What does bathroom plumbing work cost in the Highlands and Islands?
Our guide range in the Highlands and Islands is £600–£3,800 including VAT. Prices in the Highlands and Islands run at about 4% below the UK guide, based on Scotland labour rates. Travel and delivery to islands and remote areas are priced on your quote.
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 Highlands & Islands including VAT. Your itemised written quote after the free survey is the price that counts.
Which towns do we cover in the Highlands and Islands?
Most of the Highlands and Islands is supplied with soft water. 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. For Inverness homes on a combi boiler, we measure the flow rate at the bathroom before you choose a shower valve.
What the job includes
- 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
- New hot and cold pipework in copper or plastic, properly clipped, and insulated where it runs through cold spaces
- A pressure test of new pipework before walls are closed in and floors go down
- Isolation valves on every fitting, so taps, cisterns and valves can be serviced without draining the system
- A check of your hot water system, and the pressure and flow rate at the bathroom
Decisions to make first
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.
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.
Pipe routes
Drilling through the middle of joists, rather than notching the tops, keeps the floor strong. Routes are planned with the joist direction in mind.
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 Scotland
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 Scotland, the Scottish Water Byelaws 2014 cover new water fittings, with the same 6-litre flush limit and backflow rules. Altering drainage may need a building warrant, so check before moving a WC or adding a new connection to the stack.