Setting a budget for the overall project is difficult if you have no idea how much you should expect to pay for someone to fit your bathroom for you, and the factors which will affect the overall price.
Prices for Bathroom Fitters in Urban and Rural Areas
If you live in a town or city, then you have a better chance of driving a good bargain for your bathroom fitting prices.
In urban areas, there will be dozens of different companies to choose from, all competing against each other for the work available.
Use websites like Top Tradespeople along with recommendations from friends and relatives to contact at least three companies to quote for the job.
Having a variety of quotes will help you make sure you are getting the best deal available for your work.
On the other hand, if you live in a very rural area, the choice of companies will be more restricted and you may find it difficult to get many companies willing to travel to do the work, making comparing quotes far more tricky.
Average Hourly Rates for Bathroom Fitters
As a starting point to work out whether or not the price you have been quoted is fair, it is a good idea to look at the average hourly rate for a bathroom fitter.
Most charge around £20 per hour, but skilled trades such as plumbers and electricians will charge more.
A plumber will charge around £30 per hour. It will take around two days to replace a bathroom suite completely, the first day to strip out the old sanitaryware and install any new pipework which is needed, and the second day to connect everything up.
All-in Prices for Bathroom Fitting
Although having an idea about the hourly rates charged is a good starting point, never agree to work being done on a per-hour basis.
Paying in this way gives no incentive for the fitters and plumbers to work quickly and complete the job in a couple of days.
Ask instead for an “all-inclusive” price covering removing the old bathroom suite, installing the new one, disposing of materials and any other extras such as putting in new lights, flooring or tiles. Be very specific about what you want done and this will make quotes far more realistic.
Saving Money on Bathroom Fitting Prices
If you are having other work done in the house at the same time, you can try to negotiate a better price for giving the building or bathroom fitting company more work.
Another way of reducing costs is to shop for your own bathroom suite, tiles, flooring and accessories rather than asking the bathroom fitter to provide them.
Shop in the sale periods or look for end of range or ex-display models to grab a bargain at a much-reduced price.
