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Best Tile Installers in New Plymouth: Waterproofing and Prep

Four Taranaki installation crews compared on what sits under the tile: membranes, substrate prep, grout choice and movement joints

The best tile installers in New Plymouth are judged on work you will never see once the job is finished. Anyone can set a tile straight on a good day. What separates an installation that lasts from one that lifts, cracks or leaks is the membrane, the substrate and the grout, and those are the questions worth asking before you book. This page covers installation crews only. If you also want somewhere to buy the tiles, our guide to tilers in New Plymouth includes a local showroom that supplies and lays under one contract.

1Naki Tiling Ltd

Naki Tiling is a family-run New Plymouth crew, registered as a company since December 2021. Its main point of difference on installation is that the waterproofing does not leave the team: Byron is a fully qualified tiler and Bex is a qualified waterproofer who also does the epoxy grouting and silicone. On a bathroom that removes the usual handover between a waterproofer and a tiler, which is where responsibility tends to get blurry if a shower later leaks. The crew works regularly for local building firms, including multi-bathroom new builds, and covers South Taranaki and Inglewood as well as the city.

Services

  • Wet-area waterproofing membranes
  • Shower and bathroom installation
  • Kitchen and splashback tiling
  • Floor tile installation
  • Epoxy grouting and silicone finishing

Highlights

  • Qualified waterproofer on the crew, so the membrane and the tiling sit with one contractor
  • Epoxy grout offered as standard rather than as an upsell
  • Trusted with multi-bathroom new builds by local building companies
  • Takes experienced subcontractors on, so capacity is not limited to one pair of hands

Location & Contact

Name: Naki Tiling Ltd
Address: New Plymouth, servicing Taranaki
Enquiries: via the Naki Tiling Facebook page

2TCM Ltd

TCM Ltd, or Taranaki Construction and Maintenance, is a multi-trade contractor rather than a specialist tiler, and it earns its place here on documentation. Its tiling page sets out the method rather than just showing finished photos: levelling, screeds and backer systems for the substrate, wet-area membranes applied to specification before tiling, correct adhesives, and a choice between epoxy and cement grouts with colour-matched silicones. It also plans set-outs to avoid slivers and keep grout lines straight. Because it carries the other trades too, it can sequence a plumber and electrician around the tiling on a full bathroom strip-out.

Services

  • Floor and wall installation for bathrooms, kitchens and laundries
  • Substrate levelling, screeds and backer systems
  • Wet-area membranes applied to specification
  • Full bathroom and house renovations
  • Coordinated plumbing, electrical and gib-stopping

Highlights

  • Publishes its preparation and waterproofing method, so you can compare quotes on specification rather than price alone
  • Set-outs planned to reduce sliver cuts and keep joints aligned
  • Epoxy or cement grout with colour-matched silicone as a stated option
  • Handles insurance work as well as private jobs
  • Around twenty trades under one contractor for larger renovations

Location & Contact

Name: TCM Ltd (Taranaki Construction and Maintenance)
Address: New Plymouth, servicing Taranaki
Phone: 06 753 4862
Website: tcmltd.co.nz

3TileCraft Taranaki

TileCraft Taranaki is a locally owned installation company with a qualified team, working across New Plymouth and the region. Its portfolio leans towards showers and bathrooms, the jobs where cutting and set-out are least forgiving, and its finished work has been picked up and shared by tile suppliers using it to show off large-format porcelain. It installs only, so you are free to buy tiles wherever suits.

Services

  • Shower and bathroom installation
  • Floor and wall tiling
  • Kitchen tiling and splashbacks

Highlights

  • Qualified team, locally owned and operated
  • Large-format porcelain work used by suppliers to showcase finish quality
  • Installation only, so tile sourcing stays with you or your builder

Location & Contact

Name: TileCraft Taranaki
Address: New Plymouth, servicing Taranaki
Email: kr***********@***il.com

4Prestige Tiling Taranaki

Prestige Tiling Taranaki is an installation contractor covering New Plymouth and the wider region, and the practical thing that sets it apart is that it will give an estimate online. For a small job, or when you are collecting comparison figures before committing to site visits, that is a faster starting point than waiting on three tradespeople to come and measure. It holds a consistent review record across the jobs it has been rated on.

Services

  • Floor and wall tile installation
  • Bathroom and wet-area tiling
  • Kitchen tiling
  • Online estimating

Highlights

  • Online estimates, useful for comparing figures before booking site visits
  • Consistent ratings across the jobs it has been reviewed on
  • Covers New Plymouth and the wider Taranaki region
  • Installation contractor, so tiles can be sourced separately

Location & Contact

Name: Prestige Tiling Taranaki
Address: New Plymouth, servicing Taranaki
Phone: 022 376 3187

Tile Installers in New Plymouth at a Glance

BusinessHighlight
Naki Tiling LtdQualified waterproofer on the crew, so the membrane and the tiling si...
TCM LtdPublishes its preparation and waterproofing method
TileCraft TaranakiQualified team, locally owned and operated
Prestige Tiling TaranakiOnline estimates, useful for comparing figures before booking site vi...

How to Choose the Right Tile Installer in New Plymouth

  • Ask who applies the waterproofing membrane and what qualification they hold, because once tiling starts you cannot inspect it and a failure means pulling the tiles off.
  • Ask what happens to the substrate before tiling. Levelling, screeds or a backer system are what stop lipping between tiles and cracking later.
  • Get the grout specified in the quote. Epoxy costs more and is harder to install but handles constant moisture better in a shower.
  • Ask where movement joints are going, particularly on large floors and anywhere tile meets a different material.
  • Compare quotes on method, not just the square metre rate, since the lowest figure is often the one that has left the preparation out.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tile Installers in New Plymouth

Does my tile installer do the waterproofing too?

It depends on the crew. Naki Tiling carries a qualified waterproofer in-house, and TCM Ltd applies membranes to specification as part of its renovation work. Others may bring in a separate waterproofer, which is fine as long as it is clear who is responsible if a wet area later fails.

How much does it cost to tile a bathroom in New Plymouth?

It varies with the size of the space, the tile format and how much preparation the substrate needs. Rather than comparing square metre rates alone, ask each installer to itemise preparation, waterproofing and grout type, since those are the line items that usually explain the difference between quotes.

Can I supply my own tiles to an installer?

Yes. TileCraft Taranaki and Prestige Tiling Taranaki are installation contractors and expect to fit tiles you have sourced. Allow extra on the order for cuts and breakages so the job is not held up part way through.

What is a backer system and do I need one?

A backer board or system is a stable, moisture-tolerant substrate fixed over the framing or existing surface before tiling. It is commonly used in wet areas and over surfaces that flex, because tiles and grout do not cope with movement underneath them.

Why do tiles crack or lift after installation?

Most often movement or preparation, not the tile. An uneven or flexing substrate, the wrong adhesive for that tile and surface, or missing movement joints are the usual causes, which is why the preparation questions matter more than the brand of tile.

Is epoxy grout worth the extra cost?

In a shower or another area under constant water, generally yes, because it resists staining and moisture better than cement grout. Outside wet areas cement grout is usually sufficient and easier to repair.

Do New Plymouth tile installers work outside the city?

Yes. Naki Tiling covers South Taranaki and up to Inglewood, and TCM, TileCraft and Prestige all work across the wider Taranaki region.

How We Chose the Best Tile Installers in New Plymouth

Every business in this guide was found by searching for tile installers in New Plymouth, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving New Plymouth, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.