A standard bathroom refit in Kent costs £5,500–£9,500 in 2026 for a mid-range spec — new suite (bath, basin, toilet), new taps and shower valve, floor and wall tiles, and labour for a 5–8 day fit. A premium fit-out with walk-in shower, heated floor, niche shelving, and porcelain tile wall-to-wall runs £9,500–£18,000. A small en-suite is 60–70% of the main-bathroom figure because the fixed costs (plumbing, electrics, waterproofing) are similar.
A standard swap-like-for-like refit in a Kent home takes 5–8 working days on site. Moving the WC position adds 1–2 days (new waste run). A full strip-out plus wet-room conversion runs 10–15 days. Add a day either side for skip delivery and snagging. Premium fit-outs with bespoke tile patterns run longer because the tiler is the slowest trade on the job.
Tanking is waterproofing the substrate before tiling — usually a liquid membrane or a sheet system, painted or bonded over walls and the shower-tray floor. It's essential in wet rooms (where the whole floor is the shower) and strongly recommended on any shower-area wall, even over plasterboard. A leaking shower that rots the floor below is almost always a tanking failure. Good Kent bathroom fitters tank as standard; cheaper quotes sometimes skip it to hit a price.
Often the bathroom fitter is either a plumber or a time-served multi-trader, and they bring in an electrician for the circuit work (shower, extractor fan, lighting, shaver socket). Ask at quote stage: who's doing the electrics, and are they Part P registered? You want an EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) for any new circuit, which only a registered electrician can issue.
A walk-in shower has a low-profile shower tray set into the floor with a glass screen — the rest of the bathroom is a normal floor. A wet room has a fully tanked floor with a linear drain or point drain and tile continuous across the whole room. Wet rooms look cleaner, suit accessible design, but cost £1,500–£3,500 more because of the tanking, drainage detailing, and floor build-up. Most Kent bathrooms have enough space for a walk-in shower; wet rooms are better for small bathrooms or accessibility.
Most Kent bathroom fitters offer both. Supplying it yourself (via B&Q, Victoria Plum, Screwfix or a local merchant) can save 5–15% on the suite price but you carry the risk — if the wrong item arrives, or it's damaged in transit, that's your problem. Letting the fitter supply means they pick trade-grade parts, get trade discount, and handle any warranty claims. For first-time refits, let the fitter supply at least the shower valve, taps, and any concealed plumbing — these are the parts you can't easily replace later.
Typically 15–30% below the high-street price. A Kent bathroom fitter with a Plumb Center, Travis Perkins or Howdens account buys at trade and passes on some (not all) of that discount to the customer. If your fitter is "supplying at retail plus profit margin," ask why — either their trade account is weak, or they're marking up. Either way it's worth knowing.
No. A typical refit involves at least 3–4 days with no water, no WC, and often no floor. Plan alternative arrangements: a camping toilet, a neighbour's loo, a portable shower at the gym. Some Kent fitters can stage the job to keep one working bathroom available throughout (useful if you only have one) — this adds 2–4 days and typically £500–£1,000 to the price.
Depends on the quote. Some bathroom fitters tile themselves; others bring in a dedicated tiler. Always check: how many square metres of wall and floor are priced for? What tile format (standard ceramic, large-format porcelain, mosaic)? Who cuts tiles, who pointing, who grouts? Tiling is the highest-skill, slowest trade in a bathroom refit — a cheap fitter with a poor tiler produces an average-looking bathroom that you look at for a decade.
Minimum 12 months on workmanship, explicit in writing on the invoice. Longer is better — 2 or 3 years is not unusual for a well-established Kent firm. Parts come with their own manufacturer warranties (5–10 years on most suites, 5–25 years on valves like Hansgrohe, Grohe, Crosswater). Always register parts with the manufacturer after install — most require registration within 30 days for the full warranty.
No, for an internal refit. Planning only applies if you're extending the footprint, changing the external appearance, or the property is listed. Building Regulations do apply to some parts — new wiring (Part P), ventilation (Part F), and any structural alteration (Part A). A competent Kent fitter handles all of this through competent-person schemes without you dealing with Building Control directly.
Good Kent bathroom fitters are typically booked 6–14 weeks out. Popular local firms (especially those recommended by neighbours on Facebook groups) run 3–6 months out in spring. Start quoting 3 months before your preferred start date; start design choices (tile picking, suite spec) as soon as you have the fitter booked. Use our Kent bathroom fitter directory to shortlist three to quote.
Rot under the floor, old single-skin walls, failed joists under the bath — these are common finds once the strip-out starts. A reputable Kent fitter will stop, photograph, quote the extra work separately, and wait for your written go-ahead. Budget 10–15% contingency on your total to cover this. If the fitter quietly carries on without flagging the issue (and the invoice jumps 25%), that's a dispute waiting to happen.
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