Hi, and Welcome! Here you will find answers to F.A.Q. about my process and policies.

To get the ball rolling, please answer these 3 questions about your tile or stone installation project: 

 

 – What do you want to build

 – When do you want it done

 – Where is it

 

What:

Describe your project in as much detail as you can, including photos of the area as it is now, dimensions, drawings, drafted plans, tile selection (or size), inspiration Pinterest/Instagram pictures.  Browse my website photo galleries for examples of what I’ve done. Some of what you see there was spec’d by an architect or interior designer and managed by a general contractor with multiple sub trades, some of it was conjured up entirely by myself and/or a homeowner. I’m not an architect or interior designer, but I certainly have a wealth of field experience and ideas to consult with. 

 

When:

There are two options here: “ASAP ” and “Fixed Date” – When a deposit is paid, I will hold a block of time for your project, and I will provide an estimated timeline of my earliest availability, which is how long I anticipate it’ll be until the jobs in line before yours are done. In the meantime, get your tile and all your other prep work done and I’ll keep you updated as it gets closer to your turn. If I get a cancellation or delay that opens up a vacancy in my schedule and your job is on standby and ready to go I’ll move on to it. Backsplashes and fireplaces are ideal standby jobs, your only bathroom maybe not so much.

If you require a commitment to a fixed start and/or finish by date I can certainly provide that too, it just may not come up as soon as an “ASAP” one.  If you’re planning ahead 3 + months then hey, I like you! Contacting me as early in the planning stage as possible often makes a difference to the cost, timeline and quality of the job.

 

Where:

 What area of town is your job? Commutes over 10km one way from my home (Jubilee) are charged at $2.50/km. This will be factored into the quote for your location. I have worked as far as Duncan, several Gulf Islands and Sooke, but it does add up the farther I have to go.

 If you live in a condo or strata, I need to be advised, and so does the management. Any special considerations concerning management or strata counsels needs to be addressed prior to my arrival. 

 

 

What I Can and Can’t Do For You:

 I generally don’t go too far out of my wheelhouse in regards to the services I provide *tile installation* so if you require involvement of other tradespersons please make that known, whether you already have someone in mind or you would like me to provide them. This includes plumbers and electricians – I don’t do any in-wall plumbing or electrical as I have limited equipment, proficiency and no liability insurance for any of that work. I do supply and install in floor heating cables, but testing and hook up is for a licensed electrician. I can install face plates, shower bars, grab bars, glass door kits, etc. I do wood stud framing for tile backing, and can provide some  finish carpentry such as trim work, baseboards, mantels etc. as necessary to support my tile installs. I have a table saw, chop saw, and other woodworking hand tools. Paint and/or drywall is usually someone else’s job, and I try to talk my way out of demolition whenever possible, but sometimes it needs to be done.

 

 

 Materials:

If a client prefers that I supply and/or deliver tile, I’m happy to provide either service, however most of my clients opt to shop for what they want, pay for it, and make sure it arrives in time. Please ensure that you get a bit extra (10-20%) and get it early enough that you can open the boxes and inspect it and still have time to replace any broken or defective tiles, especially if it’s a special order material.                                                          I can’t count how many days pay I’ve lost to “the tile isn’t here yet”, so I just want to make sure that I hammer this point home to every incoming customer!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 I supply all else; cements, adhesives, grouts, caulks, backer board, plywood or framing, waterproofing, in floor heat mats, cables, thermostats, shower pans and drains, and anything Schluter makes.

 

 

Pricing:

 There are 2 kinds of customer: one is primarily interested in quality and aesthetics – they are more likely to be personally looking at and using my installation for years and want it to maintain its serviceability and value over a longer time, or a GC that needs to meet that higher bar for their client. The other kind is seeking a profit margin, and will accept a lesser quality standard. These tend to include the owners of utility-grade rental or commercial real estate, spec builders, house flippers, etc., that get multiple quotes and usually go with the lowest bid.     However, most are aware that tile installation is a “get what you pay for” trade and the bottom bids are risky. Much of the work I do is replacing showers that have failed prematurely – in some instances an immediate tearout of a previous installers work, removed at great expense, mess and inconvenience. I’ve also seen what years-old leaks can do to a home, it’s not pretty. 

So at this point I would like to ask you to consider what your priority is, and if you are in the latter group please take a pass on me, I would rather not invest time into submitting quotes that are unlikely to be accepted, thanks in advance.  Ditto for folks who are considering doing it themselves with a free consultation from a professional – there are abundant YouTubers eager to help you out.  I’m a one man operation, I’ll invest my time doing a site meeting and submitting a quote for you, but please be sure that you are committed to moving forward with hiring a professional to do your project and are seeking quotes on product and service of comparable quality, from an installer with a high level of experience, multiple positive online reviews (Google, Facebook) and a website photo portfolio of projects available for you to view, whether you end up accepting my proposal or not. Even if you don’t, I appreciate a response and any feedback you may offer.  That said, I realize that I am often not the only one bidding on a job, so I aim to be competitive enough to stay employed.

I do not price by the square foot or the hour, there are too many variables for that to be consistent, but I do have a data set that I use.                    I price based on my many years experience doing jobs like yours – evaluating factors such as site conditions, timeline constraints, anticipated communication/consultation requirements, level of difficulty, quality expectations and what I can make the best of in that block of time being that there may be more than one proposal on the table. I submit all quotes/proposals/contracts by email, with a well-defined scope of work.

  Proposals assume that:

  • Interior work spaces are between 10 and 28 Celsius and free of obnoxious dust and fumes or other personal safety hazards. Note that I am covered for injury by my Worksafe POP plan, but owners can still be liable for gross negligence.
  • Power and water (outside hose tap) are available on site, there is an area that is flat where I can mix and set up a wet saw on, which can be a bit messy – I can use a tarp to protect hard surfaces, but interior finished spaces or garages with cars in them are not suitable. If this is NOT the case, please advise.
  • I have a large garbage pail that settles out the sediment from wash water, then the clear water is skimmed off the top and poured up against a building foundation or gravel driveway or down a drain, not so good for planted areas. Sludge in the bottom is added to the waste pile in 5 gallon buckets (it dries out to dust). I am very careful not to stain pavement surface with cement products; any slight accidental spills can be hosed away within a few hours without sticking and becomes inert once diluted. Tile wet saws produce wet sawdust, which is not adhesive like cement, but does spread itself around a bit as a fine mist and drops. 
  • Waste removal/dump fee is not included in quote unless specifically requested; client provides a strong, watertight container or bare ground area to collect tile off cuts, leftover mortar, bags etc.
  • Out of level – Substrates that are out of level take more time and mud – it is usually simpler to correct prior to tile install. It is often assumed that tilesetters can easily compensate for wonky carpentry and rolling floors but that is not the case. For walls, this may mean adding wood strips to or grinding down wall studs, and for floors it means patching, self levelling pours or grinding. For backsplashes, removing and replacing wall board. Acceptable tolerances for walls and floors are 1/4” in 10 feet (from the TCNA Handbook), I can work with a bit more room than that. Floors can sometimes be sloped and still be “flat”. Small corrections (under an hour) will not be charged for.
  • Tubs and shower bases installed by plumbers must also be level and square to walls.
  • I do not offer warranty on wet area and shower cement backer board installed by others; my install starts with plumb, bare wall studs.
  • I do not offer warranty on tile over linoleum or other inadequate substrates. 
  • I cannot be responsible for unpainted drywall or mud filler at the edge of the tile field. I try to be careful but tile work is messy and involves wet sponge washing, and there are sharp tools and tile corners flying around, so anticipate touch ups/ final coat of paint following my work. Ideally, drywall is mudded, primed and a first coat of finish paint that is lightly washable without damage, and can be grouted to cleanly in the joint where tile runs into corners/ceiling. Taping off walls around the edge of a tile field with painters tape often results in peeling the paint, so I don’t do it. 
  • I do protect tubs, fittings, cabinets, countertops and finished floors in the work zone from damage. I will inspect these items prior to beginning to note any existing marks.
  • If you require floor protection over a larger area than a couple of drop sheets, wall/furniture protection, dust filtration HEPA unit or any other like consideration please advise. 
  • Asbestos/hazmat – I don’t do it, period. All drywall, plaster and floor tiles MUST be tested prior to starting any removal or demo work. All waste disposal companies require documentation before they allow dumping in their bins. 
  • Extras: Work beyond the scope agreed in our contract is billable at $100/hour plus cost of materials at retail price. If an extra involves more than a days work, it may not be possible to complete prior to my next job booking, so let’s try to ensure that everything you want is in the initial proposal.
  • Omissions: when a price is quoted, it is for the whole job: omitting parts after does not equal a refund of the entire “line item” amount. Pricing for larger package “full house” deals in particular doesn’t break down that way. Omissions from the original contract are refunded at less than face value, and that amount will vary… something we can discuss further on a case by case basis.
  • All building permits are the responsibility of the owner, and a lack of resulting in stop work order and my lost time are billable to client at $500/day. Yes, it has happened.
  • For that matter, any other short-notice unplanned interruptions of my work schedule that are beyond my control are at the expense of the client, billable at $500/day.  Actually, being that I’m a reasonable guy, I use some discretion with that clause; if there is a justified cause for the delay (medical emergency, fire, etc.) I will defer; for negligence or poor planning I will expect to be compensated. Informing me of any potential delays ASAP gives me a better opportunity to fill the gap with a standby job. Please understand that booking is a commitment, and unforeseen short notice delays shouldn’t be at my expense.
  • Please provide contact numbers for all other trades/general contractors involved that I may have to coordinate with, including previous and following tradespeople.
  • Cracks to tile assemblies caused by excessive building movement or seismic activity are not covered by warranty. These mostly include cracks that are in corners or along ceilings. There are ways to inspect to determine cause.
  • Deficiencies – I’d like to say it never happens, but if there is something that isn’t quite right I always take care of it – after all, I might have to take a picture of it for my website! Not to mention my business is largely driven by repeat customers and word of mouth referrals. Deficiencies include cracked tiles, chipped corners, lippage or misalignment of greater than 1/16” for fine tiles, putting 2 tiles with the same print + same orientation next to each other, oversized holes for plumbing or electrical fixtures, large gaps, grout voids etc.  I had plenty of opportunity to perfect my tile surgery techniques and develop a distaste for it early on in my career, so my noticeable defects are pretty much nil. Until tiles are installed by robots, there will always be small discrepancies in setting, 1/32” or less is common, 1/16” is acceptable. Tiles aren’t always exactly the same size or square, some aren’t flat either. There are plenty of internet posts that deliberate on the subject of “acceptable tolerances”, and you can bet it’s been the subject of many legal disputes… From all my years crafting in this unforgiving medium and all the glossy photos of my work, one thing I can tell you is “There are no perfect jobs.”
  • Best practice is to have the client meet on site on or just before my last day on site to inspect and sign off on work while I’m there, particularly for distant jobs, I like to make sure everyone is happy before I pack up my tools and leave. 

 

 So what happens if I’m the one who’s late or doesn’t meet a timeline? As it’s not a union job, I don’t get paid to sit at home. Absences from work are rare but like everyone I do occasionally have illness, family emergency or mechanical breakdowns. While I don’t usually run multiple job sites or double book, sometimes “shit happens” and I’ll get delayed on the job before yours – I will advise immediately if that occurs. If I’m able, I may work weekends and evenings to catch up. The potential consequences for schedule disruptions for other trades that follow would be my main concern – I would ask to be put in contact with those affected to discuss options. Not to trivialize the inconvenience and “loss of use” to a client when jobs are delayed, however the value of that is much less than that of a days wages. 

 

 Payment Terms:

  • Deposit of 20% on labour is required to hold your booking, I can’t hold space for clients who aren’t fully committed. Deposits on labour are non-refundable if cancelled. As delayed start dates may result in loss of work days for me, this may also result in forfeit of part or all of deposit, depending on the cause and how much notice is given.
  • Materials deposit (cost of goods) required upon delivery to job site if they are more than $1000.
  • I can’t overstate how much I appreciate prompt, convenient payment! E-transfer preferred, cheques are fine if delivered in person to the work site on or before last day on the job or mailed out immediately. 
  • I do not need to work for any project manager that does not have sufficient capital to pay out subs without relying on a draw from the client.
  • For jobs that last more than 2 weeks, I may ask for a progress payment.
  • Delays in schedule outside of my control may require a pro-rated progress payment.
  • I’d rather not work for clients that take more than 10 days to pay upon completion of work. 
  • Late payments (beyond 2 weeks from invoice date) are charged at 1%/day.
  • + 5% GST

 

 I created this document to familiarize clients with my process, what they need to do to prepare, and to avoid any surprises or misunderstandings. Some of it is just a recap of basic business etiquette as applies to dealing with any small independent service provider that relies on appointments and bookings to earn a living. I have operated for many years as a sole proprietor tile assembly specialist and twice as many before that in carpentry, masonry and general construction on good faith, without all the wordy “fine print”. For almost all of my gracious and respectful clients it hasn’t been necessary. Yet there will always be the exception, who by ignorance or intent, push the boundaries of any ambiguity or grey area that exists, so I’m taking steps to manage those risks as I grow my enterprise. None of it is directed at anyone in particular, no offence is intended. Please feel free to ask questions or for further clarification of any of these clauses.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this, and if you’re still here I look forward to doing business with you!

 

 Regards,

Jonathan Finlay 

The Micromason Tile & Stone Installation Specialist