There’s one room in your home you rely on more than any other, and that’s your bathroom. So, when your bathroom is out of use during renovations, time really is of the essence.
Unlike a kitchen, where you can make do with a microwave and takeaways for a few days or weeks, temporary solutions to replace a bathroom are more, well… limited! Some homeowners may be lucky enough to have a second toilet in their home, while others move out completely. This of course means that the first question most people want to know is how long their bathroom renovation is going to take.
So, how long does a bathroom renovation usually take?
Let’s jump right in to the answer you came for! For a typical full bathroom renovation, you should allow around 10–12 days for the installation itself. Some projects will be completed sooner, while more involved renovations can take longer. That’s a little different from the two to three weeks often quoted for a bathroom refurbishment. The reason is that there’s a big difference between what might be considered an “average” bathroom installation and a fully planned, comprehensive renovation.
Modern bathrooms tend to involve much more than simply replacing a bath, toilet and basin. Flooring, fitted furniture, separate shower areas, new pipework, tiling and more complex products are now common parts of a project. So, if you’re planning a bathroom installation in Coventry, 10–12 days is a realistic starting point for a full renovation, rather than assuming the job will be finished in just a few days.
Why do bathroom renovations take longer than they used to?
Bathroom renovations have changed considerably over the years. What was once considered a luxury is now fairly standard, and that naturally adds to the amount of work involved.
More comprehensive projects
Bathroom renovations are often more ambitious than they were 20 or 30 years ago. A heated towel rail, tiled floor and shower over the bath might once have been enough to create a high-end bathroom. Today, homeowners are more likely to want a separate shower enclosure, fitted furniture, fully tiled walls and a range of additional features.
Flooring, for example, is now included in the vast majority of bathroom projects. There’s also more preparation involved when fitting modern furniture and larger or more intricate tiles.
More complex products
Bathroom products have become increasingly sophisticated, too. Concealed cisterns, specialist showers and more unusual fittings can require additional preparation and installation time.
Even experienced bathroom fitters in Coventry can find that a new or unfamiliar product takes longer to install the first time. Once a particular system has been fitted several times, the process becomes more straightforward, but the first installation can naturally take longer. This is one reason it’s difficult to give an exact number of days without looking at the bathroom itself and understanding exactly what you want to install.
The stages of a bathroom renovation
Most parts of your refurbishment are roughly the same, no matter the size of your bathroom. However, the complexity of your design and the work involved at each stage can affect the overall timescale.
At Alan Heath, we make sure that delays are avoided as much as possible by doing every part of your refurbishment ourselves. This means there’s no waiting around for third-party electricians, plumbers and plasterers to become available.
Stripping out your old bathroom
Stripping out your existing bathroom could take a day or two, depending on the size of the room and how much needs to be removed. If you’re moving walls, altering doorways or making other structural changes, it could take a little longer.
Hidden issues that can extend a project
Taking a bathroom back to its bare shell can sometimes reveal problems that weren’t visible beforehand. Older properties, in particular, may need more extensive plastering or other remedial work once the old bathroom and tiles have been removed. Experience plays a big part here. Knowing what to expect from different types of properties means many potential problems can be anticipated before work begins.
That doesn’t mean every project goes exactly to plan. Occasionally, something genuinely unexpected will be uncovered, or a particular product may take longer to install than anticipated. The important thing is dealing with these issues efficiently so they don’t cause unnecessary delays.
Renovating your new bathroom walls
Removing your old bath and tiles can expose bare bricks and damage old plaster, so our plasterer will come in to smooth out your walls and ceiling ready for a fresh finish. Depending on the size of your bathroom, plastering can take up to two days. The plaster will then need time to dry, although other work can continue while we wait.
Electrical work will also be carried out at this stage, depending on what’s required for your new bathroom. If there’s a lot of electrical work to complete, your electrician may need to work in the room on their own to avoid getting in the way of other trades, or vice versa.
Good tiling preparation is also important. Walls need to be properly prepared before tiles or a waterproofing membrane are installed, particularly in areas exposed to regular splashing.
Fitting your bathroom suite
This stage is called the first fix. It’s where we begin to install your bathroom suite, arrange your new bath, shower tray, pedestal and toilet, connect the plumbing and solve any problems with the existing pipework. We’ll estimate three to four days here, and by the end, you’ll be able to see the shape of your new bathroom taking place.
Any electrical work also needs to be completed in line with the relevant electrical zones and fitting regulations, particularly around showers and baths.
Tiling your new bathroom
Tiles are what gives your bathroom style. Have you chosen elegant, trendy or classic, plain or patterned, large or small? Tiling will usually take around two days, or longer if your bathroom is large. Awkward shapes, corners and intricate patterns can also require more cutting and preparation.
The final fix on your bathroom renovation
The final fix is where everything comes together. We’ll work through the bathroom, take care of those last little details, check everything is working as it should and make sure nothing has been missed.
With bathroom renovations generally being larger and more involved than they used to be, the final fix can quite often take a couple of days. Once we’re finished, your new bathroom will be ready to use.
Full vs partial bathroom renovations
Not every bathroom project involves stripping everything out. A partial renovation can be a much quicker option if your existing basin and toilet are still suitable but you need to change one particular part of the room. A common example is replacing a bath with a shower. This can make getting in and out of the bathroom much easier and give you greater confidence when using the space.
A bath-out, shower-in renovation will typically take around 3–5 days, compared with 10–12 days for a typical full renovation. The exact timescale depends on the work required, but less scope naturally means less time on site.
You can find out more about our full renovations and partial renovations to see which option suits your bathroom.
Final thoughts
Tradesmen can’t all work in the same bathroom at the same time. You can’t plaster while plumbing work is taking place, especially in a smaller space, so having Alan Heath manage the project means we can bring in the right people at the right time, keeping everything moving without unnecessary delays or waiting for trades to become available.
These timeframes are based on the average-sized rooms we renovate and the type of work we typically carry out. Every renovation is different, and timeframes can vary between tradespeople depending on the size, scope and complexity of the projects they usually work on. Our team offers a complete renovation package, including the design, installation and final fit, so you have one consistent point of contact throughout the whole project.
If you’d like to know more about renovating your bathroom, book an appointment with our design team.