April 28^th, 2025

From tiling and plumbing to fixtures and finishes, the costs to renovate a bathroom renovation vary widely depending on the size of the space and the specifications of the project. This guide breaks down typical bathroom renovation costs in the UK so that you can plan your budget with no nasty surprises.

 

We look at the cost of fully renovating three common bathroom types: a main bathroom, an ensuite, and a WC. We also break down average renovation costs by UK region and per square metre. One notable exclusion is underfloor heating, as it’s not always essential.

Bathroom Renovation Cost Calculations

In terms of build specification, BuildPartner gives you three broad options to choose from:

 

• Basic spec is a basic finish; e.g., Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Standard spec is a standard finish; e.g., Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• Premium spec is a high-spec finish; e.g., Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.

 

In this article, we provide a breakdown of the cost of renovating a bathroom for all three specifications. In addition to this, we also provide three different benchmarks to show the range of pricing you can expect among different contractors. These are:

 

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.
• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.
• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

Average Cost Of A Bathroom Renovation (Standard Spec)

The table below shows the average cost of renovating a bathroom in the UK to a standard spec:

 

Bathroom Renovation (Standard Spec)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£9,292	£10,390	£11,404	£1,549	£1,732	£1,901
Greater London	£9,757	£11,151	£11,983	£1,626	£1,858	£1,997
Inner London	£10,000	£11,162	£11,627	£1,667	£1,860	£1,938
Midlands	£8,959	£10,018	£10,996	£1,493	£1,670	£1,833
North England	£8,801	£9,842	£10,802	£1,467	£1,640	£1,800
Northern Ireland	£9,116	£9,930	£11,171	£1,517	£1,655	£1,862
Scotland	£9,129	£10,208	£11,204	£1,522	£1,701	£1,867
South East	£8,925	£9,863	£11,072	£1,617	£1,787	£1,984
South West	£9,088	£10,410	£11,425	£1,552	£1,735	£1,904
Wales	£8,866	£9,914	£10,636	£1,478	£1,652	£1,773
Average	£9,193	£10,289	£11,232	£1,549	£1,729	£1,886

All costs exclude VAT.        

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating a bathroom to a standard spec:

 

• It costs 7% more to renovate a bathroom in Inner London.
• The minimum cost is £8,801, and the maximum cost is £11,983.
• The total average cost is £10,238, or £1,721 per square metre.

 

Start your free trial with BuildPartner to get a bespoke estimate of your construction project within minutes.

 

Bathroom Renovation Cost Breakdown By Project Stage – London

 

Here’s an example of the associated costs for the different stages of renovating a bathroom for a standard-spec project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£11,162	100%
Plumbed appliances	£3,939	35.3%
Wall preparation and finishes	£2,345	21.0%
Floor preparation and finishes	£1,563	14.0%
Decoration	£1,184	10.6%
Wired appliances	£809	7.2%
Fixtures and fittings	£444	4.0%
Heating and cooling	£336	3.0%
Demolitions	£275	2.5%
Preliminaries	£221	2.0%
Ceiling preparation and finishes	£47	0.4%

 

Average Cost Of An Ensuite Bathroom Renovation (Standard Spec)

The table below shows the average cost of renovating an ensuite bathroom in the UK to a standard spec:

 

 All costs exclude VAT. Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating an ensuite bathroom to a standard spec:

• The minimum cost is £6,296, and the maximum cost is £9,644.
• The total average cost is £8,104, or £2,181 per square metre.

The table below shows the average cost of renovating an ensuite bathroom in the UK to a standard spec:

 

En-Suite Renovation (Standard Spec)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£7,352	£8,221	£9,023	£1,961	£2,192	£2,406
Greater London	£7,776	£8,959	£9,644	£2,074	£2,389	£2,572
Inner London	£7,941	£8,865	£9,268	£2,118	£2,364	£2,472
Midlands	£7,061	£7,895	£8,665	£1,883	£2,105	£2,311
North England	£6,926	£7,745	£8,500	£1,847	£2,065	£2,267
Northern Ireland	£7,203	£7,826	£8,805	£1,913	£2,087	£2,348
Scotland	£7,231	£8,086	£8,875	£1,928	£2,156	£2,367
South East	£7,090	£7,834	£8,701	£2,055	£2,271	£2,522
South West	£7,175	£8,245	£9,050	£1,966	£2,199	£2,413
Wales	£6,976	£7,800	£8,379	£1,860	£2,080	£2,235
Average	£7,273	£8,148	£8,891	£1,960	£2,191	£2,391

 All costs exclude VAT.

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating an ensuite bathroom to a standard spec:

 

• The minimum cost is £6,296, and the maximum cost is £9,644.
• The total average cost is £8,104, or £2,181 per square metre.

 

Average Cost Of A WC Renovation (Standard Spec)

The table below shows the average cost of renovating a WC in the UK to a standard spec:

 

WC Renovation (Standard Spec)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£3,071	£3,434	£3,769	£1,422	£1,590	£1,745
Greater London	£3,274	£3,759	£4,027	£1,516	£1,740	£1,864
Inner London	£3,354	£3,744	£3,946	£1,553	£1,733	£1,827
Midlands	£2,949	£3,297	£3,619	£1,365	£1,526	£1,675
North England	£2,896	£3,239	£3,555	£1,341	£1,499	£1,646
Northern Ireland	£2,838	£3,174	£3,483	£1,314	£1,469	£1,613
Scotland	£3,019	£3,375	£3,705	£1,397	£1,563	£1,715
South East	£2,992	£3,310	£3,712	£1,385	£1,532	£1,719
South West	£3,003	£3,446	£3,782	£1,390	£1,595	£1,751
Wales	£2,924	£3,270	£3,524	£1,354	£1,514	£1,631
Average	£3,032	£3,405	£3,712	£1,404	£1,576	£1,719

All costs exclude VAT.

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating a WC to a standard spec:

 

• The minimum cost is £2,838, and the maximum cost is £4,027.
• The total average cost is £3,383, or £1,566 per square metre.

 

Average Cost Of Renovating A Bathroom

So, how much does it cost to renovate a bathroom in the UK? Based on the three specifications covered in this article, you can expect a bathroom renovation to cost on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Bathroom: £10,289, or £1,729 per square metre.
• En-suite: £8,148, or £2,191 per square metre.
• WC: £3,405, or £1,576 per square metre.

Please remember that all costs exclude VAT.

Start your free trial with BuildPartner to get a bespoke estimate of your construction project within minutes.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Bathroom Renovation Costs

Here are some frequently asked questions about bathroom renovation costs.

Does changing the bathroom layout increase the cost?

Any deviation from the existing layout pushes up labour costs and extends the schedule. For example, moving a toilet typically involves relocating the soil pipe, which may mean breaking up floors or boxing in new pipe runs.

Similarly, relocating a shower or bath means installing new hot and cold feeds, as well as drainage. Not only that, but structural changes, like moving a wall or window, bring in additional trades such as joiners and bricklayers.

How can I keep costs low when renovating a bathroom?

There are plenty of ways to keep costs under control. The biggest saver is sticking to the existing layout. Keeping toilets, showers, and basins in the same position avoids the need to move pipework.

Also, you don’t need to tile every wall — just the wet areas and a splashback behind the basin. The rest can be plastered and painted with good-quality anti-condensation paint.

If the existing toilet or basin is in decent condition, you might be able to keep it and just replace the taps or seat. With a bit of effort, ceramic surfaces clean up nicely.

How much space do I need for an ensuite?

You can fit a compact ensuite into as little as 1.5m x 1m using space-saving fixtures like corner basins and sliding doors. It won’t be spacious, but it’ll be functional. A typical ensuite is usually around 1.5m x 2.5m (3.75m²), giving enough space for a toilet, basin, and shower.