How much does a bathroom renovation cost in the UK? (2026)
Verified UK bathroom renovation costs in 2026 by tier (refresh, mid, premium), plus what is typically included, the labour-vs-materials split, and what is missing from most quotes.
A UK bathroom renovation in 2026 costs £3,000 for a basic refresh, £5,000–£9,000 for a mid-range project, and £10,000–£20,000+ for a premium refit. Most homeowners land in the mid-range £5,500–£8,000 band, confirmed across Checkatrade, MyJobQuote, and Bathroom Mountain.
Quick answer
UK bathroom renovation costs in 2026: Budget refresh £3,000–£5,000; Mid-range £5,000–£9,000; Premium £10,000–£20,000+. Typical UK homeowner spend lands at £5,500–£8,000. Labour is 40–50% of the total. Time on site: 5–10 days for a typical mid-range install. Keeping the existing layout saves 30–40% versus moving fixtures.
How to read this guide#
Two kinds of figures appear below:
- Headline price ranges (cost by tier, labour share, time on site): cross-referenced against multiple UK cost-guide publishers.
- Practical guidance (what is included, layout vs swap, scope gaps, red flags): drawn from standard UK installation practice.
Headline ranges (verified)#
Cost by tier#
| Tier | Range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget refresh | £3,000 – £5,000 | Like-for-like suite swap, splashback retile, repaint |
| Mid-range | £5,000 – £9,000 | Decent suite, full retiling, fresh plumbing where needed, new lighting and extractor |
| Premium | £10,000 – £20,000+ | High-end suite, porcelain or natural-stone tiling, underfloor heating, walk-in shower or wet-room, custom joinery |
Most UK homeowners spend £5,500–£8,000 (Checkatrade), placing them firmly in the mid-range tier with some custom touches.
Labour and time#
- Labour share: 40–50% of the total renovation cost (Checkatrade)
- On site: 5–7 days for a small bathroom, 7–10 days for a medium bathroom (MyJobQuote, Checkatrade)
- Wet-room conversion: add 2–4 days for tanking and drainage works
London and South-East uplift#
Bathroom renovation costs in London and the South-East run roughly 15–25% above these national figures. A mid-range £7,000 renovation nationally typically lands at £8,000–£8,800 in inner London.
Practical guidance (industry standard)#
What a complete renovation quote should cover#
A typical UK bathroom renovation quote should include:
- Strip-out of existing suite, tiles, and floor
- Disposal of waste and skip hire for the duration
- New floor preparation (level, screed if needed)
- Plumbing first fix: hot and cold supplies to new positions, waste runs to the soil stack
- New suite supply and install (toilet, basin, bath or shower, taps)
- Tile supply and fit (walls, floor, splashback)
- Plumbing second fix: connect taps, valves, shower
- Electrics: new lighting, extractor fan, shaver point
- Decoration to the bathroom only
- Building control notification for any notifiable electrical work
- 12-month workmanship guarantee
It often does not cover:
- Decoration outside the bathroom (the hallway gets touched up if a pipe runs through it; that touch-up is rarely included)
- Removing and replacing the bathroom door or door furniture
- Heated towel rail and underfloor heating thermostats unless specified
- Mirror, mirror cabinets, vanity units beyond a basic basin
- Replacing a window in the bathroom
- Accessibility adaptations: grab rails, level-access shower formers, raised toilets
- Any structural work: removing or moving walls, repositioning the soil stack
- Plumbing repairs to the pipework feeding the bathroom (separate from the bathroom itself)
When you compare bathroom quotes, the easy mistake is comparing a £7,500 quote inclusive of all the above against a £6,500 quote that excludes some. Read the inclusions list line by line.
Layout change vs like-for-like#
The single biggest cost variable in a bathroom renovation is whether the layout changes. Keeping the toilet, basin, bath, and shower in their existing positions saves 30–40% over the same renovation with fixtures repositioned.
What "moving" actually involves:
- Toilet relocation: the soil stack (the 100 mm pipe to the drain) needs extending, often through floors. Adds £400–£900 in plumbing labour.
- Basin relocation: small change to hot and cold supplies, usually £150–£300.
- Bath or shower relocation: hot, cold, waste, often new underfloor structure. £600–£1,200.
- Combining bath and shower into a wet-room: full floor tanking, drainage, and waste. £900–£2,000 over and above the new suite.
If your existing layout is awkward but workable, get the renovation costed both ways before deciding. The price difference is real, and sometimes the awkward layout becomes acceptable when the alternative is £3,000+ extra.
En-suite vs main bathroom#
Costs are comparable per m². Differences:
- Compact en-suites (3 m² or less) lean toward £2,500–£5,500 by virtue of size alone (MyJobQuote)
- Plumbing run length matters more in en-suites, which are often upstairs and far from the existing soil stack
- Ventilation is harder; an extractor with external duct is typically required (en-suites without windows must have mechanical ventilation under Building Regs)
- Quality often higher because en-suites are private and the fittings are seen daily by the people who paid for them
Red flags in bathroom quotes specifically#
Beyond standard quote red flags (covered separately), some are bathroom-specific:
No NICEIC or registered electrician for the electrics. Electrical work in zone 1 and 2 (within 60 cm of the bath or shower) is notifiable under Part P. The fitter often subcontracts to an electrician. The quote should name the electrician or confirm the fitter is registered.
No mention of waste connection inspection. Re-using existing waste pipework without inspecting it is the most common shortcut. Old soil stacks, corroded waste runs, and missed venting issues surface later as smells or blockages. A proper quote includes a check of the existing waste plumbing.
Vague "tile allowance" without a per-m² rate. "Tile allowance: £500" can mean cheap matt-glaze ceramics or premium porcelain, depending on quantity. Insist on a per-m² figure, an indication of the quantity, and a tile spec (size, finish, brand).
No tanking mentioned for a walk-in shower. Walk-in showers without proper tanking (waterproof membrane behind the tiles) leak through walls within 5–10 years. The work is invisible afterwards but vital during install. A quote that does not mention tanking is missing it.
No allowance for floor levelling. Old bathroom floors are rarely level. Tiles laid on an unlevel floor crack and grout fails. A proper quote includes a self-levelling compound or floor screed step before tiling. Quotes that skip this are either assuming the floor is already level (rarely true) or planning to skip it.
No isolation valves on supplies. New basins, baths, and showers should be installed with isolation valves on the supply pipework, so that future maintenance does not require shutting down the whole property. Quotes that do not specify isolation valves are saving £20 of fittings and creating a £200 problem later.
Comparing your bathroom quote#
The quote checker on this site analyses each line item against current UK rates, flags missing scope (electrics certification, tanking, isolation valves, layout-change costs), and runs a Companies House check on the contractor. For a £7,500 renovation, the £14 cost is small relative to the decision; the information returned closes the gap between "this looks roughly right" and "every line is accounted for".
Got a quote you want checked?
Paste any UK contractor quote and CheckTheQuote compares every line item against current market rates, flags missing scope, and runs a Companies House check on the contractor. First project free.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a bathroom renovation cost in the UK in 2026?
- Between £3,000 and £20,000+, depending on the tier. A budget refresh is £3,000–£5,000 (Checkatrade, MyJobQuote). A mid-range renovation with full retiling and a decent suite is £5,000–£9,000. A premium refit with high-end fittings and design changes is £10,000–£20,000+. Most UK homeowners spend in the mid-range £5,500–£8,000 band.
- Why is moving the layout so much more expensive?
- Keeping the existing layout (toilet, basin, bath/shower in the same positions) saves 30–40% compared to changing it. Moving fixtures means rerouting waste pipes (the soil stack going to the drain), extending hot and cold supplies, possibly opening floors and walls. The work behind the visible finish doubles. If your existing layout is workable, keep it.
- How long does a bathroom installation take?
- A like-for-like swap by a single bathroom fitter takes 5–7 days for a small bathroom, 7–10 days for a medium one. Add 2–3 days for layout changes that involve replumbing. Add another 1–2 days if tiling is an extensive scope. A wet-room conversion (full tanking, no enclosure) adds 2–4 days for the tanking and drainage works.
- Do I need a building regulations sign-off for a bathroom?
- For a like-for-like replacement, no. For a new bathroom in a previously non-bathroom space (a conversion), yes. New electrical work in zone 1 or 2 (anything within 60 cm of the bath or shower) requires Part P notification by a registered electrician. Removal or addition of windows in the bathroom may also need building control. Most simple swaps fall outside notification entirely.
- What's typically not included in a bathroom quote?
- Common gaps: removing and disposing of the old suite (sometimes counted, sometimes not), tiles beyond the splashback if not specified, decoration after install, electrical works (extractor fan rewire, shaver point, lighting changes), accessibility adaptations (grab rails, walk-in shower formers), heated towel rail, underfloor heating, mirror, vanity unit, and any structural changes (wall removal, soil-stack relocation). Read the exclusions section.
- Should I include a contingency budget?
- Yes. 10–15% on top of the headline price for a standard renovation, 15–20% for older properties (pre-1930) or where you suspect hidden plumbing issues. Bathrooms are the most prone to surprises during the strip-out: wet rot under floorboards, corroded waste pipes, dodgy historical plumbing connections. Contingency money you do not spend rolls into upgrades; contingency you needed and did not budget for becomes a difficult conversation.