Updated 26 October 2026 · SK Home Improvements
A bathroom renovation replaces the sanitaryware, tiling, lighting and often the pipework in your bathroom. A full bathroom typically costs £5,000–£12,000 including VAT. Room size, the amount of tiling, the quality of fittings and whether the toilet, bath or shower move to new positions are the main cost drivers.
How much does a bathroom renovation cost?
A full bathroom renovation typically costs £5,000–£12,000 including VAT, covering strip-out, plumbing, electrics, plastering or boarding, tiling, sanitaryware and fitting. A small bathroom with mid-range fittings and the same layout sits towards the lower end. A larger room, full-height tiling, a walk-in shower or wet room, underfloor heating and premium fittings push the price towards the top.
Our guide-price tool gives a range for your room, and after a free site survey we confirm a fixed price for the agreed specification in writing.
What affects the cost of a new bathroom?
The layout, the amount of tiling and the specification of fittings have the biggest effect on cost. Keeping the toilet, basin and bath or shower in roughly the same positions keeps plumbing and waste work simple.
- Moving the toilet: the toilet needs a large waste pipe connected to the soil stack with enough fall. Moving it far from the stack can mean lifting floors or using a pumped system.
- Tiling: full-height tiling and large-format or natural stone tiles take more time and material than tiling around the bath and shower only.
- Showers: a mixer shower relies on your hot water system and water pressure; an electric shower needs its own circuit.
- Walls and floors: rotten floorboards, uneven walls or old plaster add preparation work that only shows once the old suite is removed.
- Heating: moving radiators, adding a heated towel rail or fitting underfloor heating adds cost.
What does a bathroom renovation usually include?
A full bathroom renovation usually includes everything from stripping out the old suite to the final silicone seal. A typical scope looks like this:
- Strip out the old bathroom and protect floors and stairs.
- First fix: new pipework, waste runs, electrics and an extractor fan route.
- Board or plaster walls, and waterproof (tank) shower areas.
- Prepare and level the floor, adding underfloor heating if chosen.
- Tile walls and floor, or lay another waterproof floor such as LVT.
- Second fix: fit the toilet, basin, bath or shower, taps, lighting and fan.
- Test, seal, decorate and clean.
Check that any quote you compare includes tanking, the extractor fan and electrical certification, as these are sometimes left out.
How much more does a wet room or en-suite cost?
A wet room usually costs more than a standard bathroom of the same size because the whole floor must be waterproofed and laid to fall towards the drain. On timber floors, joists may need to be cut or a pre-formed shower former fitted to create the fall, and the floor may need strengthening. Done properly, a wet room is very low maintenance, but poor waterproofing leads to leaks into the rooms below.
An en-suite in a new position, for example in a bedroom or a loft conversion, costs more than refitting an existing bathroom because new water supplies and a waste route have to be found. Where a gravity connection to the soil stack is not possible, a pumped macerator system is an option, though it has limits on what can be flushed.
What rules apply to electrics and ventilation in bathrooms?
Bathrooms have specific electrical and ventilation requirements because of water and steam. Electrical work is divided into zones around the bath and shower, which control what kind of fittings can go where and the level of water protection they need. Circuits must have residual current device (RCD) protection, and new circuits, such as for an electric shower, must be installed and certified by a suitably qualified electrician.
A bathroom needs mechanical extraction or another acceptable form of ventilation. In England, guidance for an intermittent bathroom extractor fan is an extract rate of at least 15 litres per second, and the other UK nations set similar requirements. A fan on a timer or humidity sensor helps prevent condensation and mould. Our Building Regulations guide covers how this work is approved.
Should you choose a bath, a shower or both?
Choose based on who uses the bathroom and how much space you have. A bath suits families with young children and anyone who likes to soak, and it can help when you sell if it is the only bathroom in the house. A walk-in shower suits smaller rooms, gives easier access for people with limited mobility, and usually uses less water per wash than a full bath.
A shower over a bath is a practical compromise in a small family bathroom, with a fixed glass screen keeping water in. Before choosing a shower, check your water pressure and hot water system: a combi boiler, a hot water cylinder and a gravity-fed system each suit different shower types, and a low-pressure system may need a pump or an electric shower.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
A typical bathroom renovation takes one to three weeks on site, depending on the size of the room, the amount of tiling and whether pipework moves. A simple like-for-like refit can be quicker, while a wet room or a bathroom needing new floors and replastering takes longer because waterproofing, screeds and plaster need time to dry before tiling.
If it is your only bathroom, ask how long you will be without a working toilet. On most jobs a toilet can be kept working or refitted temporarily at the end of each day except for a short period.
How can you keep bathroom costs down?
The simplest ways to save are to keep the layout the same and to tile only where water reaches. Other options:
- Tile around the bath and shower, and paint the remaining walls with a moisture-resistant bathroom paint.
- Choose standard-size sanitaryware and shower enclosures rather than made-to-measure.
- Use LVT instead of tiles on the floor, if you prefer a warmer, quicker-to-lay surface.
- Spend on what you touch every day, such as taps and shower valves, and save on accessories.
- Choose fittings early so they arrive before work starts.
Read more on our bathrooms page or see related guide figures on the prices page.
Related services
- Bathrooms: guide £5,000–£12,000 inc VAT
- Plastering and skimming: guide £550–£1,600 inc VAT
- Flooring: guide £1,200–£4,000 inc VAT
Figures in this guide are typical UK ranges including VAT where it applies. They are not quotes. Rules on planning and building control differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and change over time, so we check what applies to your property before quoting.