What does an en-suite cost in the Scottish Borders?
Our guide range in the Scottish Borders is £4,300–£8,600 including VAT. Prices in the Scottish Borders run at about 4% below the UK guide, based on Scotland labour rates.
Refit
- Shower, basin and WC replaced
Upgrade
- Full-height porcelain tiling
New en-suite
- Formed inside an existing bedroom
Guide prices for Scottish Borders including VAT. Your itemised written quote after the free survey is the price that counts.
Which towns do we cover in the Scottish Borders?
Water across much of the Scottish Borders is soft. If that holds for your street in Hawick, limescale on shower glass and heads builds up slowly and a squeegee after use is usually enough. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier. We quote new en-suites in Hawick only after checking the drainage route on site, so the price reflects the work your house actually needs.
What the job includes
- A short-projection or wall-hung WC and a compact basin chosen to keep the floor clear
- Tiling, silicone, testing and making good on the bedroom side of any new walls
- An extractor fan ducted to outside, sized to the room and wired with an overrun timer or humidistat
- Stud walls with acoustic insulation and moisture-resistant board for a new en-suite
- A door that suits a tight space: inward, outward, sliding or a pocket door
- IP-rated lighting, a shaver socket and the electrics done by a qualified electrician, tested and certified
Decisions to make first
Night lighting
A mirror light or low-level LED strip on its own switch lets you use the en-suite at night without the full glare of the ceiling lights.
Refit or new en-suite
A refit keeps the existing drainage and walls. A new en-suite costs more because the walls, waste route, fan duct and electrics all start from nothing.
Shower size
A 900 mm square tray is a comfortable minimum for an enclosure. In a long, narrow room, a 1200 by 800 mm walk-in tray with one glass panel feels far more generous.
Noise
Acoustic insulation in the stud walls and a quiet fan make a real difference when one of you showers early while the other is still asleep.
Rules that apply in Scotland
Forming an en-suite inside an existing bedroom does not normally need planning permission, but it is usually building-regulations work because it adds drainage, ventilation and electrics. All wiring must meet BS 7671, with 30 mA RCD protection on every circuit in the room. A macerator or pumped WC is acceptable only where the home also has a WC on gravity drainage. In a listed building, a new soil or vent pipe through a wall needs listed building consent.
In Scotland, forming a new en-suite may need a building warrant because it creates a new bathroom and alters drainage; refitting an existing one rarely does. The Technical Handbook uses the same 15 litres per second extract rate for a bathroom, and the electrics should be tested and certified to BS 7671.