A downstairs toilet refit costs less than a bathroom, but not in proportion to its size. The room is small, yet it still needs the old suite removed, the supply and waste checked, a new toilet and basin fitted, and walls and floor finished. The main things that move the price are whether the toilet and basin stay in the same place, how much tiling you want, and whether the walls and floor need work before anything new goes in. This guide explains those drivers, since a single figure would not match your cloakroom.
Cloakroom renovation cost: where the money goes
In a cloakroom, a large share of the labour is spent on the same tasks a bathroom needs: isolating water, removing the old suite, preparing walls, and connecting and testing new fittings. Those tasks do not shrink much just because the room does.
The savings come from smaller quantities. Less tile, less flooring and fewer fittings make the material list much shorter than a full bathroom.
What moves the price up or down
The decisions with the biggest effect are these.
- Keeping the toilet and basin in their existing positions
- Choosing a close coupled toilet rather than a concealed cistern
- Tiling a splashback only, or tiling the walls to full height
- Whether the floor needs levelling or new boards
- Adding a new extractor fan where there is no window
Downstairs loo replacement: space saving choices
Cloakrooms are often under the stairs or squeezed into a former porch, so every centimetre counts. A short projection toilet and a corner or slimline basin can make the door swing clear. A wall hung basin shows more floor and makes the room look bigger, but it needs a solid wall or a frame behind it.
Concealed cisterns look clean but need boxing in with an access panel, which adds carpentry. A good quality close coupled toilet is simpler and cheaper to maintain.
How long to refit a cloakroom
A like for like cloakroom refit is a short job compared with a bathroom, but tiling, grout and sealant all need time to set before the room is used. The timescale is discussed at quotation stage so you know when the room will be back in use, which matters if it is the only toilet downstairs.
Planning the room before work starts
Measure the room and note where the door opens, where the window or fan is, and where the existing toilet waste leaves the wall or floor. Those three facts decide most of the layout. Choose the toilet and basin early, ideally with their dimensions in hand, because a pan that projects a few centimetres further than expected can stop the door closing. If you want a radiator, mirror or heated towel rail, mention it at the visit so fixings and pipe routes are planned before the walls are finished.
Combining it with other work
Cloakrooms are named in the bathroom renovation service on this site, and they are often refitted at the same time as the main bathroom, or alongside new flooring and doors in the hallway outside. Doing related jobs together means one set of dust protection and one point of contact.