How long does a bathroom renovation take?

‘How long will we be without a bathroom?’ It’s the first question nearly everyone asks us, and it’s a fair one. Living without a working bathroom, even for a few days, is no fun. That’s especially true if it’s the only one in the house.

The honest answer is that most standard bathroom renovations take between one and three weeks of work on site, depending on the size of the room and how much is changing. But the planning beforehand matters just as much as the time on site, and it’s the part people tend to underestimate.

Here’s what a typical project looks like, stage by stage.

Before work starts: planning and ordering (2 to 6 weeks)

This is the stage that decides whether the job runs smoothly.

• Design and quote. We visit, measure up, talk through what you want and check the practical things: water pressure, where the waste pipes run, the condition of the floor.
• Choosing everything. Tiles, suite, taps, shower, lighting, extractor fan. It’s tempting to rush this, but changing your mind once work has started causes delays.
• Ordering. Some products arrive in days. Others, particularly made-to-measure shower screens, certain tiles and fitted furniture, can take several weeks. We order everything before we start, so nothing holds up the job halfway through.

Days 1 to 2: strip-out

The old suite, tiles and sometimes the floor come out. This is the noisiest, dustiest part, and we’ll protect your stairs, landing and carpets before we begin.

It’s also the moment of truth. Once the old tiles are off, we can see the real condition of the walls, floor and pipework.

Days 2 to 4: first fix

This is the work that disappears behind the walls:

• moving or adding pipework for the new layout
• running any new electrical cables for lighting, an extractor fan, a heated towel rail or a shaver socket
• fitting new waste pipes
• making good the floor and walls, and boarding where needed.

Electrical work in a bathroom has to meet strict safety rules. Ours is carried out and certificated by our own NICEIC-approved electricians, and our in-house team handles the plumbing too, so there’s no waiting around for different trades to turn up.

Days 4 to 8: tiling and walls

Tiling usually takes the longest of any single stage. Large-format tiles and simple layouts go up faster. Small mosaics, patterns and feature walls take longer. Wall panels, which have become popular as an alternative to tiles, can be quicker still.

Adhesive and grout need time to set properly, so this stage isn’t something you want rushed.

Days 8 to 12: second fix and finishing

Now it starts to look like a bathroom:

• fitting the toilet, basin, bath or shower tray
• connecting taps, the shower and the towel rail
• fitting lights, the extractor fan and switches
• sealing, silicone and final checks.

We test everything properly before handing over. That includes running the shower and checking for leaks, so you’re not the one discovering a drip.

What can make it take longer?

• Older homes. Many of the houses around Coggeshall and Kelvedon are period properties, with timber frames, uneven walls and floors that have settled over a few hundred years. They’re wonderful homes, but they need more preparation to get a level, watertight finish. We allow for this in our planning rather than surprising you with it later.
• Moving things around. Keeping the toilet, bath and basin roughly where they are is quicker than relocating them, mainly because of the waste pipes.
• Wet rooms and walk-in showers. A level-access floor needs careful waterproofing (called tanking) and drying time.
• Late changes. Swapping tiles or the layout midway nearly always adds days.
• Hidden problems. Rotten floorboards or old leaks only appear once the floor is up.

Living with the work

If it’s your only bathroom, talk to us before we start. On many jobs we can keep the toilet working for as long as possible, or reconnect it at the end of each day during the early stages. Neighbours, family or a nearby gym are worth lining up for a few days of showers.

Bathrooms in Braintree, Halstead and the villages

We regularly work across the Braintree district, from the town itself out to Halstead, Coggeshall and Kelvedon. Whether you live in a 1970s semi in Braintree or a listed cottage on a village high street, we’ll give you a realistic timescale before we start and keep you updated as we go.

Frequently asked questions