Quotes for under stairs bathroom refit

Twisted_Animator

We got two quotes:

One was all in with their choice of basic toilet, sink etc = £4,750
One was just labour and materials (we supply toilet etc) = £3,590

Work required:

Remove

• Toilet and cistern
• Vanity unit and basin
• Vinyl flooring
• Skirting boards
• Centre light

Fit

• Alter pipework where needed
• Chase pipes in walls were needed
• Vanity unit with basin
• Basin mixer tap
• Build boxing with shelf behind the toilet
• Concealed toilet system with push button flush valve
• Back to wall toilet pan with soft close seat
• Tile adhesive, grout and trims
• Plaster to the ceiling and walls where needed
• White paint to the walls and ceiling
• Vinyl click flooring with underlay
• Silicone all
• Wall tiles, half height around the room

Both seem very expensive to us considering it is such a small space (<2m x 1m). What do others think? We had an earlier quote of £1500 labour only from someone but then they stopped answering our messages! 😫 This is in Portsmouth if that helps!

Slinky

Can't really quote on the prices, but I wouldn't go with a 'basic' ie cheapest they can find toilet, particularly not concealed system. My friends had to completely replace their toilet because the cheap unknown brand their installer used, the toilet seat broke and they were unable to find another one that fitted. Buy cheap pay twice certainly came true for them.

Twisted_Animator

Thanks, yeah I agree. I'm sure whatever they'd supply would cost nowhere near the extra £1k+.

Anyone able to comment on the labour only quote?

[Deleted User]

Depends almost entirely on spec and whether anything moves. I research UK trade pricing, so I see a lot of quotes for this, and the realistic bands right now are: a like-for-like swap with budget fittings, £4,000 to £6,500 fitted. A mid-range family bathroom with new tiling and a decent suite, £6,500 to £10,000. Once you're moving the toilet or going high spec it's £10,000 plus, and £15k+ isn't unusual in London or the South East, where the trades add 15 to 25 percent.

The things that quietly add money: moving anything that carries water (every relocated item means new pipework), tiling floor to ceiling instead of half height, and finding a rotten floor when the old bath comes out. Hold 10% back for that last one, it happens a lot.

The £2-3k quotes people mention usually exclude tiles or assume you supply everything. Get three itemised quotes against the same written spec and ask each fitter what's NOT included. For identical work the spread between quotes is genuinely 2x in most areas.

If money's tight: keep the layout exactly where it is, keep sound tiles and panel or paint over them, and spend on the shower and the fitting labour rather than the taps.