En suite cost: the factors that set the price

New space or an existing room?

The biggest single factor is whether the en suite already exists. Refitting an old en suite in the same layout is close to a small bathroom refit: strip out, prepare, tile and fit. Creating an en suite from scratch adds a wall, a door, new hot and cold supplies, a new waste, an extractor duct, lighting and often a new floor covering for the bedroom where the room has been reshaped. Each of those is a separate stage with its own labour and materials.

The waste route

The toilet waste is the factor that most often decides both whether an en suite is possible and what it costs. A toilet needs a large pipe with a steady fall to the soil stack. If the en suite is on the same wall as the stack, the run is short and simple. If it is on the far side of the house, the pipe may need to run between joists, which only works if the joists go the right way, or through boxing along the wall. Where gravity will not work, a macerator can pump the waste, which brings its own cost and noise.

Showers and basins are more flexible because their wastes are smaller, but they still need a fall, and a level access shower in particular needs depth under the floor.

Stud walls and the door

Most new en suites need at least one new wall. A timber stud wall with moisture resistant board on the wet side, insulation for sound, and a door lining is a job in itself, explained on the stud walls page. A pocket door costs more than a hinged one but saves floor space. The bedroom side of the new wall then needs plastering or skimming and decorating.

Ventilation and electrics

An en suite almost always needs a ducted extractor fan, and an internal room with no window needs one that runs on after use. The duct route through a loft or outside wall affects the price. Lighting, the fan connection and any shaver point are electrical work carried out by a qualified electrician, priced as part of the plan.

Tiling and finishes

Tiling is labour heavy, so how much of the room is tiled matters. Fully tiled walls cost more than tiling only the shower area and a splashback. Large format tiles need flatter walls and more care to handle; small tiles and mosaics take longer to set and grout. The shower area is waterproofed behind the tiles regardless, which is not a place to save money.

• Whether the en suite is new or a refit
• Distance and route from the toilet to the soil stack
• Number of new walls and the type of door
• Extractor duct route and electrician's work
• How much of the room is tiled, and the tile size
• Suite choice: wall hung fittings need frames
• Hot water supply and shower pressure
• Making good the bedroom side of the work

Hot water and pressure

A new en suite takes hot water from the same system as the main bathroom. If the house has a combination boiler, the boiler size decides how well two showers run at once. On a vented system, a top floor en suite may have poor pressure without a pump. These are checked at survey, and anything involving the boiler goes to a registered gas engineer.

How to keep the cost under control

Placing the en suite as close as possible to the existing soil stack is the single biggest saving. Keeping tiling to the wet areas, choosing a floor standing toilet and a standard tray, and deciding everything before work starts all help. A written quote that lists each stage means there are fewer surprises. Layout ideas for small rooms are in small en suite ideas.

Need it sorted? Book an en suite installation

When you are ready, book through the en suite bathrooms page, or send photos of the bedroom, the main bathroom and the loft hatch through the contact page for a quote.

Frequently asked questions

Bathroom Renovations