Tile subcontractor scope and waterproofing ownership
Ask a tile subcontractor to price the complete agreed scope, including who prepares and waterproofs the substrate. Separate shower work, floor tile, tub surrounds, and backsplashes. Tile setters work on floors, walls, countertops, and showers. BLS scope
For a new home, settle backing, drain location, valve location, and the chosen assembly before the crew starts. For a remodel, mark removal boundaries and retained surfaces. Request a stop-and-review process if demolition exposes damage. Do not assume the tile price includes correcting everything behind an old shower.
Name the assembly and its owner
Tile and grout are not inherently waterproof, as Schluter’s membrane data sheet explains. Its system details address seams, corners, penetrations, and drain connections. Waterproofing membrane guidance
Name the waterproofing system, drain, mortar, grout, and accessories in your scope. Ask the installer to identify the relevant current instructions. Resolve proposed substitutions with the responsible manufacturer and designer. Put the answer in writing before ordering materials.
Define who installs the membrane and who tests it. Ask who attends the test, records the result, and responds to a failed result. Include a hold point before tile covers the assembly. Treat photographs, manufacturer testing, and required local inspection as distinct records.
Coordinate plumbing and finish work
Walk the shower with the plumber and tile installer. Ask them to agree drain and valve interfaces, curb details, and remaining access. Raleigh describes shower pan liner inspection and water testing before concealment by tilework. Shower pan inspection
Confirm the required inspection and test with the permit holder. For Schluter’s cited membrane assembly, the data sheet specifies waiting 24 hours before water testing so the mortar can set. Use that timing only for the documented system. Manufacturer testing instruction
For a backsplash, ask the cabinet and countertop crews to release their work before final tile layout. Review cuts at outlets with the electrician and GC. Hand completed wet areas to the plumber and enclosure installer with the assembly details and permitted attachment locations. Agree protection and cure requirements before another crew enters.
Check NC credentials and hire against details
G.S. 87-1 ties the $40,000 GC threshold to the undertaking and who contracts for it. It distinguishes work for a licensed GC from work for an unlicensed customer. Ask the board how your contract fits that definition. NC contracting definition
Request applicable credentials and insurance in the business name. Verify coverage directly. Ask who sets the tile, who supervises concealed work, and who returns for a leak or finish complaint. Keep utility work with the responsible qualified trade rather than adding it casually to the tile punch list.
Use these interview questions to compare installers:
- Who accepts backing and surface preparation?
- Who supplies each part of the agreed waterproofing system?
- When do you approve layout at niches, corners, and openings?
- How do you document testing and concealed connections?
- Who approves a selection change, and who prices the resulting work?
For callbacks, investigate the assembly behind the complaint. Ask the installer to check membrane seams, penetrations, corners, and the drain interface against the named system. The cited membrane guide addresses these connections. Concealed waterproofing details
Add cracked grout, loose pieces, uneven appearance, and damaged edges to the review list. Record the location before removal. Ask the installer and relevant designer to identify the cause, including any movement issue. Avoid deciding that a new bead of sealant resolves an unexplained leak.
Request portfolio photos before and after concealment. Include substrate, membrane corners, curb and drain connections, the recorded test, layout, and finished transitions. Ask for the actual installation crew’s role. A finished shower image is useful for appearance, but inspect the supporting records before accepting the hidden work.
Make the shower release a written hold point
Use the shower ownership guide to assign backing, membrane, drain, test, and repair owners. Follow the shower pan inspection guide to separate the manufacturer’s test from the local inspection. Raleigh lists a shower pan test among its inspection stages. Confirm the applicable checkpoint before covering. Residential inspection list
Give the GC the accepted record before tile starts. Keep a changed drain or enclosure attachment with the responsible installer and system documentation. Ask the NC board about a broader renovation undertaking under G.S. 87-1 rather than inferring contract authority from tile experience. NC contracting definition
For tile subs and crews
Lead your builder introduction with a matching assembly and finish. Say which parts you install and which you coordinate with the plumber. Show progress photos from the same project as the finished shower. Caption the material, waterproofing system, and your scope.
Before bidding, request selections, layout expectations, substrate responsibility, and who authorizes changes. Ask how the GC releases the shower for testing and tile. Price unapproved repair work separately after documenting it. Keep the builder informed when a concealed condition changes the plan.
To retain builder work, leave an understandable handoff record. Mark unresolved items, approved changes, test information, and protection instructions. Ask who receives the invoice and what completes your scope. Offer a comparable builder reference after the agreed punch work is accepted.
Examples from the field
Illustrative examples, not member stories
Shower membrane before tile (illustrative)
Your shower assembly is ready for its agreed test. Identify the test owner, required inspection, and acceptance hold before allowing tile to conceal the membrane.
Backsplash at cabinets and outlets (illustrative)
Your backsplash meets a cabinet run, countertop, and electrical outlets. Confirm the receiving surfaces and approve the cut layout with the responsible trades before setting tile.
Remodel shower with concealed damage (illustrative)
You remove old shower finishes and discover damage outside the quote. Document the condition and obtain the repair decision before expanding the tile scope.
Where Cercha fits
Use Search to identify tile members by trade and location. Portfolios and Gallery can show progress and completed tile work. Messages lets you ask about the member’s waterproofing scope before discussing a start.