Bathroom fitters in London: what a full refit involves, and what to ask before you hire

Who does what in a full refit

Some firms employ all of these; others subcontract. Either is fine if your contract says who is responsible for the whole job.

The usual order of work

1. Survey and design: measurements, checks on where the soil pipe and wastes can run, and the ventilation route.
2. Strip-out and disposal.
3. Repairs revealed by the strip-out: floor joists, rot, old pipework.
4. First fix plumbing and electrics.
5. Boarding, levelling and waterproofing.
6. Tiling.
7. Second fix: suite, taps, shower valve, lights, fan.
8. Sealing, testing, decoration and handover.

Checkatrade’s new bathroom cost guide (updated March 2026) says a new bathroom installation typically takes about 5 to 10 days, and treats jobs over 10 days as high-end or complex. Ask for a written programme so you know how long you will be without a bathroom.

What a fitter’s quote should show

• Who supplies the suite, tiles and brassware, and who is responsible if items arrive damaged or late.
• Strip-out and waste disposal.
• Plumbing first and second fix, with any change to the soil pipe or waste route spelled out.
• Electrical work and who will issue the certificate.
• Waterproofing system, tiling area in m² and the tile size the price assumes (large-format and mosaic tiles usually cost more to lay).
• Extraction: fan type, ducting route and where it exits.
• Making good, decoration and VAT.
• A provisional sum for hidden problems such as rotten joists, and how it will be priced if used.

For published cost ranges, see our page on bathroom refurbishment costs.

The rules that apply

• Electrics: Approved Document P makes a new circuit, a new consumer unit, or adding to or altering a circuit in the special location around a bath or shower notifiable. That work must be certified by a registered electrician or signed off by building control.
• Ventilation: Approved Document F gives a minimum intermittent extract rate of 15 litres per second for a bathroom.
• Water fittings: plumbing must meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. A WaterSafe approved plumber can certify compliance.
• Drainage and new bathrooms: some bathroom work, such as new drainage connections, can be notifiable under the Building Regulations. The GOV.UK competent person scheme list includes schemes covering toilets, sinks, washbasins, baths, showers and bathrooms in dwellings (APHC, BESCA, Certsure, HETAS and NAPIT), where the work does not involve shared or underground drainage.
• Gas: any gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

London flats: extra points

• Check your lease before you book anyone. Many leases need the freeholder’s or managing agent’s consent for alterations, especially if you move the soil stack or change floor coverings.
• Waterproofing and leak testing matter more when there is a flat below you. Ask how the fitter tests pipework before the walls are closed up.
• Ask about working hours, lift use, parking and waste removal. Building managers often set rules for these.

Paperwork at handover

• An electrical installation or minor works certificate, and a Building Regulations compliance certificate for notifiable work.
• Product guarantees for the shower valve, tray, waterproofing and any underfloor heating.
• Gas Safe paperwork if any gas work was done.
• A final invoice that matches the agreed price plus any variations you approved in writing.

Our guide on choosing a trustworthy bathroom fitter covers vetting, deposits and contracts in more depth. When you are ready, use the enquiry form and we’ll pass it to an independent fitter who covers your area. We don’t carry out the work ourselves.

Questions people ask

Related pages

• Bathroom refurbishment costs
  Published 2026 bathroom refurbishment and new bathroom costs, line items, and how to budget a London refit.

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