Bathroom Fitter's Quote - The Checklist That Saves You Thousands
Bathroom fitting quotes vary wildly. Here's what a proper one includes, UK costs for 2026, and the items most fitters conveniently leave out.
Bathroom renovations are where the gaps between quote and final bill are widest. You get a price for "new bathroom, supply and fit" - sounds straightforward. Then the tiling isn't included. The plastering's extra. The electrician for the extractor fan? That's a separate job. Oh, and the waste pipe needs rerouting, which nobody mentioned.
By the time you're done, you've spent £3,000 more than the quote. And the bathroom fitter shrugs and says it was all in the exclusions.
Let's make sure that doesn't happen to you.
How a bathroom actually gets built
Understanding the order of work helps you spot what's missing from a quote. A bathroom renovation follows a specific sequence, and every step costs money.
Strip out - removing the old bathroom. This means disconnecting and taking out the old bath, toilet, basin, and shower. Ripping up old tiles and flooring. Removing old plasterboard if it's damaged. All of this generates waste that needs disposing of.
Plumbing first fix - this is the hidden plumbing work. Moving pipe runs to new positions, installing new hot and cold feeds, fitting waste pipes (the pipes that carry dirty water away). If you're moving the toilet to a different wall, the soil pipe (the big pipe, usually 110mm, that connects the toilet to the drain) needs rerouting. This is the most disruptive stage and the one that often triggers extra costs.
Electrical first fix - running new cables for the extractor fan, spotlights, heated towel rail, and any other electrics. This work is behind the walls, so it has to happen before plastering. In a bathroom, all electrical work falls under Building Regulations because water and electricity don't mix well. More on that shortly.
Boarding and plastering - fitting new plasterboard to the walls (especially where old tiles have been removed and damaged the surface underneath), then skimming (applying a thin coat of plaster to create a smooth, flat surface). In wet areas around the shower or bath, you need tile backer board (a waterproof board, usually cement-based, that goes behind tiles instead of standard plasterboard) rather than regular plasterboard.
Waterproofing - also called tanking. This means applying a waterproof membrane (a liquid coating or sheet material) to the walls and floor in the shower area. Without it, water gets behind the tiles and into the wall structure. This is especially important for walk-in showers and wet rooms, but any tiled shower area should have it.
Tiling - walls and floor. This is often the single biggest cost after the suite itself, and it's the item most commonly left vague or excluded from quotes.
Suite installation and plumbing second fix - fitting the bath, shower, toilet, basin, and taps. Connecting everything to the pipe runs from the first fix. Testing for leaks.
Electrical second fix - fitting the extractor fan, light fittings, heated towel rail, and shaver socket. Testing and certifying the work.
Finishing - silicone sealing around the bath and shower, fitting accessories (toilet roll holder, towel hooks), touch-up painting, and a proper clean.
Every one of those stages should be covered in your quote. If any are missing, you'll be paying extra.
What it should cost - 2026 UK prices
| Work | Typical cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Full bathroom refit (suite, tiling, all trades) | £5,000–£12,000 |
| En-suite installation (new room, all trades) | £3,500–£8,000 |
| Wet room conversion | £6,000–£15,000 |
| Shower room (toilet, basin, walk-in shower) | £3,000–£7,000 |
| Retiling only (walls and floor) | £800–£2,000 |
| New suite fitting only (no tiling or plastering) | £800–£1,500 |
| Underfloor heating (electric mat) | £400–£800 |
These prices include labour and materials. The suite itself (bath, toilet, basin, shower, taps) typically costs £500-£2,500 on top, depending on what you pick. A basic Roca or Ideal Standard suite is at the lower end. Crosswater or Burlington will push you towards the top.
London and the South East add 15-25% to these numbers. You can check costs for your specific area with our cost estimator.
Red flags in bathroom quotes
"Supply and fit bathroom" with no item list
This is the vaguest possible description of a bathroom renovation. Supply and fit what, exactly? Which bath? Which toilet? What tiles? If the quote doesn't name the products, you have no idea what you're getting. The fitter could install a £150 bathroom suite from a clearance warehouse and you'd have no grounds to complain - it wasn't specified.
Every sanitaryware item should be listed by manufacturer, model name, and finish. "Close-coupled toilet" is vague. "Roca Gap close-coupled toilet with soft-close seat, white" is specific.
No tiling cost
Tiling is the biggest hidden cost in bathroom renovations. Tiles themselves cost £20-£80 per m² for the materials alone. Labour for a skilled tiler runs £200-£350 per day, and a typical family bathroom takes 3-5 days to tile. That's £600-£1,750 just for the tiler's time, before you've bought a single tile.
If the quote says "tiling not included" or simply doesn't mention it, you're looking at £1,500-£3,500 on top of the quoted price. That's not a small detail.
No mention of waste removal
Your old bathroom has to go somewhere. A bath weighs 30-80kg. Cast iron baths weigh over 100kg. Add in the old toilet, basin, tiles, plasterboard, and flooring, and you're looking at a significant amount of waste. Skip hire costs £280-£400, and some fitters expect you to arrange it yourself.
Fitting only vs supply and fit - unclear
This catches people out constantly. "Fitting only" means you buy the bathroom suite, tiles, and all materials. The fitter just installs them. "Supply and fit" means the fitter provides everything.
The price difference is significant, but neither is right or wrong. What matters is that the quote makes it absolutely clear which one you're getting. If it's ambiguous, clarify before you sign.
No waterproofing mentioned
If your quote covers a shower or wet room installation but says nothing about tanking or waterproofing, that's a problem. Water getting behind tiles causes damp, mould, and eventually structural damage. A tanking kit costs £50-£150 in materials and takes half a day to apply. Skipping it saves the fitter a few hours. It costs you thousands when the wall rots.
No electrical work listed
Every bathroom needs an extractor fan. It's not optional - Building Regulations require mechanical ventilation in any bathroom without an openable window, and even with a window, inspectors expect a fan in most new installations. If the quote doesn't mention the fan, the wiring, or the electrician, ask who's doing it and whether it's included.
What's often missing from bathroom quotes
Extractor fan (it's mandatory)
Building Regulations (Part F) require adequate ventilation in bathrooms. For most renovations, that means a mechanical extractor fan. The fan itself costs £30-£200. Installation, including wiring and ducting (the tube that carries the damp air outside), costs £150-£400.
This is electrical work in a wet zone, so it must be done by a Part P qualified electrician (someone registered to certify their own electrical work under Building Regulations) or inspected by Building Control. Your bathroom fitter probably isn't qualified to do this. If they say they'll "sort the fan," ask if they're Part P registered. If not, they need to bring in an electrician - and that cost should be in the quote.
Underfloor heating
Electric underfloor heating mats are increasingly popular in bathrooms. They cost £400-£800 fitted and need to go in before the floor tiles. If you're thinking about underfloor heating, it must be agreed before tiling starts. Retrofitting it means ripping up the new floor.
Waste pipe alterations
If you're moving the toilet, basin, or bath to different positions, the waste pipes need rerouting. This is messy, disruptive work - especially for the toilet, where the soil pipe is large and needs a minimum fall (slope) to drain properly. Moving a toilet more than a metre from its current position can cost £300-£800 in additional plumbing.
Plastering after first fix
Once the old tiles come off, the wall underneath is usually wrecked. The plaster comes away with the tiles, leaving a rough, uneven surface. This needs re-plastering before new tiles can go on. A plasterer costs £200-£300 per day, and a bathroom typically needs 1-2 days. That's £200-£600 that's easy to overlook. Our guide on checking plastering quality covers what good plastering looks like, so you can spot problems before the tiler covers them up.
Floor levelling
Old bathroom floors are rarely flat. Before new tiles can go down, the floor often needs a self-levelling compound (a liquid screed that you pour over the floor and it finds its own level). This costs £100-£300 in materials and labour, and it's boring enough that nobody thinks to ask about it. But if the fitter skips it, your floor tiles will be uneven and crack at the joints.
Door adjustment
Here's one nobody thinks about. If you're adding underfloor heating or thicker floor tiles, the finished floor height goes up. Your bathroom door might not clear the new floor. Trimming the bottom of the door is a small job - £30-£50 - but if nobody mentions it until the floor is down and the door won't close, it feels like yet another extra.
Building Regulations sign-off
Any electrical work in a bathroom needs either a Part P registered electrician (who can self-certify) or a Building Control inspection. If your fitter is arranging the electrician, make sure the quote covers the certification. A Building Control inspection for electrical work typically costs £200-£350. Without the certificate, you'll have problems when you sell the house. Our guide on how to read a builder's quote explains more about what sign-offs to expect.
How to compare bathroom quotes properly
List every component
Go through each quote and tick off: strip out, plumbing first fix, electrical first fix, boarding, plastering, waterproofing, tiling (walls), tiling (floor), suite fitting, plumbing second fix, electrical second fix, decoration, waste removal. Any gaps? That's where the extras will come from.
Check suite specifications
If it's supply and fit, make sure every item is named. Google the products to check the prices. A 30% markup on materials is fine - the fitter handles ordering, delivery, and returns. A 100% markup is taking the piss.
Clarify the tiling
How many square metres of wall tiling? How many square metres of floor tiling? Are the tile costs included, or are you supplying them? What about tile trim (the edging strips that finish the edges of tiled areas), grout (the filler between tiles), and adhesive? These seem like small costs, but they add up to £100-£300.
Ask about the sequence
A fitter who can explain the order of work - strip out, first fix, boarding, tanking, tiling, second fix, finishing - knows what they're doing. One who says "we'll just get in and crack on" probably hasn't thought it through.
Get the timeline in writing
A standard family bathroom takes 7-12 working days. Wet rooms and en-suites built from scratch take longer. If a fitter says "about a week" for a full refit, they're either very fast, very optimistic, or planning to cut corners.
Before you commit
The difference between a good bathroom renovation and a nightmare usually comes down to the quote. A thorough quote with every stage listed and every product named protects both you and the fitter. A vague one is a recipe for arguments and surprise costs.
If you're not sure whether your bathroom quote covers everything, check it against our guide to what a quote should include - the same principles apply whether you're hiring a bathroom fitter, a plumber, or a general builder.
Ready to get a proper check? Upload your bathroom quote to MyBuildAlly and we'll flag anything that's missing, vague, or priced above market rates. It's faster than reading every line yourself - and it catches the things you might not think to look for.