Accessible bathrooms in Tyne and Wear

What does an accessible bathroom cost in Tyne and Wear?

Our guide range in Tyne and Wear is £5,400–£12,500 including VAT. Prices in Tyne and Wear run at about 10% below the UK guide, based on North East England labour rates.

Guide prices for Tyne and Wear including VAT. Your itemised written quote after the free survey is the price that counts.

Which towns do we cover in Tyne and Wear?

• Newcastle upon Tyne
• Sunderland
• South Shields
• Gateshead
• Washington
• Tynemouth
• Wallsend
• Newburn
• North Shields
• Whitley Bay
• Houghton-Le-Spring
• Felling
• Jarrow
• Gosforth
• Hebburn
• Whickham
• Blaydon-on-Tyne

Water across much of Tyne and Wear is soft. If that holds for your street in Newcastle upon Tyne, limescale on shower glass and heads builds up slowly and a squeegee after use is usually enough. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier. If your Newcastle upon Tyne bathroom is upstairs on timber joists, we check them before promising a fully level floor.

What the job includes

• Removal of the bath and a level-access or low-profile shower in its place, or a full level-floor wet room
• Slip-resistant floor tiles or safety flooring that grips when wet
• A home survey of how the room is used now and what needs to change, including door width and turning space
• A basin set at a height that suits sitting or standing
• Electrics by a qualified electrician, tested and certified, and an itemised quote you can give to a grant officer
• A fold-down shower seat and grab rails fixed into solid wall or timber backing fitted behind the boards

Decisions to make first

Seat

A wall-mounted fold-down seat saves space and stays put. A freestanding shower stool is portable but takes floor space and can shift.

Screen or curtain

A half-height or folding screen lets a carer help without getting soaked. A weighted curtain is easier than glass for some people to move.

Low tray or level floor

A low-profile tray with a very shallow lip suits someone who can step a little. A tiled level floor falling to a drain is needed for a wheelchair or wheeled shower chair.

Walk-in bath

A door or low-entry bath suits people who want to keep bathing, but you have to sit inside while it fills and drains.

Rules that apply in England

Building work to adapt a home for a disabled person can be zero-rated for VAT under HMRC VAT Notice 701/7. It is not means-tested; the person signs an eligibility declaration before work starts. Disabled Facilities Grants and similar schemes are means-tested and need council approval before any work begins. All electrics must meet BS 7671, with 30 mA RCD protection on every circuit.

In England, a Disabled Facilities Grant from your local council can pay up to £30,000 towards adaptations such as a level-access shower. Fitting a new electric shower, or any other new circuit or wiring change in the bathroom, is notifiable under Part P.