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.
In Scottish Borders, we price a new bathroom against our guide for Scotland, £4,800–£11,500 including VAT, then adjust it once we have surveyed your home. We work across Hawick, Galashiels, Peebles and Kelso and the rest of the county or region. Planning and building control requirements follow the rules for Scotland, and we look into your property's position before a written quote is sent.
- Guide price
- £4,800–£11,500 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 weeks per bathroom
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Price level
- About 4% below the national guide
- Towns listed
- 4
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Bathrooms prices in Scottish Borders
The costs listed here are typical for a new bathroom around Scottish Borders and include VAT. They reflect labour and material costs in Scotland, about 4% below the national guide, giving a range of £4,800–£11,500. Exact pricing depends on your home, so we only fix it once a free site survey is done.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Scottish Borders |
|---|---|---|
| Shower room or en-suite | A compact room with a shower, basin and toilet, keeping the existing layout. | £3,800–£7,700 |
| Family bathroom | A full suite with bath and shower, new tiling, lighting and an extractor fan. | £4,800–£11,500 |
| Premium bathroom or wet room | Standalone bath, wet room or walk-in shower, underfloor heating and large-format tiles. | £11,500–£19,000 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Room size and the amount of tiling
- Suite, shower and tap specification
- Wet room waterproofing and underfloor heating
- Condition of the floor, walls and existing pipework
What do you get?
- Measured survey and layout planning for your room
- Removal and disposal of the old suite and tiles
- 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
- Heated towel rail, silicone sealing and a final clean
Homes in Scottish Borders
Mill towns such as Hawick, Galashiels and Selkirk have stone terraces and tenements from the textile industry, Melrose and Kelso have older sandstone centres, and farmhouses and cottages across the Borders are built of whinstone or sandstone under slate roofs. Post-war and newer estates surround the larger towns.
Mill-town terraces and tenements often need lime repointing, re-roofing in slate and replacement windows. Newer homes commonly take extensions and garage conversions, and rural properties add fencing, porches and driveways.
Cold winters with frost and snow on higher ground, and the Tweed and Teviot can flood low-lying properties.
Planning and building rules in Scottish Borders
The notes below cover Scotland, which is where Scottish Borders sits. Rules change and every property is different, so we speak to the council before pricing your job.
Internal improvements do not need planning permission in Scotland unless the building is listed.
Like-for-like kitchen and bathroom replacements do not normally need a building warrant, but structural changes and some drainage or heating alterations do, and electrical work must meet the building standards.
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
We look at the job
We arrange a free site survey on a date convenient to you. We measure up, look at the existing structure and access, and discuss your plans for a new bathroom so the price reflects your home.
Your fixed price
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Dates and permissions
Next comes planning the work itself. We set a start date that suits you, line up the right trades, and make sure any approvals for a new bathroom are in place before the first day on site.
The work itself
Work goes ahead as scheduled and you deal with one contact throughout. When the last trade leaves, we clear and clean the site, talk you through what has been done and pass on any certificates and care instructions.
What you can expect from us
Frequently asked questions
Is a wet room right for my home?
A wet room is a fully waterproofed room with a shower area that drains through the floor, with no tray or step. It suits accessible bathrooms and modern designs, and makes cleaning easy. It needs a floor with enough depth for a gentle fall to the drain, and careful tanking of the whole room. Timber floors often need strengthening. We check suitability at the survey.
Can I stay at home during the work?
In most cases, yes. Most people can live at home throughout, and we plan the work to keep disruption down by protecting floors, agreeing working hours and keeping access routes clear. Bigger jobs affecting kitchens, bathrooms or heating may mean a short spell with reduced facilities, and we talk this through with you at the survey.
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.
Can I move the toilet to a different position?
Moving a toilet is usually possible, but it is limited by the soil pipe, which needs a large-diameter pipe with a steady fall to the soil stack. Short moves along the same wall are often simple, while moving it across the room may mean lifting floors or boxing in pipework. A macerator pump is an option where gravity will not work. We check the stack position during the survey.
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.
Towns in Scottish Borders
Find your town below. Every place listed in Scottish Borders is covered for a new bathroom, with the same survey, written quote and fixed-price process.