How Long Does a Bathroom Renovation Take? A Day-by-Day Timeline and How to Prepare
A bathroom renovation is one of the most disruptive jobs in a home because, for a while, you are without a bathroom. The two questions every client asks are how long it will take and how to prepare. Here is an honest day-by-day timeline from the bathroom renovations we carry out across Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt, Enfield, Chingford, Loughton and North and East London, plus a checklist to make the job go smoothly.
The short answer
A full renovation of a standard family bathroom, keeping roughly the same layout, takes 7 to 10 working days. Changing the layout, moving the toilet or soil pipe, building a wet room or adding underfloor heating adds a few days. An en-suite built as part of a loft conversion or extension is scheduled within the main project.
Day-by-day timeline
Before day 1: survey, design and ordering
The most important part happens before anyone picks up a tool. We measure the room, agree the layout, help you choose the suite, tiles, shower and fittings, and order everything so it is on site before the strip-out starts. Tiles and sanitaryware can take two to four weeks to arrive, so allow for that in your plans. Nothing is removed until everything has been delivered and checked.
Days 1 to 2: strip-out
The old suite, tiles, flooring and, if needed, plaster come out. Old pipework is capped, the room is cleared to bare walls and floor, and the waste is removed. This is the noisiest, dustiest stage, so it helps to be out of the house if you can.
Days 2 to 4: first fix plumbing and electrics
New hot, cold and waste pipework is run to the new positions, soil connections are made, and electrical cables are installed for lighting, extractor fan, shaver socket, underfloor heating or an electric shower. If the layout changes, this is where the extra time goes. Walls are boarded or re-plastered and floors are levelled or overboarded ready for tiling.
Days 4 to 7: tanking and tiling
Shower areas and wet rooms are tanked (waterproofed), then walls and floors are tiled. Large-format tiles and complex patterns take longer than a simple grid. Grouting and sealing follow once the adhesive has cured.
Days 7 to 9: fitting the suite
The bath, shower tray or wet room former, toilet, basin and vanity, taps, shower screen, radiator or towel rail are fitted and connected. Lighting, extractor and sockets are connected and tested. The door, skirting and any built-in storage go in.
Days 9 to 10: finishing and handover
Silicone sealing around the bath, tray and basin, painting the ceiling and any untiled walls, accessories, a final clean and a walk-through with you. Silicone needs 24 hours to cure before the shower is used.
What makes a bathroom take longer
- Moving the toilet or soil stack: new waste runs need falls and often floor work
- Wet rooms: tanking and a linear drain add a day or two, and the floor must be perfectly formed
- Underfloor heating: adds time for the mat and the levelling compound to cure
- Old houses: hidden problems such as rotten floorboards, lead pipes or damp behind the tiles
- Late deliveries or a change of mind on tiles halfway through: the most common cause of delays, and the easiest to avoid
How to prepare: a checklist
- Decide the layout and fittings early, and resist changing them once ordered
- Check deliveries against the order as they arrive; report damaged tiles or missing parts immediately
- Clear the bathroom and the route to it; cover or move furniture on the landing
- Arrange a second toilet and shower if possible: a downstairs cloakroom, a neighbour, a gym. If there is only one bathroom, we keep a working toilet for as long as we can and tell you exactly which days it will be out of use
- Tell us about pets and children so doors and stairs can be protected
- Agree working hours and parking with us before day 1
- Ask for the Building Regulations certificate for electrical work and keep it with the house papers
Living without a bathroom
For a straightforward refit the toilet is typically out of use for two to four days in the middle of the job, and the shower or bath for most of the project. We can usually reconnect a toilet overnight during first fix. If yours is the only bathroom, tell us at the survey and we will plan the sequence around it.
See what is included in our bathroom renovations and our gallery of finished work.
Planning a bathroom renovation?
We renovate bathrooms, en-suites and wet rooms across Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt, Enfield, Chingford, Loughton and North and East London, with plumbing, electrics, tiling and decorating all by our own team. Call +44 20 3150 0510, email contact@adiorconstruction.co.uk or send us a message for a free visit and a fixed written quote with a confirmed start and finish date.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a bathroom renovation take in the UK?
A full renovation of a standard bathroom with the same layout takes 7 to 10 working days. Layout changes, wet rooms and underfloor heating can add two to five days.
How long will I be without a toilet during a bathroom renovation?
Usually two to four days in the middle of the job while pipework and tiling are done. A good builder will reconnect a toilet overnight wherever possible and tell you the exact days in advance.
Should I buy the bathroom suite myself or let the builder supply it?
Either works. We can supply everything through trade suppliers or fit items you have bought. Whatever you choose, it must all be on site before the strip-out begins.
Do I need Building Regulations for a bathroom renovation?
Not for like-for-like replacement, but new electrical circuits, extractor fans and some plumbing changes are notifiable. Electrical work is certified under Part P and you should keep the certificate.
Can I stay in the house during the renovation?
Yes. Most clients do. The disruption is limited to the bathroom and the route to it, and we clean up daily.
