Bathroom renovation costs 2026
Bathroom renovation is one of the most common home improvement projects in Wales. Costs vary enormously based on size, specification, and how much structural or plumbing work is needed.
Typical ranges for full bathroom renovation in Wales (supply and fit):
| Bathroom type | Budget | Mid-range | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard bathroom (6mยฒ) | ยฃ4,500โ6,000 | ยฃ6,000โ9,000 | ยฃ9,000โ18,000+ |
| En-suite (3โ4mยฒ) | ยฃ3,000โ4,500 | ยฃ4,500โ7,000 | ยฃ7,000โ14,000+ |
| Wet room | ยฃ4,000โ7,000 | ยฃ7,000โ10,000 | ยฃ10,000โ20,000+ |
These cost ranges are for Wales broadly. Cardiff and Newport sit at the higher end; Valleys towns sit at the lower end.
What these ranges include: removing and disposing of old suite, replumbing for new layout, plastering and tiling, fitting new suite (bath or shower, basin, WC), new flooring, lighting, and extractor.
What is typically excluded: structural alterations, underfloor heating, full electrical rewire to bathroom, bespoke joinery, or high-end designer fixtures.
What affects bathroom renovation cost?
Keeping the same layout vs moving plumbing โ Keeping the toilet, basin, and bath/shower in the same positions dramatically reduces cost. Moving the toilet (especially if it requires a new soil stack position) can add ยฃ1,000โ3,000.
Specification โ A standard bathroom with tiles from a mid-range range, a Roca or Ideal Standard suite, and chrome fittings comes in significantly below a bathroom with designer tiles, a freestanding bath, or underfloor heating.
Wet room vs shower enclosure โ Wet rooms require waterproofing (tanking) to the entire floor and lower walls, which adds ยฃ500โ1,500 to the cost versus a tiled shower enclosure.
Underfloor heating โ Electric underfloor heating in a bathroom adds ยฃ400โ900. Water-fed underfloor heating adds more and requires plumbing integration.
Tiling โ Labour for tiling costs ยฃ25โ50/mยฒ in Wales. A full bathroom tiled floor-to-ceiling uses significantly more tiles and more labour than half-height tiling.
Which tradespeople are needed?
A full bathroom renovation in Wales typically requires:
- Plumber โ plumbing in new suite, waste and supply connections
- Electrician โ shower supply, extractor, lighting (bathroom zones require specialist knowledge)
- Tiler โ floor and wall tiling
- Plasterer โ preparing walls before tiling
- Joiner โ boxing in pipework, fitting vanity units and cupboards
- Builder โ structural work if moving walls
Many bathroom specialists in Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport manage all trades in-house or via subcontractors, providing a single-point project management service. This is often more efficient than separately commissioning each trade.
How to save money
Keep the layout the same โ Moving plumbing is expensive. A bathroom with the same footprint but completely new fixtures can look transformed at much lower cost.
Supply your own sanitaryware โ Buying your own suite, tiles, and fittings separately (from Wickes, B&Q, or specialist retailers) and having trades fit only can save 10โ20% versus a supply-and-fit package โ but you take on the risk of damaged or missing items.
Separate the project into phases โ Doing plumbing and structural work in one phase and decorative work (tiling, painting) in a second phase can help spread costs.
Get three quotes โ Bathroom renovation prices in Wales vary significantly. Three quotes for the same specification will often show a 25โ40% range โ get all three to identify outliers.