Bigger or unusual job? Compare bids from local pros and you pick who does the work.
The service
What tile & grout is, what a visit covers and where the line is.
The short answer
Tile and grout work restores the surface and seams of a tiled floor, wall or shower: grinding out failed grout, setting a new color-matched grout, replacing cracked or hollow tiles, and renewing the caulk and sealer that keep water out. Tile & Grout in San Francisco is booked through pros who cover its 28 ZIP codes, in neighborhoods such as The Mission, Noe Valley, and The Sunset. SF's microclimates mean fog, wind, and moisture vary dramatically by neighborhood. Providers account for this in material selection. On NorTech you choose the pro: each one is independent, background-checked and sets their own price and warranty.
What a tile & grout visit includes
What is included depends on the jobs you pick and on how each pro sets up their visit and timing. You see the exact scope with each pro's price before you book.
- Grout removal
- Tile replacement (up to 10 tiles)
- Regrouting
- Caulk sealing
- Your pro’s own workmanship warranty
Pick what is on your list
Tick what you want done, or add your own. Your list goes under the booking card and to the pro you choose, and you can describe anything else when you book.
Grout repair
Tick what you want done. One visit can cover several.
Tick jobs above, or add your own. Your list goes under the booking card and to the pro you choose, so they see exactly what you need before they arrive.
What shapes a tile & grout job
These are the things that make one job different from another. Mention them in your notes so each pro can scope your job properly.
Choosing grout and sealer
Grout comes in a few types, and the right one depends on the width of the joint, the room and how much cleaning you want to do. Tap an option to compare, then add your pick to your job notes.
What is not part of tile & grout
Knowing where the line is keeps the visit on track and keeps you safe. When a job belongs to a specialist, NorTech tells you before you book.
- Any job where labor and materials reach $1,000 or more, such as retiling a whole bathroom. Jobs that size go to a licensed contractor, and NorTech points that out before you confirm the booking.
- Rebuilding a shower pan, relaying waterproofing membranes or repairing a leaking drain. That is shower work for a specialist or a plumber.
- Mold that has grown behind or under tile. It needs inspection and remediation before any new tile or grout goes on.
- Repairing a subfloor, joists or a cracked slab beneath the tile. Structural repair is licensed-trade work.
- Deep cleaning of grout that is still sound. That is a separate tile and grout cleaning service on NorTech.
- Removing tile or grout in a home built before 1978 without telling your pro first. Old adhesives and underlayment can contain asbestos or lead.
- In San Francisco, sF DBI permit requirements are among the strictest in California. Smaller jobs stay within the handyman exemption; permitted work is bid on by NorTech-verified licensed contractors.
Is my job a tile & grout job?
Not sure whether your job fits? Type it and get a straight answer before you book.
Type a job and you get an answer straight away. Nothing is sent or saved.
Plan your visit
How booking works, how to get ready, and what to expect where you live.
How booking tile & grout works
Say what needs doing
Add your ZIP and a few words about the job.
Compare pros near you
Each pro sets their own price and warranty. NorTech does not pick for you.
Book the pro you pick
Add photos and details on their page. Your card is held and only charged after the work and the photos.
Photos and a warranty
Your pro backs the work with a workmanship warranty — if covered work is not right, your pro makes it right, free.
How often to book tile & grout
Grout and caulk last longer when they are checked and resealed on a schedule. You book each visit with your chosen pro, and the schedule can be paused or changed whenever you like.
Before you book tile & grout
Quick things that save a trip. Tick them off as you go; none of it is required to book.
Tap the tiles and photograph the trouble spots
Knock lightly on tiles. A hollow sound means the bond has failed.
Find spare tile and note the type
Look in the garage, closet or attic for leftover tile from the original install. Tell the pro whether the tile is ceramic, porcelain or stone, and what size and finish it has.
Choose a grout color in good light
Take a tile sample or photo and look at it in daylight, since grout looks darker wet and lighter dry. Say whether you want an exact match or a fresh contrast.
Know the water source behind the wall
If grout keeps failing in one corner, tell the pro where plumbing runs and whether a leak, a loose fixture or poor drainage might be the cause. Repair alone will not hold if water keeps coming from behind.
Plan for cure time
Ask how long the shower or floor has to stay dry after grouting and sealing. If you have only one bathroom, plan a day or two when someone can shower elsewhere.
Clear the space and remove loose items
Take bottles, mats and decor out of the shower or off the floor. Grinding makes dust, so tell the pro about pets, kids or breathing concerns in the household.
Say where in San Francisco you are
Add your neighborhood, for example The Mission, Noe Valley, and The Sunset, or your ZIP code to your notes. Pros choose the neighborhoods they cover, and it tells them how far they have to travel.
How where you live changes tile & grout
Best time to book tile & grout
Grout and sealers cure best in moderate, stable temperatures with some ventilation. Mild seasons also make it easier to keep a shower out of use for a couple of days and to open windows for airflow. In San Francisco, the dry season from late spring to fall is the easiest time for outside work, and the fall calendar fills before the first big rain.
Often booked together with tile & grout
Book several services with one pro. Pros set their own bundle discounts.
Sound grout that is only dirty can be cleaned and resealed instead of replaced.
Caulk lines at tubs and sinks are renewed alongside the grout so the seals match.
Regrouting is a common step in a cosmetic bath refresh with new fixtures and caulk.
A new shower door is easier to hang and seal on freshly repaired tile and clean edges.
Around San Francisco
Where in San Francisco the work happens, and the cities close by.
Tile & Grout across San Francisco
Pick your neighborhood to see what homes there tend to need. Pros choose the neighborhoods they cover, so enter your ZIP code to see who covers yours.
Cities near San Francisco
Pros often cover more than one city. The rings show 5 and 10 miles from the center of town.
Other services in San Francisco
Each one has its own page for this city.
Ideal for the long punch list of small fixes that pile up in older SF Victorians and Edwardians, from sticking doors to loose trim, with each pro's visit price shown before you book.
See pros in San FranciscoMany SF flats have original plaster-and-lath walls that crack with settling and seismic movement, and providers can patch both plaster and modern drywall cleanly.
See pros in San FranciscoTall ceilings, ornate Victorian moldings, and compact condo rooms all get a fresh, even finish that holds up to the city's damp, foggy microclimates.
See pros in San FranciscoPerfect for pre-sale punch lists and turnover on TIC units, condos, and rentals across high-turnover neighborhoods like SoMa and the Mission.
See pros in San FranciscoOriginal SF doorways shift on steep-slope foundations, so providers re-hang, adjust, and weatherproof doors that stick or no longer latch in older homes.
See pros in San FranciscoCustom shelving, cabinet repair, crown molding, and finish carpentry that fits like it was always there.
See pros in San FranciscoTrust and answers
What backs the work, who is licensed and insured, what customers say, and your questions.
Backed by your provider’s warranty. If covered work fails, your provider makes it right, free.
San Francisco homeowners
Tile & Grout reviews in San Francisco
Verified tile & grout reviews from San Francisco homeowners will appear here.
Be the first tile & grout review in San Francisco
Your pro backs the work with a workmanship warranty — if covered work is not right, your pro makes it right, free. Book with confidence and tell San Francisco how your pro did.
Book Tile & Grout in San FranciscoFrequently asked