Tiling: how to accept tile work

Before laying: what to check so you don't redo it later

Half of all tiling problems are set up before the first row. In the app's route, the “Tiling” stage starts with preparation:

• Materials. All the tiles are from one batch and there's enough, with 10-15% extra for cuts. Tiles from another batch differ in shade.
• Waterproofing in wet areas is done and has dried. Tile is not waterproofing. More in Bathroom waterproofing.
• The bath or shower tray is installed level and the drain checked before the wall tiles go on: tiles are taken over the bath rim, and the joint is sealed from above.
• Underfloor heating under the tiles, if any: the mats are laid away from the bath and cabinets, the sensor in a conduit; resistance is measured before laying and after. The layout is photographed with a tape measure and the resistance written down - the warranty asks for both.
• The layout is approved back at planning: the pattern, joint direction and starting point.

Master Kistya's tips for the layout

The app shows these tips for the tiling stage:

• compare tiles under the room's real lighting: the same material can look different on the floor and on the walls;
• start the layout from the centre of the wall or room, but check the size of the cut pieces at the edges;
• if centring leaves narrow cuts, shift the layout by half a tile;
• equal cuts on both sides don't always matter - it's better to hide a less attractive cut behind furniture or in an inconspicuous corner and start from the most visible spot;
• around a door, avoid a tile that spans the whole opening;
• mix tiles from several boxes so a difference in shade doesn't end up as a patch on one wall;
• protect the bathtub with something rigid, not just film;
• don't throw away leftovers: keep a few whole tiles of each kind - in a few years the same collection may be impossible to find.

How to accept tiling: step-by-step check

In the route, the “Accept the stage” item reads: check flatness, that there are no voids under the tiles, and the quality of the joints. In more detail:

1. Flatness. Put a two-metre straightedge against the wall and the floor in different places and directions. Look at the gap under it and at steps between neighbouring tiles.
2. Vertical and horizontal. A level along corners, along the bath, along the joint lines.
3. Voids. Tap the tiles: a hollow sound means a void under the tile. Tap each tile's corners as well, not just the middle.
4. Joints. Even in width, straight, with no chips or gaps in the grout. Corners and junctions are filled with sealant. Grout colour changes the look of the wall a lot - it's chosen in advance.
5. Cuts and corners. No narrow, noticeable cuts. If you agreed on 45° mitred outside corners, they're done.
6. Hatches and drain. Tiled access hatches give access to the manifolds and meters, and the drain grate and extension are fitted.
7. Junctions with other floor finishes - transitions to the hallway floor are planned and even.

Check with the contractor present and in good light. Photograph anything you find with the straightedge or level in the shot and add it as a remark on the stage.

Which rules apply

Since 1 February 2026, Amendment No. 3 to SP 71.13330.2017 “Insulating and finishing coatings” has been in force (Order of the Russian Ministry of Construction of 26.12.2024 No. 918/pr). Under the new wording of clause 7.4.17, cladding work must meet the customer's requirements. Under clause 7.4.4, the requirements for the surface under cladding are set by the design, depending on the tile size: the larger the format, the flatter the base must be.

The cladding tolerance table has been removed from the code. The former table 7.6 for interior ceramic tiling gave these figures - you can use them as a guide and write them into the contract:

• deviation from vertical - no more than 1.5 mm per 1 m, 4 mm per storey;
• unevenness under a two-metre straightedge - no more than 2 mm;
• joint width deviation - ±0.5 mm.

For floors, SP 29.13330.2011 “Floors”, clause 5.18 applies: the gap between a two-metre control straightedge and a ceramic or porcelain tile floor is no more than 4 mm.

Before a dispute, check the current wording of the documents. How to write requirements into the contract is in Wall flatness: how to check it and what to put in the contract and Contract with the crew. These are Russian rules; other countries have their own.

What to put in the contract before work starts

• the layout and starting point - as a drawing attached to the contract;
• joint width and grout colour;
• flatness and vertical tolerances - for example, from the former table 7.6;
• a requirement on voids: how they're checked and what happens to hollow tiles;
• 45° mitred corners, if needed - this is separate and fairly costly work;
• who buys the adhesive, grout and sealant.

After acceptance

• Call the glass shower screen measurer: the glass is made to the finished tiles.
• Keep the leftover tiles and record the collection and batch: photograph the box label, and the app will write the brand and part number into the property passport - how it works.
• Keep an eye on the grout and sealant in the first months. If cracks appear, what to do and which time limits apply is in Renovation and materials warranty.

Tiling acceptance checklist

• Flatness is checked with a straightedge on the walls and the floor.
• No voids: every tile in risk areas has been tapped.
• Joints are straight and even, the grout has no gaps, corners and junctions are sealed.
• The layout matches the approved one, with no narrow cuts on show.
• Hatches and the drain are in place and open.
• Remarks are photographed and added to the stage, and the stage is accepted in the app.