Kitchen backsplash cost in Maine
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (30 sq ft)
- $330 – $1,600
- Per sq ft
- $11 – $54
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +9%
- US $900
- Metros covered
- 2
What does it cost to install a backsplash in Maine? Plan on $330 to $1,600 for 30 sq ft. Wages (1.25x the US blend), materials (price index 97.2) and permit costs (97.0) put the state above the national midpoint by 9%.
Inside Maine, the metros we cover range from $970 (Bangor) to $980 (Portland) at the midpoint.
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Estimated cost for 30 sq ft in Maine (statewide), standard level
$720 to $1,250
About $24 to $41 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 48% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $360 | $660 |
| Labor | $360 | $580 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $720 | $1,250 |
Cost breakdown for 30 sq ft in Maine
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $150 | $510 | $870 | 52% |
| Labor | $190 | $470 | $750 | 48% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $330 | $980 | $1,600 | 100% |
Wages behind the Maine number
Maine's labor line is priced from 2 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 1.25 times the national level.
Tile and stone setters (47-2044), 90% of the weighting: a median of $34.00 an hour, 27% above the US median of $26.77. The middle half of them earn between $31.33 and $44.08 an hour. About 60 work in the state. That is 0.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.3 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Carpenters (47-2031), 10% of the weighting: a median of $29.88 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $25.46 and $35.00 an hour. About 5,170 work in the state. That is 80.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for tile and stone setters ($44.08 an hour) would add about $130 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($31.33) would take off about $35. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 640,610 jobs across Maine (May 2025), which is 0.4% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile and stone setters (47-2044) | 90% | $31.33 | $34.00 | $44.08 | $26.77 | 1.27 | state |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $25.46 | $29.88 | $35.00 | $29.12 | 1.03 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.25 | |||||
Basic, standard or premium: Maine prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from small kitchen (25 sq ft) to full-height (50 sq ft).
Basic
$330 to $850
Basic ceramic subway tile
Standard
$720 to $1,250
Mid-grade tile in a pattern
Premium
$1,100 to $1,600
Slab or natural stone
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small kitchen (25 sq ft) | $280 – $710 | $600 – $1,050 | $920 – $1,350 |
| average kitchen (30 sq ft) | $330 – $850 | $720 – $1,250 | $1,100 – $1,600 |
| full-height (50 sq ft) | $550 – $1,400 | $1,200 – $2,050 | $1,850 – $2,700 |
Maine metro-by-metro prices
0 of the 2 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $980, and the top-to-bottom gap is 0%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (30 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, ME | $330 – $1,600 | $980 | level |
| Bangor, ME | $330 – $1,600 | $970 | level |
Why two Maine quotes can differ
Material
A tile backsplash is $10-$50 per sq ft installed. A stone slab backsplash is $35-$200 and granite slabs are $50-$200.
Labor and minimums
Tile labor is $8-$20 per sq ft and many installers charge minimums for small areas.
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.
How Maine compares with nearby states
Maine ranks 9 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for kitchen backsplash, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $1,100 and the cheapest Arkansas at $760, both for 30 sq ft at the midpoint. Maine sits at $980. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 110 miles away | $280 – $1,450 | $860 | −12% |
| Massachusetts | 120 miles away | $360 – $1,750 | $1,050 | +8% |
| Vermont | 150 miles away | $300 – $1,500 | $890 | −9% |
| Rhode Island | 170 miles away | $280 – $1,400 | $850 | −13% |
| Connecticut | 220 miles away | $310 – $1,550 | $930 | −4% |
Other Maine jobs that often go with kitchen backsplash
Each project weights the trades differently, so Maine's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, tile flooring is +7% and kitchen remodel −1%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $18,400 – $31,300 | −1% |
| Kitchen cabinets | 25 linear ft | $4,200 – $14,100 | level |
| Tile flooring | 200 sq ft | $2,850 – $10,500 | +7% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,900 – $24,400 | +5% |
| Shower pan | 1 pan | $1,050 – $2,950 | +6% |
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Detailed kitchen backsplash report for Maine, $9
Multi-page report for Maine: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Kitchen backsplash in Maine: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a backsplash in Maine?
$330 to $1,600 for 30 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Maine can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Maine is cheapest for kitchen backsplash?
Bangor at about $970 (midpoint, 30 sq ft). The priciest is Portland at $980.
+Is kitchen backsplash cheaper in Maine than the US average?
It is 9% more expensive: $980 against $900 for 30 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Maine?
About 48% ($470). Materials are 52%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.25x the national wage level.
+What do tile and stone setters earn in Maine?
The BLS statewide median is $34.00 an hour, against $26.77 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $31.33 to $44.08.
+Where does Maine rank for kitchen backsplash costs?
9th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $980 for 30 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium kitchen backsplash work cost in Maine?
For 30 sq ft, basic work runs $330 to $850 and premium work $1,100 to $1,600. Basic means: basic ceramic subway tile. Premium means: slab or natural stone.
Kitchen backsplash by city in Maine
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.