2026 UK cost guide
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in the UK?
A small room is not automatically a small job. Waterproofing, plumbing changes, tiling, ventilation, electrics and the sanitaryware allowance often matter more than the floor area.
Illustrative UK starting range
£11,000–£18,000a 7 m² bathroom renovation across three contrasting scenarios, including VAT where charged.
This is a deliberately wide scenario range from Proper Job pricing model v14, not a UK average, quotation or promise of local availability. Your useful range should use the actual property, postcode, size, scope, access and choices.
Why the range is wide
The same project label can describe a very different job
A practical bathroom refresh that keeps the layout and uses standard sanitaryware is not comparable with a premium London bathroom involving relocated wastes, detailed tiling, bespoke furniture and high-value fittings. The same floor area can contain very different work.
North West
Straightforward and practical
£11,000–£14,000A practical refresh keeping the existing layout, with standard sanitaryware and straightforward finishes.
South East
Typical family-home scope
£12,000–£16,000A good domestic bathroom with typical plumbing, waterproofing, tiling and electrical work.
London
Premium and more complex
£14,000–£18,000A premium bathroom with layout changes, detailed finishes, higher-value fittings and more demanding logistics.
How Proper Job turns the broad range into something useful
Guide Price uses the actual postcode, size, scope, finish, site conditions and likely extras to create a more relevant early range.
Detailed Estimate then uses architectural drawings to measure and itemise the work, while keeping specifications, site conditions and client choices that still need confirming visible.
What moves the price
- Keeping or changing the existing bathroom layout
- Sanitaryware, brassware, furniture and shower-screen allowance
- Full-height tiling, feature finishes and preparation
- Subfloor repairs, waterproofing and hidden plumbing condition
- Ventilation, lighting, heating and electrical upgrades
What this example allows for
- A ballpark-stage standard-finish bathroom renovation allowance
- Typical installation and associated trade work for the selected area
- Regional pricing pressure across three contrasting UK examples
- VAT added for the homeowner-facing example where it is charged
Before you ask builders for quotes
- Choose supply-and-install, install-only or a stated sanitaryware allowance
- Confirm whether the layout and soil connection stay in place
- State the tiling area and who supplies tiles
- Make ventilation, electrics, decoration and waste removal explicit
Questions homeowners ask
Does this include sanitaryware?
It is an early overall example. For a useful builder comparison, include either the selected products or a clear sanitaryware and brassware allowance.
Is moving the layout expensive?
It can be. Moving wastes, soil connections, showers and radiators adds labour and can expose floor or wall repairs.
Why is the range wide?
Before strip-out, hidden plumbing, subfloor and wall condition are not fully known. A guide should show that uncertainty rather than pretend it does not exist.
Use your project, not the example
Add the real size, finish, logistics and likely extras. Your first Proper Job guide is free.
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Pricing example checked 17 July 2026.