Vinyl plank over tile or tear it out: what each costs

The short version of the cost difference

Going over tile saves the tear-out: breaking up the tile, grinding the old mortar off the slab, hauling the debris, and cleaning up the dust. That's usually the biggest single piece of labor in a tile-to-vinyl job, so skipping it lowers the bill and often shortens the job by a day or more.

Going over tile still has prep costs. Grout lines usually get filled, high spots get ground and low spots get patched, trim comes off and goes back, and door casings get undercut. It is cheaper than removal, but it isn't free.

We don't publish tile-removal prices, because they swing with the square footage, the tile type and how well it's bonded. Removal is priced at the free measurement. For the vinyl itself, our estimate is $5 to $12 per square foot installed.

When going over tile works

Manufacturers do allow it. One SPC maker lists ceramic tile, terrazzo and marble as acceptable surfaces. Another says in most instances new flooring can go over existing porcelain tile. The conditions are consistent across the guides we read:

• Every tile is solidly bonded. No loose, rocking or hollow-sounding tiles.
• The surface is flat. One rigid core guide calls for 3/16 inch in 10 feet and 1/8 inch in 6 feet.
• Grout lines are filled level. One maker says fill all grout joints with a leveling and patching compound. Another warns that if grout lines are left open, the planks can settle into the gaps.
• The extra height doesn't block doors, cabinets or appliances.
• You are installing a floating click floor, not glue-down.

When the tile has to come out

Loose and hollow tiles are the first deal-breaker. A floating floor over a tile that rocks will move with it, and the locking joints take the stress. A few can be re-set, but a room full of hollow tiles is telling you the bond has failed.

Height is the second. A manufacturer's guide tells homeowners to set a plank on the tile and check whether bathroom doors still open and cabinet doors still clear. Exterior doors, a dishwasher under a counter, and the transition into a carpeted room all have to work too.

Glue-down is the third. One maker notes that glue-down over tile needs a skim coat or self-leveler first, which often makes removal the cheaper path. If you want glue-down vinyl on concrete for its flood rating under FEMA's Technical Bulletin 2, the tile has to come off so the adhesive bonds to the slab.

What tear-out involves on a Florida slab

When tile is set in mortar on a slab, taking it up is loud, heavy work with chipping hammers, and it throws fine dust. That dust can carry respirable crystalline silica, which OSHA regulates on construction jobs, and its silica standard covers handheld powered chipping tools. A good crew uses dust extraction, seals off the work area and cleans up the fine dust, not just the chunks.

Once the tile is up, the slab usually needs work. Old mortar ridges get ground down. Low spots and cracks get patched. Then the slab is checked for flatness and moisture before any vinyl goes down. That prep is part of why removal jobs take longer.

Things people forget to budget for

• Baseboards and quarter round. They usually come off for either path and may not survive removal.
• Door casings. They get undercut so the planks slide underneath.
• Transitions at sliders, bathrooms and any room staying tile.
• Toilets and vanities in bathrooms, which get pulled and reset.
• Kitchen cabinets. Base cabinets should not sit on a floating floor, so the vinyl runs up to them, not under them.

How we decide which path fits your house

At the free in-home measurement we walk the tile, tap for hollow spots, check flatness with a straightedge, and measure door and appliance clearances. Then we price both paths if both are possible, so you can see the difference in writing. Our tile removal and vinyl plank replacement service covers either path, and most installs are completed in a single day once your materials arrive, with tear-out adding time.

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