If you are pricing up a new bathroom, you will find quotes ranging from a few thousand pounds to well over twenty. That gap is not tradespeople plucking numbers from the air; it comes down to the size of the room, the state of what is behind the tiles, and the spec you choose. Here is an honest breakdown of what UK homeowners actually pay, and where the money goes.
For a straightforward like-for-like refit of a small to medium bathroom, most UK homeowners pay somewhere between £5,000 and £8,000 including labour, a mid-range suite, tiling and disposal. A fuller renovation, where the layout changes, walls are re-boarded, and you choose better sanitaryware and full-height tiling, tends to land between £8,000 and £15,000.
In Surrey and the wider South East, expect the upper half of those ranges. Labour rates around Egham, Staines and Virginia Water run higher than the national average, and older housing stock in the area often hides surprises such as imperial pipework or crumbling plaster that add time once the room is stripped. High-spec projects with underfloor heating, wet room tanking or bespoke joinery can comfortably exceed £15,000 to £20,000.
Labour is usually 40 to 60 per cent of the total. A full bathroom involves several trades in sequence: strip-out, first-fix plumbing and electrics, plastering or boarding, tiling, second-fix, and decoration. A typical renovation takes two to three weeks on site, longer if the layout moves.
The single biggest cost multiplier is moving things. Keeping the toilet, basin and bath in their existing positions keeps plumbing work simple. Relocating the soil pipe, moving a shower to the opposite wall, or converting a bathroom to a walk-in shower room adds days of first-fix work before anything visible happens.
Strip-out often reveals the real job. Behind old tiles you may find blown plaster, rotten floorboards under a leaking bath, or wiring that no longer meets regulations. It is sensible to hold back a contingency of around 10 to 15 per cent of the project cost for this, particularly in properties built before the 1980s, which covers most homes in the Egham and Englefield Green area.
Also factor in waste disposal (a skip or licensed removal, roughly £250 to £400), any electrical certification for new circuits or fans, and making good the flooring where a wall or doorway changes. A trustworthy quote will itemise these rather than burying them, so ask for a written breakdown before you commit.
The best savings come from decisions, not haggling. Keeping the existing layout, choosing porcelain tiles from a trade supplier rather than a boutique showroom, and picking a quality mid-range suite over a designer name can trim thousands with no visible difference in the finished room.
Where you should not economise is waterproofing, first-fix plumbing and ventilation. A cheap shower tray installation or skipped tanking is the most common cause of leaks into the room below, and putting that right costs far more than doing it properly the first time. One firm managing all the trades also tends to work out smoother and often cheaper than booking a plumber, tiler and electrician separately, because the sequencing is handled for you and there is one point of responsibility if anything needs putting right.
A straightforward refit usually takes two to three weeks on site. Layout changes, wet room conversions or discoveries during strip-out can extend that, so allow some flexibility either side.
Yes, if the room is small, the layout stays exactly as it is, and you choose budget to mid-range fittings. It becomes difficult once plastering, layout changes or significant remedial work are involved.
Replacing a bathroom like for like does not need planning permission. New electrical circuits, extractor fans and some drainage alterations must comply with building regulations, which a competent installer will handle and certify as part of the job.