Bathroom renovation in St Albans

Postcode districts: AL1, AL2
Nearby: Harpenden, Hatfield and Hemel Hempstead
Guide price: £8,000–£16,000
Typical time on site: 8–15 working days
Water: Very hard across most of Hertfordshire
Survey: Free, at your home

What does a bathroom renovation cost in St Albans?

Guide price in St Albans: £8,000–£16,000 including VAT, depending on the room and what you choose. Prices in East of England run at about 6% above the national guide, mainly because of labour rates. The figure depends on the size of the room, whether anything moves, and the products you pick.

Refresh

£5,300–£8,500

Same layout, new suite

Typical

Full renovation

£8,500–£16,000

Re-plaster, new pipework and electrics

Structural

£12,750–£23,250

Ventilation and lighting redesigned

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

Working in St Albans

In St Albans we cover AL1 and AL2; we also cover Harpenden, 4.7 miles away, and Hatfield.

St Albans is a big place with every kind of home, from terraces to flats to new builds, so we never price from a photo alone. In St Albans flats, the lease and the flat below are considered before a renovation is planned, particularly for moving the WC or adding a vent. If you have just bought a house in St Albans, renovating the bathroom before moving in saves living through the dust.

Most of Hertfordshire has very hard water. We plan easy-clean glass, rimless toilets and finishes that do not show limescale. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier.

What the job includes

A survey of the structure and services: joists, walls, ceilings, pipework, wastes, wiring and ventilation
Repairs to rotten floorboards, joists or other timber found once the room is open
Layout changes such as moved doors, new stud walls or boxing for concealed cisterns
Re-plastering or boarding, with cement-based boards and tanking in the wet areas

Decisions to make first

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.

Heating

Moving the radiator, adding a heated towel rail or laying underfloor heating is simpler while the room is stripped.

Rules that apply in England

In England, structural changes, new drainage or a new connection to the soil stack under Part H, and new circuits under Part P can all be building regulations work. A registered electrician can self-certify the electrics; structural and drainage work may need a building notice or a full plans application to building control.

More about bathroom renovation

Bathroom renovation in St Albans: questions

What is the price of a bathroom renovation in St Albans?

A bathroom renovation in St Albans usually costs £8,000–£16,000 including VAT. Where you land in that range depends on the size of the room, whether the layout changes and the products you choose. After the free survey you get an itemised written quote, and the price is fixed in writing once the layout and products are agreed.

Is the home survey in St Albans really free?

Yes. We visit, measure the room, check the pipework, drainage and electrics, and talk through what you want. You then get a written, itemised quote with no obligation to go ahead.

Do you cover AL1 and AL2 in St Albans?

Yes. We cover all of St Albans, including AL1 and AL2, and nearby Harpenden, Hatfield and Hemel Hempstead. Survey visits are free and arranged at a time that suits you.

Is the water hard in St Albans?

What problems are found when a bathroom is stripped out?

The usual ones are rotten floorboards or joists around the WC and bath, old lead or corroded pipework, joists notched too deeply for pipes, plaster that has come away from the wall and circuits without RCD protection. In homes built before 2000, asbestos can turn up in textured ceiling coatings, old floor tiles, cistern lids or boxing panels.