Cost guides › Bathroom renovation
United Kingdom
How much does a new bathroom cost?
A complete bathroom renovation for a 5 m² room typically costs £7,000 including VAT, with most quotes falling between £5,450 and £9,100. That covers stripping the old room back to bare walls, new pipework, porcelain tiling, a shower tray in place of the bath and a new suite fitted. A simpler job with basic tiles comes in around £5,200; a high-spec room with full-height tiling, a rainfall shower and a stone floor is nearer £9,600.
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Cost by region
| Location | Basic | Mid-range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £5,500 | £7,350 | £10,000 |
| Scotland | £5,250 | £7,100 | £9,700 |
| South East | £5,200 | £7,000 | £9,600 |
| East | £5,150 | £6,950 | £9,550 |
| North West | £5,150 | £6,950 | £9,550 |
| East Midlands | £5,100 | £6,900 | £9,450 |
| South West | £5,100 | £6,900 | £9,500 |
| Wales | £5,100 | £6,900 | £9,500 |
| West Midlands | £5,100 | £6,900 | £9,500 |
| North East | £5,050 | £6,850 | £9,450 |
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| Yorkshire and The Humber | £5,050 | £6,850 | £9,450 |
What's included
Mid-range
- Removal of the old bath, basin, toilet and wall and floor tiles, with the rubbish taken away
- New hot and cold supply and waste pipework within the bathroom, with isolation valves
- New screed over the pipework and re-rendered walls, flat enough for large-format tiles
- Tanking (liquid waterproofing) across the whole floor and the shower walls
- Porcelain 30x60 tiles on the floor and walls to 2.2 m, fixed with rapid-set adhesive and grouted
- Close-coupled toilet, semi-recessed basin with mixer tap, and a vanity unit with mirror, supplied and fitted
- Shower tray replacing the bath, with a concealed shower mixer, riser rail, hand shower and a shower screen or enclosure
- Heated towel rail connected to the existing central heating in place of the old radiator
- Three light points, a sealed LED ceiling light, two sockets and equipotential bonding
- Ceiling and the band above the tiles painted in moisture-resistant emulsion
What affects the cost
Moving the toilet or shower
Keeping the toilet close to the soil stack is the single biggest cost saver. Moving it across the room can mean lifting floorboards, cutting joists or fitting a macerator, and a new soil connection adds a day or more of plumbing.
Tiling area and tile size
Tiling is usually the largest labour item. Full-height tiling on every wall roughly doubles the tiled area compared with a shower-area-only job, and large-format or natural stone tiles need flatter walls and slower fixing.
Condition behind the old tiles
Once tiles come off, you often find blown plaster, rotten boards around the old toilet or leaks under the bath. A good tradesperson will price a contingency for making good; if the quote has none, ask what happens when they find a soft floor.
Shower type
A tray with a glass screen is the cheapest route. A walk-in wet room needs a sloped former, full tanking and often a raised or cut-in floor, which adds materials and time. A standard screen or enclosure is included in the figures here; frameless walk-in glass costs more.
Hot water supply
Most UK homes have a combi boiler, which suits a mixer shower well if the flow rate is decent. With a hot water cylinder and low pressure you may need a pump or an electric shower, which also needs its own circuit.
Access and location
Upstairs bathrooms in terraced houses mean carrying everything through the house, and London and the South East command higher day rates than most other regions.
How to save
- Keep the toilet, basin and shower in their current positions so the waste runs stay the same.
- Tile only the wet areas to full height and paint the rest with bathroom emulsion.
- Buy the suite and taps yourself from a trade counter, but agree with the fitter beforehand who is responsible if a part is faulty.
- Do the strip-out yourself only if you are sure where the pipes and cables run, and book a skip so the fitters start on a bare room.
Grants, tax and rules
Electrical work in the bathroom
In England and Wales, new circuits and electrical work in bathrooms is notifiable: it must be done by a registered electrician (Part P) who self-certifies it, or notified to building control. Keep the certificate for when you sell.
VAT
Our figures include 20% VAT. A tradesperson who is not VAT registered can quote less for labour, but materials bought through them still carry VAT.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to renovate a small bathroom in the UK?
For a 5 m² bathroom with the layout kept as it is, expect around £7,000 including VAT for a complete job, or about £5,200 with basic tiles and fittings. Small rooms are not proportionally cheaper, because plumbing, electrics and the suite cost roughly the same regardless of floor area.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
A standard bathroom usually takes one to two weeks: two or three days for strip-out and first-fix plumbing and electrics, a few days of tiling, then fitting the suite and decorating. Wet rooms and full-height stone take longer because of curing times.
Is it cheaper to replace a bath with a shower?
The tray and mixer usually cost less than a good bath, but the conversion itself needs new waste positions, tanking and more wall tiling, so the saving is small. The main reason to do it is a more usable shower, not a lower bill.
Do I need building regulations approval for a new bathroom?
A like-for-like refit does not usually need approval, but new electrical circuits and work in the bathroom must be done by a Part P registered electrician or notified to building control in England and Wales. Adding a new bathroom with new drainage or extraction may also fall under building regulations.
Should I get separate trades or one bathroom fitter?
A single fitter who manages plumbing, tiling and electrics is simpler and usually just as cheap, because they sequence the work without gaps. Check that the electrical part is signed off by a registered electrician either way.
How this estimate is calculated
Work hours: 81.3 · Labour: £2,438 · Materials: £3,407
Sources: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, tables 14 and 15; Regione Toscana, Prezzario dei Lavori 2026 (CC BY 4.0); ECB exchange rates.