£12,500 for a bathroom refurb?!?!?

[Mmmcheese89]

Small Victorian terrace bathroom in yorkshire. 3m x 1.9m.

Ripping out fully tiled, 3 piece bathroom suite.

Replacing with 3 piece bathroom suite plus electric shower. Tile around bath, back splash to sink and on floor. Skim plaster to everywhere else including new skim to ceiling. None of the appliances are changing location.

I've tried using local trades but they either ghost after they've seen the job or over price it because they don't want to do it. So I'm stuck going to b&q.

I'm not using very expensive materials (plain white tiles, simple suite), apparently it's getting the electric shower put in that's costing so much more than initially expected as fuse box is in the cellar, bathroom is two floors above and there isn't the existing cabling.

But there is no contingency for if they find anything troublesome underneath when they rip out the existing bathroom.

It has to be done. The bathroom is hanging on by a thread for being functional. And if I'm gonna do the thing I might as well do it properly and get what I want. Right?

sorry, this is mostly just sounding it out. Fml.

Yes, I have a list of good tradies and most of them charge a transparent hourly rate plus materials (and are happy for me to pay for these direct). Slightly larger firms with multiple employees are equally clear about costs and where they come from. I suspect a lot of people underestimate just how much work is involved in "just ripping out and replacing" and the real cost of waste disposal and materials.

Extortionate quotes usually mean they don't want the work so the extra is the buggeration factor if they do it.

10k plus or minus a couple of k for a small bathroom doesn't sound remotely unusual compared to other small bathrooms I know of over the last year or two (south and south west). Materials are costly and don't vary a lot across the country. Labour is a it cheaper outside of the SE.

Brexit = more expensive tradesmen.

In 2022 my fathers bathroom was materials and labour separately. He had a large walkin shower with Vado parts, toilet and large sink vanity with mirror. Panels not tiles.

The materials were £4.5k.

Plumber and trades to rip out, dispose, replater and refit £6k.

Have you used an electric shower op? I’ve never used one where rhe water pressure is decent, in fact my in-laws have one and a normal one, and rhe electric pressure is so much less than the other one, if you’ve a lot of hair that would be problematic

That seems very high to me. We're in north Yorkshire and had our bathroom refurb done three years ago, bath, toilet, sink and shower replaced, new wall and floor tiling. It was £4,500 all in, local fitter.

I would expect prices to have gone up since then but not to that extent. However I know how difficult it is to find reliable responsive tradespeople.

I wouldn’t get one of those awful old fashioned electric ones that has the unit stuck on the wall.

We were recently quoted £11,000 for a 3m square patio… plus materials 😂
we politely declined .

I have always had an electric shower, but recently moved into a property with a combi shower- best shower ever

We’re east Anglia and looking at £15k (we’ve renovated for years so experienced with costs), but this is for quite high end – premium tiles, brass, rainhead showers, bespoke cabinets etc. Plus the ceiling needs boarding, full re-plastering etc

Our refit starts next week - £9.5K for 3x2m ensuite. New shower, loo, sink, shower panels, tiles, mirror, shelving, flooring and lighting. the most expensive quote we had was £13K.
We also agreed to have another ensuite built into a large bedroom. That is £11k. Same as before but also need pipes relocating and the stud work done.

I know a brilliant versatile tradesman, and we've paid him a lot over 10 years. Now he's off his territory fitting a kitchen for our DC. I am confident that the change of location won't alter his standards.

We paid that for a small bathroom about 4 years ago, I don’t think that sounds expensive at all.