Fitting a new bathroom is one of the most cost-variable renovations in a UK home. A straightforward like-for-like replacement of sanitaryware in a small en-suite can be completed for under £5,000; a full wet room with underfloor heating, bespoke joinery, and natural stone in a large family bathroom can exceed £35,000. Understanding what drives cost, and what you are actually paying for, makes it much easier to set a realistic budget and identify where to spend and where to save.

The headline ranges: a basic new bathroom costs £4,500–8,000; mid-range £8,000–15,000; high-end £15,000–35,000+. These are supply-and-fit totals for a typical 4–6m² bathroom, excluding VAT. For comparison, one Federation of Master Builders member puts improving an existing suite at £5,000–£10,000 and a complete renovation from £12,000.1

What Drives Bathroom Cost

The single biggest cost driver is whether the plumbing needs to move. Replacing sanitaryware in the same positions is a straightforward plumbing exercise; relocating the bath to the opposite wall, moving the soil stack, or adding a shower where there was none requires significantly more pipework, structural consideration, and potentially Building Regs involvement.

Specification, the quality of tiles, sanitaryware, and fixtures, is the second major driver. Budget tiles at £20–40/m² versus natural stone at £100–200/m² represent a cost difference of roughly £600–1,800 on 10m² of tiling just in materials, before accounting for the additional installation time stone requires.

Access and condition are often underestimated. Old bathrooms frequently reveal hidden problems once stripped: rotted joists beneath the bath, inadequate waterproofing behind old tiles, failed plumbing connections. A contingency of 10–15% on top of the quoted price is sensible.

Cost Breakdown by Element

Each range below is for a single 4–6m² bathroom, excluding VAT. Where a row says supply, its fitting is priced on a row of its own.

ElementBasic rangeMid-rangeHigh-end
Strip-out and disposal£300–500£400–700£500–800
Plumbing (supply and waste, like-for-like)£800–1,200£1,200–2,000£1,800–2,500
Plumbing (significant relocation / new circuits)£1,500–3,000£2,500–4,500£4,000–8,000
Electrics (Part P: lighting, extractor, towel rail)£400–600£600–800£800–1,200
Tiling (walls + floor, typical 10m²)£800–1,400£1,200–2,500£2,000–5,000
Tiles (materials, 10m²)£200–400£400–1,200£1,200–3,000
Bath (supply)£200–500£500–1,200£1,200–4,000
Bath installation£150–250£200–350£250–500
Shower enclosure and tray (supply)£250–600£600–1,500£1,500–5,000
Shower installation£150–300£250–400£350–700
WC pan and cistern (supply)£100–250£250–700£700–2,000
Basin and vanity unit (supply)£150–4002£400–1,000£1,000–4,000
Heated towel rail (supply + fit)£150–350£300–600£500–1,200
Flooring (if not tiled, LVT or similar)£200–400£400–800£800–2,500
Plasterboard and waterproofing£200–400£300–600£500–1,000
Builder / project management£300–600£500–1,000£1,000–3,000

Worked Example: 5m² Mid-Range Bathroom (2026)

A typical mid-range full refurbishment of a 5m² family bathroom in a three-bedroom semi-detached, replacing all sanitaryware in approximately the same positions, with ceramic wall tiles and luxury vinyl flooring.

ItemEstimated cost
Strip-out and skip/disposal£550
Plumber (3 days @ £300/day)£900
Plumbing materials (pipe, waste, valves)£350
Electrician (1.5 days @ £320/day)£480
Electrical materials (fan, lighting, wiring)£200
Waterproofing and plasterboard£450
Tiler (4 days @ £260/day)£1,040
Wall tiles (8m² @ £45/m²)£360
Floor tiles (5m² @ £55/m²)£275
Tile adhesive, grout, edge trims£180
Bath (freestanding-style acrylic)£650
Shower enclosure and tray£850
WC with concealed cistern£500
Basin and vanity unit (600mm)£550
Heated towel rail (supply + fit)£380
Mirrors, accessories£200
Builder (1 day, coordination and making good)£280
Contingency (10%)£820
Total (ex-VAT)£9,015
VAT at 20%£1,803
Total (inc-VAT)£10,818

This is a realistic all-in figure for a competent mid-range bathroom at typical day rates outside London. In London and the South East, where day rates run higher (see below), expect to pay more.

Trade Day Rates in 2026

Day rates vary by region (London and South East are highest), experience, and whether the tradesperson is self-employed or from a firm with overhead.

TradeTypical day rate (UK, 2026)London / South East
Plumber£250–350/day3£320–420/day4
Tiler£200–300/day£260–370/day
Electrician£250–380/day£300–430/day
Labourer / general builder£150–220/day5£190–270/day

Day rate work suits experienced tradespeople you have vetted and trust; fixed-price quotes give more certainty for larger projects but may build in a contingency premium. Always obtain three quotes for a bathroom project and ask for itemised breakdowns, this makes comparison meaningful and negotiation honest.

Wet Room vs Shower Tray

A wet room (fully tanked floor-level shower area, no tray or enclosure) costs more than a standard shower enclosure and tray. Proper tanking, applying a liquid waterproof membrane to all walls and the floor before tiling, adds £400–900 to the tiling cost and requires a minimum drying time between coats. The floor must also slope to the drain at a minimum 1:80 fall, which typically requires a screeded former or a dedicated wet room tray under the tile finish.

A shower tray installation is faster, cheaper, and more forgiving of minor waterproofing lapses, but limits the size and shape of the shower. A 900×900mm tray and enclosure can be installed in half a day by an experienced plumber; a wet room of the same floor area takes a tiler two to three days of tanking and tiling.

Building Regulations Requirements

Part P (Electrical safety) applies to all electrical work in a bathroom. A new circuit, a consumer unit replacement, or any addition to or alteration of an existing circuit in the space around the bath or shower is notifiable.6 It must be carried out by a registered competent person (NICEIC, NAPIT, or similar scheme member) who will self-certify their own work, or by an unregistered electrician, in which case it must be notified to Building Control before it starts so the work can be inspected and certified.6

Part G (Sanitation, hot water safety, water efficiency) limits the hot water that can be delivered to a fixed bath to 48°C, which in practice means a thermostatic mixing valve.7 Note when it applies, because it is not about who lives there: Requirement G3(4) bites only when a dwelling is erected, or formed by a material change of use.7 Replacing a bath in an existing house is neither, so the 48°C limit is not triggered by an ordinary bathroom refit, though it is still worth fitting. Under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, a WC cistern must not give a single flush of more than 6 litres, and on a dual-flush cistern the smaller flush must be no more than two-thirds of the full one.8

Part F (Ventilation) sets a minimum intermittent extract rate of 15 litres per second for a bathroom.9 When a bathroom is refurbished, any existing extract fan should be kept or replaced, but if the room had no ventilation system before, Approved Document F does not require one to be added, though a fan is still worth fitting.9 A new bathroom added to a house does need extract ventilation.9 In a bathroom with no openable window, an intermittent fan should keep running for at least 15 minutes after the room is vacated.9

VAT

Standard-rate 20% VAT applies to most bathroom fitting and supply work.10 A zero rate of 0% VAT (until 31 March 2027, then 5%) applies to some energy-saving materials, specifically qualifying insulation, draught-proofing materials, and renewable heat products, installed in eligible dwellings, but this does not reduce the rate on sanitaryware, tiling, or general plumbing.11 Providing, extending or adapting a bathroom can be zero-rated when the work is necessary to suit the condition of a disabled person and the home is their private residence.12 Confirm the VAT treatment with your contractor in writing before signing a contract.

What Pushes Cost Up

Moving the soil stack, the large 110mm soil pipe that carries waste from the WC, is among the most expensive single plumbing alterations in a bathroom project, adding £1,500–4,000 or more depending on its route through the building and whether it exits through an external wall or through the roof.

Structural changes, cutting a new opening for a skylight or window, removing a non-structural partition to enlarge the room, add both labour cost and Building Regs implications.

Underfloor heating (UFH) under tiles adds £50–100/m² for electric mat systems and requires the tiler to integrate the mat into the tile adhesive bed. Wet UFH systems in a bathroom refurbishment are less common due to the complexity of connecting to the heating circuit.

Premium tiles slow the tiler down significantly. Large-format tiles (600×1,200mm or above), natural stone, and intricate mosaic work can reduce output to 2–3m² per day, doubling tiling costs compared with standard 30×60cm ceramic.

Bespoke fitted furniture, full-height vanity units, drawer towers, and mirror cabinets from a bespoke joiner, adds £2,000–8,000 over standard freestanding or semi-fitted furniture.

References (12)

Figures in this note were checked against the sources below on 30 September 2026. Superscript numbers in the text point to them. Every source the site cites, by topic.

  1. 1costgoodFederation of Master Builders.RN-9N82ANA price, true at 2026-09. The FMB's element-by-element bathroom cost guide. It gives tiling labour at about £40 per m² and typical ceramic bathroom tiles at £25 per m², which sets the floor of the wet room tiling rates.
  2. 2costsupplier figureToolstation.RN-EUM648A price, true at 2026-09. Toolstation, nuie arno double door wall hung vanity unit gloss white 500mm. Held in the cost register as a price source for "Vanity unit with basin, wall hung"; the passage quoted against it reads: nuie Arno Double Door Wall Hung Vanity Unit Bleached Oak 500mm With Slim Edge Basin £207.99 ex. VAT £173.32
  3. 3costvery strongOffice for National Statistics.RN-MMT1DOA price, true at 2026-01. The ASHE Table 14 dataset gives annual estimates of paid hours worked and earnings for UK employees by sex and by full-time or part-time status, broken down to four-digit Standard Occupational Classification, which is the level that isolates individual construction trades such as bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers and electricians. Released 23 October 2025 as the 2025 provisional edition (zip, about 10.7 MB), with revised and provisional editions back to 2017. A correction dated 19 December 2025 suppressed annual pay estimates for SOC 3312 police officers in some areas; construction occupations are unaffected.
  4. 4costvery strongHomes and Communities Agency, a government page.RN-IJYN87A price, true at 2026-01. The GOV.UK publication page for the Homes and Communities Agency guidance on dereliction, demolition and remediation costs, prepared with Ove Arup and Partners. Held for its regional adjustment factors, which are what the register uses it for: the multipliers that take a national construction rate to a region. It is not a source of current prices, and the rates in the guidance itself are of its own date.
  5. 5costgoodCISRS.RN-RZNJD5A price, true at 2026-07. CISRS, the scaffolding industry's training scheme, reporting the CIJC pay settlement. Useful as a dated confirmation of when a rate took effect; the rates themselves come from the CIJC promulgation, which is the agreement rather than a report of it.
  6. 6technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.RN-JYJ3I5The document that decides what electrical work a homeowner may legally do themselves, and the exact list of notifiable jobs. Regulation 12(6A), reproduced at paragraph 2.5, makes only three things notifiable: the installation of a new circuit, the replacement of a consumer unit, and any addition or alteration to existing circuits in a special location. Regulation 12(9) defines special location as, in a room containing a bath or shower, the zone extending vertically from finished floor level to 2.25 metres (or the shower head position if higher) and horizontally 600mm from the edge of the bath tub or shower tray. Paragraph 2.7 states that all other electrical installation work is not notifiable, namely additions and alterations to existing installations outside special locations, and replacements, repairs and maintenance anywhere. Paragraph 2.8 gives worked examples: a built-in cooker is not notifiable unless a new cooker circuit is needed, and connecting an electric gate or garage door to an existing isolator is not notifiable but running a new circuit from the consumer unit to that isolator is. Paragraph 2.2 confirms Part P reaches outdoor work including fixed garden lighting, pond pumps and outbuildings such as sheds, detached garages and domestic greenhouses. Notifiable work must be certified by self-certification by a registered competent person, third-party certification, or a building control body (paragraph 3.1), with the compliance certificate issued within 30 days (paragraph 3.4). Note that Approved Document P is a source of guidance rather than a ban: non-notifiable work still has to comply with BS 7671.
  7. 7technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-3PNB0TThe functional requirements themselves, as distinct from the Approved Documents that give one way of meeting them. Part H, drainage and waste disposal, is the operative part for external works. H1 requires an adequate system of drainage to carry foul water from appliances to a public sewer, private sewer, treatment system or cesspool, in that order of priority. H2 covers wastewater treatment systems and cesspools: siting and construction to avoid health hazards and water contamination, adequate access for emptying and maintenance, sufficient capacity, impermeability, ventilation and a durable notice to the owner about maintenance. H3 is the one that governs patios and driveways: adequate provision shall be made for rainwater to be carried from the roof of the building, and paved areas shall be adequately drained, with discharge to a soakaway or other infiltration system, then a watercourse, then a sewer, in that order of priority - the requirement biting on paved areas that provide access to the building or to waste storage. H4 prohibits building work over an existing sewer that would damage it or obstruct maintenance access. H5 requires surface water and foul drainage to be kept separate where reasonably practicable. H6 covers solid waste storage. Part K covers protection from falling, collision and impact; Part M covers access, with the three dwelling categories.
  8. 8technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-MY6E6ESchedule 2 to the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, which applies in England and Wales. It caps WC flush volumes and requires backflow prevention on every water system.
  9. 9technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.RN-QD1SFFTable 1.1 sets minimum intermittent extract rates: kitchen with a cooker hood extracting outside 30 l/s, kitchen without one 60 l/s, utility room 30 l/s, bathroom 15 l/s, sanitary accommodation 6 l/s. Extract terminals and fans other than cooker hoods should be as high as practicable and no more than 400mm below the ceiling; a cooker hood should sit between 650mm and 750mm above the hob if the manufacturer gives no figure. Table 1.7 requires background ventilators of at least 8000mm2 equivalent area in habitable rooms and kitchens for a dwelling, 10,000mm2 for a single-storey dwelling. Background ventilators should be at least 1700mm above floor level and at least 500mm from a fan in the same room. On replacement windows, paragraph 3.14 says new windows must carry background ventilators no smaller than the originals, and paragraph 3.15 gives the fallback minimums where the old size is unknown: 8000mm2 habitable rooms, 8000mm2 kitchen, 4000mm2 bathroom. Paragraph 3.32 confirms that replacing an extractor fan or cooker hood on existing cabling is not notifiable.
  10. 10technicalvery strongHM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK), guidance.RN-4W7T33Sets the three UK VAT rates: standard 20% on most goods and services, reduced 5% on some goods and services such as children's car seats and home energy, and zero 0% on zero-rated goods such as most food and children's clothes. The standard rate rose to 20% on 4 January 2011 from 17.5%. Some supplies are exempt rather than rated, including postage stamps and financial and property transactions. This is the reference for converting a merchant's ex-VAT trade quote into the figure a homeowner actually pays.
  11. 11technicalvery strongHM Revenue & Customs, guidance.RN-1HRJJ7Section 2.1 sets a zero rate of VAT on the installation of energy-saving materials in residential accommodation from 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2027, after which the rate reverts to the 5% reduced rate; section 2.22 extended it to buildings used solely for relevant charitable purposes from 1 February 2024. Section 2.7 lists the qualifying materials: central heating and hot water controls, draught stripping, insulation to walls, floors, ceilings, roofs, lofts and pipes, solar panels, wind turbines, water turbines, ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, micro combined heat and power units and wood-fuelled boilers, with water source heat pumps, batteries for energy storage and smart diverters added on 1 February 2024. Section 2.3 is the critical rule for a renovation note: relief applies to an installation service, or materials supplied and installed together, but materials bought without installation stay standard-rated at 20%.
  12. 12technicalvery strongHM Revenue & Customs, guidance.RN-DIMFXYHMRC's notice on VAT reliefs for disabled people. Section 6.3 zero-rates providing, extending or adapting a bathroom for a disabled person's condition in their private residence.

  1. Bathroom renovation costs: a cost breakdown, Federation of Master Builders, accessed 30 September 2026. Priced at 2026-09 and left there. fmb.org.uk

  2. nuie arno double door wall hung vanity unit gloss white 500mm, Toolstation, accessed 29 September 2026. Priced at 2026-09, so no calibration is needed. toolstation.com

  3. ASHE Table 14.6a, hourly pay excluding overtime by occupation, 2025 provisional, Office for National Statistics, accessed 17 September 2026. Priced at 2026-01, so no calibration is needed. ons.gov.uk

  4. Guidance on dereliction, demolition and remediation costs, regional adjustment factors, Homes and Communities Agency with Ove Arup and Partners, accessed 21 September 2026. Priced at 2026-01, so no calibration is needed. gov.uk

  5. New CIJC pay rates confirmed for construction industry from 20 July 2026, CISRS / CIJC, accessed 15 September 2026. Priced at 2026-07, so no calibration is needed. cisrs.org.uk

  6. Approved Document P, Electrical safety: Dwellings, 2013 edition incorporating 2010 and 2013 amendments, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 14 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  7. The Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 1: Requirements, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  8. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2: Requirements for water fittings, legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives), accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  9. Approved Document F, Ventilation, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2021 edition, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 14 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  10. VAT rates, GOV.UK, accessed 30 September 2026. gov.uk

  11. Energy-saving materials and heating equipment (VAT Notice 708/6), HM Revenue & Customs, accessed 7 September 2026. gov.uk

  12. Reliefs from VAT for disabled and older people (VAT Notice 701/7), HM Revenue & Customs, accessed 30 September 2026. gov.uk