A standard bathroom refit usually takes one to two weeks. The room is out of use for most of that, which is the part people really want to plan around. Here is how the days normally fall on a compact bathroom where the layout is staying broadly the same.
Day one: strip out
The old suite, tiles and any damaged boarding come out, and the waste goes. This is the noisiest, dustiest day. By the end of it the room is bare and you can see what you are really dealing with.
Days two and three: first fix and preparation
Pipework and any wiring for lighting or the extractor are set in position, walls are levelled or boarded, and the floor is prepared. Nothing looks like progress on these days, but everything that follows depends on them being right.
Days four to six: tiling
Waterproofing goes on where it is needed, then wall and floor tiling, then grout once the adhesive has set. Tiling cannot be rushed, and a day of setting time in the middle is normal rather than a delay.
Days seven and eight: fitting and second fix
The suite, shower, taps and accessories go in and are connected and tested. Trim, flooring edges and the extractor are finished off.
Day nine: finishing and final seal
Painting, silicone sealing and a proper clean. Silicone needs around 24 hours before the shower is used, so the last real wait is a curing one rather than a working one.
- Add days for a layout change or new drainage
- Add days if plaster needs to dry before painting
- Tile delivery delays are the most common hold up
- Ordering everything before day one prevents most overruns
Frequently asked questions
Related services
Related jobs
- Bathroom wall and floor tiling
- Walk in shower installation and bath to shower conversions
- Wet room installation: level floors that stay watertight
- Shower tray fitting and replacement for cracked or leaking trays
- En suite bathroom installation and refits
- Downstairs toilet installation and cloakroom refits
- Replace a toilet: toilet fitting and replacement
- Bath resealing, shower resealing and regrouting
- Extractor fan installation for bathrooms
- Accessible bathroom fitting: easier, safer everyday use
- Bathroom suite installation for suites you have supplied
- Shower enclosure installation: quadrant, sliding, bifold and walk in
Areas covered
Related guides
Small bathroom renovation cost guide
Where the money goes in a compact bathroom refit, and how to control it.
How to get an accurate quote for home repairs
What to send, what to expect back, and the warning signs.
Cost to tile a bathroom
Tiling priced per square metre, and what pushes the labour up.
Wet room vs walk in shower: which is right for your bathroom?
The floor decides this more often than the budget does.