When choosing a new bathroom, the matter of cost is often tied up in thoughts connected to purchasing the units and choosing the accessories. Whilst it is important that you select a bathroom suite which meets your needs without destroying your budget, there are other costs to consider – as a post on Which? Speaking to recommended bathroom fitters, they found out just how much you should spend on some of the most common bathroom jobs and got some handy tips from the experts too. To make sure your bathroom benefits from this expertise, here are some of their nuggets of wisdom: , we know you care about the cost of your bathroom and the best way to keep those costs down is by buying quality bathroom furniture at a price that’s right. So take a look at our luxury freestanding baths, stylish basins and contemporary toilets all at low We have full bathroom suite bundles starting from as little as £230, helping you to renovate your bathroom on a budget.

While you can get a good evaluation of estimated costs when planning work on your bathroom, the end figure can vary. installers quoted a range of £70 to £120 for small jobs like fitting a pedestal basin while larger tasks such as tiling a large bathroom came in with an average fee of £1,000. Overall the average cost of a new bathroom is £4,500 in the UK and this includes furniture and installation. But if you shop smart and compare prices, you can achieve a full designer bathroom installation for as little as £2,000 to £2,500. The reason why costs vary is that each job will need to be priced in relation to its individual circumstances. The size and shape of your bathroom will affect how easy a job is to complete, how long it will take and how much materials will be used. If there are unseen complications, such as damaged piping, then this will raise the cost of No job in the bathroom is mess free and this throws up the question of waste disposal.

Traders will dispose of materials for you but they have to pay business rates to do so. This means that if you’re only generating a small amount of waste then it could prove costly. The top tip here is to investigate whether you could dispose of any waste materials yourself for less money (e.g. by hiring a skip or taking some of the waste to a local tip). If this is the case then why not suggestHow Much Does It Cost To Fix A Cracked Exhaust Pipe it to your workers?Led Light Bulbs Lifetime Warranty Last, but by no means least, the underlying message from Which?Are Wall Mounted Faucets More Expensive To Install Local’s survey of bathroom installers found that quality is always the

priority with any job. where we only stock high quality products made from the best materials, reputable installers will put the finish of the job at hand above everything else. It may cost you a little more to get a professional finish but surely this is something worth paying for? After all, a bathroom which has been installed correctly and looks great is more likely to last than one which has a “cheap and cheerful” attitude. For a real life case study, check out our blog post "Bathrooms on a budget" and find out how we managed to makeover a whole family bathroom for under £600!How much does it cost?Local-recommended traders to find out how much standard jobs should cost and how quickly they should be completed. Armed with this information, you’ll feel confident about hiring traders and be better equipped to spot when things aren't right. More information about this feature We surveyed recommended bathroom fitters to find out how much you should spend on 12 common jobs and how long they should take to complete.

Want to modernise your bathroom? We asked a Which? Local-recommended bathroom fitter about fast and cost effective ways to update your bathroom. Simple, effective bathroom improvementsLocal-recommended bathroom fitters to complete a survey about the cost and completion time for 12 standard bathroom fitting jobs. Armed with this information, you'll know what questions to ask, roughly what price you can expect to pay and how long jobs should take when hiring a bathroom fitter.Bathrooom fitting prices and completion timesAll of our prices include labour and materials but exclude VAT.JobDetailsTypical price quotedPrice rangeTypical time to complete jobSurvey conducted July 2012Fit a new pedestal basinRemove and dispose of old basin. Install a new basin in the same position. Customer supplying new basin.£90£70-£1201-2 hoursFit a new toiletRemove and dispose of old toilet. Install a new toilet in the same position. Customer supplying new toilet.£100£75-£1401.5-3 hoursFit a new bathRemove and dispose of old bath.

Install a new bath in the same position. Customer supplying new bath.£175£124-£2203-5 hoursTile a small bathroomApproximate room size 7' x 7'1”.n/a£374-£8001-3 daysTile a medium bathroomApproximate room size 10'2”.£750£600-£1,0002-4 daysTile a large bathroomApproximate room size 13'4”.£1,000£700-£1,3153-6 daysInstall underfloor heating – small bathroomApproximate room size 7' x 7'1”.£450£350-£5774-8 hoursInstall underfloor heating – medium bathroomApproximate room size 10'2”.£575£450-£7434-8 hoursInstall underfloor heating – large bathroomApproximate room size 13'4”.£700£540-£8501–2 daysReseal bathStandard size bath. Remove existing silicone and reseal. £60£45-£751–2 hoursChange taps on bathRemove old mixer tap and replace with new mixer tap.£65£50-£801-2 hoursInstall extractor fan in bathroom wallSupply and fit an axial extractor fan into bathroom wall with short duct leading to exterior of property.£200£150-£2402-4 hoursBathroom fitting: trader tipsIn addition to the pricing and completion time information, the recommended bathroom fitters who participated in our survey also shared some helpful advice.

The cost of jobs will vary depending on whether you are simply replacing items – such as removing an old sink and installing a new one in the same place – or redesigning a whole bathroom and moving sinks and baths to different positions. Ask your trader about waste disposal. Traders have to pay business rates to dispose of waste and there's often a minimum charge making it costly to dispose of small amounts. You might save money by offering to get rid of small amounts of waste (such as old basins or tiles) yourself or by hiring a small skip. Ask potential traders if they have a minimum charge. Some traders we surveyed had a minimum charge of half a day, meaning that you could end up paying over the odds for a small job like replacing a toilet or a basin. It might be more cost efficient to combine several jobs that need doing at once. If your pipework is damaged or very old it may need replacing, which could increase the cost of the job. If your bathroom is tiled, tiles might be damaged when removing old bathroom furniture.

If tile work is needed this could increase the cost of the job. Be wary of traders using contractors – it's more difficult to keep an eye on who’s doing what. Ask your trader if they plan to do the work themselves or contract out. If so can they vouch for the quality of the work done by the contractors? Will they oversee all work and maintain responsibility? Some traders specialise in tiling whereas others just do it occasionally. Although the results might be the same, it could take an inexperienced tiler twice or three times as long to tile a room. Choosing an experienced tiler, who can tile more quickly, will probably save you money in the long run. We asked traders to quote for tiling onto 'good' walls. If your existing tiles need to be removed, or walls are in a poor condition, they will need to be prepared. This will increase costs. To get a professional finish, the tiler might need to remove the toilet or basin to tile behind them. If you have a lot of bathroom furniture, or a lot of doors and windows to work around, this is likely to take longer and cost more.

We asked traders to quote for tiling only, with the customer choosing and supplying their own tiles. But, the tiles you choose can influence the price. Large tiles will cover the area more quickly. Small, fiddly tiles can take longer. Job: install underfloor heating If the bathroom floor is tiled, rather than carpeted or laminated, it will take longer to remove and replace the flooring. This will probably increase price and completion time. Some bathroom fitters don't do electrical work. Others might contract it out. Whoever does it, all underfloor heating installations need to be certified/signed off by a qualified Part P electrician. Job: install extractor fan in bathroom wall If your bathroom is not on ground floor level it might take longer to fit the duct through the exterior wall. Some bathroom fitters don’t do electrical work. But, all electrical work will need to be certified/signed off by a qualified Part P electrician. In July 2012, we sent a survey to all Which?

Local traders in the Bathroom fitters and suppliers category with a rating of three stars or more and an email address. 176 traders responded to the survey. Using their experience and expertise, they answered questions about the cost of popular bathroom fitting jobs, and how long they should take to complete. Read more about the methodology How much does it cost?, Issue 14 - Boilers and heating: how much should you pay? We surveyed recommended boiler and central heating engineers to find out how much you should spend on repairs and maintenance. Central heating, boilers & gas How much does it cost?, Issue 13 - Roofers: how much should you pay? We surveyed recommended roofers to find out how much you should spend on 12 common jobs and how long they should take to complete. How much does it cost?, Issue 12 - Plumbers: how much should you pay? We surveyed recommended plumbers to find out how much you should spend on 12 common jobs and how long they should take to complete.

How much does it cost?, Issue 11 - Domestic appliance repairs: how much should you pay? We surveyed appliance repair engineers to find out how much you should spend on 12 common jobs and how long they should take. How much does it cost?, Issue 10 - Computer repairs: how much should you pay? We surveyed recommended computer repair professionals to find out how much you should spend on PC repairs. How much does it cost?, Issue 9 - Home maintenance and handyman jobs: how much should you pay? We surveyed recommended handymen to find out how much you should spend on 12 common jobs. Maintenance & handy man How much does it cost?, Issue 8 - Gardeners and landscape designers: how much should you pay? We surveyed recommended gardeners and landscape designers to find out how much you should spend on 12 common jobs. How much does it cost?, Issue 7 - Electricians: how much should you pay? We surveyed recommended electricians to find out how much you should spend on 15 common jobs and how long they should take to complete.