A bathroom installation replaces your old suite with new sanitaryware, a bath or shower, tiling and fittings, including the plumbing, electrics, ventilation and waterproofing needed for a complete, watertight room.
Across Dorset, people look into a new bathroom to replace something worn out, to make the house work better for them, or to get it ready for a sale. We cover Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth and Christchurch and the smaller towns around them, working to the rules that apply in England. Expect a guide of £5,100–£12,000, VAT included, in the South West, and every quote follows a free visit.
- Guide price
- £5,100–£12,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 weeks per bathroom
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 2% above the national guide
- Towns listed
- 4
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does a new bathroom cost in Dorset?
Every figure below is a guide for a new bathroom in Dorset, inclusive of VAT. Regional pricing for the South West works out about 2% above the national guide, and the overall span is £5,100–£12,000. The survey costs you nothing, and after it we commit to a firm price for your specification in writing.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Dorset |
|---|---|---|
| Shower room or en-suite | A compact room with a shower, basin and toilet, keeping the existing layout. | £4,100–£8,200 |
| Family bathroom | A full suite with bath and shower, new tiling, lighting and an extractor fan. | £5,100–£12,000 |
| Premium bathroom or wet room | Standalone bath, wet room or walk-in shower, underfloor heating and large-format tiles. | £12,000–£20,500 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Suite, shower and tap specification
- Moving the toilet, bath or shower to a new position
- Wet room waterproofing and underfloor heating
- Condition of the floor, walls and existing pipework
What’s included?
- Measured survey and layout planning for your room
- Removal and disposal of the old suite and tiles
- New supply and waste pipework, including concealed fittings
- Electrics, lighting and extractor fan by qualified trades, with certificates
- Waterproofing behind showers and in wet areas
- Bath or shower, basin, toilet and taps fitted and tested
Housing across Dorset
Dorset's older villages use Purbeck and Portland stone, chalk and flint, and thatch on cob or brick cottages. Bournemouth and Poole have Victorian and Edwardian villas, large interwar suburbs and plenty of bungalows and flats, while Weymouth, Dorchester and Bridport mix Georgian and Victorian streets with newer estates.
Stone and thatched cottages may need lime repairs and conservation-area window choices. Bungalows around Bournemouth and Poole commonly suit loft conversions, and coastal homes often need roofline, rendering and window renewal.
Salt spray and south-westerly winds affect coastal homes, so external finishes and fixings need to cope with marine exposure.
Planning and building rules in Dorset
Dorset is in England, so the planning and building rules set out below are the ones that apply. We confirm the details with the council before we quote.
Internal work such as a new kitchen, bathroom, flooring, plastering or decorating does not need planning permission in England, unless the house is listed, when listed building consent may be needed even for internal changes.
Some internal work is covered by Building Regulations: new electrical circuits and work in bathrooms (Part P), new drainage, structural changes, extractor ventilation and any new window. Notifiable work is certified by a registered installer or by building control.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
From survey to handover
A visit to your home
First, someone visits your home in Dorset to see the space, take measurements and note anything that could affect the work, such as access or the condition of what is there. There is no charge for this visit.
Written quote
We turn the survey notes into a written quote. The price is fixed for the specification we agree, and the document sets out materials, scope and payment stages in plain language.
Dates and permissions
We handle the paperwork side: checking whether planning permission or building control approval is needed, submitting applications where they are, and scheduling the trades and materials around your dates.
Build and hand over
During the work we protect the areas around it and tidy up at the end of each day. Once complete, we check the finish, remove our materials and hand over paperwork such as building control sign-off where it applies.
How we work
Frequently asked questions
Will I have to go without a bathroom?
If it is your only bathroom, you will usually be without a shower or bath for most of the fitting time. We aim to keep the toilet working overnight wherever possible, refitting it temporarily at the end of each day during strip-out and first fix. If you have a second bathroom or downstairs toilet, the disruption is much easier. We plan the sequence with you before starting.
How much does a new bathroom cost?
A typical family bathroom costs £5,100–£12,000 supplied and fitted, including tiling, a new suite, shower, lighting and an extractor fan. Shower rooms and simple en-suites cost a little less, while wet rooms, standalone baths and large-format tiles cost more. Moving the toilet or replacing rotten floorboards adds to the total. We confirm a fixed price for the agreed specification after the survey.
Do I need a new boiler for a new shower?
You do not always need a new boiler for a new shower, but your hot water system decides what kind of shower will work well. Combi boilers suit mixer showers directly from the mains. Tank-fed systems may need a pump for good pressure, and electric showers heat their own water. We check your boiler, cylinder and water pressure during the survey and recommend a shower to match.
Is the price fixed?
Yes, for the specification we agree. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included at a fixed price. It only changes if you ask for something different, or if a problem the survey could not reasonably reveal later needs extra work. In either case we explain the change and confirm it in writing before going ahead.
Do you cover Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth?
Yes. As well as Dorset, we cover Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth and the rest of Dorset. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
Towns in Dorset
Homes in all of the following Dorset towns can get a written quote for a new bathroom. Open a town page to see prices and the postcodes we cover.