Small Bathroom Refit Cost London 2026: What You'll Actually Pay
All-in cost ranges for a 3–5 m² bathroom refit in London, what pushes the price up or down, what a contractor’s allowance really means and how to tell whether the cheapest quote is genuinely cheaper or just less complete.
What are you renovating?
A small bathroom is one of the most reliably mispriced renovation projects in London. The room is compact, the scope feels straightforward, and a confident single-figure quote arrives quickly. Then the job begins, and items that were not in the quote start appearing on invoices: the skip, the replastering, the electrical certification, the extractor that needs a new ventilation route because the existing duct does not meet Building Regulations.
This guide gives you the real all-in cost ranges for a small bathroom full refit in London in 2026, explains exactly what drives the price up or down within those ranges, and explains what a contractor’s allowance is and why it is rarely what it sounds like.
What Is a Small Bathroom Full Refit?
For this guide, a small bathroom full refit means a complete strip-out and replacement of a bathroom measuring approximately 3 to 5 square metres, typically a second bathroom, an upstairs WC with shower, a compact en-suite, or a small flat bathroom. The layout stays the same: all sanitaryware goes back in its original position, so no soil pipes or waste connections are moved.
What a full refit includes, when done properly:
- Strip-out and disposal of the existing suite, tiles, and flooring
- Waterproofing and tanking of wet areas
- New sanitaryware (basin, toilet, shower or bath, taps) supplied and fitted
- Wall tiling with adhesive and grout
- Flooring supply and fit
- Plumbing connections for all new sanitaryware
- Electrical work: lighting circuit, extractor fan, heated towel rail wiring, shaver socket
- Part P certification for electrical work
- Extractor ventilation route confirmed and compliant with Building Regulations Part F
- Plastering and making good where required
- Decoration of ceiling and any non-tiled walls
- Waste removal, including disposal of the old suite
That is what a complete job looks like. Many quotes do not include all of it.
Small Bathroom Full Refit Cost London 2026
For a 3–5 m² bathroom with no layout changes, the all-in cost range in London in 2026 is:
£7,000 to £16,000
That is a wide band. The following three tiers explain where within it your project is likely to sit.
Budget specification (£7,000-£10,000)
A mid-range sanitaryware suite from a mainstream supplier Roca, Ideal Standard, Sottini with ceramic wall tiles, vinyl or LVT flooring, and standard chrome fittings. The bathroom is completely renewed, functions well, and will last 15 to 20 years. No premium materials, no feature tiles, no bespoke elements.
What typically keeps a budget-spec job in the lower range: the suite is modest, the tile format is standard (300×600 or similar), the room is in good structural condition so no additional plastering is needed after strip-out, and the electrical first fix is straightforward.
Mid-range Specification (£10,000-£13,000)
A better-quality suite: Burlington, Crosswater, VitrA with larger-format porcelain tiles (600×600 or larger), underfloor heating, a fixed glass shower screen rather than a curtain or hinged screen, and brushed brass or black fittings throughout. The bathroom looks considered rather than functional.
Premium Specification (£13,000-£16,000+)
Natural stone or high-format porcelain (900×600 or above), a freestanding or semi-recessed basin, a bespoke or frameless glass shower enclosure, bespoke joinery for storage, a heated towel rail, and premium sanitaryware from a specialist brand. At this level, the room size is working against you; you are paying premium rates for a small footprint.
London Uplift
National cost guides typically publish UK-wide ranges that do not reflect London labour rates. London bathroom fitters charge £180 to £280 per day, depending on the trade mix required. Inner London adds 20 to 30% to the figures published by national cost guides. The ranges above already account for this.
| Specification | Suite & Tiles | What It Delivers | London Cost Range | On-Site Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Mainstream suite (Ideal Standard, Roca); standard ceramic tiles | Completely renewed bathroom, fully functional, will last 15–20 years | £7,000–£9,000 | 7–9 days |
| Mid-range | Better suite (Crosswater, VitrA); large-format porcelain tiles | Fixed glass screen, brass or black fittings, underfloor heating option | £10,000–£13,000 | 8–11 days |
| Premium | Specialist suite (Burlington, Lusso Stone); natural stone or 900×600 porcelain | Frameless screen, bespoke joinery, premium towel rail, feature wall | £13,000–£16,000+ | 10–14 days |
| Layout change add-on | Any specification above | Moving toilet, basin, or shower — soil pipe and waste re-routing | +£2,000–£5,000 | +3–5 days |
| Replastering add-on | Any specification above | Full wall skim after strip-out reveals damaged or water-stained plaster | +£400–£900 | +1–2 days |
London all-in ranges including materials, labour, and VAT. Assumes same layout (no soil pipe relocation). Excludes architect or designer fees. Add 10–15% contingency for strip-out unknowns, particularly in older properties where wall condition cannot be assessed before tiles are removed.
What Pushes the Price Up
Two-Storey Side Extension
The following are the most common reasons a small bathroom refit costs more than the initial quote suggested.
Tile Specification
The single biggest variable in a bathroom of this size. Standard ceramic tiles at £15-£25 per m² and a full wall-to-ceiling tile job require approximately 12-18 m² in a 3–5 m² bathroom. Switching to large-format natural stone at £80-£150 per m² adds £1,000-£2,500 to the materials cost alone. A contractor who quotes “tiling included” without naming the tile or the quantity has told you nothing.
Structural Condition After Strip-Out
Once the old tiles are off, the wall beneath is often found to be water-damaged, crumbling, or in need of full replastering. This is not unusual in London Victorian and Edwardian properties, where the bathroom was retrofitted into a room designed for other purposes. Plastering and making good after strip-out adds £400–£900 depending on how much wall area is affected.
Electrical Work
A full bathroom electrical upgrade, new lighting circuit, new extractor fan with an external duct route, heated towel rail wiring, and Part P certification costs £600-£1,200 when quoted separately. When it is bundled into a headline labour figure without being named, it is frequently underpriced and becomes an extra.
Extractor Fan Ventilation Route
Building Regulations Part F requires an extractor fan that vents to outside. In a small bathroom with no existing external duct route, running a new duct to an external wall or through the roof adds £200-£600 to the job. Ask every contractor where the duct exits before you sign anything.
Waste Disposal and Skip Costs
Removing an old suite, a floor of tiles, and a ceiling of wall tiles from a London flat is not free. A permit, a skip, or multiple van runs costs £400-£900 on a typical small bathroom. Quotes that omit disposal are not cheaper. They are incomplete.
Suite Supply
A contractor who supplies the suite rather than having you supply it adds their margin. On a budget suite, this is manageable. On a premium suite, it is significant. For high-specification bathrooms, purchasing the suite directly from a trade merchant or showroom and having the contractor fit it is worth the extra coordination.
What Keeps the Price Down
Like-For-Like Positions
Every soil pipe moved adds cost and disruption. If the toilet, basin, and shower all go back exactly where they were, the plumbing first-fix is straightforward. If even one item moves, you are in a different cost band.
A Structurally Sound Room
A bathroom that was properly waterproofed the last time it was refitted, with no visible damp, tiles still firmly adhered, and plasterwork intact when tapped, will cost less to strip out and less to make good.
Standard Electrical Configuration
If the existing lighting circuit is in good order, the extractor has an existing external vent, and no heated towel rail wiring is required, the electrical element stays simple. Ask your contractor to confirm this before finalising the quote.
Ceramic Tile Format
The fastest and least expensive tile job in a small room is a standard-format ceramic tile in a simple brick or stack pattern. Large-format tiles, feature tiles requiring pattern matching, and natural stone tiles all add time and therefore cost.
What a Contractor's Allowance Really Means
A contractor’s allowance is a placeholder sum the contractor puts in the quote for an item whose specification has not yet been confirmed. It is not a fixed cost. It is an estimate that will be revised once you choose the actual product or the actual work is done.
In a bathroom quote, allowances most commonly appear for:
Sanitaryware allowance – the contractor quotes £500, £800, or £1,000 “for the suite.” The quote looks competitive. Then you choose the basin, toilet, and shower tray and discover the products cost £1,400. The difference of £400 to £900, sometimes more, is invoiced as a variation once work has started.
Tile allowance – a sum “for tiles” without a tile quantity in square metres, a tile format, or a product. The allowance may be based on budget ceramic tiles. When you choose a tile you actually want, the allowance runs out.
Contingency allowance – a provisional sum for making-good work whose extent cannot be assessed until strip-out is complete. This one is legitimate: a bathroom fitter cannot tell you what is behind the tiles until the tiles are off. A well-written quote will identify this as a provisional sum with a defined trigger, not bury it as a line item that appears at the end.
The rule: any allowance in a bathroom quote must come with three pieces of information: what it covers, what it excludes, and how the difference is handled if the final cost is higher or lower. If a contractor cannot answer all three, the allowance is a pricing gap, not a budget item.
How Small Bathroom Refit Costs Break Down
On a mid-range small bathroom full refit in London at approximately £10,000-£11,000, the breakdown by trade typically looks like this:
- Strip-out and disposal: £400-£700
- First-fix plumbing (pipe connections, waste, supply): £800-£1,400
- Waterproofing and tanking: £300-£600
- Tiling walls and floor (labour only): £900-£1,400
- Sanitaryware supply (suite): £900-£1,800
- Tiles and grout supply: £400-£900
- Flooring supply and fit: £250-£500
- Electrical work and Part P certification: £600-£1,000
- Second-fix plumbing (fitting sanitaryware): £500-£900
- Plastering and making good: £300-£600
- Decoration: £200-£400
- Contractor’s margin and overhead: 15-25%
The largest single variable is tiles and sanitaryware; together they account for 20-35% of the total cost and are the items most often specified vaguely in budget quotes.
Red Flags in a Small Bathroom Refit Quote
- No tile quantity in square metres, just “tiling included”
- “Sanitaryware by allowance” with no product named or figure defined
- No mention of Part P electrical certification
- Extractor not mentioned (or “existing extractor retained” when the duct route is unknown)
- Disposal and skip not listed separately
- More than 25% deposit required upfront
- No provisional sum or mention of making-good risk after strip-out
- Single headline figure with no line-item breakdown at all
How to Find Vetted Small Bathroom Fitters in London
The right fitter for a compact bathroom in a Bermondsey flat is not necessarily the right choice for a small en-suite in a Hampstead period property. Access, building type, and the freeholder’s requirements all affect who is best placed to do the job well.
Before you appoint:
- Ask for references from two or three bathroom refits of similar specification in London in the last 18 months, and call them
- Confirm public liability insurance of at least £2 million
- Ask who carries out the electrical work and whether Part P certification will be issued
- In a flat, confirm that the contractor understands the freeholder notification process
- Agree a payment schedule tied to stages: strip-out complete, first fix, tiling complete, second fix and snagging sign-off and do not pay more than 25% upfront
QuoteMyRenovation matches London homeowners with up to three vetted bathroom fitters with verified experience in your borough and project type. You submit one brief and receive matched quotes all against the same scope so you can compare price and specification side by side. No cold calls. No obligation. Free for homeowners.
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COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions About Small Bathroom Refit Costs in London
Questions homeowners ask us most often before submitting their brief.
How much does a small bathroom full refit cost in London?
What is included in a full bathroom refit?
What is a contractor's allowance in a bathroom quote?
Why are bathroom refit quotes in London so different from each other?
Do I need planning permission for a small bathroom refit in London?
How long does a small bathroom full refit take?
What is the cost of a small bathroom refit per square metre in London?
How do I find vetted bathroom fitters for a small refit in London?
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