A whole-house renovation is a planned refurbishment of an entire home, typically combining rewiring, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration, and sometimes layout changes, carried out in a logical order under one project.
From Bishopsworth to the quieter corners of Bristol, homeowners can book a free survey for a whole-house renovation. We look at the building, agree the scope, then send a quote in writing that fixes the cost of that scope. Work follows the rules for England, and our published range for the South West, £46,000–£122,000 with VAT, gives you a sense of budget before we visit.
- Guide price
- £46,000–£122,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 2% above the national guide
- Towns listed
- 1
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Whole-house renovations prices in Bristol
Here is how the guide price for a whole-house renovation breaks down in Bristol. We start from national figures and adjust for the South West, which comes out about 2% above the national guide. The resulting range, VAT included, is £46,000–£122,000, and a survey, at no cost to you, firms it up.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Bristol |
|---|---|---|
| Light refurbishment | Decoration, flooring, minor repairs and perhaps one new kitchen or bathroom. | £15,500–£46,000 |
| Full refurbishment | Rewire, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration throughout a 3-bed house. | £46,000–£122,000 |
| Renovation with structural changes | A full refurbishment plus wall removal, layout changes or extra bathrooms. | £102,000–£184,000 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Size of the house and number of rooms being renovated
- Kitchen and bathroom specification
- Structural or layout changes and associated approvals
- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage
What’s included?
- Room-by-room survey and a planned order of works
- Strip-out of old kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and finishes
- Plastering, skimming and repairs to ceilings and walls
- New kitchen and bathroom fitted to your chosen specification
- Flooring, internal doors, skirting and joinery
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
Homes in Bristol
Bristol has a strong mix: Georgian terraces and villas in Clifton and Kingsdown, rows of Victorian and Edwardian terraces across Bishopston, Totterdown and Easton, and interwar council estates on the edges. Grey-brown Pennant sandstone is a common walling stone, often with Bath stone dressings, alongside brick, render and newer apartments near the harbour.
Terraced streets often suit loft rooms and side-return extensions, plus stone repointing in lime mortar. Hillside houses can need retaining work for patios and driveways, while interwar homes commonly take rear extensions and new windows.
Exposed, west-facing slopes can catch heavy driving rain, so render, pointing and window seals on those elevations take more weather than sheltered ones.
Planning and building rules in Bristol
Planning law differs across the UK. For a home in Bristol, it is the England rules below that count, and we check them with the council ahead of any 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
Survey and measure
Book a visit and we'll come to you. The survey covers measurements, the state of what's there now and any obvious constraints, so the price that follows is based on your actual home, not an average.
Quote in writing
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.
Booking the work
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.
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
Can we live in the house while it is renovated?
Living in a house during a full renovation is possible but hard, especially while rewiring, plastering and the kitchen and bathroom are being done. Many people move out for the noisiest weeks or stay elsewhere for the whole project. If you stay, we can phase the work room by room and keep one bathroom and a basic kitchen working for as long as possible. We discuss this at the survey.
What happens if you find damp or rot?
If we find damp or rot during a renovation, we stop that area, show you the problem and explain the likely cause, such as a leaking gutter, bridged damp-proof course or poor ventilation. We then give you a written price to fix the cause and repair the damage before carrying on. Treating the cause matters more than treating the symptom, so we focus on that first.
How long does a full house renovation take?
A full renovation of a typical 3-bed house usually takes around 8–16 weeks on site, and longer if there are structural changes or extensive repairs. A light refresh may take only a few weeks. Material lead times for kitchens, windows and bathroom fittings also affect the programme. We give you a week-by-week plan with your quote and update it as the work progresses.
Which postcodes in Bristol do you cover?
We cover BS3, along with the rest of Bristol. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
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.
Towns in Bristol
These are the towns in Bristol where you can book a free survey for a whole-house renovation. Each has its own page with guide prices and coverage details.