Choosing a splashback: tile, glass or stone, and who installs it

How splashback material drives the price more than size, what a made-to-measure install involves, and how to hire the right installer for each type.

A glass splashback behind a kitchen cooktop and benchtop

A splashback is a small area doing a big visual job — a few square metres behind the bench that the eye lands on every time you're in the kitchen. Because the area is small, the material choice matters far more than the size: the difference between tile, glass and stone is what sets the price, not the metres.

It's also a job where the install is genuinely different depending on the material. Tiling is one trade, a templated glass panel is another, and knowing which you're buying changes who you hire and what a fair quote looks like.

What a splashback install involves

A standard kitchen only has around three to five square metres of splashback, so the material sets the tone. Tiles are laid, grouted and sealed by a tiler — the most flexible and budget-friendly option, with endless looks. Toughened glass and stone slab are templated to your exact kitchen, made off-site and installed as single or jointed panels, which is why cut-outs for power points and windows are part of that price.

Behind a gas cooktop, materials have to meet clearance and fire-safety requirements, and a good installer handles that as a matter of course rather than something you have to raise. Stone splashbacks that match the benchtop are the premium end and are usually templated together with the bench for a seamless look. Which material you choose largely decides which trade does the work.

How the cost works

Splashbacks are priced by material and area, but with such a small area the material dominates. Tiles are the budget-friendly option, toughened glass sits in the middle-to-upper range, and stone slab matching the benchtop is the premium end. A standard kitchen's splashback is a contained job for any of them.

Within each material, the variables are the finish and the complexity — mosaic or feature tiles are slower to lay than large plain ones, coloured or printed glass costs more than plain, and stone depends on the slab. Cut-outs, awkward window returns and behind-cooktop requirements add a little. Treat figures as indicative; the material choice and your kitchen's measurements produce the real quote, and glass and stone need a template visit first.

Choosing an installer

Splashback work is generally an unlicensed finishing trade, so match the installer to the material: a tiler for tiles, a glass or stone specialist for panels. Ask to see the same material and finish you're considering in their past work, since a flawless tile job and a flawless glass panel are different skills.

Templating is the quality step for glass and stone — a proper installer measures the kitchen precisely, accounts for every power point and window, and makes the panel to fit rather than trimming on site. Confirm the behind-cooktop compliance is handled for your setup, especially with gas, and check the quote includes cut-outs and any joins. Public liability insurance is a fair expectation for anyone working in a finished kitchen.

Mistakes to avoid

Splashback disappointments are usually about choosing the wrong trade for the material, missing the behind-cooktop rules, or an inaccurate template that leaves gaps around power points. All are avoided by matching installer to material and getting the measure right.