We excel at everything from kitchen backsplashes, to custom 3D mosaics, bookmatched large-format tiles, full-height range surrounds, zellige and handmade ceramic, mosaic accent bands, glass, marble, subway tile and more. Custom Tile of Austin has been leading the craft of tile installation since 1983 - expertly installing backsplashes in kitchens and bathrooms for homeowners, interior designers, general contractors and architects across Austin.
The kinds of backsplashes we install
A backsplash can frame a room or quietly anchor it, depending on what the design calls for. Most of the projects we run land in one of these categories:
- Kitchen backsplashes. Counter-to-cabinet runs in subway, zellige, handmade ceramic, glass mosaic, marble, or porcelain. Often centered on the range or hood with the cuts balanced to the cabinet uppers. Sometimes an accent band, sometimes a continuous field, and sometimes carried full-height behind open shelving for a more dramatic look. Patterns like chevron, herringbone or even straight lay can really make these pop.
- Full-height range walls. A continuous wall of tile drenched from countertop to ceiling behind the range or hood, often the visual anchor of the kitchen. Bookmatched marble, large-format porcelain, or a single specified pattern carried floor to ceiling. Worth doing when the kitchen layout makes the range the focal point and you want the wall to do real design work.
- Bar and wet bar backsplashes. Smaller footprints, often where a designer specifies a more dramatic material - handmade Moroccan zellige, encaustic cement tile, antique mirror, three dimensional or a tightly patterned mosaic. Often paired with floating shelves and warmer lighting for a distinct moment in the home. Speaking of lighting, we work with designer to ensure the tile install works with and not against lighting intentions whether you want a shadow thrown or not.
- Bathroom backsplashes. Behind vanities, around mirrors, behind freestanding tubs, or carried as a wainscot band around the room. Many of our bathroom installs include a backsplash detail tied to the shower tile or the floor pattern for a connected design.
- Powder room feature walls. Smaller rooms where a designer can put a high-end material on every surface. Often where new tile lines get tested before being specified on a primary kitchen or bath.
Mosaic accent strips, mitered edges, custom bullnose, distinguished custom trims, metal (Schluter) trim, and bookmatched seams all show up across these formats. Most are decisions that get made in the first design conversation.
How we install a backsplash that lasts
A backsplash is one of the most visible and most photographed surfaces in a kitchen, and it shows every shortcut. Cuts that aren’t centered on the range, grout that doesn’t match, an outlet cover that floats half an inch off the tile, a termination edge that wasn’t planned for. None of those things wreck the room on their own, but together they’re the difference between an install you stop noticing and one you keep noticing.
Every backsplash we install starts with layout. Before any tile gets cut, we map the wall against the cabinets, the range, the outlets, the hood, and the countertop. The center of the field gets balanced to the focal point of the wall (usually the range), and the cuts at each end get balanced so neither side leaves a sliver. On patterned tile or anything with a directional grain, this layout pass is the difference between a clean install and one that looks misaligned no matter how good the cuts are. Or, based on client preference, the layout can be intentionally offset to create a different effect - we walk through the options before any tile is set.
Substrate gets checked and prepped to the material. Most kitchen backsplashes go directly over drywall with a quality thinset, but we often push for cement backer board - especially for heavier and large format tiles. Walls that aren’t plumb get shimmed or floated before a single tile lands.
Tile is set to TCNA standards. Outside corners can be mitered rather than capped with bullnose or trim, which is the detail designers ask for first when they walk a finished kitchen. Custom bullnose can be created for rounded edges where metal or other trim isn’t preferred. Schluter or matching metal profiles get used at terminations when the design calls for it. Outlets are cut clean so the cover plate sits flush against the finished surface. Grout is color-matched and selected for joint width, with unsanded grout used on narrow-joint zellige and handmade tile where sanded grout would scratch the glaze. Natural stone, zellige, and encaustic tile are sealed with the appropriate product before grout, then again after.
The owner, Paul, is on every job site. He is there in the morning when the crew arrives and at the end of the day when they wrap up. The job site is cleaned daily and communication with the client is consistent. There is no project manager between you and the person actually responsible for the work.
“Taking that extra beat to get it right always pays off in the end. We ask the right questions and take the time to get it right from the design discussions to prep, to install and final cleanup.”
Who we work with
We work best with homeowners, designers, and builders who care about a backsplash being part of the architecture of the room rather than something stuck on a wall. Our typical project is a whole house or primary kitchen or bath inside a larger renovation or new build in the West Austin corridor where the design has been worked out and the materials have been specified. We coordinate directly with cabinet makers, countertop fabricators, and electricians so the backsplash sequences in cleanly and the finished kitchen or bathroom reads as one connected design.
If the goal is the lowest bid, we are not the right fit. If the goal is a kitchen or bath that looks the way you or your designer dreamed and still looks that way decades from now, we are.
Materials and trade partners
We install ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass, mosaic, large-format tile and slab in backsplash applications. The materials we work with most often come through long-standing relationships with Ann Sacks (where most of our zellige and handmade ceramic gets specified), Materials Marketing, Architerra, Stone Solutions, Travis Tile, Daltile, and Emser. Each of those shops has in-house designers who can walk you through specification before tile reaches the site, and if you are already working with your own designer or a general contractor who has a preferred tile partner, we coordinate with them directly.
Frequently asked
How long does a backsplash install take?
Most kitchen backsplashes run two to four days from start to finish, depending on the material, the number of cuts, and whether the tile needs sealing or other considerations. Patterned tile, zellige, and handmade tile take longer; subway and standard ceramic on a single wall can wrap up in a couple of days.
Do you do full-height range walls?
Yes. They come up regularly on our higher-end kitchens. Full-height tile range walls are installed the same way as a standard backsplash but with extra layout planning so the pattern reads cleanly from counter to ceiling.
Can you remove my existing backsplash without damaging the drywall?
In some cases, yes. Older mastic-set backsplashes come off cleaner than thinset-set ones, but either way we patch and skim the wall back to a flat substrate or install new backer board before new tile goes on. If the drywall behind is too damaged to skim, we replace the affected section. The wall is ready for the new tile by the end of demo day.
Is the demolition of the old backsplash dusty and do we need to be out of the house?
We use a 99+% dust-free demolition crew so your kitchen stays as clean and sanitary as possible during the work. You won't need to move out for a backsplash project. It will be loud day of, but the crews are fast and tidy and out in no time.
Do you coordinate with my cabinet maker, plumber, countertop fabricator, and electrician?
Yes, regularly. Most backsplash jobs sit between the countertop install (which has to be set first so we can scribe to it) and the final electrical trim (which lands after the tile is set so the outlet covers sit flush). We schedule around both and stay in contact through the sequence so nothing gets stalled.
Will my outlets sit flush with the tile?
Yes. The electrician extends the outlet boxes forward to match the new tile depth, and we cut around the openings so the cover plate sits clean against the finished surface. This is the detail that separates a finished-looking backsplash from one that always looks slightly off.
Do zellige and handmade tile really vary that much from box to box?
Yes, and that variation is the reason designers specify them in the first place. We blend tile from multiple boxes during layout so the color and surface variation gets distributed evenly across the wall rather than clustered. We also walk you through the expected variation before installation so the finished wall matches what you pictured. Similar is true for natural stone tiles as well.
Can you install a backsplash before the countertops are in?
No, and we won't. The backsplash gets scribed to the countertop, so the counter has to be set first. We coordinate with the fabricator on the install date so there is no gap in the project timeline.
Do you do bathroom backsplashes too?
Yes. Vanity backsplashes, full wainscot bands, behind-the-tub feature walls, and powder room feature walls are all routine. Many of our bathroom remodels include a coordinated backsplash detail that ties to the shower tile or the floor pattern.
How do I get an accurate estimate?
We need to see the space, take measurements, look at the wall conditions and the surrounding cabinets and counters, and talk through the design with you on site. A rough ballpark is possible over the phone or email with a few details, but the firm number comes after the site visit where options are discussed and exact measurements taken.