Choose a bathroom installer who surveys the room in person, gives you a written, itemised quote with a schedule, tells you exactly who does the plumbing, electrics, waterproofing and tiling, and puts a workmanship guarantee in writing. Ask to see bathrooms they have finished, check their reviews for bathroom jobs specifically, and walk away from anyone who will not put the price, the programme or the guarantee on paper.

Why choosing the installer matters more than choosing the suite

Most bathroom problems have nothing to do with the brand of the basin. They come from the work behind the walls: a shower area that was never waterproofed, a waste pipe laid without enough fall, an extractor fan that moves hardly any air, or a joint that was left weeping under the floor. Those faults are hidden once the tiles go on, and they are expensive to put right because the finished room has to come apart.

So the question is not really “who has the nicest showroom”. It is “who will do the parts I cannot see properly, and stand behind them”. A good bathroom installation company will be happy to talk you through exactly how they handle each of those hidden stages.

The trades inside one bathroom

Before you compare installers, it helps to know what the job actually involves. A full refit usually runs in this order:

1. Strip out. Old suite, tiles and sometimes plaster removed, waste taken away legally.
2. First fix plumbing. New supply and waste pipework run to the new positions, pressure tested before anything is covered.
3. First fix electrics. Cabling for lighting, the extractor fan, a shaver point, an electric shower or underfloor heating.
4. Boarding and plastering. Walls and floors made flat, sound and suitable for tiles.
5. Waterproofing. A tanking system in the shower area, and in a wet room across the whole floor.
6. Tiling. Setting out, cutting, fixing and grouting.
7. Second fix. Suite, brassware, shower, towel rail, lights and fan connected, tested and sealed.

Some companies do all of this with their own people. Others subcontract parts of it. Either can work, but you need to know which, and you need one person who is responsible for the whole job. If the tiler blames the plumber for a leak, you do not want to be the one refereeing.

What a good installer does before quoting

A reliable quote comes from a proper visit. On the survey, a good installer will:

• Measure the room and look at where the soil stack, supply pipes and drains actually are, because moving a toilet or a shower tray is limited by the waste fall available.
• Check your water pressure and your hot water system, because a powerful shower needs the right supply behind it. A combi, a gravity system and an unvented cylinder all behave differently.
• Look at ventilation. Building Regulations guidance (Approved Document F) sets a minimum extract rate for bathrooms of 15 litres per second for an intermittent fan, and when a bathroom is refurbished an existing fan should be kept or replaced and checked that it works.
• Talk through the layout, the products and the finish before pricing, so the quote matches what you actually want.
• Explain what could change the price once the old tiles are off, such as rotten floorboards or old pipework, and how that will be agreed with you before any extra work happens.

If someone prices a whole bathroom over the phone from a photo, they are guessing. Guesses turn into extras later.

What the quote should include

A written quote should list each stage above, the products (with model names), who supplies them, how long the work will take, and what happens to the waste. We cover this line by line in our guide to what a bathroom installation quote should include. The short version: if two quotes look very different, lay them side by side and check whether they include the same things. Waterproofing, making good, electrics and waste removal are the items most often missing from the cheaper one.

Electrics, ventilation and the paperwork you should get

Bathrooms are a “special location” for electrical work. Under Approved Document P, adding or altering circuits within the zone around a bath or shower, fitting a new circuit, or replacing the consumer unit is notifiable work. That means it must either be done by an electrician registered with a competent person scheme, or be notified to building control. Either way you should receive a Building Regulations compliance certificate afterwards, as well as the electrician’s own installation certificate.

Ask every installer: “Who does the electrics, and what certificate will I get?” A clear answer is a good sign. A shrug is not.

For the plumbing side, keep the product manuals and any warranty registrations for the shower valve, the toilet and the brassware. Some manufacturers ask you to register products to get their full warranty.

Guarantees: workmanship versus products

There are two different promises and you want both:

Guarantee	Who gives it	What it covers	What to check
Workmanship guarantee	The installer	Leaks, loose fittings, failed joints and other faults caused by how the work was done	Length, what is covered, and that it is in writing
Manufacturer warranty	The brand	Faults in the product itself, such as a shower valve cartridge or a tray	Length, registration needed, and whether it depends on professional installation
Your legal rights	The law	Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill	These apply whatever the paperwork says

At Vantage, bathroom installations carry a 12 month guarantee on our work, on top of the manufacturers’ own warranties.

Questions to ask every installer

Use this as a checklist when you meet each company:

• Can I see photos of bathrooms you have finished, and are any nearby?
• Who will actually be doing the work, and are any stages subcontracted?
• How will you waterproof the shower area?
• Who does the electrics, and what certificates will I receive?
• How long will the job take, and will I have a working toilet during it?
• What happens if you find a problem behind the walls or under the floor?
• What is your workmanship guarantee, and is it written into the contract?
• How are payments staged, and what do I get in writing when I pay?

Reviews help too, but look for bathroom jobs in them, not only quick repairs. Our bathroom gallery shows finished rooms, and the common bathroom renovation mistakes guide explains the faults we most often get called in to fix.

Red flags to walk away from

A reasonable deposit against a written contract is normal in the trade, because the installer is ordering your products. What matters is that every payment is tied to a written agreement and a receipt. If you sign a contract at home rather than at the installer’s premises, you normally have a 14 day cancellation period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, and the installer should tell you about it.

How we price it

Installations are quoted as a fixed price after a free survey, so the price you agree is the price you pay. The quote is itemised so you can see what each stage covers, and nothing extra is done without your agreement. Our bathroom renovation cost guide explains what drives the cost of a bathroom, and our general rates for repair work are on our prices page.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a bathroom installation take?

A straightforward refit of a family bathroom usually takes around one to two weeks once work starts, depending on the tiling and how much pipework moves. A wet room or a layout change takes longer. Your installer should give you a written programme before starting.

Should I buy my own bathroom suite?

You can, but check first how the installer handles customer-supplied products. If a part turns out to be faulty or missing, the job stops while it is sorted, and the manufacturer’s warranty sits with you rather than the installer. Many people find it simpler to let the installer supply the products.

Do I need Building Regulations approval for a new bathroom?

A like-for-like refit usually does not need a full application, but some parts of the work are covered by Building Regulations. Electrical work in the bath or shower zone is normally notifiable, and ventilation should meet current guidance. A good installer will explain which parts apply to your job and how they will be certified.

What guarantee should a bathroom installer give?

You should get a written workmanship guarantee from the installer, separate from the manufacturers’ product warranties. Check how long it lasts and what it covers. Vantage gives a 12 month guarantee on bathroom installations.

Is a cheaper bathroom quote always worse?

Not always, but it is often missing something. Compare quotes line by line and check waterproofing, electrics, making good, waste removal and who supplies the products. A lower price that leaves out tanking can cost far more when a leak appears later.

Bathroom installation across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire

We design and fit bathrooms from our base in Stevenage for homes across Hertfordshire and into Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, with our own engineers and a 12 month guarantee on the work. Find out more about our bathroom installations or call 01462 506374 to arrange a free survey.