How much does a bathroom renovation cost in the UK?
A bathroom renovation costs £8,000 on average in the UK. Most jobs fall between £4,000 and £16,000 for the room. Spec level: Budget £4,000 to £6,500; Mid-range £6,500 to £10,000; High-end £10,000 to £16,000. Prices reviewed June 2026.
A new bathroom is priced mostly by the spec of the fittings and tiles, and by how much you move around. Keeping the layout the same saves a lot.
Bathroom renovation cost calculator
Price your bathroom renovation in 2026 part by part: the fittings, the tiling, the suite and the extras, for a UK cost range where you live. Every line is priced from a guide on this site, and nothing is sent anywhere.
Bathroom renovation cost breakdown
Typical bathroom renovation costs, by option:
| Spec level | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Budget, same layout | £4,000 to £6,500 |
| Mid-range | £6,500 to £10,000 |
| High-end / re-plan | £10,000 to £16,000 |
| + Add underfloor heating | add £500 to £1,200 |
Bathroom renovation cost by room size and tiling
What the calculator gives for a bathroom kept in the same layout, with a straight bath and a shower over it, a close-coupled toilet and ceramic tiles, by how much of the room is tiled. Tiling is the main part of a bathroom priced by the square metre, so it is the part that grows with the room; the suite, the plumbing and the trades cost much the same in a small bathroom as in a big one.
| How much is tiled | Budget fittings | Mid-range fittings |
|---|---|---|
| Splashback and half-height walls (8 m²) | £4,000 to £6,500 | £5,900 to £9,100 |
| Small bathroom, walls and floor (15 m²) | £4,300 to £7,000 | £6,200 to £9,500 |
| Average family bathroom (22 m²) | £4,600 to £7,400 | £6,500 to £10,000 |
| Large bathroom or wet room (32 m²) | £5,000 to £8,100 | £6,900 to £10,500 |
What each part of a bathroom costs
The prices the calculator adds up, supplied and fitted at the UK average, each taken from the guide the row links to.
How the calculator adds it up: it starts from this guide's own price for a refit at the fittings level you pick, £4,000 to £6,500 with budget fittings for a room with splashbacks and half-height tiling, and £6,500 to £10,000 mid-range for an average family bathroom tiled on the walls and floor. Both assume a straight bath with a shower over it, a close-coupled toilet and a like-for-like fan. Taking those out at the prices above leaves the refit itself, about £2,800 to £4,000 with budget fittings and £4,700 to £6,600 mid-range, which covers the strip-out, the plumbing and electrics, the basin and taps, and the fitting and making good. Everything you choose is then added at its own guide's price, so with nothing changed the total is this guide's band exactly. The total is rounded the way every calculator on this site rounds, and the refit line takes the few pounds of rounding so that the lines add up to it. Moving the bath and a new shower circuit are the difference between two options on their guides, and hacking off and re-plastering is the plastering guide's full re-plaster plus its hack-off add-on. Figures include VAT where it is charged. The refit prices were reviewed June 2026 and the parts June to September 2026.
There is no high-end setting, because on this guide a high-end room is a mid-range refit with the upgrades added: a freestanding bath, a level-access shower, a wall-hung toilet and underfloor heating take an average family bathroom to £9,900 to £16,000, against the £10,000 to £16,000 high-end band in the table above. Moving the toilet is not priced, because it depends on the route to the soil pipe; it is the change most worth a survey before you commit.
What's included in the price?
Typical bathroom renovation prices include:
- Strip-out and disposal
- Plumbing, electrics and ventilation
- Tiling, fitting and making good
- Standard suite, taps and shower
What changes the price?
The things that move bathroom renovation prices most:
Quality of the suite, brassware and tiles
Whether you move the bath, toilet or basin (moving soil pipes adds cost)
Underfloor heating, a walk-in shower or a freestanding bath
Room size and tile area
How the price is built up
Most of a bathroom quote is the labour to strip out the old room and run the work in sequence: rip-out, first-fix plumbing and electrics, tiling, fitting the suite, then sealing and finishing. A standard refit keeps the bath, basin and toilet roughly where they are and takes a small team around 6 to 10 working days, which is why a like-for-like job sits near the £4,000 end. The price climbs towards £8,000 and beyond once you add tiling to more walls, move waste pipes, or step up from a builders-merchant suite to mid-range fittings; a premium room, with a freestanding bath, a level-access shower, a wall-hung toilet and underfloor heating, is what takes a job to the £16,000 top of the band. On a typical £8,000 bathroom, labour and materials land close to an even split, with fitting, tiling and plumbing usually taking 45 to 60 percent of the total and the suite, tiles and fittings making up the rest.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Keep the bath, toilet and basin in their existing positions. Moving soil and waste pipes adds plumbing time and is one of the biggest avoidable costs.
- Tile to shower height and around the bath rather than floor to ceiling on every wall. Fewer square metres of tiling cuts both labour and material spend.
- Buy a mid-range suite and save the budget for the brassware (taps, shower valve) and tiles, which are what you see and touch every day.
- Get the room emptied and any old units or flooring lifted before the fitter starts, and have all fittings on site, so you are not paying day rates for waiting or extra trips.
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, a bathroom renovation typically costs around £9,600, about 20% above the UK average of £8,000. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £7,800.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £4,000 | £8,000 | £16,000 |
| London | £4,800 | £9,600 | £19,000 |
| South East / South West | £4,200 | £8,400 | £17,000 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
Guide prices for the room, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Bathroom renovation cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £3,800 | £7,600 | £15,000 |
| Birmingham | £4,000 | £8,000 | £16,000 |
| Bristol | £4,200 | £8,400 | £17,000 |
| Cardiff | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
| Edinburgh | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
| Glasgow | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
| Leeds | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
| Liverpool | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
| London | £4,800 | £9,600 | £19,000 |
| Manchester | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
| Newcastle | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
| Sheffield | £3,900 | £7,800 | £15,500 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for bathroom renovation, not quotes.
The trades are what move, so the gap is labour rather than fittings.
Compare this with a real quote
The figures above are guide prices. Two or three quotes for your bathroom renovation tell you what it costs where you live.
Common questions
How much is a small bathroom renovation?
A small bathroom kept in the same layout, with the walls and floor tiled (about 15 m² of tiling), costs around £4,300 to £7,000 with budget fittings and £6,200 to £9,500 with mid-range ones. That is not much less than a family bathroom, because the suite, the plumbing, the electrics and the trades' time cost much the same in a small room, and tiling is the main part priced by the square metre. With only splashbacks and half-height tiling, a budget refit starts at £4,000. A cloakroom with just a toilet and a basin is a much smaller job than either.
What is the most expensive part of a bathroom?
Labour and tiling are usually the biggest line, followed by the shower and any layout changes. Moving the toilet or bath adds the most because of the soil pipe work.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
A standard bathroom renovation takes around 6 to 10 working days for a small team, covering rip-out, first-fix plumbing and electrics, tiling, fitting the suite and finishing. A simple like-for-like refit near the £4,000 mark can be done in under a week, while a typical £8,000 job runs closer to two weeks once tiling and a shower enclosure are involved. Moving the bath or toilet, fitting underfloor heating or building a wet room adds days, so a £15,000 project can take three weeks or more. Tile drying and grout curing also add unavoidable waiting time.
How much does it cost to convert a bath into a walk-in shower?
In a full refit it adds less than most people expect, because you stop paying for the bath and the shower over it: about £350 to £500 more for a walk-in shower on a low tray, and £1,350 to £2,000 more for a level-access one built on a floor former. Keeping the bath and adding a separate walk-in instead adds £750 to £1,400 on a low tray, or £1,750 to £2,900 level-access. Either way the work is re-routing the pipework, fitting the tray or former, tanking (waterproofing) the wet area and adding a glass screen. Done as a job on its own the same swap is £2,000 to £4,000 on our walk-in shower guide, because the strip-out and the making good are extra, so it is cheaper to do inside a refit than later.
How much does underfloor heating add to a bathroom?
Electric underfloor heating, the usual choice for a bathroom, adds roughly £500 to £1,200 during a refit. It is not simply a rate times your floor size, for two reasons. Only part of the floor is heated, because the mat is kept out from under a fitted bath, the WC pan and any fitted units, so a 4 to 5 square metre bathroom often has only 2 to 3 square metres of heated floor. And a large share of the cost does not shrink with the room: the thermostat, the electrician's connection and the certification under Part P cost much the same in a cloakroom as in a kitchen, which is why a small room works out dearer per square metre. It is far cheaper to fit while the floor is already up during a full refit than to retrofit later, which means lifting tiles and flooring again.
Can you renovate a bathroom for £5,000?
A £5,000 budget can cover a bathroom renovation if you keep the layout the same and choose budget fittings. Reusing the existing positions for the bath, toilet and basin avoids moving soil pipes, which is a common cause of higher costs. At this level expect a standard suite, part-height tiling and a shower over the bath. Moving fittings, adding underfloor heating or fully tiling the room pushes the figure toward the £8,000 typical mark.
How much does it cost to rip out and replace a bathroom?
Ripping out and replacing a bathroom typically costs around £8,000 for a family-sized room, with most jobs falling between £4,000 and £16,000. The strip-out itself is a small part, usually £400 to £1,200. Most of the spend goes on labour, tiling and the new suite. Keeping the layout unchanged holds the cost down; moving the bath, toilet or basin adds plumbing work and pushes the total toward the higher end.
What is a good budget for a new bathroom?
For a straightforward family bathroom, £6,500 to £10,000 is a sensible budget: it covers a mid-range suite, tiling and the trades without forcing cheap fittings. If you keep the layout and choose budget fittings you can land £4,000 to £6,500, while a high-end re-plan runs £10,000 to £16,000. Whatever the number, hold back around 10 percent for surprises behind the old suite.
How much do B&Q or Wickes charge to fit a bathroom?
The big retailers price bathroom installation through an in-home survey, so there is no single list price, and the final bill usually lands in the same £4,000 to £10,000 band as a good independent fitter once the suite, tiling and prep work are included. You are partly paying for project management and a single guarantee. Get their itemised quote alongside two independent ones for the same spec; the comparison tells you quickly whether the convenience is worth the premium.
Can I renovate a bathroom myself?
Parts of it, yes. Tiling, painting and fitting simple units are within reach for a confident DIYer, and since fitting, tiling and plumbing take 45 to 60 percent of a typical £8,000 job, doing some yourself saves real money. But a new circuit, or any electrical work in the zone around the bath or shower, is notifiable under Part P and needs a registered electrician's certificate or a building control notice, and getting waterproofing and falls wrong causes leaks that cost far more to fix. Many people DIY the finishing and pay a pro for first-fix plumbing and wiring.
Does a bathroom renovation need building regulations approval?
Not for replacing the suite where it is. Swapping a toilet for one that uses no more water, or replacing a basin, bath or shower, need not be notified to building control, provided there is no work to underground drainage and nothing that could make the water supply or waste pipes unsafe. Fittings in new positions mean new pipework: a plumber registered with a competent person scheme for that work can self-certify it where no shared or underground drainage is involved, and otherwise building control has to be told. In England, electrical work is notifiable if it adds a new circuit, such as for an electric shower, replaces the consumer unit, or alters a circuit within 0.6 metres of the bath or shower tray (1.2 metres of the shower head without a tray) and 2.25 metres of the floor. In Wales more of it is notifiable. Notifiable electrical work needs a registered electrician's certificate or a building control notice.
Do I need permission to fit a large freestanding bath?
Not building regulations approval, but in England and Wales a bath that holds more than 230 litres, measured to the centre line of the overflow, has to be notified to your water supplier before the work starts, under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. The supplier has ten working days to refuse or set conditions, and if it says nothing in that time consent is taken as given. The capacity is on the bath's specification sheet, so check it before you order a large freestanding or whirlpool bath, and have the floor checked for the filled weight at the same time.
Does a new bathroom add value to a house?
A tired, dated bathroom puts buyers off, so a clean, well-fitted one helps a sale and can support the asking price. But you rarely get the full £4,000 to £16,000 back as added value, especially at the high end. A sensible mid-range refit that looks fresh is the safer spend; a top-end re-plan is mostly for your own enjoyment while you live there.
Check they are registered before they start
Most fixed electrical work in a home has to meet Part P of the building regulations. Work by someone unregistered can be difficult to insure, to sign off, or to sell a house through. Checking takes about a minute and it is free.
- Registered Competent Person Electrical Electrical Safety Roundtable · The register GOV.UK points householders to for electricians who can certify their own work under the building regulations
Official guidance and sources
The rules and schemes referenced on this page come from these official UK sources. The price figures are Costwise's own; see how we price.
- Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 4 legislation.gov.uk · Paragraph (j): replacing a toilet with one that uses no more water, a basin, sink or bidet, a fixed bath or a shower need not be notified, where there is no work to underground drainage and nothing to the water system or above-ground drainage that may prejudice health or safety. The England and Wales versions say the same.
- Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 3 legislation.gov.uk · Item 12: installing a toilet, sink, basin, bidet, fixed bath, shower or bathroom in a dwelling, with no work on shared or underground drainage, can be self-certified by an installer registered with one of the named competent person schemes.
- Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12 legislation.gov.uk · Paragraph (6A), England: electrical work is notifiable if it installs a new circuit, replaces a consumer unit, or adds to or alters a circuit in a special location, the space 0.6 metres out from a bath or shower tray (1.2 metres from the shower head without a tray) and 2.25 metres up. The Wales version has no paragraph (6A), so more work is notifiable there.
- Electrical safety: Approved Document P GOV.UK · The government's guidance for England on the electrical safety requirement that regulation 12 applies to.
- Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, regulation 5 legislation.gov.uk · A bath holding more than 230 litres to the centre line of the overflow must be notified to the water undertaker before work begins; consent is deemed given if it does not respond within ten working days, and the approved contractor exemption does not cover baths.
Cite this data
These figures are free to use in articles, reports and research under a CC BY 4.0 licence. All we ask is a credit to Costwise, and online a link. Where your style allows, please make "Costwise" the linked word so readers can check the figure for their own region.
Costwise (2026): A bathroom renovation typically costs £8,000 in the UK, ranging from £4,000 to £16,000. Reviewed June 2026. costwiseuk.co.ukSource: Costwise (costwiseuk.co.uk)Costwise (2026). Bathroom renovation cost. Costwise UK cost data, version 2026-09-28. https://costwiseuk.co.uk/bathroom-renovation-cost/2026-09-28 (156 jobs)Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21159943 · also on Kaggle, Hugging Face and Figshare. Method: how we price. Downloadable CSV.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.