Bathroom Fitter Cost: UK Day Rates and Labour Prices

Bathroom fitter day rate and labour costs

Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide gives the average UK cost of a bathroom fitter’s day, the fitting labour and the jobs that often come with it.

Item	Unit	Average UK cost
Bathroom fitter day rate	Per day	£320 to £480
Full bathroom fitting labour	Per project	£1,500 to £3,000
Bathroom removal	Per project	£600 to £1,000
Electrical work	Per project	£900
Wall tiling	Per project	£950 to £1,250

Moving plumbing, upgrading electrics and extensive tiling can all increase the labour cost, the guide says. A typical new bathroom costs £5,500 to £8,000 including materials on Checkatrade’s figures, so the fitter’s labour is only part of the cost of a new bathroom.

Checkatrade’s wet room installation cost guide puts the labour for installing a wet room at £240 to £320 a day, £280 on average.

Labour cost by type of bathroom

Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide describes the labour for four types of bathroom project and gives a figure for one of them.

Project	What it usually involves	Labour cost
Standard family bathroom	Often a toilet, a basin or vanity unit, a bath, a shower or both, basic plumbing alterations, and tiling and finishing	Typically £1,500 to £3,000
En suite	Usually smaller, but often the same elements of a shower, toilet, basin, ventilation and tiling	No separate figure
Downstairs toilet	Usually a toilet and a basin	Lower, often one of the most affordable projects
Wet room	Specialist waterproofing and drainage	Often higher than a standard bathroom

What changes a bathroom fitter’s price

The size of the bathroom, the existing layout, plumbing alterations and electrical work all change the price, Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide says, and lighting, extractor fans and upgrades often need a qualified electrician. Tiling changes it too, since large-format tiles, floor-to-ceiling tiling and intricate patterns take longer. So do the quality of the fixtures and the age and condition of the property, such as damaged plaster, hidden leaks and ageing pipework.

Keeping the toilet, basin and bath in their existing positions is often one of the easiest ways to keep labour costs down, the guide says, because moving a toilet or shower often means altering the pipework, drainage and flooring. For an accurate quote, tell each fitter the room size, the fixtures you want and whether the layout is changing.

Extra costs to budget for

Beyond the fitting itself, Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide lists removal, waste disposal, electrical work, tiling, flooring, decorating, plastering, underfloor heating, layout alterations and ventilation upgrades as costs to budget for, with a contingency of around 10% to 15%.

Checkatrade’s new bathroom cost guide also prices ripping out, plumbing, plastering, flooring, decorating and other extra jobs in its additional costs table.

Extra job	Average UK cost
Ripping out	£700
All plumbing, first and second fix	£1,500 to £3,000
Bathroom re-plaster	£1,500
Core drilling for new pipes	£250 to £500
Reconfiguring the layout, such as a new studwork wall	£1,750
Vinyl flooring	£250 to £950
Underfloor heating	£100 per m²
Microcement	£100 to £250 per m²
Decorator	£700

What a bathroom fitter’s quote should show

One fitter may include the plumbing, electrics, tiling and waste removal in the price while another prices some of them separately, so compare itemised quotes, Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide advises. It lists what each quote should show.

Decorating, flooring and making good the walls are often assumed to be included in a quote when they are not, the guide says.

A typical bathroom installation takes around 5 to 10 days, and longer for a larger or more complex project, Checkatrade says. Expect dust and noise, several trades, temporary water interruptions and restricted use of the room, and if it is your only bathroom, ask at the quote stage when the toilet, shower and basin will be out of action.

Qualifications and insurance to look for

What to look for when choosing a bathroom fitter depends on the project, and Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide lists plumbing qualifications, Part P compliant electrical work, Competent Person Scheme registration, public liability insurance and relevant experience.

In England, alterations to existing circuits in the spaces around baths and showers are notifiable electrical work, and so is a complete new circuit, such as one for a shower, the Planning Portal says. It says it is best to use an installer registered with a competent person scheme, who can self-certify compliance with the building regulations.

Cutting the cost of a bathroom fitter

Keeping the existing layout, choosing standard-sized fixtures, comparing itemised quotes and planning carefully all help keep the cost down, Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide says. You could also do the decorating yourself, or remove the old fixtures if you are confident.

Small mistakes in DIY bathroom work can stay hidden until a leak appears or tiles move months later, the guide says.

A bathroom fitter or separate trades

A bathroom fitter is not necessarily cheaper than hiring the trades separately, but one person coordinating the work is simpler, Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide says. Depending on the project, a fitter’s work covers removing the existing bathroom, installing the bath, shower, toilet and basin, plumbing, coordinating the electrical work, tiling the walls and floors, laying the flooring, fitting extractor fans, and finishing and sealing.

Some bathroom fitters do most of the work themselves, while others coordinate electricians, plasterers and tilers, the guide says. Among the bathroom fitters we rank in and around Nottingham, Goldswan Bathrooms in Arnold has its own team for the plumbing, electrics, tiling, plastering and flooring, with one project manager as the point of contact. Matt Wregg Plumbing & Bathrooms in Carlton project manages and arranges the tradesmen who work alongside him, and A1 Kitchens & Bathrooms in Basford employs its own fully trained fitters.