Bathroom renovation cost? 22 February at 3:47PM edited 2 March at 12:50PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 38 replies 1.9K views

IvyFlood

What’s the going rate for a bathroom renovation these days? We’ve been quoted 15K which is a lot more than I was expecting but not sure if I’m just out of touch! I appreciate costs have increased due to things like Brexit etc and things vary depending on spec.

Its approx. 5m2 and we’re after the following;

Tiled in bath and overhead shower

Stud wall built for recess along bath & to hide bath/shower pipework inc. lighting (though we could scrap the lighting)

Walls & floor fully tiled

Underfloor heating

New sink with vanity unit

New toilet

Plaster skimmed ceiling and new downlights

Towel rail

Shelving

Removal & Installation of all the above

Ours is also a bit more complex cause we have the boiler and stairs bulkhead in one corner which I've asked to be incorporated somehow! 

I've attached some photos for reference.

Thanks

CliveOfIndia

Is the quote you've just for labour, or is that to supply the materials as well?  If it includes materials then it's impossible to say whether that's good value or not - the cost of materials will vary enormously depending on what you've specified.  For example, the toilet.  Would this do : https://www.screwfix.com/p/toilet-to-go-close-coupled-toilet-dual-flush-6ltr/78711  ?

Or do you prefer this:  https://www.bellabathrooms.co.uk/vitra-m-line-aquacare-wall-hung-wc-400mm.html ?

There's a slight difference in price there !  And the same will be true of every "materials component".

I guess the only thing it may be possible to advise on is the labour rate you're being charged - though even that can vary quite considerably depending on where abouts in the UK you are.

twopenny

I have a tiny bathroom 1700 x 2000 and pre pandemic it was £3600 just for removing the old fittings, the dry wall and replace on one wall and installing new fittings.

I would pay for items and flooring, tiling etc.

Recently a local bathroom shop £6900 for fitted in cupboard basin and toilet. Bath, electric shower. Bathroom board splash back and floor.

So that's mostly labour.

For the amount you want done that seems reasonable from what I've found.

jennifernil

IvyFlood said:

What’s the going rate for a bathroom renovation these days? We’ve been quoted 15K which is a lot more than I was expecting but not sure if I’m just out of touch! I appreciate costs have increased due to things like Brexit etc and things vary depending on spec.

Its approx. 16m2 and we’re after the following;

Tiled in bath and overhead shower

Stud wall built for recess along bath & to hide bath/shower pipework inc. lighting (though we could scrap the lighting)

Walls & floor fully tiled

Underfloor heating

New sink with vanity unit

New toilet

Plaster skimmed ceiling and new downlights

Towel rail

Shelving

Removal & Installation of all the above

Ours is also a bit more complex cause we have the boiler and stairs bulkhead in one corner which I've asked to be incorporated somehow! 

I've attached some photos for reference.

Thanks

Are you sure it is 16sq m?      That would be something like 4mx4m.    That is a big bathroom, it does not seem that big from the photos.

Have you a plan of how you want the boiler problem dealt with?   Difficult to get a price without a plan.   You seemed undecided in your previous thread about your bathroom.

£15k seems a lot to me.  The one we had done 3 months back was under £10k. Labour, skip and building materials were £5750, fittings, tiles lights etc etc we bought, all good quality, our choice, a bit under £4k.    I would never go with items I had not chosen myself.

We had old walls removed (plaster board), plus old bath with shower over, toilet, basin, cupboards, radiator, etc........complete strip out.

Walls rebuilt, fully tiled, ceiling overboarded and 5 downlights fitted, shower in 900x1200 hinged door enclosure, back to wall type toilet with cistern in cabinet, basin with 2 units below and wooden countertop at one side,  additional freestanding base unit, one 800 mm wide wall unit, new radiator, new large thermostatic electric towel warmer,  new wall mounted electric fan heater, LVT on floor, original large mirror with lights above refitted and existing newish extractor reused.  

Bathroom size 2.4x2.4 metres.

IvyFlood

jennifernil said:

IvyFlood said:

What’s the going rate for a bathroom renovation these days? We’ve been quoted 15K which is a lot more than I was expecting but not sure if I’m just out of touch! I appreciate costs have increased due to things like Brexit etc and things vary depending on spec.

Its approx. 16m2 and we’re after the following;

Tiled in bath and overhead shower

Stud wall built for recess along bath & to hide bath/shower pipework inc. lighting (though we could scrap the lighting)

Walls & floor fully tiled

Underfloor heating

New sink with vanity unit

New toilet

Plaster skimmed ceiling and new downlights

Towel rail

Shelving

Removal & Installation of all the above

Ours is also a bit more complex cause we have the boiler and stairs bulkhead in one corner which I've asked to be incorporated somehow! 

I've attached some photos for reference.

Thanks

Are you sure it is 16sq m?      That would be something like 4mx4m.    That is a big bathroom, it does not seem that big from the photos.

Have you a plan of how you want the boiler problem dealt with?   Difficult to get a price without a plan.   You seemed undecided in your previous thread about your bathroom.

£15k seems a lot to me.  The one we had done 3 months back was under £10k. Labour, skip and building materials were £5750, fittings, tiles lights etc etc we bought, all good quality, our choice, a bit under £4k.    I would never go with items I had not chosen myself.

We had old walls removed (plaster board), plus old bath with shower over, toilet, basin, cupboards, radiator, etc........complete strip out.

Walls rebuilt, fully tiled, ceiling overboarded and 5 downlights fitted, shower in 900x1200 hinged door enclosure, back to wall type toilet with cistern in cabinet, basin with 2 units below and wooden countertop at one side,  additional freestanding base unit, one 800 mm wide wall unit, new radiator, new large thermostatic electric towel warmer,  new wall mounted electric fan heater, LVT on floor, original large mirror with lights above refitted and existing newish extractor reused.  

Bathroom size 2.4x2.4 metres.

Its smaller! When I wrote the post yesterday I was just guessing but on measuring it last night its more 5m2!

No we don't have a plan because I'm not sure what can be done, if anything. Though the person who quoted 15k said he had an idea. We aren't due to see the plans until Saturday. But yes we'd chose our sink, toilet & bath - I just gave him a rough idea of what Id like i.e. bowl sink.

10k was more what I was thinking, possibly even less! But I genuinely have no idea, this is the first major room renovation we are doing.

We also had another person round prior and when she asked what our budget was I naively said 5-8k and she said we'd struggle on that (I never heard back from them!)

Obviously I will try and get more quotes but its tricky because we definitely need some kind of design element (and according to the husband, I'm fussy!) which we know we will have to pay for, as opposed to a bog standard plumber who would just replace like for like and whack a few metro tiles on!

Doozergirl

It's hard to know what the price should be without a proper specification.   If you're not asking for exactly the same thing from each person, or indeed even for exactly what you want then you're only going to get someone else's interpretation of what they think you want.    Different people will do different levels of work - like Waitrose or Farm Foods.   If you ask them both for pasta, you'll get different types and differing prices. 

You might need help to work out what your specification should be, but we can't tell you on this board.  

IvyFlood

Doozergirl said:

It's hard to know what the price should be without a proper specification.   If you're not asking for exactly the same thing from each person, or indeed even for exactly what you want then you're only going to get someone else's interpretation of what they think you want.    Different people will do different levels of work - like Waitrose or Farm Foods.   If you ask them both for pasta, you'll get different types and differing prices. 

You might need help to work out what your specification should be, but we can't tell you on this board.  

I know exactly what I want design/spec wise and have mentioned the same to each person whos come to look. We've had 3 so far and I've only had an estimate (the 15k) from one. I meant I genuinely have no idea on what it should cost cause its all new to me! I guess what I'm trying to gauge is whether 15k is the going rate for what we want in which case we'll knock it on the head, or whether that's just insane and we need to keep looking

plumb1_2

If you know what you want, then you can price materials up and get a install only quote.

IvyFlood

plumb1_2 said:

If you know what you want, then you can price materials up and get a install only quote.

I could, but like I said, I need some kind of design element in what to do with the boiler/bulkhead corner. If nothing can be done then I know I'd like a stud wall built/airing cupboard reinstated.

MikeJXE

You can't do much about the bulkhead other than making it a feature with the washbasin built in.

Where is the boiler ? Can that go into the loft or somewhere else ? 

IvyFlood

MikeJXE said:

You can't do much about the bulkhead other than making it a feature with the washbasin built in.

Where is the boiler ? Can that go into the loft or somewhere else ? 

Yes that's what I had in mind but don't think it can work cause of the access needed to the boiler which is in a cupboard next to the bulkhead.

Id love to move it to the loft, but that's a huge (not to mention costly!) job which involves having our loft professionally boarded.

Main priority is to get the bathroom done (tastefully) to include a bath.