Backsplash Installation in Columbus, Ohio

Transit & Flow Group installs kitchen backsplashes across Columbus and Central Ohio, from simple subway tile above the counter to full accent walls behind a range. A backsplash is one of the highest-impact, lowest-disruption kitchen updates available: it protects your walls from water and grease, and it changes the whole feel of the room without touching cabinets, counters, or layout. Describe your kitchen and tile preference in the Estimate Builder for a preliminary online estimate.

Is this what you’re looking for?

Backsplash installation covers a range of projects, and most Columbus homeowners come to us for one of these reasons:

• No backsplash at all, just painted drywall behind the counter. Common in older homes that never got this update, and in some builder-grade newer homes where it was an upgrade option skipped at construction.
• An outdated backsplash from a prior decade (small ceramic tile in a color that no longer matches the kitchen) that you want swapped for something current.
• Grout lines that are staining or cracking, especially behind the stove where grease and heat take a toll over the years.
• You’re doing a countertop or cabinet refresh and want the backsplash updated at the same time so everything reads as one finished look.
• You want a statement wall, full-height tile behind the range or extending to the ceiling, rather than a standard 4-inch strip.
• Water damage behind the sink or stove from years without splash protection, which needs to be addressed before new tile goes up.

How pricing works

Backsplash installation is range pricing: your published low-high band is set after we confirm square footage, tile material, and pattern complexity, not a flat number that ignores your specific kitchen.

• Material is the biggest price driver. Basic ceramic or porcelain subway tile sits at the low end. Natural stone, glass mosaic, and handmade tile push the range higher, sometimes considerably.
• Square footage and layout. A standard countertop-to-cabinet strip is the simplest install. Full-height walls, windows to tile around, and outlets to work into the pattern all add complexity and price.
• Pattern and layout. A straight running-bond subway pattern is the fastest install. Herringbone, chevron, and mixed-material patterns take longer to lay out and cut, which shows up in the range.
• Substrate condition. If the wall behind your existing backsplash has water damage or uneven drywall, that gets repaired before tile goes up; we identify this during the estimate and inspection, not mid-install.
• Edge and trim details. Schluter or metal edging, decorative accent strips, and outlet reconfiguration around the backsplash are each their own consideration in the final scope.

According to Angi’s cost data, a typical kitchen backsplash project runs from around $480 to $1,500 for an average-size kitchen, with material and labor together commonly landing in the $15 to $40 per square foot range, and this is general market context, not a Transit & Flow Group quote. Higher-end stone or custom patterns can run well above that. Enter your kitchen’s dimensions and tile preference in the Estimate Builder for a preliminary online estimate. Final scope and price subject to verification at the inspection.

What’s included

• Measurement and layout planning for your specific counter and wall configuration
• Removal of any existing backsplash and disposal of old material
• Substrate prep, including minor drywall repair where needed
• Waterproofing behind the cooktop area where appropriate for your tile choice
• Tile setting, cutting, and layout, including outlet and switch cutouts
• Grouting and sealing appropriate to your tile material
• Edge trim installation where specified in your scope
• Final cleanup and a walkthrough of the finished install

What’s not included

• Countertop replacement or repair (see our Kitchen Refresh page if you want to bundle these)
• Cabinet work of any kind
• Relocating or adding electrical outlets; that scope requires separate licensed electrical work, though we do reinstall existing outlet and switch covers around the new tile
• Structural drywall repair beyond minor patching (significant wall damage is priced and addressed as its own item)
• Plumbing changes behind the sink area (see our Kitchen Sink Replacement page for that scope)

Backsplashes in Central Ohio kitchens

Older housing stock in Clintonville, German Village, and Bexley often still has the original painted plaster or drywall behind the counter, sometimes with decades of grease and heat exposure and no protective surface at all. These walls need a closer look during the estimate: plaster substrates behave differently than modern drywall, and older kitchens sometimes have uneven wall lines that need shimming or leveling before tile goes up cleanly.

Newer construction in Dublin, New Albany, and Lewis Center more commonly has a builder-grade 4-inch backsplash strip or none at all, since full backsplash tile was often an upgrade option at construction. These kitchens usually have straighter, more consistent walls, which simplifies layout, but outlet placement from the original build sometimes doesn’t align cleanly with a homeowner’s preferred tile pattern, so we plan cutouts carefully during layout.

Central Ohio’s humidity swings matter most directly behind the range and around the sink, where grout and sealant hold up better with the right product choice for a kitchen that sees both humid summer cooking and dry winter heating. We select grout and sealant based on where the tile sits relative to heat and moisture sources, not a one-size approach for the whole kitchen.

Our process

1. Describe your kitchen online. Dimensions, tile preference, and photos of the current wall go into the Estimate Builder for a preliminary online estimate.
2. On-site measurement and layout. We confirm square footage, outlet locations, and substrate condition before finalizing the scope.
3. Removal and prep. Existing backsplash comes down if present, and the wall is repaired and prepped for new tile.
4. Tile installation. Setting, cutting, and grouting, worked around outlets and edges according to your chosen layout.
5. Final walkthrough. We check grout lines, edges, and outlet fit with you before calling the project complete.

Our installers are Bonded & Insured Professionals.

Related services

Kitchen Refresh | Cabinet Painting | Kitchen Sink Replacement

A new backsplash is one of the fastest ways to update a kitchen without touching cabinets or counters. Enter your project details in the Estimate Builder for a preliminary online estimate, book service online, or call Transit & Flow at (614) 382-0000.