Bathroom lighting in County Durham

What does new bathroom lighting cost in County Durham?

Our guide range in County Durham is £300–£1,100 including VAT. Prices in County Durham run at about 10% below the UK guide, based on North East England labour rates.

Guide prices for County Durham including VAT. Your itemised written quote after the free survey is the price that counts.

Which towns do we cover in County Durham?

• Darlington
• Hartlepool
• Stockton-on-Tees
• Durham
• Chester-le-Street
• Billingham
• Stanley
• Consett
• Newton Aycliffe
• Bishop Auckland
• Seaham
• Thornaby-on-Tees
• Peterlee
• Yarm
• Spennymoor

Water across much of County Durham is moderately hard. Easy-clean glass and good-quality brassware are money well spent. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier. For Darlington homes with a loft above the bathroom, the insulation and fire protection are checked before any downlights are cut in.

What the job includes

• IP-rated fittings chosen for each zone, with IP65 downlights over the bath or shower
• RCD protection on the lighting circuit, checked at the consumer unit and added where it is missing
• A ceiling pull-cord or a switch outside the room, with separate switching for mirror and feature lights
• A shaver supply unit where wanted, positioned away from direct spray
• Fire-rated downlights or fire hoods where the ceiling has to keep its fire resistance
• Cable runs to each fitting, from the loft above or through the ceiling

Decisions to make first

Mirror lighting

An illuminated mirror or mirror cabinet lights the face from the front, which a ceiling light cannot do. Many include a demister pad and a shaver socket.

Feature lighting

LED strips in niches, under a wall-hung vanity or along a plinth give enough light for night-time without full glare.

Switching

A pull-cord inside, a switch outside the door or a motion sensor. Dimmers need LED fittings that are compatible with them.

Downlight positions

Evenly spaced downlights give flat, general light. Placing one over the shower and one over the basin puts the light where you actually use it.

Rules that apply in England

BS 7671 sets the rules for bathroom electrics across the UK. Every circuit in a room with a bath or shower needs 30 mA RCD protection. Zone 0 is inside the bath or shower tray and needs IPX7 fittings; zone 1 is above it up to 2.25 m and needs at least IPX4, or IPX5 where water jets are used; zone 2 extends 0.6 m out from zone 1, where IPX4 is recommended. Sockets other than shaver supply units must be at least 3 m from the zone 1 boundary.

In England, Part P makes a new circuit, a consumer unit replacement and any addition or alteration to circuits in a room with a bath or shower notifiable. The work must be done by an electrician registered with a competent person scheme or notified to building control. Replacing a light fitting like for like is not usually notifiable, but it still has to meet BS 7671.