Guide

Kitchen splashback ideas and costs in New Zealand

The four common kitchen splashbacks in New Zealand are ceramic tile (about $153 per m²), glass ($200–400 per m²), engineered stone ($300–600 per m²) and stainless steel (about $383 per m²), on Superior Renovations' 2026 figures, GST basis not stated. A professionally laid tile splashback for a standard kitchen comes to about $800–2,000.

Updated 19 October 2026

Key takeaways

Ceramic tile is the cheapest material at about $153 per m², and about $800–2,000 professionally laid for a standard kitchen.
Glass is $200–400 per m²: one piece, no grout lines, and the easiest to wipe.
Engineered stone is $300–600 per m² and can match the benchtop exactly.
Stainless steel is about $383 per m² and is the practical choice right behind a busy cooktop.
Power points and the cooktop decide the cut-outs, and moving a power point is a job for a registered electrician.

What does a kitchen splashback cost in NZ?

Per square metre, ceramic tile is about $153, glass $200–400, engineered stone $300–600 and stainless steel about $383 (Superior Renovations, 2026, GST basis not stated). Most kitchens have a small area of splashback, so the material choice moves the total by hundreds rather than thousands, until cut-outs and installation are added.

Splashback materials (Superior Renovations, 2026; GST basis not stated)
Material	Cost per m²	Good for	Watch for
Ceramic tile	About $153	Budget jobs; endless styles	Grout lines need sealing and cleaning
Glass	$200–400	Easy cleaning, colour-backed in any shade	Every cut-out is made at the factory, so measure after the benchtop is in
Engineered stone	$300–600	Matching the benchtop	Heavy, and joins need planning
Stainless steel	About $383	Behind a hard-working cooktop	Shows fingerprints and scratches

How much splashback does my kitchen have?

Measure the length of every run that gets a splashback and the height from the benchtop to the underside of the wall cabinets or rangehood, then multiply. A 3 m run at 0.6 m high is 1.8 m²: about $275 in tile, $360–720 in glass, $540–1,080 in stone or about $690 in stainless at the rates above, before cut-outs and fitting.

Full-height splashbacks, up to the ceiling where there are no wall cabinets, can double or triple the area. That is where the material choice starts to matter to the budget.

Which splashback ideas suit a New Zealand kitchen?

Match the splashback to how the kitchen is used and to the house. Tile suits villas and bungalows and is easy to replace later. A single sheet of glass suits a modern kitchen and a busy family. Stone looks considered next to a stone benchtop. Steel is the cook's choice behind the hob.

Tile in a long, narrow format reads as calm and suits older houses; a handmade-look tile adds texture without the price of stone.
Colour-backed glass can be any paint colour, and with no grout it is the quickest to clean.
Stone to match the benchtop carries the slab up the wall, which suits an island kitchen with one feature run.
Mixed: steel or glass behind the cooktop and tile elsewhere puts the practical material where the splatter is.

What goes behind a cooktop?

Something that takes heat and wipes clean: stainless steel, toughened glass, stone or tile all work. Clearances to the wall and the rangehood are set by the cooktop maker's installation instructions, so check them before choosing the material, and a gas hob must be connected by a PGDB-authorised gasfitter.

If you are using glass behind a cooktop, ask the glazier to confirm in writing that it is toughened and suitable for that position.

What else to sort before the splashback goes on?

The benchtop has to be in first, because the splashback sits on it. Power points have to be where you want them, because moving one later means cutting the new splashback, and moving or adding one is work for a registered electrician. In a pre-2000 house, test the old lining for asbestos before it comes off.

A new splashback is part of most kitchen facelifts, and the benchtop guide covers the surface it sits on.

Questions

What is the cheapest kitchen splashback in NZ?

Ceramic tile, at about $153 per m² (Superior Renovations, 2026). For a standard kitchen, a professionally laid tile splashback is about $800–2,000 including the tiler.

How much does a glass splashback cost in NZ?

About $200–400 per m² (Superior Renovations, 2026, GST basis not stated). Cut-outs for power points and any shaping push a particular kitchen's price up, so get it measured once the benchtop is in.

Can I tile over an old splashback?

Sometimes, if the old tiles are firmly bonded and flat, but it adds thickness at power points and edges. Removing the old splashback gives a cleaner finish; in a pre-2000 house, test the lining for asbestos first.

Is a stone splashback worth it?

It is worth it when it matches a stone benchtop and the area is small. At $300–600 per m² (Superior Renovations, 2026) it is roughly double tile, so a full-height stone splashback is a real budget line.

Sources

Checked 19 October 2026. We re-check every published figure quarterly.