A bathroom renovation's cost is driven mostly by labour, tiling and waterproofing, pipework changes and the condition of what is already there, with sanitaryware usually the smaller share. Keeping the existing layout is the biggest single saving, and older stone-built homes often need extra floor or wall preparation. We price every bathroom per property after a survey, with a written quote before any work starts.
Bathroom budgets tend to be planned around sanitaryware, which is usually the smaller half of the cost. The larger half is labour, first-fix pipework, waterproofing, tiling and the unglamorous work of correcting whatever the previous installation left behind.
In older stone-built and rural properties, that last category is the one that most often surprises people — and it is exactly the part a written specification should cover before work starts.
Ways to keep the cost down without cutting corners
- Keep the toilet where it is, so the soil pipe connection does not have to move.
- Choose fittings before work starts, because changes mid-job cost time.
- Limit feature tiling to one wall and keep the rest simple.
- If heating or hot water work is planned, do it at the same time so pipework is altered once.
The cost stack, in order of spend
- Labour: strip-out, first fix, second fix and making good — usually the largest single line.
- Tiling and waterproofing: tanking a wet area properly is not optional and is priced by area.
- Sanitaryware and brassware: the widest range, and where budget can flex most.
- Pipework alterations: moving a soil connection or waste run costs more than moving a basin.
- Electrical: extraction, lighting, shaver points and any electric shower circuit.
- Floor preparation: levelling, plywood overlay or screed, especially where an old floor is uneven.
What older properties add
Solid walls, lath and plaster, timber floors with historic movement, and soil stacks in awkward positions all add hours. So does the discovery of lead or steel pipework, or a previous refit done over the top of an older one rather than back to substrate.
None of these is unusual locally — they are the normal condition of housing stock built long before modern bathrooms existed — and they are worth allowing a contingency for.
Where to save without regretting it
- Choose mid-range sanitaryware in classic shapes rather than premium fashion pieces.
- Keep the layout where the existing drainage is — moving the WC is the single most expensive change.
- Tile the wet areas fully and use quality paint elsewhere, rather than tiling every wall.
- Spend on the shower valve and the extraction; both are noticed daily and are costly to change later.
How we price it
We quote from a specification: fixtures listed, tiling area stated, waterproofing method named, and any drainage alteration set out. That way, if something is discovered behind the old suite, it is a discussed variation rather than an unexplained increase.
Frequently asked questions
- Does moving the toilet add much to a bathroom renovation?
- It is one of the bigger variables because the soil pipe connection has to move with it, and in older properties that can mean lifting floors. Keeping the toilet in place usually keeps the cost down.
- How long does a full bathroom take?
- A straightforward refit typically runs one to two weeks depending on tiling and drying times. Layout changes, wet rooms and floor rebuilds extend that.
- Do you supply the sanitaryware or do I?
- Either works. Client-supplied items are fine as long as everything is on site before we start — waiting on a delayed delivery is what turns a two-week job into a four-week one.
- Is a wet room more expensive than a shower enclosure?
- Generally yes, because of the floor former, tanking and drainage falls. It buys level access and a more durable waterproof envelope, which matters for accessibility.
- Will you coordinate the electrician and tiler?
- Yes — we project-manage the trades so the sequence works and you have one point of contact.
Get a bathroom quote built from a specification
Tell us the room size, whether the layout changes and your rough sanitaryware budget.