Bathroom renovation in Tyne and Wear

What does a bathroom renovation cost in Tyne and Wear?

Our guide range in Tyne and Wear is £6,800–£13,500 including VAT. Prices in Tyne and Wear run at about 10% below the UK guide, based on North East England labour rates.

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

Which towns do we cover in Tyne and Wear?

• Newcastle upon Tyne
• Sunderland
• South Shields
• Gateshead
• Washington
• Tynemouth
• Wallsend
• Newburn
• North Shields
• Whitley Bay
• Houghton-Le-Spring
• Felling
• Jarrow
• Gosforth
• Hebburn
• Whickham
• Blaydon-on-Tyne

Supplies across most of Tyne and Wear 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. For listed and period properties in Newcastle upon Tyne, we check early whether listed building consent applies to the work you have in mind.

What the job includes

• 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
• New wiring, lighting, extractor fan and RCD protection, installed and certified by a qualified electrician
• A survey of the structure and services: joists, walls, ceilings, pipework, wastes, wiring and ventilation
• Tiling, fitting of the suite and furniture, making good and decorating, then handover
• Repairs to rotten floorboards, joists or other timber found once the room is open

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.

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.

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.

Shower floor

With the floor already up, a renovation is the easiest time to form a level shower floor or a full wet room.

Rules that apply in England

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 the lease: freeholder consent 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 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.