How to Quote for a Bathroom Fitting Job
Bathrooms are one of the easiest jobs to underquote, because most of the risk is hidden until the old suite and tiling come out. A kitchen you can mostly see coming. A bathroom, you find out what you're dealing with on day one of the strip-out, by which point you've already given a price. Quote it properly and the surprises stay manageable.
Strip-out: price it, don't bury it
Removing the old suite, tiling, and any boxing or false walls is real time and real skip weight, and it's where the first genuine unknowns show up: what's the floor like underneath, is there any water damage around the bath or shower tray, is the extraction actually working. Give strip-out its own line rather than folding it into "labour," so the customer understands it's a distinct phase with its own cost, and so you have a clean place to add time if it turns out worse than expected.
First fix: plumbing and electrics before anything's boarded in
First fix covers moving or adding pipework for the new suite layout, running electrics for extractor fans, shaver points, underfloor heating mats and any lighting changes, and first-fix work for a shower if you're supplying and fitting one. This is the point to confirm the final layout with the customer in writing, because moving a WC or basin position after first fix is expensive and it's much cheaper to nail down now than mid-tiling.
Boarding, waterproofing and tiling
Tanking or waterproof boarding around the bath and shower area isn't optional if you want the job to last, and it takes real time to do properly. Tiling itself should be quoted per square metre with a note on tile size and layout complexity, since a large-format tile with a herringbone floor pattern takes noticeably longer than a straightforward brick-bond ceramic. If the customer hasn't chosen tiles yet, quote a labour rate and revisit once they have, rather than guessing.
Second fix and finishing
Second fix is fitting the suite, taps, shower screen, extractor fan, and final electrics, plus sealant, grouting and snagging. This is also where you'll spot anything that needs adjusting from the original quote, so build in a short finishing/snagging allowance rather than assuming everything lines up perfectly first time.
Waste removal: don't forget it, don't absorb it
A full bathroom strip-out generates a genuine amount of waste: the old suite, tiling rubble, packaging from the new units. Either quote a skip or a licensed waste carrier as a separate line, or state clearly that the customer is responsible for disposal. This is a common place for tradespeople to quietly eat a cost they should have priced in.
The contingency line: your protection against the unknown
Everything behind old tiling is a guess until it's exposed: rotten timber, old lead pipework, a leak that's been running for months into the joists below. Add an explicit contingency allowance or a stated day rate for "additional work found once the old suite/tiling is removed," and get the customer's agreement to it up front. This single line does more to prevent payment disputes on bathroom jobs than anything else in the quote.
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Open the quote generatorBathroom fitting quote FAQs
Should I quote for a bathroom as one figure or break it down by trade?
Break it down. A single lump sum invites the customer to question the whole thing if one part seems high, whereas a breakdown by strip-out, plumbing, electrics, tiling and finishing lets them see where the money goes and makes it easier to agree changes to one section without renegotiating the lot.
Who prices the tiles themselves, me or the customer?
State it clearly either way. Many fitters quote labour only and have the customer supply or pay for tiles directly, since tile costs vary hugely and a customer choosing porcelain over ceramic shouldn't blow up your material margin. If you are supplying, quote a tile allowance per square metre and let the customer know the price changes if they pick something above it.
What if I find rotten floor joists once the old suite is out?
This is exactly what a contingency line and a clear exclusions clause are for. State in the quote that structural timber repairs are priced separately if found, give a rough day rate for that eventuality, and get sign-off before proceeding rather than doing the work first and invoicing for the surprise afterwards.
How long should a full bathroom refit take, for quoting purposes?
A straightforward like-for-like refit typically runs 5 to 8 working days: strip-out and first fix plumbing/electrics, then boarding, tiling, second fix and finishing. Add days for room reconfiguration, underfloor heating, or a wet room floor build-up. Quote your own real pace, not a generic figure.