Cost of Moving Bathroom Upstairs

Cost Factors in Relocating a Bathroom Upstairs

There are several parts to this home improvement project, each of which will vary:

• Ripping out the old bathroom costs between £500 and £800. That depends on the plumbing complexity, whether you need to rip out the tiling, and how much of the old bathroom needs to be disposed of.
• Making good the old space where your downstairs bathroom used to be. Undoubtedly you’ll have a plan for this, but whatever that might be, you’ll need to repair walls, redecorate, fill in piping holes and install electricity points.
• Installing the new bathroom upstairs can range from £1,500 for simple units and straightforward plumbing up to £10,000 for a fully fitted bath, shower, toilet, sink and pedestal. This price will depend on what sort of bathroom units you choose and whether you recycle any of the old fittings.
• Relocating the same bathroom but moving it upstairs. If you’re keeping the same suite and want to disconnect all of the units, move them upstairs, and re-plumb everything in, the cost could start from £2,600 up to £11,700. Again, that depends on how much work is required and the pipework required.

As we can see, the cost of relocating a bathroom can be high. Still, those prices rely on whether you want to rip out and dispose of an old bathroom entirely or whether the project involves repositioning the same units.

The good news is that moving a bathroom upstairs can provide an instant return on your investment. Average UK properties with a downstairs bathroom are worth 6% less, knocking about £13,500 off the value of your home – so it’s well worth considering.

Other Factors in the Cost of Moving Bathroom Upstairs

As well as the plumbing work, there are a few different factors that will link into your overall project budget:

• Piping – the more extensive your property, and the further away the new room upstairs is, the more pipework you will require to connect your new bathroom.
• Internal construction work – many bathroom relocations involve knocking down inner walls, which will add to the budget. If you need to demolish old walls or erect new partitions, this will add to the cost of materials, waste disposal and labour. If the new room is not moisture resistant, you will need to replace the plasterboard.
• Flooring – bathrooms need to be waterproof, meaning redecorating requires tiling or water-resistant wall coverings, lighting and switches suitable for a bathroom and flooring. Waterproof flooring ranges from cheaper vinyl to tiles and slate tiling or stone.
• Extractor fans – required where a habitable room, such as a bedroom, is converted into a bathroom. This ensures adequate ventilation and avoids condensation and moisture building up.
• Insulation – bathrooms necessitate noises from running water. Many homeowners opt for additional insulation in the walls to ensure this doesn’t cause any sleep disturbances.
• Portable bathroom facilities – if you do not have a second bathroom, it’s wise to consider hiring a portaloo to ensure you and your contractors have a toilet to use while the work is carried out.

Remember that moving a full bathroom isn’t just a plumbing job. You will need an electrician to remove old wiring, fit new plugs and install bathroom-safe electrical points in the new bathroom – request an Electrician Callout Price here.

Other projects could include Moving a Radiator, fitting a heated towel rail, or installing a radiator in the old room to ensure it is comfortably heated.

Breaking Down a Quotation for Moving a Bathroom

Contractors will usually itemise the cost of moving bathroom upstairs. You can sometimes opt to purchase the fittings, such as the shower, bathtub, toilet and sink yourself and pay a contractor only for their labour and the accessory materials.

Quotes will usually show:

• Labour cost – number of tradespeople x number of days x number of hours – with the UK average being £160 per person per day.
• Materials cost – including bathroom suite, plasterboard, flooring, piping, waste pipes, grout, cement and fixtures.
• Additional materials – if your contractor is providing all of the work, other materials could include lighting switches, light fixtures and extractor fans.
• Waste disposal – the costs of hiring a skip, removing the waste materials, and labour costs to strip out the old bathroom.

What are the Benefits of Moving a Bathroom Upstairs?

We’ve mentioned the impact on your property’s value, often offsetting the cost of moving bathroom upstairs by itself.

Other benefits include:

• Freeing up downstairs space to extend a kitchen, living room, or create a new home office.
• Improved privacy, without needing to walk through the kitchen or lounge to get changed after a bath or shower.
• Noise reduction downstairs without running water.

A lot depends on your family and living circumstances, but having a bathroom upstairs is usually regarded as preferable and more comfortable.

FAQs - Moving a Bathroom Upstairs

Here we’ll answer some of the most popular questions about moving your bathroom!

Can I Keep My Old Bathroom Suite and Move it Upstairs?

Yes, unless there are any space issues with your new bathroom’s size, you can usually use a good quality suite again. This can reduce the cost but does have a risk since it is tricky to remove fitted units without damaging them.

Can I Relocate a Bathroom Myself?

If you are an experienced plumber, you might be able to handle the pipework – but this is a big project and isn’t suitable for DIY.

You will need multiple people, including qualified plumbers, electricians and tilers – although you might be able to carry out some of the general decorating work yourself to cut down on the budget.

Should you attempt any plumbing work that doesn’t go to plan, you can request a Plumber Callout Quote through our quotation service.

Will Moving the Bathroom Upstairs Increase the Value of my Home?

Yes, it’s very likely to – the average home with a downstairs bathroom drops by around 6% in value.

Do I Need Planning Permission to Move a Bathroom?

Usually, you won’t need permission unless your property is listed. However, most bathroom installations will need to comply with Building Regulations.

How Long Does it Take to Relocate a Bathroom?

It depends on the complexity of the project. Most bathrooms being moved upstairs will need around a week and up to two or three weeks for more complicated relocations.