Bathroom renovation in the Lothians

What does a bathroom renovation cost in the Lothians?

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

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

Which towns do we cover in the Lothians?

• Livingston
• Musselburgh
• Bathgate
• Bonnyrigg
• Penicuik
• Broxburn

Supplies across most of the Lothians are 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. If you have just bought a house in Livingston, renovating the bathroom before moving in saves living through the dust.

What the job includes

• Repairs to rotten floorboards, joists or other timber found once the room is open
• New wiring, lighting, extractor fan and RCD protection, installed and certified by a qualified electrician
• Layout changes such as moved doors, new stud walls or boxing for concealed cisterns
• A survey of the structure and services: joists, walls, ceilings, pipework, wastes, wiring and ventilation
• Re-plastering or boarding, with cement-based boards and tanking in the wet areas
• Tiling, fitting of the suite and furniture, making good and decorating, then handover

Decisions to make first

Heating

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

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.

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.

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.

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.