Shower screens vs shower curtains
A glass shower screen looks cleaner and is easier to maintain long-term than a curtain, but costs more and needs to be fitted correctly to avoid water escaping at the edges. A curtain is the cheaper, more flexible option, particularly for an over-bath shower.
Water-saving bathroom fittings
Dual-flush toilets, aerated taps and water-efficient shower heads reduce water usage without necessarily reducing how the fixture feels to use — worth asking about if reducing water bills or environmental impact is a priority, since the difference in fitting cost is usually small.
Accessible and adapted bathrooms
Level-access showers, grab rails, and raised toilets are common accessibility adaptations, sometimes eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant depending on circumstances. Planning these alongside a wider refit, rather than as a separate later job, usually costs less overall.
Why waterproofing (tanking) matters
Tanking is a waterproof membrane applied behind tiles, particularly around showers and baths, to stop water getting into the wall or floor structure below. Skipping this step is a common cause of hidden damp and rot that only becomes visible years later — worth confirming it's included, not assumed, in a refit quote.
Common bathroom fitting jobs
Bathroom fitters handle everything from a single fixture swap to a full refit: removing and replacing suites, tiling, waterproofing (tanking) around showers, and coordinating the plumbing and electrical work a refit needs. Many fitters manage the whole job themselves and bring in a plumber or electrician for specific parts.
How long does a bathroom refit take?
A fixture swap (like-for-like toilet or basin) is usually a day or two. A full bathroom refit including tiling and waterproofing commonly takes 1-2 weeks, and it's often the only bathroom in the property out of use for that period — worth planning around if you only have one.
Three steps to hiring the right bathroom fitter
First, ask to see photos of similar completed jobs, ideally local ones. Second, clarify exactly who does the electrical and plumbing work — the fitter directly, or a subcontracted registered tradesperson. Third, get a written quote that separates labour, fixtures and tiling.
Red flags in a cheap bathroom quote
A quote well below others is worth questioning — check it includes tanking/waterproofing explicitly (not just tiling), specifies who handles the electrical and plumbing work, and covers making good if hidden pipework issues are found.