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Original poster

How much did it cost you to get your bathroom done?

22 replies

LankyLegs · 14/04/2011 10:13

We are in the process of having some house renovations done - just had the kitchen completed and now about to tackle the bathroom with the same builders - they have been great and really proffessional so far.

However they have come up with a quote for £9k to do the following:

Rip out existing bathroom
Move emersion tank into the loft
Prep all the walls and floor for tiling
Tile 45 sqm (walls and floors)
Plumb new bathroom in - shower, bath, sink, toilet, rad and a cupboard

We didn't have a shower in previuosly so that will need new pipework and we also are moving the toilet around a bit so there will be some moving of pipes etc there. Also appreciate moving the tank upstairs is a bit of a job.

I can't help feeling this is a little much - they have planned for 10 days of the plumber to disconnect and plumb all the new stuff in as well.

Any one have any experience and advise whether this is too much or reasonable?

We are just waiting for the itemised quote to come through.

TIA

OP posts:

caramelwaffle · 14/04/2011 11:58

Bump. I would be interested in this answer also: all the same - except cost of moving emersion heater.

Pannacotta · 14/04/2011 12:01

Sounds high to me.
I'd get more quotes so you have something to compare to.
You could use lower quotes to haggle the builders down if you really want to use them.

Original poster

LankyLegs · 14/04/2011 12:17

Hmmm thanks Pannacotta. Have just been googling tiling prices and the builders have quoted £2k just to tile - I know its a large space, but that works out at around £45 per sqm and have read conficting things about whether tilers just charge for days versus per sq footage as well.

I think we might have to get more quotes though - does seem quite a lot of money for a bathroom fit!

OP posts:

HMTheQueen · 14/04/2011 13:01

I paid about £11k to have my bathroom put in - in a room upstairs.

So they had to do drainage/waste pipes, rip up the patio, relay the patio, rip walls/carpet out, put all the plumbing in, electrics, replaster, tile and add all the bathroom bits. The room was sort of above the kitchen, and has the boiler in it, so there was some help there...

I have no idea about how much the bits and pieces were, but if you've already got a bathroom there, it seem's very high to me.

fivegomadinthelambingshed · 14/04/2011 13:02

We paid £10k to have 3 gutted and refitted about 3 years ago. This included al the baths, tiles etc.

teta · 14/04/2011 13:25

I think it seems way too high.Definately get some more quotes.

moomiemoo · 14/04/2011 13:32

We paid around 3.5k for all the labour on our bathroom 3 years ago. Needed everything ripping out, window bricking up, new ceiling, new shower and bath, toilet etc fitting. The labour included all the tiling, electrics and plumbing.

9k seems very high to me as well.

ChippingInMistressSteamMop · 14/04/2011 13:34

It seems over the top to me as well - I would have expected it to be around £4k... let us know how you get on!

Original poster

LankyLegs · 14/04/2011 14:02

Thanks all!

Here is the high level breakdown we got from them (and btw this does not include the actual bathroom and tiles which we have brought ourselves):

47 square meters of tiling @£45 per sq meter £2115
Plumbing labour £3600
Materials £1450
Rip out making good and plastering works £1600

Its quite a large bathroom so we have loads of tiles going in. But I still think its waaaay too much for the plumbing.

No idea what 'materials' includes either - we have asked for more detail.
chipping we were expecting around £4k as well... Not £8800. He hasnt even allowed for electrics!

Feel like we have been cornered a bit as we have been talking about getting the bathroom done with these guys since they have been in - they just rennovated the kitchen and have put new rads in the whole house as well turning some of the garage into a utility. Now they have said they can start on the bathroom in a couple of weeks and we have been asking for a quote for a while.... just feel like if we tell them we want to shop around and we find someone else - will it be significantly cheaper? And what if they are shite as well?

So annoying and we would literally have no savings left after buying the bathroom suite and tiles etc!

OP posts:

conculainey · 14/04/2011 14:04

The price depends on your location a great deal though thae quote sounds way over the top to me, Living in N.I I would be quoting a job like that out at about 3-4 k depending on the quality of the fitments and fixtures, there could be some extra expense in reinforcing the attic floor to accomodate the weight of the storage cylinder, if an electric shower is being fitted make sure that the work is carried out by someone compentant to do so as all electrics in a bathroom fall under part "P" of the IEE requltions and the installer must provide a testing and inspection cetificate for all electrical work carried out.

Original poster

LankyLegs · 14/04/2011 14:17

Thanks Conculainey. We are in SE London. The fixture of things are quite reasonable I guess, we havent gone for bathstore but we are having a clearwater bath and nice tiles put in.

The plumber and Leccy are all registered and have done stuff here before so not worries about that either. Agree that putting the tank upstairs is a bit fo a job too.

HMthequeen did that £11k include all your fixures and fittings?

Cheers

OP posts:

chopchopbusybusy · 14/04/2011 14:18

I'd get another quote. We're having our ensuite done and looking at your figures our tiling labour is costing more than yours (per sq m) but plumbing is less.
Honestly, overall, considering the extra pipework and moving of heater etc I don't think it's that bad.

I was fairly shocked by our quote for the en suite. We dud manage to reduce it a bit by reconsidering some of the fittings. The original things we chose were more labour intensive to fit.

Original poster

LankyLegs · 14/04/2011 14:24

Thanks chop he is also ( i forgot to metion) sticking in a new loo and sink int he downstairs cloakroom - but that is literally like for like so no moving of anything. Interesting that your tiling is more...

The plumbing costs are for 2 weeks of work as well as I think getting the tank upstairs is a job as then cold water tank then needs to be raised as well.

I am slowly getting over the shock now too!

OP posts:

vickibee · 14/04/2011 14:24

We have just had a new bathroom, DH did most of the prep work. Took off old floor and wall tiles and prepared walls for new. we paid for a plumber to move pipes (new bath position) cost £140. A tiler to do wall and floor £250. New Wc and sink used existing pipes so DH said it was easy
The suite cost £500 and the tiles £500 so I reckon on a total spend of about £1400. Just the decorating to do now. We also got quotes for about £10K for the complete service - I guess you are paying for the convenience

Greenshadow · 14/04/2011 16:51

We're about to start having our bathroom completely redone.

We also were quoted about £9,000 all in, but this also includes knocking down 2 internal walls and all the making good, all the electricals plus underfloor heating (which in itself adds up to around £1000)

The actual labour (plumbing, electrical and tiling) comes to £2000.

Obviously cost of sanitary wear can be £000s or £0000s but we have saved money by ordering it ourselves on line.

Moving the loo can be quite expensive (and time consuming) but even so, your quote does sound over the top.

Original poster

LankyLegs · 14/04/2011 17:14

Thanks all - this has been really helpful - we have found another plumber via the bathroom shop we are ordering all the things through and he is going to come over tomorrow and give another quote hopefully.

Both DH and I gut instinct says this is way too much for what we are having done.

OP posts:

pineappleupsidedownpudding · 14/04/2011 17:25

We had our bathroom done about 4 months ago, completly gutted including an interior wall that came down, all re plastered, complete new electrics all sanitry wear including a new shower (none previously) lots of fiddly fancy tiles and it came in at £4500.
However it was mates rates and our builder reckoned it should have been closer to £8000, so not far off (no decorating)

FriskyMare · 14/04/2011 17:30

We paid £10k two years ago for our (v.small) bathroom, but we did move the door, have a reasonably expensive bath, laufen pro wall hung loo, granite top and slate tiles. Looks fab but I did boak when shown the quote. You gets what you pay for I suppose.

Earlybird · 14/04/2011 17:30

Why not ask your current builders where costs could be cut? Or, get them to explain in more detail how they've arrived at the numbers you've been given.

If they've done alot of work for you already, and you're happy with them/their results, I'd try to stay with them. There are so many charlatans in/around the building trade, I'd be loathe to change.

Original poster

LankyLegs · 14/04/2011 17:34

Earlybird thats what I am worried about as well! Getting some dodgy plumbers in...
Anyway they are in tomorrow morning to finish some stuff off in the rest of the house so we are having a proper chat about how he got to that figure!

Frisky your bathroom sounds fab!

Pineapple interesting to know the mark up they make!

OP posts:

FriskyMare · 14/04/2011 17:39

Lanklegs - Thanks very much!!
(Goes pink with delight!)

Onky · 14/04/2011 17:50

I'm about to do a bathroom and I was hoping to manage it for about £4K - £5K including materials - replacing shower, tray, shower door, tiles, sinks x 2 and bath and taps and flooring and new lightting.

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