How much does a bathroom renovation cost? We break it down for you

According to the Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report 2023, a new bathroom is the fourth most desired upgrade on UK homeowners’ wish lists. But with rising prices affecting everything from materials to tools to tradespeople’s wages, it’s more important than ever to approach a bathroom renovation with high level of knowledge about costs. 

Recently, national bathroom retailer Victoria Plum undertook a nationwide survey of expert bathroom fitters to get a ballpark average cost of fitting a bathroom in 2023. They found this came out at £7,200. Add a mid–price bathroom suite plus taps, tiles, flooring and heating to the shopping list and the total for a renovated bathroom averages at around £9,800. 

While this guide price is handy, Victoria Plum warns that this figure should be taken as a rough estimate, as, no two bathroom renovation projects are the same. 

So, where to start getting a handle on costs for this potentially complex room? Your Exceptional Homes Team breaks down the key considerations and costs for budget-, mid– and high-end bathroom renovation projects.

Setting your bathroom suite aside (bath and/or shower, basin, toilet) there are some potential outlays that need to be considered in order for you to start getting a picture of much your bathroom installation will cost: 

• Fitting costs 
• Size of bathroom 
• Structural work (i.e. possible floor reinforcement) 
• Waste removal 
• Pipework adjustments 
• Extractor fan 
• Lighting 
• Wall finishes  
• Flooring  
• Underfloor heating 
• Quality of materials

There is a world of difference in cost between a partial installation and a complete bathroom renovation. 

In a partial renovation, the fitter may come in and replace your basin, toilet, bath with integrated shower, and/or separate shower with shower tray. If these are replaced and taken away without additional tiling or flooring, this would be around three days’ work and cost between £1,400 and £2,050, including your sanitaryware, shower and taps, according to Victoria Plum. 

The best way to keep an eye on budgets is to have a good idea of what each element of your renovation will cost and the time needed to do them. This will better prepare you for negotiating a price with your potential bathroom fitters.

Bathroom installation costs vary. Details like how big your bathroom is or even its shape can have a bearing on how easy it is for your fitter to do the job. Also, once the job is underway, a fitter may discover things like broken pipework, which may cause your costs to rise. Once you’ve agreed on an initial price, it’s a good idea to have an extra 15% set aside as a contingency.

Moving your bathroom to another room – for example, a bedroom – can also have a major impact on the cost of your bathroom renovation. We spoke to trusted renovation expert Artur Soszynski from Prime Projects in London to try to get an understanding of how moving the bathroom would impact costs.

Soszynski says: “This is a very difficult question to answer. For example, are there sewer risers (water and waste drains) nearby?  If there are – no problem. But if not, the cost can be much more expensive, but it is also difficult to estimate how much more expensive.   

“All water installations within the property are the responsibility of the home owner. Works related to direct connection to the municipal sewerage require the consent of that department.

“Drains need to use gravity, and that’s a big problem, as pipes under floorboards cannot be horizontal, so there will need a construction solution to the problem that involves additional time and materials. This probably adds from around £1,000 upwards to several thousand pounds.” 

“All other elements of the installation are not a problem and do not have to be very expensive. The supply of water to the taps or the electrical installation can be carried out in any way.” 

Your location will also have a bearing on how much you are quoted. If you are in an urban area where there is a lot of competition amongst bathroom fitters, you will end up with a more competitive quote than if you live in a remote area.  

If you aren’t able to get a personal recommendation, be sure to compare at least three quotes when hiring a bathroom fitter. Hire a fitter who is local to you, so you are not paying extra for the fitter’s travel costs. 

* Estimates do not factor in cost of materials, fixtures or fittings 

Figures from Victoria Plum research 

Wet rooms are useful for accessibility where mobility is a consideration, since they do away with steps and shower trays. Instead, a modern space can be created that is slip-resistant and easier to get around than a standard bathrooms. 

To achieve this, your fitter will need to ‘tank’ the room – a technical term for making it fully waterproof. 

You can purchase your own paint-on tanking kit for with everything that’s needed prior up to the point of tiling for around £120. Victoria Plum estimates that installing a wet room kit, including tanking, tray and a 5 sq m ‘sub floor’ takes three to five days and costs £1,650 – £1,900. 

The length of time it will take to tile your bathroom depends on how much coverage you need and the type of tiles you choose. According to Victoria Plum, your bathroom tiling job could be done in a day if you’re only tiling a small area, but can take up to five days for floor-to-ceiling tiling. Expect to pay around £100 to £120 per square metre, minus the cost of the tiles and other materials, such as grout and spacers. 

Planning to tile your floor? Make sure your tiles are designed for bathroom use and have a high anti-slip rating. You’ll want to select tiles that can cope with moisture and humidity. 

Tiles are made of a wide array of materials – from metal to marbles. A popular choice for bathroom walls and floors is ceramics, as they are easy to install and come in a wide range of designs.  

Budget tiles option:

Walls and Floors, Raffinato Marble Effect Tiles 

£18.95 per square metre 

Mid–price option:

Porcelain Superstore, Lush Mix Patterned Tiles 

£54.00 per square metre 

High-end price option:

Tile Expert, Paola Bisazza Mosaic Miscele 20 

£110.99 per square metre 

A bathroom suite, at whatever price range, represents a major aesthetic investment for your home. You will be using these fixtures multiple times a day, so they make a big impact on how much you enjoy your bathroom. 

Some suppliers will offer full packages that include not only the bath and/or shower, basin and toilet but also the hardware, including taps, handles and plugs. If the budget is tight, cheaper versions of these suites can represent good value. We’ve looked at bath, WC and basin combinations in our example. You can get an acrylic bathroom suite for under £300 if you’re on a budget, or ‘splash out’ close to £5,000 for a high-end suite made from stone resin and brushed gold steel. 

Whatever the price–point, opting for a bathroom suite package is an easy way to make sure your bathroom style is completely coordinated, as suite elements are usually available as part of a collection. 

Alternatively, you can buy individual pieces of sanitaryware, from across a range of brands and suppliers. This is a great way to express individual style over buying a full collection. You also have greater control over what details you would like to invest more or less in. For example, splash out on premium taps from one supplier but consider a paintable acrylic bath from another. 

Budget price option:

Plumbworld, Essentials Bathroom Suite with Single Ended Square Bath 

£288.72

Mid-price option:

Victoria Plum, Mode Ellis bathroom suite with freestanding bath 

£889 

High-end price option:

Lusso Stone, The Vasca Bathroom Suite  

£3720

If you are opting to install or replace your bath, you have probably already considered this will be the focal point of your bathroom.  

To replace a standard fitted bath and side panel can take just three-five hours and fitting costs of £370-£400. The price will increase if you are opting to fit a freestanding bath or a shower bath but maintaining the same layout. If you are changing the layout of your old bathroom, this is where costs can increase,  based on several factors, including any pipework adjustment. 

Standard fitted baths and panels can be purchased for as cheaply as £180 and prices for more luxurious options go up to £2,200. Acrylic freestanding roll-top baths are the most budget-friendly option, with prices starting at around £300. At the other end of the scale, a luxury bath with a bespoke finish may be well over £20,000. 

Opting for a shower? A basic shower enclosure and tray can cost around £200. Want a more luxurious option? Expect to pay around £1,700. 

Budget price option:

Victorian Plumbing, Barmby single ended bath and panels 

£179.95 

Mid-price option:

Victorian Plumbing, Arezzo shower bath with brushed brass screen and curved panel

£499.95 

High-end price option:

Burlington Bathrooms London bath with dark olive back to wall surround 

£2,179.53 

Our budget, mid-price and high-end options:

Featured product

Orchard double-ended roll-top bath, Victoria Plum

RRP: £495

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Our budget, mid-price and high-end options:  

Featured product

Milano Portland walk-in shower enclosure with tray, Big Bathroom Shop

RRP: £215.99

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Check price

If ripping out and swapping like for like, replacing a standard pedestal basin and taps should be a straightforward job for your fitter, taking one-two hours and costing around £330 – £360, minus fixtures and materials. 

If you prefer, your basin supplier can usually sell you taps and all accessories including traps and plugs. However, you may prefer to mix things up – for example, opting for a lower priced basin and premium taps. 

A standard hardwearing ceramic wall hung basin could cost as little as £100. Prefer a unique freestanding basin in Carrara marble? Budget around £2,000. 

Taps are highly technical fixtures that come in a range of prices. For budget options, expect to pay as little as £60. Want a more premium option? Budget around £650. 

Our budget, mid-price and high-end options:

Our budget, mid-level and high-end options:

Installing or replacing a standard close-couple toilet? This job should take two-three hours and cost around £330-£360. If you prefer back-to-wall or wall-hung designs, these options are more difficult from a plumbing perspective and will cost more to fit.

Some suppliers will sell the toilet along with cistern and flush plate or lever. This takes some of the guesswork out of understanding the overall cost of fitting the toilet.

A basic, standard close-couple toilet will cost around £200. Fancy a high-end Japanese toilet with all the bells and whistles? Budget £2,200.

Featured product

Monolith Japanese toilet, Bidet Toilets

RRP: £2,238

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Featured product

Catalano toilet, Tatta Home

RRP: £833.98

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Featured product

Milano Richmond close-couple toilet, Big Bathroom Shop

RRP: £249.99

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Outside of your bathroom suite and sanitaryware, you will likely need to invest in further fixtures  for your bathroom to make it as comfortable as you’ve dreamt it will be. 

Here are some other items that may end up on your shopping list: 

• Stripping out costs
• Skip hire 
• Bathroom cabinets 
• Decorative bathroom lighting fixtures 
• Underfloor heating 
• Heated towel rails 
• Radiators 
• Paint 
• Flooring 

One of the best ways to make savings is to take on as much work as you can yourself. Save around £150-£200 on your fitter’s cost by carrying out your own strip out. The downside is that you will be responsible for getting rid of the waste material.

When it comes to taps and other plumbing fixtures, cheap options can quickly become a false economy. For any moving part in your bathroom it is best to buy the highest quality you can afford.

“Cheap brassware is never a good idea. It may look good to begin with, but in no time at all it can tarnish and begin to look tatty,” says Emma Mottram, brand marketing manager at Laufen “The solution is to invest in quality brassware from the get-go. It will not only look fantastic but will also save you money in the long run because you won’t need to replace it for years.”

Are the fittings you are removing in relatively good condition? Posting your items for sale on second-hand websites could bring in cash that could go towards your renovation.