Most people start planning a new bathroom with a budget in mind, then find that quotes vary by thousands of pounds for what looks like the same job. The price depends on a handful of decisions, and most of them are yours. Here is what a bathroom refit in and around Leicester typically costs, and why.
For an average UK family bathroom of around 4 to 6 square metres, most full refits fall into three broad bands. These figures include labour, materials and waste removal. They are a guide rather than a quote, because the condition of the room behind the old tiles is often the biggest unknown.
Prices in Leicestershire tend to sit a little below the national average and well below London, but material costs are much the same everywhere.
Labour is usually the largest single cost, often 40 to 60 percent of the total. A typical refit takes one to three weeks and involves several trades: stripping out, first fix plumbing, any electrical work, plastering or boarding, tiling, then second fix and finishing.
Tiling is where budgets often surprise people. Labour for wall and floor tiling commonly runs at £40 to £70 per square metre, and large format or intricate patterns cost more because they take longer to set out and cut. The tiles themselves can cost anything from £15 to over £100 per square metre.
Once the old tiles and bath come out, things sometimes turn up that no one could see at the survey. Many homes in Wigston, Oadby and South Wigston date from the 1930s to the 1970s, and we regularly find rotten floorboards under old baths, corroded or undersized pipework, and walls that need reboarding before they can take new tiles.
It is sensible to hold back a contingency of 10 to 15 percent of your budget for these. A good tradesperson will tell you before starting what might come up, and will agree any extra work with you before doing it.
The single biggest saving is keeping the toilet, basin and bath or shower where they already are. Moving the toilet in particular can mean rerouting the soil pipe, which adds time and cost quickly.
Tiling only the wet areas rather than every wall, choosing standard sized tiles, and picking a mid-range suite from a reputable brand rather than a designer name can each save hundreds of pounds without the room looking cheap. It is also worth sourcing some items yourself, though check first that your installer is happy to fit customer supplied products and understand who is responsible if a part is faulty.
Finally, get at least two or three written quotes that list what is included. A cheap quote that leaves out tiling, electrics or waste removal is not really cheaper.
A straightforward refit usually takes one to two weeks, while a layout change or wet room can take two to three. You may be without a working bathroom for part of that time, so ask your installer how they plan to keep a toilet connected where possible.
Normally no, as a like for like refit inside the house is not a planning matter. However, electrical work must meet Part P of the Building Regulations, and new drainage or ventilation should also comply, so use qualified trades who can certify their work.
Often it is, because a single firm can schedule the trades back to back without gaps and there is one point of contact if something needs sorting. It also avoids the problem of one trade blaming another for a leak or a cracked tile.