Obra for Tile setters

Tile job costing for showers and wet areas, from waterproofing to grout

Track each tile job as its own project: tile allowance, waterproofing, thinset, niches and labor by phase. Know what each shower and backsplash made you.

A shower is a small room and a big week. The tile is an allowance the client will probably exceed, the waterproofing is the part nobody sees, and the labor is six days of prep, setting and grout that stretch when the walls aren't flat or the tile got bigger after the quote.

Obra keeps each tile job as its own project, with the tile as an allowance and the labor split by phase, so you know what the shower made you before the grout cures.

Tile as an allowance

Budget the tile on its own allowance line. Log the tile shop invoice against it, and turn any upgrade into a change order once the client has agreed. The allowance overage guide shows the wording that keeps the client happy and the margin whole.

Prep, set, grout

Give each phase its own labor code. After a few jobs you'll know whether your days go into floating walls or into setting, and what large format really costs you per foot. The cost code guide has a short list you can copy.

The walls, the format, the pattern

The three change orders below show up on most showers. Price each one the day it comes up, get the client's okay, then record it so the contract moves with the work. The change order guide keeps the wording short.

The margin on each shower

When the last invoice is paid, the job's page shows the contract, total cost and margin. Compare your showers against your backsplashes and your floors. The markup and margin guide helps you set the price per foot that covers the slow weeks.

What Obra isn't for a tile setter

Not a layout tool, not estimating software, not scheduling. Obra is the money on each job, in English and Spanish, from receipts your crew already sends, exported clean to the accountant.

Sample budget

Primary shower, curbless, large-format porcelain, plus 40 sq ft backsplash, Westlake Remodel

Line item Budget
Tile (allowance) $2,600
Waterproofing membrane, board, drain $950
Thinset, grout, trim, leveling clips $500
Niche and bench kit $350
Crew labor, prep, waterproofing, set and grout, six days $4,800
Direct cost budget $9,200
Contract value $11,900
Gross margin budgeted $2,700

Illustrative figures in US dollars for a fictional project; use them to see the shape of the budget, not to price a job.

The cost codes this trade actually uses

  • 01 Tile and stone
  • 02 Waterproofing and backer board
  • 03 Thinset, grout and sealers
  • 04 Trim, edging and leveling clips
  • 05 Drains, niches and benches
  • 06 Equipment rentals (saws)
  • 07 Crew labor, prep and waterproofing
  • 08 Crew labor, setting
  • 09 Crew labor, grout and finish
  • 10 Vehicle and fuel

The change orders that eat the margin

The walls that aren't flat
Large-format tile needs flat walls. The studs are out by a quarter inch and the board has to be shimmed and floated before a single tile goes on. That's a day of prep the bid never had. Get the okay, record it, then float.
The large-format tile picked after the quote
The quote was for 12 by 24. The client picks 24 by 48 slabs. Same square footage, twice the handling, a rented saw and slower setting. The labor difference is a change order, confirmed before the tile ships.
The herringbone the client saw online
The quote had a straight lay. The client sends a photo of a herringbone floor. More cuts, more waste, more days. Price it and get it approved before the first cut.

Questions people ask

Tile is an allowance and the client always upgrades. How do I handle it?
Put the allowance on its own line, log the tile invoice against it, and record the overage as a change order once the client agrees. The job's page shows exactly where the allowance stands.
My labor is by the foot but changes with the format. How do I see that?
Split labor into prep, setting and grout. After a few jobs the page shows which formats and patterns eat the days, and your price per foot for large format stops being a guess.
Is Obra for tile repair calls?
No. Obra is for jobs with a contract and a budget: showers, floors, backsplashes, commercial tile. A repair route needs a scheduling and invoicing tool.
Can my helper send receipts from the tile shop?
Yes. A photo by WhatsApp, email or the app, in English or Spanish. They never see the job's numbers. You confirm it to the right job in a few seconds.
Free download

Not ready for an app? Start with our free Excel template.

A ready-made spreadsheet to track costs and income per project — with categories and the totals already set up.

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