What does bathroom plumbing work cost in Greater Manchester?
Our guide range in Greater Manchester is £550–£3,800 including VAT. Prices in Greater Manchester run at about 6% below the UK guide, based on North West England labour rates.
Like-for-like
- New suite in the same positions
Partial re-route
- New hot and cold runs
New layout
- Pump or pressure upgrade
Guide prices for Greater Manchester including VAT. Your itemised written quote after the free survey is the price that counts.
Which towns do we cover in Greater Manchester?
- Manchester
- Oldham
- Wigan
- Bolton
- Stockport
- Salford
- Rochdale
- Sale
- Bury
- Altrincham
- Middleton
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Leigh
- Stretford
- Urmston
- Chadderton
- Eccles
- Tyldesley
- Hyde
- Walkden
- Prestwich
- Radcliffe
- Cheadle Hulme
- Heywood
- Denton
- Stalybridge
- Ashton in Makerfield
- Westhoughton
- Farnworth
- Saddleworth
- Hindley
- Droylsden
- Whitefield
- Swinton
- Royton
- Atherton
- Old Trafford
- Dukinfield
- Failsworth
- Hazel Grove
- Irlam
- Horwich
- Bramhall
- Ramsbottom
- Bredbury
Supplies across most of Greater Manchester are soft. In soft water, taps, wastes and toilet pans scale up slowly, so brushed and matt finishes are a safe choice. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier. If your Manchester water is hard, a scale reducer or softener on the bathroom supplies can protect valves and shower heads.
What the job includes
- A pressure test of new pipework before walls are closed in and floors go down
- Basin, bath and shower wastes sized and laid to a steady fall, with traps that hold their water seal
- Isolation valves on every fitting, so taps, cisterns and valves can be serviced without draining the system
- Shower pumps on gravity systems, and macerators or pumped wastes where gravity drainage cannot reach
- The WC connected to the soil stack, or a new branch where the WC is moving
- Draining down and isolating supplies, with the rest of the house back on water as soon as possible
Decisions to make first
Copper or plastic
Copper is rigid and suits pipes on show or near the boiler. Plastic is quicker under floors and inside walls, and long runs need fewer joints.
Hard water
In hard water areas, a scale reducer or water softener protects valves, shower heads and glass. Keep an unsoftened tap in the kitchen for drinking.
Concealed or exposed valves
Concealed shower valves look neater but need an access route for servicing. Exposed bar valves are easier to reach and replace.
Gravity or pumped waste
Gravity drainage is always the first choice. A shower waste pump or macerator solves a run that cannot fall, but adds noise, a power supply and servicing.
Rules that apply in England
New WCs, taps, showers and valves must meet the water fittings rules where you live: a maximum 6-litre flush for new WCs, backflow protection, and no pump connected directly to the mains supply, because shower pumps are only for gravity systems with a cold tank. Unvented hot-water cylinders must be installed by a G3-qualified installer, and any work on a gas boiler by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
In England, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 apply. New drainage or a new connection to the soil stack can be building regulations work under Part H, and a macerator or pumped WC is acceptable only where there is also a WC on gravity drainage elsewhere in the home.

