Choosing any Contractor to work in your home is an important decision to make.
What I'm about to say is not new. I have heard it before, and perhaps you have as well. But it is worth repeating.
Naturally there are a number of factors to be considered when hiring a Contractor, any Contractor - a Tile Contractor. In no particular order but typically:
PRICE OR COST
Certainly the cost of an installation should be a very real part of the equation. In truth it makes more sense to compare the total price of the job. In many cases, for many suppliers, a LICENSED contractor often is rewarded by being eligible to receive tile at a discounted price. Of course, discounts vary from supplier to supplier and some do not give discounts; but it always puzzled me why homeowners would purchase the material beforehand. Surely the total price of a job would be a desired goal rather than how inexpensively an installer could discount his labor. And price needn't or oughtn't to be the sole determining factor. So goes the adage: "You get what you pay for." So knowing the price of material would be to the homeowners advantage, but allowing the contractor to purchase it ought to be more logical.
EXPERIENCE
Another important factor in hiring the proper contractor ought to be his experience. Less experienced people may not be aware of proper setting materials. Or they may not own or be able to use the proper tools for a better installation. On many small or simple installations less experienced tradespeople can do a satisfactory job, but on larger or more complex jobs sometimes experience is the determining factor in a satisfactory or unsatisfactory installation. Experience, too, can be an element in steering a job for either a better or less expensive installation. Many products have been developed over the years to insure a better or cheaper installation in the long run. And experienced installers can guide the owner away from possible future problems.
COMFORT AND CONFIDENCE
Not least in importance is how you feel. Depending on the size of your job, an individual may be in your home for some days or even weeks. It should be most important that you feel comfortable and safe with the installer there. So choose carefully.