Backsplash Installation in Toronto & the GTA

A kitchen backsplash is the most visible tiling in the house, installed at eye level in the room everyone stands in. That's what makes it satisfying and also what makes sloppy work impossible to hide: a subway tile backsplash with drifting grout lines, crooked cuts around outlets, or a course that wanders off the counter line gets noticed every single day. It's a small-area job where precision is the whole game. In Toronto kitchens that often means working around condo counters with outlets set right in the tile zone, older houses where the walls are plaster and far from flat, and semis where the upper cabinets were never level to start with.

Done properly, tile backsplash installation starts with layout — dry-planning where cuts fall so slivers don't land in the sightline over the stove, marking a level reference line because counters are rarely level themselves, and working out how the tile dies into cabinet ends and window trim. Then adhesive at the right trowel notch, tile up with consistent spacing, cuts around every outlet and switch (with box extenders where the tile thickness demands them — a detail often skipped), grout, and a silicone bead where tile meets counter, since that joint moves. Peel and stick backsplash panels skip the wet work but still live or die on wall prep and layout; they telegraph every bump in the wall behind them.

For a free quote, send the length and height of the wall runs (metres or feet both fine), photos of the space including outlets and window edges, and the tile you have in mind or a link to it. Mention what's on the wall now — paint, old tile to remove, or previous adhesive.

• Layout planning so cuts land where they're least visible
• Wall prep — cleaning, sanding, skim-patching and priming as needed
• Removal of an old backsplash where you're replacing one
• Ceramic, porcelain, glass and mosaic tile installation
• Peel and stick backsplash installation with proper wall prep
• Precise cuts around outlets, switches, windows and cabinet edges
• Outlet and switch box extenders to sit flush with the new tile
• Edge trim or bullnose finishing on exposed ends
• Grouting, haze cleanup and silicone at the counter joint
• Sealing for natural stone and cement-based tile

• Tile size and pattern — large subway tile runs quickly; small mosaic sheets and herringbone patterns multiply layout and cut time
• Cuts and obstacles — every outlet, window ledge and cabinet return is a set of precision cuts, so busy walls take longer than open ones
• What's on the wall now — tiling over sound painted drywall is straightforward; removing an old backsplash and repairing the wall behind it can double the prep
• Tile material — glass and porcelain demand slower, cooler cutting than ceramic to avoid chipped edges
• Wall flatness — wavy walls need skimming first, especially for peel and stick and glossy tile, which highlight every hollow
• Counter and cabinet lines — out-of-level counters mean the layout must split the difference so the eye never catches it

Every home is different, so we don’t publish flat prices — the quote is free and based on your actual job. See how handyman pricing works in the GTA.