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Certificate III · national qualification

Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling

This is the trade qualification for people who want to work as tilers, laying ceramic, porcelain, glass, slate, marble and clay tiles on walls and floors in homes and commercial buildings.

Compare 15 providers
Illustration of a person working as tiler
How long it takes
3 to 4 years
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $3,458
Subsidised at Holmesglen Institute, full fee up to $11,165
How you can study
On campus
Main job
Tiler
$61,400 (estimate) median pay, In demand
Taught by
15 providers
7 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in working with tiles and surfaces
  • good hand skills and steady hands
  • an eye for straight lines and even finishes
  • a careful approach to measuring and planning

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Tiler

    Tilers measure, cut and fix tiles to floors, walls and other surfaces, and much of the skill sits in the preparation that keeps the finish level and watertight.

    What else you need

    Trade entry is normally as an apprentice employed in the industry, so you need an employer and a training contract. Completion gives eligibility to register as a tradesperson and apply for a licence where your state requires one, but the award alone does not confer a licence. Check that the training provider is registered for this qualification. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.

    Median pay$61,400 (estimate)

    In demand

If you study further

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $3,458

at Holmesglen Institute. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$11,165

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • Holmesglen InstituteVIC

    Subsidised
    $3,458
    Concession
    $692
    Full fee
    $11,165

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 15 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

20 units: 17 that everyone takes and 3 you choose.

  • Reading plans and specifications
  • Levelling and setting out
  • Preparing and waterproofing surfaces
  • Laying floor tiles
  • Fixing wall tiles
  • Decorative, mosaic and curved tiling
See all 17 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for CPCCCM2006…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It is for people who want to work as tilers, laying ceramic, porcelain, glass, slate, marble and clay tiles on walls and floors in homes and commercial buildings. You learn to read plans, set out and level a job, prepare and waterproof surfaces, and cut and fix tiles, including decorative work, mosaics and curved surfaces. The roles it leads to are tiler and wall and floor tiler.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

The qualification itself has no entry requirements. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

Is a licence, registration or check required to work in this area?

Completion of the general construction induction training program, specified in the Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: Construction Work, is required by anyone carrying out construction work. Achieving CPCWHS1001 Prepare to work safely in the construction industry meets this requirement.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.