Tile flooring cost in Portland, ME
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft)
- $2,850 – $10,500
- Per sq ft
- $14.50 – $52.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +8%
- US $6,200
- Rank of 300 metros
- #36
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a tile floor in the Portland area: $2,850 to $10,500 for 200 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 8% higher than the US figure. Tile and stone setters earn a median of $34.00 an hour in the Portland area, 27% above the US median of $26.77.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft in Portland, ME, standard level
$5,150 to $8,200
About $26 to $41 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,300 | $4,900 |
| Labor | $2,850 | $3,350 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $5,150 | $8,200 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft in Portland, ME
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $390 | $3,600 | $6,800 | 54% |
| Labor | $2,450 | $3,100 | $3,700 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $2,850 | $6,700 | $10,500 | 100% |
Why Portland prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on tile and stone setters, who do 85% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $34.00 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Portland is 1.23 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 46% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Maine statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Portland is at 97.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $3,700 nationally becomes $3,600 here (midpoint, 200 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 101.9: $0 to $0.
Data note: 85% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Portland. The wage table below marks each row.
Is Portland cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (200 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Boston is the priciest of the group at $7,350. Manchester is the cheapest at $5,900.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, MEthis page | $2,850 – $10,500 | $6,700 | |
| Manchester, NH85 miles | $2,200 – $9,600 | $5,900 | −12% |
| Boston, MA85 miles | $3,300 – $11,300 | $7,350 | +10% |
| Worcester, MA120 miles | $2,600 – $10,100 | $6,350 | −5% |
| Barnstable, MA135 miles | $3,250 – $11,100 | $7,150 | +7% |
| Providence, RI140 miles | $2,500 – $10,000 | $6,250 | −6% |
| Maine (statewide) | $2,850 – $10,500 | $6,650 | level |
| United States | $2,400 – $10,000 | $6,200 | −7% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Portland ranks #36 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Portland is 0% above the Maine figure.
Elsewhere in Maine
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, ME | 72,270 jobs | $2,850 – $10,500 | $6,650 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Portland against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton, CA | 289,660 jobs | $2,600 – $10,600 | $6,600 | −1% |
| Lexington, KY | 286,910 jobs | $2,150 – $9,350 | $5,750 | −14% |
| Toledo, OH | 291,530 jobs | $2,050 – $9,100 | $5,600 | −16% |
| New Haven, CT | 281,410 jobs | $2,700 – $10,300 | $6,500 | −3% |
Portland: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Portland. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from bathroom (50 sq ft) to main floor (400 sq ft).
Basic
$2,850 to $5,900
Basic ceramic or vinyl tile, simple square layout
Standard
$5,150 to $8,200
Porcelain tile, standard layout
Premium
$7,450 to $10,500
Large-format, natural stone or patterned layouts
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| bathroom (50 sq ft) | $710 – $1,500 | $1,300 – $2,050 | $1,850 – $2,650 |
| kitchen (150 sq ft) | $2,150 – $4,450 | $3,850 – $6,150 | $5,600 – $7,900 |
| main floor (400 sq ft) | $5,700 – $11,800 | $10,300 – $16,400 | $14,900 – $21,000 |
What nearby projects cost in Portland
Jobs that often go together with tile floor are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Portland wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, shower pan comes out highest (+7%) and laminate flooring lowest (−1%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwood flooring | 500 sq ft | $5,500 – $12,400 | level |
| Laminate flooring | 500 sq ft | $2,000 – $6,900 | −1% |
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,950 – $24,600 | +5% |
| Shower pan | 1 pan | $1,050 – $2,950 | +7% |
Who does the work: Portland trade wages
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 Portland the blend is 1.23.
Tile and stone setters (47-2044) carry 85% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Portland metro, so we used the Maine statewide median: $34.00 an hour against $26.77 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $31.33 and $44.08 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 15%) the local median is $23.31 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.50 and $27.46 an hour. BLS counts 1,470 of them working in the area, 51.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (tile and stone setters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $800 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $210. That is a swing of roughly 3.2% to 12.0% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Portland-South Portland has 288,480 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 89th 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) | 85% | $31.33 | $34.00 | $44.08 | $26.77 | 1.27 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 15% | $21.50 | $23.31 | $27.46 | $22.66 | 1.03 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.23 | |||||
Specs and site conditions that change a Portland bid
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.
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Tile flooring in Portland: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a tile floor in Portland?
For 200 sq ft, expect $2,850 to $10,500 in the Portland area. A standard-spec job lands at $5,150 to $8,200. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for tile floor in Portland?
About $14.50 to $52.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $0 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $12 to $50.
+Is tile floor cheaper in Portland or Manchester?
Manchester is 85 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft there is $5,900, which is 12% less than Portland ($6,700). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Portland?
About 46% at the midpoint, or $3,100 out of $6,700. Materials are 54% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 40%.
+What would kitchen (150 sq ft) cost in Portland?
$2,150 to $7,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does tile floor need a permit in Portland?
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 Portland area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Portland expensive for tile floor compared with the rest of Maine?
Portland is 0% above the Maine statewide estimate ($6,650 at the midpoint). We cover 2 metros in Maine; see the state page to compare them.
+What do tile and stone setters earn in Portland?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $34.00 an hour, compared with $26.77 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $31.33 to $44.08.
+What do basic and premium tile floor work cost in Portland?
For 200 sq ft, basic work runs $2,850 to $5,900 and premium work $7,450 to $10,500. Basic means: basic ceramic or vinyl tile, simple square layout. Premium means: large-format, natural stone or patterned layouts.
Tile flooring near Portland
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.