Ask three tradespeople what a bathroom renovation costs and you will get three different answers, because the honest answer is that it depends on the state of your existing room and what you want from the new one. This guide sets out realistic figures for UK bathrooms in 2026, with a particular eye on prices in South London and Surrey, so you can budget properly before you book anyone in.
For a standard family bathroom of around 2m x 2.5m, most UK homeowners in 2026 pay somewhere between £5,500 and £14,000 for a full renovation. In and around London, including areas like Wallington, Sutton and Croydon, labour rates push that towards the middle and upper end of the range, so a sensible working budget for a complete rip-out and refit is £8,000 to £12,000.
At the lower end, roughly £5,500 to £7,500 buys a like-for-like replacement: new suite, new tiling in the wet areas, and updated fittings, with the bath, basin and toilet staying in their existing positions. A mid-range project at £8,000 to £12,000 typically includes full wall and floor tiling, a new shower enclosure or bath with screen, and some layout changes. Above £14,000 you are usually into premium sanitaryware, underfloor heating, walk-in showers with linear drains, or structural work.
Moving soil pipes and water supplies is the single biggest cost multiplier. Keeping your toilet, basin and bath where they are can save £1,000 to £2,500 in plumbing labour and making good. In older properties around South London, particularly Victorian and Edwardian terraces, you may also find lead pipework, uneven timber floors or crumbling wall plaster once the old tiles come off, and it is wise to hold back a contingency of 10 to 15 per cent for exactly this.
Tiling is the other quiet budget-eater. Large-format porcelain looks superb but costs more to cut and fix than standard ceramic, and floor-to-ceiling tiling on every wall can add £1,500 to £3,000 over tiling the wet areas alone. Materials matter too: a perfectly good acrylic bath costs £150 to £300, while a freestanding steel or stone resin bath can run to £1,500 or more before installation.
On a typical mid-range project, labour accounts for roughly 40 to 50 per cent of the total. A full refit usually takes an experienced team two to three weeks, covering strip-out, first-fix plumbing and electrics, boarding and waterproofing, tiling, second fix and decoration. Waste removal, which people often forget, adds £150 to £400 for skip hire or licensed collection.
Electrical work needs a qualified electrician who can certify the work under Part P of the Building Regulations, since bathrooms are classed as special locations. Budget £300 to £800 for typical items such as a new extractor fan, shaver socket, downlights and an electric shower circuit. If your consumer unit is older, it may need upgrading before new circuits can be added, which is better to know at quoting stage than halfway through the job.
Always get at least three itemised quotes, and make sure each one states what is included: strip-out, waste disposal, first and second fix plumbing, electrics with certification, waterproofing (tanking) to wet areas, tiling with your chosen tiles priced per square metre, and making good afterwards. A one-line quote for 'bathroom refit' tells you nothing and makes fair comparison impossible.
Be cautious of any quote dramatically below the others, as it usually means something has been left out, most often the waterproofing, the certification or the making good. Ask whether the price is fixed or an estimate, how unforeseen work will be priced, and what the payment schedule looks like. A reputable local firm will not ask for a large sum up front; staged payments tied to completed work protect both sides.
A straightforward like-for-like refit usually takes 7 to 10 working days, while a full renovation with layout changes typically takes two to three weeks. Allow extra time if structural issues are found once the old bathroom is stripped out.
Yes, and it is usually the single best saving available. Keeping the toilet, basin and bath in their existing positions avoids £1,000 to £2,500 of plumbing and drainage work, letting you spend that money on better fittings or tiling instead.
A well-finished modern bathroom generally adds around 3 to 5 per cent to a property's value and helps homes sell faster, particularly in competitive London commuter areas. The strongest returns come from mid-range renovations rather than the most expensive fittings.