Is it cheaper to leave the old tile and glue wood on top of it?

Sometimes, but only if the tile passes. HomeGuide says tile should come out unless it's in good shape, level and flat, and Tarkett's engineered instructions allow glue-down over ceramic, porcelain or stone only when it's well bonded, abraded and free of wax. Loose or cracked tile means tear-out at $2 to $7 a square foot.

What should a written quote for taking out tile actually list?

Tear-out per square foot, thinset grinding, slab patching or leveling, and haul-away as separate lines. HomeGuide notes some crews price disposal on its own, with junk removal running $150 to $350 a load. Also ask which dust-control method the crew uses, since HomeGuide says dust-free equipment is the priciest option.

How many days does a kitchen and living area take to strip?

Anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days, depending on the tools. HomeGuide times 100 square feet at 1 to 2 hours with heavy machines and 4 to 6 hours with power tools, so a 300 sq ft area runs roughly 3 to 18 working hours by method. Grinding and leveling add time before wood can go down.

Should old floor tile be tested for asbestos first?

If the house dates from the 1920s through the 1980s, HomeGuide suggests hiring an asbestos testing company before demolition. When tile or adhesive tests positive, its guide puts abatement at $5 to $20 a square foot, well above the $2 to $7 for ordinary ceramic. Get the test result before you accept a demolition quote.

Can terrazzo stay under a new wood floor?

Yes, if the maker of your wood allows it and the surface is prepared. ARDEX lists terrazzo as a base for its self-leveler once it is mechanically roughened. Many owners restore terrazzo instead: HomeGuide puts grinding, patching and polishing at $3 to $8 a square foot, often less than tearing it out and buying wood.

Tile Removal in Pompano Beach, FL

Typical price: HomeGuide's national guide puts floor tile tear-out at $2 to $7 a square foot, or $400 to $2,200 for a 200-320 sq ft living area.
Time on site: about 1 to 2 hours per 100 sq ft with heavy machines, 4 to 6 hours with power tools, 8 to 12 or more by hand (HomeGuide).
Flatness target: the bare slab usually has to be within 3/16 inch over 10 feet before wood goes down (NWFA guidelines, Provenza and Pergo).
Older tile: if testing finds asbestos, HomeGuide puts removal at $5 to $20 a square foot.

Pompano Wood Flooring routes tile tear-out jobs to a demo-and-prep crew for taking floors down to bare, flat concrete ready for wood. Describe the rooms and the tile type, and ask how the dust will be contained.

Tile Removal Methods Before a Wood Floor Goes Down

Every tile job here ends at the same place: clean, flat, dry concrete that meets the wood maker's instructions. How you get there depends on what's on the floor now.

Ceramic floor tiles being chipped up from a concrete slab, with a strip of bare gray concrete exposed

Ceramic and Porcelain Tile on a Slab

This is the common case: ceramic or porcelain bonded to concrete with thinset. HomeGuide says ceramic and porcelain cost less to strip than stone or mosaic, which sit in stronger adhesive. A small or awkward room, such as a bathroom, can cost more per foot than an open living area.

Living area, 200-320 sq ft: $400 to $2,200 (HomeGuide)
Kitchen, 130-184 sq ft: $260 to $1,300 (HomeGuide)

Old terrazzo floor with a strip ground back to bright chips beside a stack of wood flooring boxes

Terrazzo: Restore It or Cover It

Terrazzo is cement or epoxy with stone chips, ground smooth, and it is far harder to remove than tile. Before paying to break it out, price two other routes. HomeGuide puts terrazzo restoration (grinding, patching, polishing) at $3 to $8 a square foot. To cover it, the wood maker has to accept it as a base; ARDEX accepts terrazzo under its leveler after mechanical prep to a CSP 3 to CSP 5 surface profile.

Worker seen from behind running a shrouded floor tool connected by hose to a gray dust extractor

Dust-Controlled Tile Removal

Chipping tile and grinding concrete throw off silica dust. OSHA's silica rule gives crews two ways to run chipping tools and floor grinders indoors: water at the cutting point, or a shroud tied to a dust collector with a 99% filter, plus HEPA vacuuming between grinder passes. HomeGuide says dust-free equipment costs the most. Ask which method you're paying for.

Floor grinder leaving a smooth band of clean concrete next to ridges of old thinset

Thinset Grinding and Slab Patching

Lifting the tile leaves ridges of thinset, and wood adhesive won't bond over them. ARDEX's prep notes call for tiles, mortars and adhesive residue to come off down to sound concrete. Then flatness is checked against the wood maker's figure. Low spots get filled, which is priced on the floor leveling page.

NWFA, Provenza: 1/8 inch over 6 feet, 3/16 inch over 10 feet
Tarkett engineered: 1/8 inch over 8 feet

Engineered oak planks being set on adhesive spread over old glazed floor tile

Wood Over Existing Tile

Skipping tear-out works only when the tile is sound. HomeGuide says to remove tile unless it's in good condition, level and flat. Tarkett allows its engineered planks over ceramic, porcelain and stone if the tile is smooth, free of wax or sealer, well bonded and abraded for glue-down, with grout lines brushed clean, and over no more than one existing layer.

Installer kneeling on a bare concrete slab and checking it with a moisture meter before a wood floor goes down

Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Wood Flooring

One local flooring contractor calls back, not a bidding list
Asking costs nothing and commits you to nothing
Ask for the slab moisture readings in writing
Florida doesn't license flooring: ask for the business tax receipt and insurance certificates

Tile Removal Cost Lines on a Quote

National guides price tear-out, disposal and slab prep separately, and a quote should too.

Tear-out
$2 to $7 a square foot for floor tile; floor tile costs more to lift than wall tile (HomeGuide).
Haul-away
Some contractors include cleanup; others itemize it. Junk removal averages $150 to $350 a load (HomeGuide).
Asbestos
$5 to $20 a square foot when tile or adhesive tests positive (HomeGuide).
Leveling
Self-leveler runs $1.80 to $5 a square foot with labor at Fixr. Details on floor leveling.
Moisture test
The bare slab gets tested before wood; see concrete moisture testing.

Before You Book a Tile Tear-Out in Pompano Beach

Clear what the crew needs to know before the first visit, and you get a firmer price back.

Name the tile
Ceramic, porcelain, stone, mosaic or terrazzo changes both the method and the price.
Measure every room
Kitchens, baths and closets cost more per foot than open rooms.
Ask about dust
Water, a shroud and extractor, or neither. In a condo, ask how debris gets to the dumpster.
Upstairs condo?
An upper-floor unit needs a city flooring permit for the new wood; a house or ground-floor unit doesn't (condo rules).

See hardwood floor removal.