What's included in a bathroom renovation quote?
We break down which bathroom refit costs are usually bundled into one quote, and which jobs installers bill separately as extras.
A typical UK bathroom renovation quote of £5,450 – £9,100 (mid-range, typically £7,000) covers stripping out the old suite, a new bath or shower, basin, toilet, standard tiling and reconnecting the existing plumbing. What it often doesn't cover is anything that changes the room's layout, floor level or wiring — those get billed as extras, and they're where most quote disputes start.
What's usually included
Most fixed-price quotes for a 5 m² bathroom bundle the following as standard:
- Removing and disposing of the old suite and tiles
- Supplying and fitting a new bath or shower enclosure, basin, toilet and taps
- Standard wall and floor tiling in a straightforward layout
- Reconnecting waste and supply pipes in their existing positions
- Making good plaster around the new fittings
- A basic extractor fan on the existing electrical circuit
This is the scope behind our basic and mid-range figures — £5,200 to £7,000 — and it's the scope most installers quote against unless you ask for something different.
What's usually an extra
Moving the waste pipe
If the new layout puts the toilet or shower somewhere the soil pipe doesn't currently reach, the floor has to be opened up and the fall recalculated so waste still drains properly. This is the single biggest reason a quote comes back higher than expected — it's floor and groundwork, not just plumbing, and most fitters won't have priced it in until they've seen where you want things to go.
Underfloor heating
Electric underfloor heating is a popular add-on but it's rarely in a base quote. Fitting it typically adds around £7,500 to the job, covering the mat, thermostat and extra screed time.
Rewiring or a new circuit
If you're adding a heated towel rail, a shaver socket, or moving the extractor fan, that's notifiable electrical work and needs a qualified electrician — it's charged separately from the bathroom fitter's labour. If the whole house's wiring is old enough that the bathroom work exposes bigger problems, it's worth checking our House rewire guide before committing to the bathroom budget.
Large-format or patterned tiling
Big porcelain slabs, herringbone layouts, or anything that needs more cutting and levelling than a standard grid takes longer to fit, and fitters usually price that time separately once they've seen the tile choice.
Skip hire and waste disposal
Some quotes include stripping-out waste in the price; others list it as a separate skip or van-load charge, particularly if the old suite is cast iron or there's a lot of old tile adhesive to remove.
Replastering
Removing old tiles sometimes takes the plaster with it. A quote based on "making good" assumes minor patching — a wall that needs a full replaster coat is usually an extra.
A quick reference
| Usually included | Usually extra |
|---|---|
| Strip-out and disposal of old suite | Moving waste/soil pipe |
| New bath, basin, toilet, taps | Underfloor heating |
| Standard tiling, straightforward layout | Large-format or patterned tiling |
| Reconnecting existing plumbing | New electrical circuits, towel rail wiring |
| Basic extractor fan | Skip hire (sometimes) |
| Making good around fittings | Full replastering |
Why it's worth asking upfront
Two quotes for "the same" bathroom can be hundreds of pounds apart simply because one fitter has priced in moving the toilet and the other hasn't. Before you compare quotes, it's worth asking each installer to confirm explicitly whether pipework relocation, floor heating, tiling complexity and electrical work are included or extra — that's usually enough to explain any gap.
If you're not sure whether a figure you've been quoted is reasonable, our "is my quote fair" tool checks it against local labour rates and material costs. We build our own estimates the same way: labour hours multiplied by local trade rates, plus materials, then checked against current market prices and real quotes from fitters.
For the full cost breakdown by tier and finish, see our Bathroom renovation guide. If new flooring elsewhere in the house is part of the same project, our New flooring guide covers that separately, and if the refit includes swapping the hot water cylinder, check Hot water cylinder too — cylinder work is quoted on its own and isn't part of a standard bathroom fitting price.