A full bathroom renovation in the West Midlands typically runs between £6,500 and £20,000 in 2026, depending on the size of the room, the specification of the sanitaryware, and — the part most quotes gloss over — how much of what sits behind the tiles has to be replaced.
That range is wide because a bathroom is not really a tiling job. It is a plumbing job, an electrical job and a waterproofing job that happens to end in tiles. Two quotes for the same room can differ by £6,000 and both be honest, because one of them includes work the other has quietly left out.
What a bathroom renovation costs in 2026
These are West Midlands market ranges for a complete renovation — strip-out, first fix, waterproofing, tiling, second fix and making good. They assume the room stays roughly where it is. Moving the soil stack or relocating a bathroom to another part of the house sits outside these figures.
| Type of job | Typical range | What that buys |
|---|---|---|
| Cloakroom / downstairs WC | £3,000 – £5,500 | WC, small basin, part-tiled, extractor |
| Standard family bathroom | £6,500 – £11,000 | Bath, separate shower or over-bath, full tiling, new flooring |
| En-suite | £7,000 – £12,000 | Walk-in shower, wall-hung sanitaryware, heated towel rail |
| Premium master suite | £14,000 – £20,000+ | Large-format porcelain, twin basins, underfloor heating, bespoke joinery |
Why two quotes for the same bathroom differ by thousands
The single biggest variable is what happens once the old room comes out. Behind the tiles of a 1930s or post-war West Midlands house you routinely find lead or steel pipework, rotten floorboards under the bath, an extractor vented into the loft rather than outside, and electrics that predate current regulations.
A quote that assumes none of that is a quote that will change. Ours prices the strip-out and the first fix as separate line items, so you can see what is being replaced rather than discovering it as an extra in week two.
The second variable is waterproofing. Tanking a wet area properly — boards, tanking membrane, sealed corners and pipe collars — adds a few hundred pounds to a bathroom. Skipping it saves that few hundred and costs several thousand when the ceiling below stains three years later. It is invisible on completion day, which is exactly why it is the first thing cut from a cheap quote.
Where the money actually goes
On a typical £9,000 family bathroom, labour is usually 50 to 60 per cent of the total. Sanitaryware and brassware account for 15 to 25 per cent, and tiles somewhere between 10 and 20 per cent depending on format and finish.
That ratio surprises people who assume the suite is the expensive part. It also explains why upgrading the tiles rarely moves the total much, while moving the WC to the other wall moves it a lot — one is a materials change, the other is a plumbing and floor-structure change.
Large-format porcelain costs more to fit than standard ceramic, not because the tiles cost more per square metre, but because the substrate has to be flatter and the handling is slower. Budget for the labour, not just the tile.
How long a bathroom takes
Two to three weeks on site for most full renovations. A cloakroom can be done in under a week. A large master suite with underfloor heating and bespoke joinery runs to four.
The sequence matters more than the duration: strip-out, first fix plumbing and electrics, boarding and tanking, screed and underfloor heating if specified, tiling, second fix, then decoration. Tanking has to cure. Tile adhesive has to cure. Anyone promising a full bathroom in five days is skipping a curing stage, and it will show.
Do you need Building Regulations approval?
For a like-for-like replacement in the same location, usually not. But several common upgrades do fall under Building Regulations: new electrical circuits in a bathroom, structural alterations such as removing a wall to enlarge the room, and any change to drainage or ventilation.
Electrical work in a bathroom is notifiable under Part P because of the zones around water. It must be carried out and certificated by a competent person. If a quote does not mention certification, ask who is signing the electrics off.
Converting a bedroom or cupboard into a new bathroom is a material change of use for drainage and ventilation purposes and will need Building Control involvement.
How to compare bathroom quotes properly
Ask all three quotes to price the same specification, and make sure each one states: whether the floor is being lifted and checked, whether the wet area is being tanked and with what system, who is certificating the electrics, whether the extractor is being vented externally, and what the making-good allowance is for the room below.
If one quote is dramatically cheaper, the difference is almost always in that list — not in the builder's margin.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in the West Midlands?
Between £6,500 and £20,000 for a full renovation in 2026. A standard family bathroom typically lands at £6,500–£11,000, an en-suite at £7,000–£12,000, and a premium master suite at £14,000–£20,000 or more. A downstairs cloakroom is cheaper at £3,000–£5,500.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
Two to three weeks on site for most full bathrooms. A cloakroom takes under a week; a large master suite with underfloor heating runs to about four weeks. The programme is driven by curing times for tanking and tile adhesive, which cannot be rushed.
Do I need Building Regulations approval for a new bathroom?
Not usually for a like-for-like replacement in the same position. You do need it for new electrical circuits (notifiable under Part P), structural alterations such as removing a wall, changes to drainage or ventilation, and for converting another room into a bathroom.
Why is one bathroom quote much cheaper than another?
Almost always because of what is excluded rather than the builder's margin. The common omissions are lifting and checking the floor, tanking the wet area, certificating the electrics, venting the extractor externally, and an allowance for making good the ceiling below.
What is tanking and do I need it?
Tanking is a waterproof membrane applied to the walls and floor of a wet area before tiling, with sealed corners and pipe collars. Tiles and grout are not waterproof on their own. It adds a few hundred pounds to a bathroom and is the difference between a bathroom that lasts and one that leaks into the room below.