If you're pricing up a new bathroom in Croydon, the honest answer is that it depends heavily on your property type and how much you're changing. This guide breaks down realistic cost ranges for the area, from a straightforward refit in a Purley semi to a full renovation in an Addiscombe terrace, so you know roughly what to budget before you start getting quotes.
The single biggest factor is whether you keep the existing layout or move things around. Swapping a bath for a bath in the same spot, or a toilet for a toilet on the same waste run, is far cheaper than relocating the soil pipe to put a shower where the airing cupboard used to be. Moving plumbing often means lifting floorboards, cutting into walls, and sometimes dealing with an old cast iron stack, which adds both time and cost.
The second factor is the tier of fittings. A budget suite, standard tiling, and a thermostatic mixer shower will sit at one end; a freestanding bath, large format porcelain tiles, a recessed shower niche, and underfloor heating will sit much further up.
These figures reflect labour and materials for a typical Croydon job, including VAT, but not major structural work:
A lot of Croydon's housing stock is Victorian or Edwardian terraces around South Croydon and Thornton Heath, 1930s semis in Purley, Shirley and Selsdon, and flats and maisonettes near East Croydon and the town centre. Older terraces often have suspended timber floors and ageing soil stacks, which is usually straightforward but adds a day or two if the pipework needs renewing. Flats and purpose-built blocks sometimes require written permission from the freeholder or managing agent before any plumbing work starts, and leaseholders should check their lease for working hours and noise restrictions, particularly in blocks near the town centre.
Parking is a practical cost to factor in too. Several roads close to Croydon town centre and East Croydon station sit within controlled parking zones, so a tradesperson's van may need a visitor permit for the duration of the job, which some installers pass on as a small daily charge.
Most bathroom refits don't need planning permission, but any electrical work in a bathroom falls under Part P of the Building Regulations and should be certified, and if you're converting a loft or extending to add a bathroom, building regulations sign-off will apply separately.
Beyond the suite itself, a few things regularly get missed in early budgets: waterproof tanking behind tiles, new extractor fan ducting if the old one is undersized, replacing flooring that extends under the new units, and making good the ceiling below if pipework has been disturbed. Skip hire or waste removal is usually £150 to £300 depending on how much old tiling and sanitaryware needs to go.
Keeping the toilet, basin and bath or shower roughly where they already are is the single biggest saving, since it avoids new waste runs and floor lifting. Choosing a shower over a bath also tends to cost less than a bath and shower combination, and standard size tiles fitted in a simple pattern are quicker to lay than large format or patterned layouts. If your budget is tight, it's usually better to spend on waterproofing and a reliable shower valve than on premium tiles, since those are the elements that cause expensive problems if done badly.
Most straightforward refits don't need planning permission. Electrical work must meet Part P building regulations, and if you're adding a bathroom via a loft conversion or extension, that separate work will need its own building regulations approval.
A like-for-like refit typically takes 5 to 10 working days, while a full renovation with layout changes or tiling throughout usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. Jobs involving old pipework or unexpected issues under the floor can run longer.
Yes, keeping the toilet, basin and bath or shower in their existing positions avoids moving waste pipes and lifting floors, which is usually the largest saving you can make on a renovation budget.