Quick answer
Tilers usually borrow for three things: working capital to buy tiles and adhesives when they move from labour-only to supply-and-lay work, equipment such as wet saws, dust extractors and vans, and the cost of adding waterproofing or bathroom renovation services. A line of credit suits stock purchases, equipment finance suits gear and vehicles, and banks remain a good option for established tilers with clean records.
Key points
- Labour-only tilers need little working capital; supply-and-lay tilers can carry thousands in tiles for every bathroom
- Tiles are listed as silica-containing materials, so cutting them falls under the tighter controls in force since 1 September 2024
- NSW requires a contractor licence for waterproofing worth more than $5,000, a step many tilers take to offer complete wet areas
- In Victoria, tiling on its own is exempt from registration, but combining trades on one job can change that
Two tilers can each lay a bathroom a week and need completely different amounts of money to do it. The first is paid by a builder for labour: the builder buys the tiles and glue, and the tiler brings skills, tools and a van. The second quotes homeowners on a supply-and-lay basis, ordering tiles, adhesive, grout, trims and membrane before the job starts. The first needs almost no working capital. The second can have thousands tied up in every bathroom.
That shift, from labour-only to supply-and-lay, is the moment most tilers start thinking about finance.
What changes when you start supplying the tiles?
The margin goes up, and so does the money at risk. Here’s what a supply-and-lay bathroom typically involves before the final payment:
- Tiles ordered in advance. Premium or imported tiles may need ordering weeks ahead, sometimes with a supplier deposit.
- Adhesives, grout, trims and levelling systems. Smaller amounts, but they add up across several jobs.
- Waterproofing products, if you do the membrane yourself.
- Wastage and breakages. You carry the cost of extra tiles and replacements.
- Customer variations. A homeowner who changes their mind about a feature wall can leave you with stock you can’t return.
A deposit from the customer usually covers part of it. The rest comes from your supplier account or your own cash. When three or four jobs overlap, the gap can stretch further than a tiler’s bank balance.
Use our margin and markup calculator to check that your pricing on supplied tiles actually covers the cost of carrying them.
How do lenders view tiling businesses?
Lenders generally see tiling as a steady, skilled trade with demand from new homes, renovations and commercial fit-outs. They look closely at:
- Who pays you. Builders on 30-day terms, renovators paying progress claims, or homeowners paying on completion. Each produces a different pattern in your bank statements.
- Concentration. A tiler working mostly for one builder is exposed if that builder slows down or fails.
- Defect risk. A shower membrane that fails can mean ripping out a finished bathroom, sometimes years after handover. Lenders may ask about your insurance.
- Personal and business separation. Many tilers start as sole traders, so lenders want to see business income flowing through a dedicated account. Our page on sole trader business loans covers what helps.
What do tilers usually borrow for?
| What you need | Finance that usually fits |
|---|---|
| Tile stock for overlapping supply-and-lay jobs | A business line of credit drawn per job |
| A van with racking and a fold-down cutting bench | Commercial vehicle finance |
| Wet saws, bridge saws, extractors and mixing gear | Equipment finance, often bundled |
| Bulk tile purchases to win a better price | A short working capital loan; see funding stock purchases |
| Adding a second crew or an apprentice | Unsecured business loan |
| Expanding into full bathroom renovations | Unsecured or property-secured loan, depending on the size |
Need stock money for a run of bathrooms? Make an enquiry here, and a specialist will look at what fits. Your credit file stays out of it at this stage.
Why are dust controls now part of your equipment budget?
Tiles, along with concrete, bricks and pavers, contain crystalline silica. WorkSafe WA lists tiles among the materials that contain it, and notes that cutting, drilling, grinding and similar processes release the dust. From 1 September 2024, stronger regulation of all crystalline silica substances took effect: every process involving them must be controlled, a risk assessment is required, and processes assessed as high risk carry extra duties. Other states adopted similar rules at the same time.
For a tiler, that means wet cutting, on-tool extraction and industrial vacuums with the right filtration are no longer nice-to-haves, and dry cutting porcelain in a garage with no controls is off the table. A proper dust-controlled cutting setup can cost a few thousand dollars, which many tilers bundle into an equipment finance contract with a van or saw.
The separate engineered stone ban, in place since 1 July 2024, mostly affects benchtop fabricators rather than tilers. WorkSafe WA lists ceramic wall and floor tiles as excluded from it.
Should you add waterproofing to your services?
Doing your own waterproofing lets you quote the whole wet area, control the quality of the layer under your tiles, and earn more per job. It also brings licensing and risk:
- NSW: the NSW Government says waterproofing is trade work that needs a contractor licence when the job is worth more than $5,000, including labour, materials and GST. It covers treating wet areas such as showers as well as protecting the home from moisture generally.
- Victoria: Consumer Affairs Victoria lists wall and floor tiling among the trades exempt from Building and Plumbing Commission registration, but only when the job involves that one trade. Registration is required regardless of value if a person combines several skills on one job. A tiler who also does waterproofing, plastering repairs and fit-off on a bathroom should check whether registration applies.
- Other states: waterproofing and tiling licensing varies, so check with your state regulator.
From a lending perspective, a tiler who becomes a licensed waterproofer or a full bathroom renovator is building a bigger, more profitable business, and lenders tend to like that. They’ll also want to see that the right licences and insurance are in place.
What documents help a tiler get approved?
- Business bank statements, ideally covering at least six months
- Your current jobs and forward bookings, with deposits received
- Supplier account statements showing your limits and terms
- BAS for the past few quarters and an ATO portal statement
- Quotes for vans or equipment
- Licence numbers and insurance certificates, especially if you do waterproofing
Example: a Melbourne tiler moving to supply-and-lay
A hypothetical example, not a real business. A tiler in Melbourne’s south-east has worked labour-only for two builders for six years. Builder volumes have slowed, so the owner starts quoting homeowners directly for bathroom and laundry retiles on a supply-and-lay basis. Within three months there are five jobs booked, each needing about $4,000 to $7,000 in tiles and materials, with a 20% deposit from each customer.
Funding that from a personal card isn’t realistic. A non-bank lender reviews a year of bank statements and approves a $40k line of credit. The tiler draws on it when ordering each job’s tiles and repays as final payments come in. Once that’s running smoothly, the tiler goes back to that lender for a new van and a dust-extracted wet saw setup through equipment finance.
Funding the next stage of your tiling business
Whether you’re laying for builders or quoting whole bathrooms yourself, the right finance is the kind that matches when you buy stock and when you get paid.
Our enquiry form asks for the basics and is done in roughly a minute. Making an enquiry doesn’t trigger any credit search, so your file looks exactly the same afterwards. Nothing gets sold or forwarded to outside lenders. Instead, someone on our team who knows trade businesses goes through your details and calls you. Be accurate about turnover, how much of your work is labour-only versus supply-and-lay, and the figure you need, because getting those right is how the first product we suggest turns out to fit.
Frequently asked questions
Can a labour-only tiler get a business loan?
Yes. Labour-only tilers have low overheads and often steady income from builders or renovators. With six to twelve months of regular deposits, small unsecured loans and van finance are usually available. Lenders will ask how many builders you work for.
How do I fund tile stock for supply-and-lay jobs?
Most tilers combine a customer deposit with a trade account at the tile supplier, then use a line of credit to cover the gap when several jobs need stock at once. You draw when you order and repay when each job's final payment comes in.
What equipment do tilers usually finance?
Vans and utes are the biggest items, followed by wet saws, bridge saws, dust extractors, mixing gear and levelling systems. Smaller tools are often bought outright. Bundling several items into one equipment finance contract can make sense.
Do I need a waterproofing licence as a tiler?
It depends on your state and the work. In NSW, waterproofing is licensed trade work above $5,000 including labour and materials. Other states have their own rules. If you plan to quote whole wet areas, check your state regulator's requirements before you start.
Will a bank lend to a tiling business?
Banks lend to established tilers, particularly those with two years of profitable trading and property security, and they're often the cheapest source of finance. Newer tilers or those needing money quickly often find non-bank lenders easier to deal with.