DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
Bathroom renovation cost in the UK: what a full refit really costs
A bathroom looks like a small room, but a full refit is one of the most labour-heavy jobs in the house. Ripping out, tiling, plumbing and fitting all happen in a tight space, and the finished cost is usually well above the price of the suite. The real prices below come from actual prices so you can budget for the whole thing, not just the taps.
The quick version
- Labour and tiling often cost more than the bath, basin and toilet put together.
- Waterproofing, tiling and plumbing in a small space eat time, and time is the biggest cost.
- Most of the work carries 20% VAT, so check whether your quote includes it.
- Hidden jobs behind the walls, like old pipework, can only be priced once things come off.
What people actually paid
Real prices, in people's own words
- £1,800“£1.8k labour, £3.2k materials”
- £5,500“5.5k. Local to you.”
- £5,500“We paid around £5500 for a small bathroom with shower only”
- £8,000“My daughter paid £8000 for a large bathroom (bath and shower over the bath). We paid around £5500 for a small bathroom”
- £8,500“£8,500, stripped out old, everything new, tiling half wall, karndean flooring.”
- £11,500“11.5k for 2, an ensuite with toilet shower and sink units and cupboard using tiles and wall panels and a larger bathroom”
Genuine amounts posted publicly. We publish the price and the quote, never the person.
Why the price varies so much
The suite you pick is the visible bit, but the refit price is really about how much work sits behind it. Moving the toilet, bath or shower means shifting soil pipes and water feeds, which is far more involved than a straight swap. Tiling is a big variable too, because the more wall and floor you cover, and the fiddlier the tile, the more hours it takes. Then there is everything you cannot see until the old suite is out: perished pipes, damp, rotten floorboards or walls that need re-plastering before a single tile goes up. Underfloor heating, a bigger shower or a full re-tile all add trades and days. That distance between the cost of the fittings and the finished, watertight room is exactly where people underestimate.
How to pay less
- Keep the bath, basin and toilet in their existing spots to avoid moving pipework, which is where labour climbs.
- Tile the wet zones properly but paint the rest, rather than tiling floor to ceiling everywhere.
- Get three written quotes that separate the suite, tiling, plumbing and labour so you can compare honestly.
- Choose a mid-range suite and spend a little more on tiles or a screen, which is what the eye actually notices.
Common questions
Why does a bathroom cost so much for such a small room?
Because a tight space concentrates the labour rather than reducing it. Every trade has to work in the same few square metres in sequence, and tiling, waterproofing and plumbing are all slow, careful jobs. The room is small, but the hours are not, which is why the fitted total sits well above the suite.
What is the most expensive part of a bathroom refit?
Usually the labour and tiling rather than the suite itself. Plumbing changes, full tiling and any re-plastering are what stretch the figure. The real prices below show how the split falls once everything is added together.
Do bathroom renovations include VAT?
In most cases yes. Standard bathroom work carries 20% VAT on materials and labour when the trader is VAT registered. Ask whether the quote you have already includes it, because that alone can shift which quote looks cheapest.