Guide · Bathrooms
Ask ten people what their new bathroom cost and you will get ten very different answers. That is not because some were overcharged; it is because two bathrooms of the same size can involve completely different amounts of work. This guide explains where the money goes so you can plan a budget and compare quotes properly.
Online averages lump together a quick suite swap in a terraced house and a full strip-out with a new layout in a large family home. A number like that tells you very little about your own room. What is more useful is understanding the handful of decisions that move the price, and then getting a quote based on a proper look at your bathroom.
The single biggest factor is whether things stay where they are. Replacing a toilet, basin and bath in the same positions means the existing supplies and wastes can usually be reused or adapted with short runs of pipe.
Moving the toilet is the most involved change, because its waste is large and needs a steady fall to the soil stack. Moving a basin or shower is easier but still means new pipe runs under the floor or in the walls. Every move adds labour, and sometimes means lifting more floor than expected.
Taking out an old suite is quick. Removing tiles back to bare walls, replacing damaged plaster or rotten floorboards and dealing with old pipework adds time. You often do not know the full condition until the old bathroom is out, which is why a good quote explains what happens if something unexpected turns up under the floor.
Suites vary enormously. A standard close-coupled toilet and pedestal basin are at one end; wall-hung toilets with concealed cisterns, vanity units, freestanding baths and designer taps are at the other. Wall-hung fittings also need frames built into the wall, which is extra work at the first fix stage.
Decide early whether you are buying the products yourself or want the installer to supply them. Either is fine, but the quote needs to say which.
A simple bath with a bar mixer over it is very different from a separate enclosure with a concealed thermostatic valve and a rainfall head, or a level-access walk-in shower that needs the floor reworked for drainage. An electric shower brings electrical work into the job too. Our shower installation and walk-in shower installation pages explain these options.
Tiling floor to ceiling costs more than tiling around the bath and basin only. Large-format or natural stone tiles take longer to lay than standard ceramics. Wall panels are an alternative to tiles in some bathrooms. Flooring, waterproofing in wet areas, new ceilings, lighting and extractor fans are all part of the overall cost, and some of these need other trades.
Swapping a radiator for a heated towel rail is common, and it needs to be sized for the room, not just chosen for looks. Electric underfloor heating mats or a wet underfloor heating loop add comfort but also cost. Our underfloor heating page explains when it suits a bathroom.
A bigger shower or a second bathroom can expose limits in your hot water supply. If the boiler or cylinder cannot keep up, the bathroom budget may need to include work on the system itself. It is much better to find this out at the planning stage than after the tiles are on.
Upstairs bathrooms in older terraces can have tight stairs and pipes that run through other rooms. If the soil stack is on the far side of the house, or the floor is solid concrete downstairs, routing new wastes is harder. These practical details are why a visit matters more than the room's measurements.
Some companies advertise bathrooms fitted in a single day. These usually involve a like-for-like swap with wall panels instead of tiles and no layout changes. That can suit some rooms, but most refits with tiling, plastering and pipework changes take longer because materials need time to set and dry. Ask any installer exactly what is included in a fast-fit package.
When quotes differ, check they cover the same things:
When you are ready for a real figure, send photos of the room and a rough idea of what you want. Our bathroom installations page explains how a refit is planned. Call or WhatsApp 07429 632804, or use the quote form. Quotes for planned work are free and with no obligation.
Common questions
Clear answers before you arrange a visit.
It depends mainly on whether the layout changes, the products you choose, how much tiling is involved and the condition of the room underneath. A free quote after a visit gives you a real figure.
Generally, yes. Keeping the toilet, basin and bath or shower in the same places means far less new pipework and floor work.
Fast-fit bathrooms are usually like-for-like swaps with panels instead of tiles, so they involve less work. Check exactly what is included before comparing them with a full refit.
Yes. Let your installer know the products before ordering so they can check they suit the room and your water pressure.
Not necessarily. A walk-in shower can involve drainage and waterproofing work that costs as much as, or more than, fitting a new bath.
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