New Bathroom Cost: UK Prices, Installation and Extras

New bathroom cost in the UK

Checkatrade’s new bathroom cost guide prices a new bathroom, including materials, in two bands.

New bathroom, including materials	Low	High	Average
Low to medium end	£5,500	£8,000	£7,000
High end or complex, 10 plus days	Not given	Not given	£14,000+

Luxury or bespoke fixtures and fittings put a bathroom at around £14,000 or more, with no average upper limit, Checkatrade says. A bath and a shower together cost more than one or the other, and replacing only parts of a bathroom keeps the cost down.

Labour for fitting a new bathroom

Full bathroom fitting labour costs £1,500 to £3,000 per project in Checkatrade’s bathroom fitter costs guide.

Where the work is charged by the day, a bathroom fitter’s day rate is £320 to £480, on Checkatrade’s figures.

Installation cost for each fitting

Each fitting has its own installation price and average time in Checkatrade’s new bathroom cost guide.

Installation	Low	High	Average	Average time
Toilet	£175	£350	£220	2 to 3 hours
Basin	£100	£275	£175	1 to 2 hours
Bath	£250	£400	£325	3 to 5 hours
Shower	£250	£750	£500	2 hours to replace, up to 8 hours new
Shower enclosure	£350	£800	£575	3 to 5 hours
Heated towel rail	£200	£450	£300	2 to 4 hours
Radiator	£150	£300	£225	2 to 4 hours

Checkatrade counts a 3 piece suite as a toilet, a sink or vanity unit and a bath, with a separate shower as an option. A vanity unit is often in the total price, and installing one costs around £150 to £300 when it is quoted separately, on Checkatrade’s figures. An electric shower usually costs slightly more to install than a mixer shower, the same guide says.

Extra costs beyond the suite

The suite and the tiles are only part of a bathroom budget. Checkatrade lists waste removal, extractor fans, ceiling lights, tiling, pipework adjustments, flooring, finishing and underfloor heating as costs to consider beyond the suite.

Checkatrade’s additional costs table gives the average UK cost of each extra job.

Extra job	Average UK cost
Ripping out	£700
Electrical work	£900
Wall tiling	£950 to £1,250
Vinyl flooring	£250 to £950
All plumbing, first and second fix	£1,500 to £3,000
Underfloor heating	£100 per m²
Bathroom re-plaster	£1,500
Core drilling for new pipes	£250 to £500
Reconfiguring the layout, such as a new studwork wall	£1,750
Decorator	£700
Microcement	£100 to £250 per m²

Removing the old bathroom costs £600 to £1,000 depending on the scale, Checkatrade says, and a skip is a separate hire cost. Disposing of or selling the old suite yourself saves money.

What changes the cost of a new bathroom

Electrical work, such as a power shower or a dual fuel heated towel rail, and plumbing work, including how easy the plumbing is to reach, both change the price, Checkatrade says. So do the size and special features of the suite, the size of the bathroom, its location, the age and condition of the property and any specialists a complex installation needs.

Plan the layout around the existing pipes and waste, because relocating them adds cost, Checkatrade advises. Many bathroom designers provide a free planning service.

Refitting a bathroom with new units and fittings does not generally need building regulations approval, although drainage or electrical work that forms part of the refit may, the Planning Portal says. A bathroom in a room where there was not one before is likely to need approval, so that the room has adequate ventilation and drainage and meets the requirements for structural stability, electrical and fire safety.

Planning a new bathroom budget

On average a new bathroom installation takes 5 to 10 days, and a smaller renovation can take as little as two days, Checkatrade says. September to December is a busy time for bathroom fitters, so spring and summer could be better for getting the fitter you want, the same guide says.

Checkatrade’s planning advice is to decide the budget upfront and speak to a local bathroom expert, since some bathrooms have limitations that dictate the layout and fixtures. It also says to choose someone with proven experience and the appropriate qualifications or accreditations, and to shop around.

Bathroom fitters in Nottingham

Among the Nottingham bathroom fitters we compare, 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, and gives a 2 year guarantee on every installation.

SB Interiors Design & Installation gives bespoke 3D drawings, a detailed labour and product breakdown and a fixed quote. The fitting service at Bransons in Hucknall covers stripping out, plastering, plumbing, electrics, furniture, wall panelling, tiling and flooring.