Tiling Tools: What You Need, and the One Decision That Sets the Cost
The full tiling kit, what each tool is for, and the choice that decides most of your budget: whether your tile can be scored and snapped, or has to be cut wet. Get that one right and the rest of the list is inexpensive.
What it costs to tool up
522 €
The 10 essentials, bought outright
367 €
Renting what's worth renting — saves 155 €
628 €
All 14, including the nice-to-haves
Worth renting rather than buying: Wet tile saw (225 € to buy vs 35 €/day). Over a 2-day job that's the single biggest saving on this list.
Indicative prices for DIY-grade tools — brand and region move them a lot. Already own half of it? The project tool checklist lets you tick off what you have and put your own prices against the rest, then adds it to your budget. For the materials themselves, use the tile calculator.
Manual cutter or wet saw?
This is the decision that matters. A manual cutter scores the glaze and snaps the tile along the line — silent, dust-free, no power, and it costs a fraction of the alternative. A wet saw grinds through with a diamond blade cooled by water, which is slower and messier but cuts things a scorer simply cannot.
Manual cutter is enough for
- Glazed ceramic wall and floor tile
- Thicknesses up to roughly 10 mm
- Straight cuts only
You need a wet saw for
- Porcelain — far too hard to snap reliably
- Natural stone of any kind
- Thick tile, mitres, and L-shaped cuts
Rent the wet saw, don't buy it. Unless you tile regularly, a weekend rental costs a fraction of owning one, and you get a better machine than you would have bought. If you are unsure which tile you have: porcelain is denser, the unglazed edge looks the same colour as the face, and it will blunt a scorer rather than snap.
Trowel notch size is not optional
The notch sets how much adhesive ends up under the tile. Too small and you get hollow spots that crack under load; too large and adhesive squeezes up into the joints and you spend the evening digging it out before it goes off.
Do you need a levelling system?
Clips and wedges that hold neighbouring tiles flush while the adhesive sets. On tile up to about 300 mm, spacers and a careful eye are fine. Above 600 mm they earn their money immediately, because lippage — one tile edge standing proud of the next — is glaringly obvious on large format and impossible to fix once set. They are consumable: budget for one clip per tile corner.
What you can skip
- —An electric tile cutter you own. See above — rent it.
- —A grout removal tool, unless you are re-tiling over old work. Buy it when you need it.
- —Expensive spacers. They are plastic and disposable; the cheap ones are identical. Buy far more than you think you need.
- —A tile levelling system on small tile. Money spent for no visible gain below 300 mm.
The safety item people skip
Dry-cutting tile with an angle grinder throws crystalline silica dust, which is one of the more serious health risks in DIY and does permanent lung damage over time. Either cut wet — which is most of the point of a wet saw — or wear a properly fitted FFP3 mask and cut outdoors. A paper nuisance mask does nothing here.
Tools you'll need
The kit this job actually calls for, and whether it's worth buying or renting for one weekend.
- Notched trowel
Match the notch to the tile — 6 mm for small wall tile, 10–12 mm for large format.
Buy 8–25 € - Manual tile cutter
Fine for ceramic up to about 10 mm.
Buy 25–120 € - Wet tile saw
Needed for porcelain and stone. Rent it for the weekend rather than buying.
Buy 100–350 €Rent 25–45 €/dayrent this one - Grout float
Rubber face that presses grout into the joint rather than over it.
Buy 8–20 € - Tile spacers
Cheap; buy more than you think and in the right joint width.
Buy 5–15 € - Grouting sponge
Dense hydro sponge — a household sponge shreds and smears.
Buy 3–10 € - Paddle mixer
Hand-mixed adhesive is never consistent enough.
Buy 50–150 €Rent 12–25 €/day - Mixing buckets
Two at least, 10 L+, so you can mix and rinse.
Buy 5–15 € - Spirit level
Get a 1.2 m one — short levels lie on long runs.
Buy 15–60 € - Safety glasses, gloves and dust mask
Cutting tile dry throws silica dust — cut wet or wear FFP3.
Buy 15–40 €
Prices are indicative for DIY-grade tools and vary a lot by brand and region — treat them as a budgeting starting point, not a quote. Rental rates are per day from a typical tool rental shop.
Now work out the tile
Tiles, adhesive and grout for your room and pattern, waste included — then read the full tiling guide for how to set it out.
Frequently asked questions
What tools do I need for tiling?
A notched trowel sized to your tile, a cutter, a grout float, spacers, a bucket and a paddle mixer, plus a dense grouting sponge. For porcelain or stone you also need a wet saw, which is worth renting rather than buying.
Do I need a wet saw or is a manual cutter enough?
A manual cutter scores and snaps, which works for glazed ceramic up to about 10 mm and straight cuts only. Porcelain, natural stone, thick tile and L-shaped cuts need a wet saw. Rent one for the weekend rather than buying — it costs a fraction and you get a better machine.
What size notched trowel should I use?
Roughly 6 mm for small wall tile, 8 mm for standard wall and small floor tile, 10 mm for floor tile up to 300 mm, and 12 mm or more for large format — where you should also back-butter the tile. Too small leaves hollow spots that crack; too large squeezes adhesive into the joints.
Are tile levelling systems worth it?
Above roughly 600 mm tile, yes — lippage between large tiles is glaringly obvious and impossible to correct once the adhesive sets. Below about 300 mm, spacers and care do the same job for nothing. They are consumable, so budget one clip per tile corner.
How much do tiling tools cost?
About €520 to buy the essentials outright, but roughly €370 if you rent the wet saw instead of buying it — that single decision is most of the difference.
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Turn this guide into a plan
Get exact quantities and costs for your own measurements, build an itemized shopping list so you don’t overbuy, and use the PDF to collect quotes from contractors.