Bathroom renovation in Edinburgh

What does a bathroom renovation cost in Edinburgh?

Our guide range in Edinburgh is £7,200–£14,500 including VAT. Prices in Edinburgh run at about 4% below the UK guide, based on Scotland labour rates.

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

Which towns do we cover in Edinburgh?

• Queensferry
• Colinton
• Currie
• Balerno

Water across much of Edinburgh is soft. That leaves you free to choose matt black, brushed brass or clear glass without worrying much about limescale. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier. In Queensferry flats, the title deeds and the flat below are considered before a renovation is planned, particularly for moving the WC or adding a vent.

What the job includes

• A survey of the structure and services: joists, walls, ceilings, pipework, wastes, wiring and ventilation
• New hot and cold pipework and wastes, with isolation valves to each fitting
• Layout changes such as moved doors, new stud walls or boxing for concealed cisterns
• Strip-out back to brick or studwork, with waste taken away by a licensed waste carrier
• Repairs to rotten floorboards, joists or other timber found once the room is open
• Re-plastering or boarding, with cement-based boards and tanking in the wet areas

Decisions to make first

How far back to strip

Back to brick gives a clean start. Keeping sound plaster on some walls saves time and money, and the survey shows which walls can stay.

Combining rooms

Taking out the wall between a bathroom and a separate WC gives one larger room, but it is structural work and may need building control.

Pipe material

Copper suits exposed runs and the area near the boiler. Plastic pipe is quicker under floors and inside walls, and long runs need fewer joints.

Plaster or boards

Plaster suits dry walls that will be painted. Cement-based tile backer boards are the better base behind showers and under heavy tiles.

Rules that apply in Scotland

Renovating a bathroom inside an existing home does not need planning permission. Listed buildings need listed building consent for alterations that affect their character, which can include internal work and new soil or vent pipes through walls. In a flat, check your title deeds and any deed of conditions: agreement from the other owners or the factor is often needed for wet rooms, moving the WC or new extract vents, and sound insulation and leak risk to the flat below matter. Electrical work must meet BS 7671, with 30 mA RCD protection on every bathroom circuit.

In Scotland, structural work, altering drainage or forming a new bathroom may need a building warrant, which must be granted before that work starts. A straight refit rarely needs one. Electrical work is tested and certified to BS 7671.