How Much Does A New Bathroom Cost In 2022?

Posted by Ollie Lyon on Wednesday 23rd March 2022, updated on Monday 8th January 2024

how-much-does-a-new-bathroom-cost

Here at PlumbNation, we understand that installing a new bathroom can be an overwhelming experience - especially when it comes to cost control.

So we have prepared this guide to help you make informed choices about bathroom installation costs.

The Main Costs of a New Bathroom Makeover & Design

For a bathroom renovation and makeover, the two main costs are:

  • Materials and bathroom suite items
  • Labour

Materials & suite items

The materials and suite items you choose will affect bathroom fitting costs. For instance:

  • The cost of a stylish stand-alone bathtub can cost around £800 - whereas the cost of a normal bathtub is around £250
  • The cost of a modern power shower can cost over £500 - whereas the cost of a standard shower is around £300

Labour

The usual cost for a(n):

  • Bathroom fitter is around £20 per hour
  • Plumber is £40-£80 per hour
  • Electrician is £35-Â45 per hour

However, this aspect of bathroom installation is subject to significant regional variations. For instance:

  • In 2020, the cost for a plumber in Manchester was £150-£200 per day; whereas in London, the cost was £220-£280 per day;
  • In 2019, the cost for an electrician in Birmingham was as little as £10 per hour, whereas in London, the price was up to £250 per hour.

Factors Affecting The Cost Of A New Bathroom

Here is a list of factors that can affect your overall bathroom cost:

  • Quality of components
  • Extra components
  • Bathroom furniture
  • Design costs
  • Removal costs
  • Your overall budget

The quality of components

Naturally, high-quality components tend to cost more than low-quality components. However, if you want to save money by using cheaper components - then make sure you proceed with caution! This is because, in the long term, the use of cheap components might end up costing you a lot of money.

Or, to put it another way, in the words of Miles Redd (American interior designer): "Buy the best, and you only cry once."

For instance, if you want to install a shower on the first floor or second floor of a house - then you will need to purchase a shower tray. However, cheap shower trays can be susceptible to leaking. These leaks can cause a lot of damage that will be expensive to repair (e.g. water damage to the ceilings and walls that are underneath the shower).

Extra components

If you want a luxury bathroom, then you will need to pay for things like:

  • Underfloor heating - Because let's face it...no one enjoys walking on cold bathroom tiles after having a warm bath or shower.
  • Wall art - This is an inexpensive way to add a 'wow factor' to your new bathroom;
  • Printed wallpaper - But make sure not to use wallpaper on walls that are next to showers, sinks, toilets, etc;
  • Heated towel rail - Make your showers more luxurious with warm and fluffy towels;
  • Extra shelves - If your new bathroom will be used by more than two people regularly, then shelf space will become a valuable commodity;
  • An extractor fan - If your new bathroom does not have a window, then you will need an extractor fan.

Bathroom furniture

Bathroom Furniture

A few items of bathroom furniture can easily add extra class and functionality to your new bathroom. Consider adding any of the following:

  • A vanity unit
  • Hairdryer holders
  • Storage cabinets
  • Bathroom benches (ideal for people who suffer from back pains)

For more ideas concerning this aspect of modern bathrooms, please have a look at PlumbNation's exciting range of bathroom furniture.

Design costs

For a small bathroom - it probably won't be necessary to hire a bathroom designer.

But if you want your new bathroom to be a stylish feature of your home - then hiring an independent bathroom designer would be a wise investment. Expect to pay between £500 and £2,500 for design plans, depending on your requirements.

Removal costs

If you have a very old bathroom, then you will need to rip it out and get rid of all the subsequent waste (e.g. old wooden panels, broken furniture, old sinks).

Most bathroom fitters will be happy to remove your old bathroom for around £300.

You will also need to pay for a skip. This will cost between £150 and £500, depending on the volume of all your waste. You might also need to pay a fee to your local authority.

Your budget

When it comes to bathroom installations costs, always remember the following:

  1. It is important to have a budget. Or in the words of Dave Ramsey (American author, businessman and radio show host): "A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went".
  2. It is important to stick to your budget
  3. You should have a contingency budget

A contingency budget consists of money that you ring-fence to deal with unexpected events. In general, your contingency budget should be 5-25% of your overall budget. As a general rule, the contingency budget for old properties needs to be larger than that for newer properties.

So let's say an owner of a Victorian terrace house has a budget of £4,000 for a bathroom renovation. This means the owner:

  1. Should ring-fence around £1,000 to deal with unexpected problems that might occur during the project
  2. Has an actual budget of £3,000 for the main work of the project (i.e. removal, labour, design, materials, suite items etc)

If the owner has not used his contingency budget towards the end of the project, then he could either: (a) use the contingency budget to improve the overall quality of the finish to his new bathroom; or (b) put the money back into his savings account (i.e. in effect, his contingency budget serves as a discount to his overall bathroom cost).

How Much Does A New Bathroom Cost On Average?

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Cost for a small new bathroom

A 'small' bathroom has floor space of around 4 square metres.

The average cost for a small new bathroom is roughly:

  • £1,900 for a budget finish
  • £2,375 for a standard finish
  • £2,850 for a luxury finish

Cost for a medium new bathroom

A 'medium' bathroom has floor space of around 9 square metres.

The average cost for a medium new bathroom is roughly:

  • £3,325 for a budget finish
  • £3,800 for a standard finish
  • £4,700 for a luxury finish

Cost for a large new bathroom

A 'large' bathroom has a floor space of around 16 square metres.

The average cost for a large new bathroom is around:

  • £5,600 for a budget finish
  • £6,500 for a standard finish
  • £7,400 for a luxury finish

Estimated Costs of a New Bathroom

We will now breakdown the costs for a new medium-sized bathroom that will:

  • Have a standard quality of finish;
  • Require the relocation of water pipes;
  • Installation of a new extraction fan, power shower and heated towel rail.

Old bathroom removal

A professional bathroom fitter should be able to do this for you in less than three days. However, you will most certainly incur extra costs because:

  • Removing old bathrooms requires at least two people (e.g. to carry old baths out of your house);
  • You will need to hire a skip.

Estimated cost: £700

Plumbing relocation

If you want to change the location of your toilet, shower, bath or sink - then you will need to hire a professional plumber. The work might last for at least two days. Therefore, plumbers might charge you an additional 20-30% on top of their normal hourly rate.

Estimated cost: £800 (which includes a shower cost, toilet cost and bath cost)

Preparation work

After you have removed your old bathroom fixtures - your bathroom fitter will need to prepare for the bathroom installation process.

Estimated cost: £100

Plumbing and electrics

The plumbing work for a new bathroom installation will cost around £800.

In terms of electrical work, this will depend if you want to:

  • Install a new extraction fan (which will cost around £300)
  • Replace an existing fan (which will cost around £200)
  • Install a power shower (which will cost around £500)

Estimated cost: £1,600 - which includes a new extraction fan and power shower

Plastering

This aspect of your overall bathroom cost depends on the size:

  • For a small bathroom - the average price for plastering work is around £450
  • For a medium bathroom - the average price for plastering work is around £550
  • For a large bathroom - the average price for plastering work is around £650

Estimated cost: £550 for a medium-sized bathroom

Suite installation

This includes the installation of bathroom suite fittings (toilet, bath, sink, etc).

Estimated cost: £1,000 (which includes a shower cost, toilet cost and bath cost)

Extra fixtures

For example, extra fixtures include the installation of a vanity unit, underfloor heating, etc.

This is where the cost for a new bathroom installation can start to spiral out of control - especially if either (a) you want a luxury bathroom, or (b) you start to make late-minute changes to your bathroom design.

So decide what you want in advance - and avoid the temptation to add extra features after the commencement of the bathroom installation process.

For our example - we will consider the purchase and installation of a heated towel rail. For such a feature, expect to pay around:

  • £250 for materials;
  • £250 for labour.

Estimated cost: £500

Tips For Keeping Bathroom Installation Costs Down

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Let us consider a few ways to reduce typical bathroom installation costs.

Get multiple quotes

When you get a quote from a bathroom fitter, make sure to mention that you plan to get quotes from other people. If a bathroom fitter does not have a lot of work in his diary, then he will be keen to secure your business via some sort of discount.

Use a trusted contractor

Always use a trusted contractor. Or in other words...do not use 'cowboy contractors'.

A cowboy contractor is a type of charlatan who will offer to complete installation work for you at a very low price - but the final results of their work will either be terrible or dangerous.

Cowboy contractors will often:

  • Have no references
  • Have no website
  • Have no registered business address
  • Have no qualifications
  • Ask only for cash payments
  • Use high-pressure tactics to get money from you
  • Refuse to sign a contract
  • Make demands for upfront payments
  • Have poor timekeeping
  • Find new reasons to ask you for more money
  • Ignore health and safety procedures

Cowboy contractors are a blight on the home improvement industry. They should be avoided at all costs.

In fact, during 2010, cowboy contractors cost the UK economy £3.5 billion.

Keep existing electrics and plumbing where possible

Changing the plumbing and electrical infrastructure of a bathroom is difficult and costly.

To reduce your overall bathroom renovation cost - try to only make cosmetic changes to your bathroom. This might sound restrictive - but a little bit of creative thinking can go a long way!

For example, suppose an area of your bathroom needs more light. Instead of installing new electric lights, you could try to brighten up the room by painting the walls white or magnolia.

If you can find a way to work with the existing plumbing and electric infrastructure of your bathroom - then you can reduce your renovation bills by over £1,500.

Keep the same floor tiles

The cost of new floor tiles (in terms of materials and labour) can dramatically increase your installation costs:

  • For a small bathroom, the cost for new floor files could be over £400
  • For a medium-sized bathroom, the cost for new floor tiles could be over £900
  • For a large bathroom, the cost for new floor tiles could be over £1,600

It might be possible to revamp old floor tiles just by giving them a good polish.

If you really want a new floor for your new bathroom, you could try vinyl flooring. This type of flooring has the same visual appeal as floor tiles - but it is over 50% cheaper. This is because the average cost for new floor tiles (including materials and labour) is £100 per square metre - whereas for vinyl flooring, the cost drops to around £46 per square metre.

Also, if you want to refurbish the floor of your bathroom - you could try replacing only half of your existing floor tiles. This will open up different design options for your bathroom, and it will save you money.

Choose affordable components

If you would like to reduce the overall cost of your new bathroom - without compromising on quality - then make sure to purchase your bathroom fittings via a reputable online store that specialises in bathroom installations.

Avoid purchasing your bathroom fixtures from high streets retailers or distributers - because they tend to charge higher prices to cover the substantial costs of running a brick-and-mortar business.

Here at PlumbNation, we have been supplying plumbing and heating products to the UK since 2007. Our website attracts several millions of customers every year. So we know how to get bathroom fixtures to you in one piece - and at a competitive price!

Our extensive range of bathroom fittings even includes fixtures for commercial washrooms and disabled toilets.

Be flexible with the time scale

If you want to save money on your new bathroom - then avoid placing strict time demands on fitters, plumbers, and electricians. Adopt a mindset whereby you work around the schedules of tradespeople - not the other way around.

Naturally, this will prolong the installation of your new bathroom. But you will save money because you will end up hiring tradespeople when they are the least busy.

Always remember, when it comes to home improvements: "Urgency means more money!"

According to Ideal Home UK - most people install new bathrooms in January, June and July. But if you can arrange to install your new bathroom in September - then you can reduce your labour cost by 10%.

Building Regulations & Rules For New Bathrooms

The rules and laws surrounding building regulations are numerous and complex.

But in general, when it comes to installing a new bathroom - you should hire qualified professionals to perform any work related to plumbing, drainage or electricity.

In England and Wales, qualified plumbers will:

  • Have obtained the City and Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing and Heating (QCF) qualification;
  • Be a member of The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE).

Across the UK, qualified electricians will be a member of The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting, or NICEIC for short. The NICEIC issues registration numbers and ID cards to all of its members.

Please note that if your new bathroom requires you to make structural changes to your property, then you will probably need to obtain planning permission. Your local council will be able to advise you accordingly.

Keep your costs under control with PlumbNation

keep-your-costs-under-control-with-plumbnation

At Plumbnation we know a thing or two about installing bathrooms. We supply brand new baths, showers and toilets to amateurs and professionals all over the country. We can help you make a budget bathroom or something a little more luxurious without breaking the bank.

FAQs

How much does a full bathroom suite cost?

Let us break down the cost of a full bathroom suite:

  • Toilet - Will cost around £150
  • Shower (with shower head) - The shower for an electric shower will cost around £150. The cost for a power shower will be at least £350
  • Shower screen - Will cost around £150
  • Bath - Will cost around £250
  • Taps - Will cost around £70

So the cost of a full bathroom suite is roughly £800. However, if you were to purchase your bathroom fixtures as one large set, then you could probably reduce your overall cost to £500.

How long does it take to install a new bathroom?

The answer to this question depends on (a) your requirements for your new bathroom; and (b) the availability of bathroom fitters, plumbers and electricians that you choose to hire.

But in general, assuming you have no interruptions or unexpected incidents:

  • For a small bathroom - the installation will last between 6 days and 13 days
  • For a medium-sized bathroom - the installation will last between 7 days and 14 days
  • For a large bathroom - the installation will last between 9 days and 16 days

However, your installation might take longer than the above-mentioned estimates if the tradespeople you hire do not work on weekends or bank holidays.

Will contractors include old bathroom removal costs in their quotes?

Contractors (like bathroom fitters) will only give you quotes for services that you ask for.

So if a quote does not mention anything about bathroom removal, then the bathroom fitter will not do any bathroom removal work for you. (Regarding the quote, the bathroom fitter might be working on the assumption that you will remove your old bathroom fixtures by yourself.)

If you would like a bathroom fitter to remove your old bathroom fixtures, then you should mention this at the earliest opportunity (e.g. during the first consultation session).

Where can I find reliable bathroom installation quotes?

During a home improvement project - if a tradesperson honours the monetary value of the quote that (s)he gave you, then we say that the quote in question is "reliable".

In general, companies that specialise in bathroom installations tend to provide reliable quotes.

Also, many qualified tradespeople provide reliable quotes. You can find their details via online directory services such as Checkatrade, TrustATrader, and Rated People.