Basic
$1.25 – $3.33 per sq ft
Ridges and high spots of thinset knocked down with a rotary hammer and floor scraper on a vacuum attachment until flat enough for new flooring

Grind or scrape leftover thinset or mortar from a concrete or plywood substrate after tile removal so it is flat for new flooring.
Remove Tile Mortar in Portland, Maine typically costs $1.47 to $3.92 per sq ft as of 2026. Prices reflect local labor and material rates. Use our calculator below for a detailed, ZIP-code-adjusted estimate.
Prices in Portland are 1.0% lower than the national average for remove tile mortar.
National average: $1.50 – $4 per sq ft
$1.25 – $3.33 per sq ft
Ridges and high spots of thinset knocked down with a rotary hammer and floor scraper on a vacuum attachment until flat enough for new flooring
$1.47 – $3.92 per sq ft
Thinset ground off with a dust-shrouded grinder to a nearly bare substrate, debris swept and vacuumed
$1.84 – $4.90 per sq ft
Full grind to a clean bare substrate with HEPA dust extraction, checked flat with a straightedge, vacuumed
| Component | Category | Price Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | material | $0.65 – $1.75 | sq ft |
| Labor | labor | $0.53 – $1.40 | sq ft |
| Supplies & Other | supplies | $0.17 – $0.47 | sq ft |
| Equipment & Disposal | equipment | $0.12 – $0.31 | sq ft |
Floor with ceramic tile broken up and bags of rubble beside a window
Photo: John Loo · CC BY 2.0 · Source
Find a pro to do thisConnect with local remove tile mortar contractors in Portland for personalized quotes based on your specific project.