How High Should a Kitchen Splashback Be Tiled? UK Heights Guide

Deciding how high to tile a kitchen splashback is one of those questions that sounds simple until you stand in front of the wall with a box of tiles. Tile too low and you leave bare plaster exposed to splashes and grease; tile too high and you waste materials, or you butt awkwardly into a wall unit. This guide sets out the standard heights UK kitchens use, what changes behind a hob, and the practical rules a tiler follows so the finished splashback looks deliberate rather than improvised.

There is no single legal height for a domestic kitchen splashback. The right figure depends on your worktop height, where your wall units sit, and what you are protecting. The numbers below are the ones we work to on jobs across Bromley and South East London.

The standard kitchen splashback height

A UK kitchen worktop usually sits around 900mm off the floor, and wall units are typically hung so their underside is about 450mm to 600mm above the worktop. That gap is the space your splashback fills. Tiling the full distance from the worktop up to the underside of the wall units is the most common approach, because it protects the whole exposed wall and gives a clean, finished band of tile.

If you do not want a full run of tile, the other popular option is a shallow upstand: a single course or two of tiles, roughly 100mm to 150mm high, sitting directly on the worktop. This catches the worst of the splashes behind a sink or along a run of cabinets where there are no wall units, and it costs far less in tile and labour. Many kitchens mix the two: a low upstand along most of the worktop and a full-height splashback behind the hob and sink.

How high to tile behind a hob

Behind the hob is where you should tile highest. Cooking throws fat, water and steam much further up the wall than a tap ever will, so a low upstand here is a false economy. Where wall units run above the hob, tile the full height up to the cabinets as a minimum.

More often there is no wall unit directly over the hob because an extractor or cooker hood sits there instead. In that case, carry the tiling up to the underside of the extractor, or to the same height as the surrounding wall units so the band of tile stays level across the kitchen. A common finished height behind a hood is around 700mm to 750mm above the worktop, which lines up with where many extractors are fitted. Continuing the tile right up to the hood gives a wipeable surface exactly where spitting oil lands.

Tiling a full-height splashback to the wall units

For a tidy, professional result, set out the tiling so it meets the underside of the wall units cleanly. Measure the gap on both sides of the run, as floors and worktops are rarely perfectly level, then plan your tile courses so you are not left with a thin sliver of cut tile at the top. A good tiler dry-lays or sets out the courses first, often starting from a level batten, so the cuts fall where they are least visible.

Finish the exposed top edge and any external corners with a tile trim or a neat bead of silicone rather than a raw cut edge. If the splashback stops partway up an open wall with no cabinet above, a horizontal trim along the top makes the transition look intentional.

Splashback height when there are no wall units

Open-plan and handleless kitchens increasingly drop the wall units altogether, which removes the natural stopping point for a splashback. Here you have a design choice. A half-height splashback of around 400mm to 600mm above the worktop suits a feature tile or a coloured metro. Taking the tile all the way to the ceiling turns the whole wall into a statement and is popular behind ranges and in galley kitchens. Whichever you pick, keep the height consistent across the run and align the top edge with something, a window sill, a shelf line or the top of the door frames, so it reads as a designed line rather than a random stop.

Behind a sink and along worktops

Behind the sink, tile at least to the height of the tap or mixer so water running down the spout does not soak into bare wall. Full height to the wall units is ideal. Along the rest of the worktop, away from the hob and sink, a 100mm to 150mm upstand is usually enough unless you want the look of a fully tiled wall. Remember that the more tile you run, the more grout lines you create to keep clean, so balance protection against maintenance.

Gas hob and extractor clearances to check first

Tiles themselves are non-combustible, so a ceramic, porcelain or stone splashback is a safe surface behind any hob. The clearances that matter are between the hob and anything above it, and between the hob and the extractor. Hob manufacturers state a minimum distance from the burners to a cooker hood in their installation manual, and that figure governs how high your hood, and therefore the top of your tiling, can sit. Always follow the appliance manual, and if you are fitting or moving a gas hob, the work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You can check an engineer on the Gas Safe Register. For glass splashbacks behind a gas hob, the glass should be toughened and kept the manufacturer-specified distance from the burners; tiles avoid that particular concern.

If you want a hand setting out a splashback so the cuts and heights look right first time, our team covers wall and floor tiling across the area. You can see what we do on the Bromley Tilers homepage.

Frequently asked questions

How high should a kitchen splashback be tiled as standard?

Most UK kitchens tile the full gap between the worktop and the underside of the wall units, which is usually 450mm to 600mm. Where there are no wall units, a shallow 100mm to 150mm upstand or a half-height splashback of 400mm to 600mm is common, with behind the hob tiled higher.

How high to tile a kitchen splashback behind the hob?

Tile higher behind the hob than anywhere else. Run the tiles to the underside of any wall unit, or up to the extractor hood if one sits above, often around 700mm to 750mm above the worktop. This protects the wall where oil and steam reach furthest.

Should a splashback go all the way to the ceiling?

It can, and full-height tiling looks striking behind a range or in a kitchen with no wall units. It is a design choice rather than a requirement. Just keep the height consistent and finish the top edge with a trim so it looks deliberate.

What is the difference between a splashback and an upstand?

An upstand is a short band of tile, around 100mm to 150mm, sitting on the worktop to catch everyday splashes. A splashback is taller, often running the full height to the wall units, and gives much more protection behind hobs and sinks.

Do tiles behind a gas hob need to be a special type?

No. Ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiles are all non-combustible and suitable behind a gas hob. The important thing is to follow the hob manufacturer’s stated clearance to the extractor above, and to have any gas work carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

How do I avoid thin cut tiles at the top of the splashback?

Set the tiling out before fixing. Measure the gap, divide it into your tile courses, and adjust the starting point so you are not left with a sliver at the top or bottom. Working from a level batten and dry-laying first is how a tiler keeps the cuts even.

020 8058 5574

contact@bromleytilers.co.uk