Tile flooring cost in Kentucky
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft)
- $2,100 – $9,300
- Per sq ft
- $10.50 – $46.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −8%
- US $6,200
- Metros covered
- 3
What does it cost to install a tile floor in Kentucky? Plan on $2,100 to $9,300 for 200 sq ft. Wages (0.87x the US blend), materials (price index 96.0) and permit costs (90.2) put the state below the national midpoint by 8%.
Inside Kentucky, the metros we cover range from $5,700 (Bowling Green) to $5,750 (Lexington) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft in Kentucky (statewide), standard level
$4,300 to $7,150
About $21.50 to $36 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 38% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,300 | $4,800 |
| Labor | $2,000 | $2,350 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $4,300 | $7,150 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft in Kentucky
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $380 | $3,550 | $6,700 | 62% |
| Labor | $1,750 | $2,150 | $2,600 | 38% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $2,100 | $5,700 | $9,300 | 100% |
Kentucky against its neighbors
Kentucky ranks 40 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for tile floor, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $7,750 and the cheapest Arkansas at $5,250, both for 200 sq ft at the midpoint. Kentucky sits at $5,700. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 140 miles away | $2,200 – $9,400 | $5,800 | +1% |
| Tennessee | 170 miles away | $2,000 – $9,150 | $5,600 | −2% |
| Ohio | 210 miles away | $2,150 – $9,200 | $5,650 | −1% |
| West Virginia | 220 miles away | $2,200 – $9,500 | $5,850 | +2% |
| Illinois | 280 miles away | $2,850 – $10,900 | $6,900 | +20% |
Quality levels and sizes in Kentucky
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide Kentucky wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$2,100 to $5,000
Basic ceramic or vinyl tile, simple square layout
Standard
$4,300 to $7,150
Porcelain tile, standard layout
Premium
$6,450 to $9,300
Large-format, natural stone or patterned layouts
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| bathroom (50 sq ft) | $530 – $1,250 | $1,050 – $1,800 | $1,600 – $2,350 |
| kitchen (150 sq ft) | $1,600 – $3,750 | $3,200 – $5,350 | $4,850 – $7,000 |
| main floor (400 sq ft) | $4,250 – $10,000 | $8,550 – $14,300 | $12,900 – $18,600 |
Related projects, priced for Kentucky
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide Kentucky wages and prices. Against national midpoints, shower pan comes out highest (−7%) and laminate flooring lowest (−9%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwood flooring | 500 sq ft | $5,050 – $11,600 | −7% |
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $1,800 – $6,400 | −9% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,400 – $21,700 | −7% |
| Shower pan | 1 pan | $870 – $2,600 | −7% |
What tile and stone setters and the other trades earn in Kentucky
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 2 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 0.87 for Kentucky.
For tile and stone setters (47-2044, weighted 85%) the local median is $22.78 an hour, which is 15% below the national $26.77. The middle half of them earn between $20.35 and $24.76 an hour. BLS counts 180 of them working in the state, 0.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 2.3), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 15% of the weighting: a median of $21.98 an hour, 3% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.13 and $24.06 an hour. About 13,280 work in the state. That is 66.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for tile and stone setters ($24.76 an hour) would add about $160 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($20.35) would take off about $190. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 2,000,360 jobs across Kentucky (May 2025), which is 1.3% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile and stone setters (47-2044) | 85% | $20.35 | $22.78 | $24.76 | $26.77 | 0.85 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 15% | $18.13 | $21.98 | $24.06 | $22.66 | 0.97 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.87 | |||||
Tile flooring: what moves the price in Kentucky
Tile type
Porcelain runs $15-$50 per sq ft installed. Luxury vinyl tile is $4-$16 (HomeGuide).
Labor
Labor starts around $5 per sq ft for the simplest jobs and tops $20 for patterns or premium tile.
Tile alone
Tile costs $2-$35 per sq ft before installation, which is what makes the range so wide.
Subfloor
Uneven or damaged subfloors need prep work before the tile goes down.
Kentucky metro-by-metro prices
2 of the 3 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $5,700, and the top-to-bottom gap is 1%. 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 (200 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington, KY | $2,150 – $9,350 | $5,750 | +1% |
| Louisville, KY | $2,150 – $9,350 | $5,750 | +1% |
| Bowling Green, KY | $2,100 – $9,300 | $5,700 | level |
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Tile flooring in Kentucky: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a tile floor in Kentucky?
$2,100 to $9,300 for 200 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Kentucky can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Kentucky is cheapest for tile floor?
Bowling Green at about $5,700 (midpoint, 200 sq ft). The priciest is Lexington at $5,750.
+Is tile floor cheaper in Kentucky than the US average?
It is 8% cheaper: $5,700 against $6,200 for 200 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Kentucky?
About 38% ($2,150). Materials are 62%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.87x the national wage level.
+What do tile and stone setters earn in Kentucky?
The BLS statewide median is $22.78 an hour, against $26.77 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $20.35 to $24.76.
+Where does Kentucky rank for tile floor costs?
40th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $5,700 for 200 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium tile floor work cost in Kentucky?
For 200 sq ft, basic work runs $2,100 to $5,000 and premium work $6,450 to $9,300. Basic means: basic ceramic or vinyl tile, simple square layout. Premium means: large-format, natural stone or patterned layouts.
Tile flooring by city in Kentucky
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.