Material price guides/Handmade cement tiles
Handmade cement tiles: what they cost right now
Handmade cement tiles, known in Indonesia as tegel or ubin semen and abroad as encaustic tiles, are pressed by hand from pigmented cement in Yogyakarta, Solo, Jakarta and a few Bali workshops. They are the floor of every heritage style cafe and villa bathroom in Bali. Price depends almost entirely on how many colours go into each tile and how small the format is. Prices below are indicative, ex works, excluding freight and PPN, as of October 2026.
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Get three quotesIndicative prices, October 2026
Indicative, ex works, excluding freight and PPN. Updated October 2026.
| Variant | Indicative price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Plain (polos) 20 x 20 cm | Rp 150,000 to 255,000 per m² | Budget Jogja to branded Solo |
| Motif 20 x 20 cm, 2 to 3 colours | Rp 210,000 to 380,000 per m² | Most common encaustic patterns |
| Motif 20 x 20 cm, 4 to 5 colours | Rp 395,000 to 435,000 per m² | Each colour adds a pour |
| Plain 30 x 30 cm | About Rp 275,000 per m² | Fewer joints |
| Plain 10 x 10 and 15 x 15 cm | Rp 385,000 to 595,000 per m² | Small formats cost more per m² |
| Herringbone, hexagon, fishscale, trapezium (Bali workshop) | Rp 360,000 to 685,000 per m² | Fishscale and small hexagon at the top |
| Relief and skirting tiles | Rp 345,000 to 385,000 per m² | Bali workshop list |
| Clearance stock, 15 x 15 cm | Rp 9,000 to 15,000 per piece | Discontinued runs, Jogja |
Factory prices from Yogyakarta and Solo are the baseline. A Bali workshop with current stock, for example a Sidemen maker whose 2026 list we hold, runs Rp 345,000 to 685,000 per square metre depending on shape, and a Denpasar showroom for Java tiles adds about 15 percent. Every maker asks a 50 percent deposit and warns that handmade colour varies slightly between batches.
What moves the price
- Colours per tile. Each colour is a separate pour into the brass mould. Two colours are cheap; five are not.
- Format. Small tiles and shaped tiles take as long to press as a 20 x 20 but cover less floor, so the price per square metre climbs.
- Made to order. Standard patterns may be in stock. Custom colours and patterns are pressed to order and cured for two to four weeks before dispatch.
- Weight. At about 45 kg per square metre with breakage risk, Java to Bali freight and packing is a real line in the comparison.
Specifying them so they survive
Cement tiles are porous and must be sealed before grouting and again after, with a penetrating sealer, or the grout will stain the face permanently. They are not suitable for pool surrounds or constantly wet external floors, and they etch with acid cleaners. In a cafe, specify a topical sealer and a cleaning regime in the handover.
Order 10 percent extra. Handmade tiles vary in thickness by a millimetre or two and in colour between batches, so a floor laid from one batch with spares from the same batch looks right for decades. A repair from a new batch rarely matches.
Custom patterns
Most makers will cut a new brass mould for a custom pattern. Expect a mould charge, a minimum run of 10 to 20 square metres, a sample tile for approval, and four to eight weeks. For a hotel or restaurant identity floor this is cheaper than it sounds and worth asking for.
Getting three quotes
Send us the pattern or a reference image, size, colours, quantity and site. We return three vetted quotes with lead time, deposit, packing and freight to Bali stated on each.
Questions buyers ask
How much do handmade cement tiles cost per square metre in Indonesia?+
As of October 2026, plain 20 x 20 cm tiles cost about Rp 150,000 to 255,000 per square metre from Java factories, two to three colour patterns Rp 210,000 to 380,000, and four to five colour patterns Rp 395,000 to 435,000. Shaped formats from a Bali workshop run Rp 345,000 to 685,000 per square metre.
Are tegel kunci tiles the same as encaustic tiles?+
Yes in method. Tegel Kunci is a Yogyakarta brand name that has become shorthand for handmade pigmented cement tiles pressed in a brass mould, the same technique as Moroccan and European encaustic tiles. Several Java and Bali makers produce them.
Do cement tiles need sealing?+
Yes, before and after grouting, with a penetrating sealer. Unsealed tiles stain from grout and spills and etch with acid cleaners. They are not suitable for permanently wet external floors.
Can Build Supply Indonesia get cement tile quotes?+
Yes. Send the pattern, size, colours, quantity and delivery site and we return three vetted supplier quotes within three working days with lead time and freight stated. Quotes are free. If you order through us, a 3 percent sourcing fee is shown on the quotation and agreed before you commit.
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Send us the material, quantity, specification and site and we return three vetted supplier quotes within three working days, compared on delivered cost. Quotes are free. If you order through us, a 3 percent sourcing fee on the confirmed order is shown on the quotation and agreed before you commit.
For example: handmade cement tiles, 20 x 20 cm, three colour star pattern, 64 m² plus skirting, delivery Canggu, needed in December