-2031), 10% of the weighting: a median of $22.08 an hour, 24% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $16.13 and $28.48 an hour. About 630 work in the metro. That is 62.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (tile and stone setters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $20 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $30. That is a swing of roughly 4.1% to 2.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Lake Charles has 101,690 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 202nd 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% | $18.96 | $21.52 | $22.99 | $26.77 | 0.80 | state |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $16.13 | $22.08 | $28.48 | $29.12 | 0.76 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.80 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Lake Charles?
Jobs that often go together with kitchen backsplash are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Lake Charles wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, shower pan comes out highest (−8%) and kitchen cabinets lowest (−13%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $17,000 – $28,900 | −8% |
| Kitchen cabinets | 25 linear ft | $3,800 – $12,100 | −13% |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,050 – $9,050 | −11% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,300 – $21,200 | −9% |
| Shower pan | 1 pan | $870 – $2,600 | −8% |
Lake Charles: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Lake Charles. 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
$260 to $690
Basic ceramic subway tile
Standard
$580 to $1,000
Mid-grade tile in a pattern
Premium
$900 to $1,300
Slab or natural stone
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small kitchen (25 sq ft) | $220 – $570 | $480 – $840 | $750 – $1,100 |
| average kitchen (30 sq ft) | $260 – $690 | $580 – $1,000 | $900 – $1,300 |
| full-height (50 sq ft) | $430 – $1,150 | $970 – $1,650 | $1,500 – $2,200 |
Lake Charles against nearby metros and the rest of Louisiana
Same job, same size (30 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Houston is the priciest of the group at $840. Lafayette is the cheapest at $770.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LAthis page | $260 – $1,300 | $790 | |
| Beaumont, TX60 miles | $270 – $1,350 | $810 | +3% |
| Lafayette, LA65 miles | $250 – $1,300 | $770 | −3% |
| Alexandria, LA95 miles | $260 – $1,300 | $790 | level |
| Baton Rouge, LA125 miles | $260 – $1,350 | $800 | +1% |
| Houston, TX130 miles | $280 – $1,400 | $840 | +7% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $260 – $1,350 | $790 | level |
| United States | $300 – $1,500 | $900 | +14% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Lake Charles ranks #284 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Lake Charles is 0% below the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $260 – $1,300 | $790 | level |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $260 – $1,350 | $800 | +1% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $250 – $1,300 | $770 | −3% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $260 – $1,300 | $790 | level |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $260 – $1,350 | $790 | level |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $260 – $1,350 | $790 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Lake Charles against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, IN | 102,200 jobs | $270 – $1,400 | $830 | +5% |
| Springfield, IL | 100,810 jobs | $320 – $1,550 | $950 | +20% |
| Clarksville, TN | 103,220 jobs | $260 – $1,350 | $800 | +1% |
| Santa Cruz, CA | 98,500 jobs | $320 – $1,600 | $960 | +22% |
Kitchen backsplash: what moves the price in Lake Charles
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.
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Kitchen backsplash in Lake Charles: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a backsplash in Lake Charles?
For 30 sq ft, expect $260 to $1,300 in the Lake Charles area. A standard-spec job lands at $580 to $1,000. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for kitchen backsplash in Lake Charles?
About $8.70 to $44 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 Lake Charles or Beaumont?
Beaumont is 60 miles away. The midpoint for 30 sq ft there is $810, which is 3% more than Lake Charles ($790). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Lake Charles?
About 38% at the midpoint, or $300 out of $790. Materials are 62% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 42%.
+What would average kitchen (30 sq ft) cost in Lake Charles?
$260 to $1,300. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does kitchen backsplash need a permit in Lake Charles?
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 Lake Charles area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Lake Charles expensive for kitchen backsplash compared with the rest of Louisiana?
Lake Charles is 0% below the Louisiana statewide estimate ($790 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do tile and stone setters earn in Lake Charles?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $21.52 an hour, compared with $26.77 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.96 to $22.99.
+What do basic and premium kitchen backsplash work cost in Lake Charles?
For 30 sq ft, basic work runs $260 to $690 and premium work $900 to $1,300. Basic means: basic ceramic subway tile. Premium means: slab or natural stone.
Kitchen backsplash near Lake Charles
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.