Ensuite Installation Guide

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En suite Installation Guide Index
Introduction.......................................................................................................... 3
Feasibility Assessment
Can I have an en suite? (the 4 critical factors) ..........................................................................................................4
Permission: Gaining permission for an en suite ......................................................................................................6
Budget: How much does a new en suite cost? .........................................................................................................8
Budget: Case studies.................................................................................................................................................9
Budget: The difference between cost & value........................................................................................................18
3 ways to find space for an en suite (including the smallest size for an en suite)...................................................20
Drainage limitations to en suite positioning & summary........................................................................................27
FAQ’s
How long does it take to fit an en suite? ................................................................................................................34
How is an en suite fitted? .......................................................................................................................................39
Who’s going to install your en suite?......................................................................................................................45
Planning
Working out en suite layouts (including static & dynamic clearances)...................................................................47
Natural light ............................................................................................................................................................52
Privacy.....................................................................................................................................................................55
Humidity .................................................................................................................................................................56
Fitting a bath into an en suite.................................................................................................................................59
Limiting potential problems when planning an en suite layout..............................................................................64
Tips
Tips for creating a sense of space...........................................................................................................................66
Tips for dealing with small spaces (case study) ......................................................................................................76
Tips for hiring the right tradesmen.........................................................................................................................79
Tips for a smooth installation ................................................................................................................................ 81
Avoiding builder disputes .......................................................................................................................................84
En suite installation checklist..................................................................................................................................86
Questions you will need to answer to get an accurate quote.................................................................................87
About The Author
About me................................................................................................................................................................91
Recommendations..................................................................................................................................................95
Thanks for reading ..................................................................................................................................................97

3Site: www.ukbathroomguru.com | Mobile: 07734 461982 | Home: 01132 120223 | Email: chris@ukbathroomguru.com
Introduction
Adding an en suite
Adding an en suite is a great way to
make your house more liveable and
sellable and usually adds much more
value than the cost of installation.
It also makes it more practical when
family life gets a bit frantic – especially
in the morning or after school!
For the purposes of this guide we will
be dealing with the issue of adding an
en suite where one currently does not
exist rather than merely refurbishing
an existing en suite, which can be dealt
with as with any other bathroom.
Why did I write this guide?
Many homeowners want to improve
their home but don’t know where to
start.
I have a bathroom installation compa-
ny based in Leeds, and have installed
many hundreds of en suites.
I thought it was time to put some
in depth advice out there that goes
beyond the usual ‘10 ways to decorate
your bathroom’ Pinterest fluff.
This is information is written by a
professional installer with a wealth
of experience in supplying and fitting
en suites, dealing with customers and
completing projects from start to fin-
ish: from the planning and design all
the way through to the multi-trade
installation.
Who is this guide for?
This is a guide written for homeowners looking to add an en suite to their property but maybe don’t know what to expect,
where to start or even what is achievable.
How to use this guide
Each chapter is a stand alone mini guide that can be read in isolation, but to get the best out of it, it makes sense to read it
all the way through and use it as a reference resource when needed.

Can I have an en suite?
Introduction
There are 4 restricting factors that will determine whether you can have an en suite or not:
1. Permission
2. Budget
3. The space available
4. The existing plumbing / drainage
1. Permission
Adding an en suite requires permission from the local council and I have covered this in more detail on p5.
2. Budget
Fully installed en suites from turnkey installers may start at around £3K but budget varies massively depending on a num-
ber of factors so please see p7 for more information on this subject.
3. Space available
You can only add an en-suite if you have space, though a lot can be done with a small space as can be seen here:
However, hotels are one thing and houses quite another, so
to clarify.....
The smallest space for a domestic en suite (containing a toilet, basin, shower & towel warmer) is:
70cm x 180cm

Any space bigger than this (assuming other limiting factors are favourable) should allow you to fit a full en suite.
However, particularly small spaces can still be utilised as en suite shower rooms (without a toilet) or en suite cloakrooms
(toilet & basin without a shower).
Case studies later in this guide will help you to get a sense of what you may be able to achieve in your space, so please see
p9 for more information.
4. Existing plumbing / drainage
The potential position of your en suite is largely determined by the existing drainage of the house.
It’s always easier to site an en suite with the drainage in mind – often near or above an existing bathroom.
The position of the new en-suite relative to the existing soil pipe is critical. i.e. if the en-suite is on the other side of
the house to the soil pipe, you may have difficulties in installing everything you want – please see p29 for further
information.

Gaining permission for an en suite
Do I need permission?
In short, yes!
From Leeds city council (my local council):
Replacement kitchens and bathrooms do not generally need Building Regulations consent but where new drainage
is installed to serve a new bathroom (or en suite) Building Regulations consent is required.

You should apply for building regulations approval from the local council.
This will ensure that any new windows, ventilation or drainage all comply with building regulations.
You may need to produce this document when selling your house.
To add an en suite you shouldn’t normally need to apply for planning permission but if you’re planning on installing new
windows or otherwise affecting the external look of the property then you may need planning permission – please check
with your local council.
Similarly if you live in a listed building, different rules or restrictions may apply.
How the process works?
Plans are submitted to the council, and once they have received it, site visits are arranged so that they can inspect the
work being carried out.
The local council will carry out a series of inspections to ensure that the drainage and ventilation is satisfactory and issue a
Completion Certificate when the works are satisfactorily completed.
These inspections are often called site visits – one is normally done when the 1st
fix plumbing is completed, and a 2nd
is
normally done upon completion of the work.
Please check with your local building control officer to confirm this.
Who does what?
A building notice can be applied for by either the homeowner or the contractor but it is ultimately the homeowners
responsibility to do so, not the contractors.
Depending on the local council this may be done via email, fax or online.
As an aside.....
Many electricians self certify their work through schemes such as NICEIC or ELECSA so their work does not need to
be certified by the council – the council gets a copy of the electricians completion certificate.
Disclaimer: This guide is meant as general advice only as it does not take into account local regulations.
Therefore you should take the necessary steps yourself to determine what permissions apply to your particular
job.

How much does a new en suite cost?
Adding an en suite to a bedroom can make a home much more practical to live in and increase the value & saleability of
your house.
My prices start at around £3K, and this is often much less than the value added to the property, combined with the day
to day convenience of having an en suite.
Introduction
In its simplest form costings look like this:
Labour cost is directly related to time taken (or the amount of work required) and the material cost is for things like timber,
plasterboard, toilets, basins, radiators etc.
So obviously a simple job with cheaper fittings that takes less time to complete will cost less than a more complicated job
that takes more materials and more time to complete.
Similarly, work undertaken on a DIY basis will save labour costs and using cheap materials will save material costs.
Please note that labour prices will vary by region, as will some material costs.
Please see p9 for example costings with real life en suite examples.
TOTAL COST = labour cost + material cost

Budget: case studies
Project managed en suite installations from start to finish
As I carry out project managed en suite installations regularly I have put together some case study costings to give you
some ideas as to where your project may lie on the spectrum.
Case study 1
SUMMARY: An en suite added to the eaves of a property on the 3rd
floor
(Click the link above to read about it in more detail.)
COST: Approx £3500 - £4000
TIME TAKEN: 1.5 week
SIZE: 100 x 300cm

Costs incurred that may not always occur:
1. Due to the height of the installation and the drainage connections needed, scaffolding was required, but this is
often not needed on a 1st
floor installation.

2. Replacing the cast iron soil pipe completely in order
to make new connections
(i.e. if you have a plastic soil pipe outside then you
should save money as it can often be amended
rather than completely replaced.)
3. Hot & cold supplies had to be run up to the new en
suite up a bedroom wall below which then had to
be re-plastered and decorated (rather than boxing
them in in a corner which is the alternative ap-
proach).
4. A towel radiator was added though not everyone
chooses to do this.
Costs not incurred that may be in other instances:
1. Adding a window to add natural light is something
that many would choose to do in instances where
there is no existing window, and this would have
added approximately £400 to the cost.

Case study 2
SUMMARY: An en suite made from an existing cupboard (previously accessed from the hall)
1. We had to knock through (and support) a solid wall to create a new doorway into the en suite.
2. We had to block up the old doorway into the storage space (as the space was being accessed through the bed-
room rather than off the main hall.)
COST: Approx £3500
TIME TAKEN: 1 week
SIZE: 70 x 190cm

1. Adding a window to add natural light is something that many
would choose to do if there was not one already there - this
would have added approximately £400 to the cost.
2. No studwork was needed to be built, insulated, plastered &
painted as we were making use of an existing space (storage
cupboard).
3. We chose not to add a towel radiator due to the small space
– including one would have increased the budget.
Case study 3
SUMMARY: An upstairs en suite was added to the corner of a bedroom
COST: Approx £3500
TIME TAKEN: 1.5 week
SIZE: 190 x 180cm

1. Studwork was needed to define the space (ie we did not utilise an existing space as with the example above).
2. Tiled floors are more costly than the vinyl floors in the other case studies above.
3. Mosaic tiles are not cheap to buy or to fit!
1. No need to replace the soil pipe as it was plastic &
new connections could be made easily.
2. No extractor fan was added.
3. No underfloor heating was needed.
4. No window was added.
Case study 4
SUMMARY:
An en suite shower room (no toilet) was added to the
corner of a bedroom
COST: Approx £2700
TIME TAKEN: 1½ weeks
SIZE: 80 x 140cm

1. As the en suite was not on an external
wall, it was more difficult (costly) to run
the waste out to the soil stack on the out-
side of the house.
2. Joinery work was required to define the
space:
3. A glass door looks stunning and adds natural light but is not cheap at £350+ fitting.

4. Undertile heating is a nice luxury, and tiled floors cost more than vinyl.
5. LED mirrors are more costly than plain mirrors but often have demisters and shaver sockets that makes them good
to have.
6. Wall hung furniture is more costly to fit than freestanding.
1. This was an en suite shower room (no toilet) so this part of the work (plumbing in the toilet) was not required.
Case study 5
SUMMARY: An en suite was added to the corner of a bedroom in an alcove
COST: Approx £4000
TIME TAKEN: 1½ weeks
SIZE: 100 x 190cm

1. Lots of external plumbing work (to do with the soil pipe) was needed in this instance.
2. Joinery work was required to define the space, but only on 1 side of the room.
3. A douche was added.
4. The wall & floors were tiled in their entirety.
Costs not incurred that may occur in other instances:
1. Underfloor heating was not added.
2. Ceramic tiles are more cost effective than porcelain, marble, mosaics etc.
Summary
Taking all these examples into account....
You will probably be looking at £3.5K - £5.5K for a turnkey en suite installation*

The difference between cost & value
* Please do not confuse the costs given overleaf for merely the plumbing costs of putting in an en suite as plumbing is only
1 of the several trades involved in a job of this type.
For example, the prices given previously typically include several of the following costs in addition to the plumbing costs:
• Building control fees – getting approval from the council (building regulations approval)
• Waste disposal costs
• Electrical costs – amending light switch positions, fitting fans and new lighting & issuing completion certificates
• Joinery costs – building, insulating & boarding studwork, fitting skirting boards, architraves & hanging doors
• Plastering costs – boarding & skimming the walls & ceiling – internally & externally
• Suite cost – the cost of the bath, shower, toilet, basin, tap, enclosure etc
• Plumbing costs – fitting the toilet, shower, basin & radiator etc
• Decoration costs – painting the walls, ceiling & skirting boards, architraves & door.
• Floor fitting costs – supplying & fitting vinyl or tiled floors with all necessary floor preparation work.
• Wall tiling costs – supplying & fitting tiles to part / all of the walls
• Building costs – removing or building walls, inserting doorways and installing windows
• Project management costs – managing all of the above plus supply of goods in some cases
The difference between cost & value
Some people say “buy cheap buy twice” and some will only every look at the bottom line and end up paying for it in the
long run. I’m not saying you should pay through the nose for an en suite but you should question what you value.
Think about the value of the following aspects of my turnkey bathroom installation business as an example:
A single point of contact for simplicity & accountability retains liability in one place, and ensures that any problems with
your installations do not fall through the cracks between the trades, as can often happen when homeowners pull together
a small team of tradesmen to do your bathroom that do not know each other.
If anything goes wrong, the plumber blames the tiler, the tiler blames the joiner and the joiner goes missing because he’s
already been paid etc.
Centrally controlled installations by an experienced project manager are much less likely to go wrong, over budget
or over schedule, meaning you will have a good idea of how long the work will last and how much it will cost with-
out fear of skyrocketing prices...

Very low estimates, tendered by builders in order to secure the work against competing quotes often lead to prices being
added on for ‘extras’ as the work progresses.
As a comparison, my business provides fully itemised estimates that allows you to see in advance all the costs you will
incur as well as some potential costs that you may incur. Its very simple – if its on the estimate it’s included, if it isn’t then it
isn’t included.
You should always ask for a clear, written estimate or quote.
Another competing estimate may not even mention any potential ‘extra’ costs, but do you honestly think that if the work is
required in addition to what has been quoted for that it will be done free of charge?
Personally, I would rather know the potential costs upfront so that I could make an informed decision.
Quality of materials is also an area that splits cost and value.
For example, I personally only supply taps and showers with 10 year + warranties to give peace of mind to my customers,
which is not to say that you cannot pick up cheaper imitations on the internet that offer 12 month warranties.
Ultimately it is up to you to weigh up the risks but please ensure that you do so with an understanding that often you get
what you pay for.
The biggest factor of all is workmanship.
High quality workmanship, which may ‘cost’ more, represents good value as it ensures a quality en suite installation that
will last for years.
Bad workmanship, which may ‘cost’ less, may represents poor value if it then necessitates work being re-done at greater
expense at a later date.
PS Putting things right at a later date often costs 3 or 4x the amount that it would have done to do them correctly at the
time. Pay once and have it done right!

3 ways to find space for an en suite
There are a few options as to how you find this MINIMUM space for your en suite (we’ll get to dealing with small spaces later)
Option 1: Studding off the corner of a bedroom to make an en suite
The most common way of adding an en suite to a bedroom is to cordon off a corner with new timber studwork.
This usually involves building 2 stud walls to define the space.....
The minimum size for a useable en suite shower room is approximately 180cm x 70cm

or could even involve building 2 walls with a chamfered corner to create more space in the bedroom
Tip: look for corners of rooms that could potentially contain an en suite and work within the constraints of your
current windows if possible to save money.

Option 2: Utilising an existing cupboard or space
Another common option is to utilise an existing storage space accessed off the hallway by knocking through a new opening
from an adjacent bedroom.
This en suite was previously a storage room accessed from the 1st floor landing which was to the left of the shower in this
plan, the bathroom situated ‘above’ and the bedroom ‘below’.
We knocked through a doorway to the bedroom..

As the bathroom was adjacent to the new en suite, plumbing connections were relatively easy.
Option 3. Splitting a house bathroom to make an en suite & a house bathroom
When looking to add an en suite it is often useful to see whether you can split the existing house bathroom into 2 separate
rooms I.e. a house bathroom AND an en suite accessed from a new doorway off an adjacent bedroom.
This is because it is often easier (and cheaper) to add an en suite into the same footprint as the existing bathroom as
plumbing and drainage pipework is already present.
Contrast this to trying to add an en suite to the opposite side of the house, a long distance away from any hot and cold
water pipework or (more crucially) any drainage pipework.
Tip: when looking for places to add an en suite consider all the available space you have – don’t be constrained by
current uses.
Please note that this approach is not always possible with the small size of British bathrooms often being a major
limiting factor.

However, this is how it can be done:
The existing bathroom was to have the space currently occupied by the bath ‘stolen’ off it to produce an en suite accessed
from a new doorway from the bedroom.
The space ‘stolen’ from the bathroom (170cm x 70cm) with the building of a new stud wall was then extended into the hall
by 30cm, making the new en suite size 200cm x 70cm.

Into this tight space would be fitted a:
This plan also necessitated moving the door into
the house bathroom and relocating the radiator
onto an adjacent wall, as well as lots of other
work!
This plan took into account many things such as
the existing drainage and how it would tie into the
new layout, wall and floor construction and joist
direction vs the intended position of new drainage
pipes that would be required etc.
This is where it is useful for a main contractor to
plan (and deliver) all the work as he will have an
appreciation for all of the necessary trades and
how their work will come together to deliver the
project as a whole.
For example this job had waste disposal, general
building work, joinery & door hanging, wall and
floor tiling, glazing, plastering, painting, plumbing
and custom fitted solid oak shelving...
Also it involved other parties such as building
control, a waste disposal firm, glazing firm, a local
tile merchant and of course our local bathroom
supplier (we have excellent knowledge of all the
best local suppliers.)
• toilet
• hand basin
• towel radiator
• shower enclosure

As the house bathroom was being made smaller by the en suite on one side, the room was extended into another bed-
room on the other, to provide space for the wall hung toilet in a new position.
You can read more about the project here.
Installations like this really benefit from strong project management.
Please see here for how important it is to be able to bring together various trades in order to complete a n en suite
installation.
Tip: look to steal space from adjoining rooms where necessary.

Drainage limitations to en suite positioning
Introduction
This is because pipework needs to be installed to carry water to the shower, toilet, basin etc but more crucially to carry
waste water away from these items.
Getting pipework to the en suite is often less problematic than getting rid of the waste water (ie the water that goes down
the plughole or down your toilet) which needs to run away under gravity to the nearest drainage outlet.
Even if you have PERMISSION & MONEY, and there is sufficient SPACE in a bedroom to add an en suite, DRAINAGE
may yet prove to be a stumbling block.......
Background lesson in en suite drainage
Water from the basin, shower & bath can be run into rainwater hoppers OR the soil pipe.
Waste water from the toilet MUST ONLY be run into a soil pipe, which is a larger (4” diameter) usually black
(plastic or cast iron) pipe normally located on the outside of your house,
This picture shows a common UK house installation.

Sometimes all drainage will run into the soil pipe i.e. the shower, basin, bath & toilet:
Sometimes (in larger houses normally) the soil pipe may be internal, in which case you will not see any pipework on
the outside of your house. You can normally tell where these pipes run by following the waste runs from the bath-
room and looking for ‘boxed in’ corners of rooms that conceal the large bore pipework:

Examples
Easy addition of an en suite
The example above shows how the en suite on the left (assuming there’s sufficient space in the bedroom) can easily be
connected up to the existing soil pipe on the outside of the house (that serves the current bathroom).
However adding an en suite to the opposite side of the house would be much more difficult as:
A. Running drainage pipes from one side of the house to the other is not always possible and there are many factors
that influence this: distance, fall, joist direction, stairwells etc.
As with all building work, the word ‘difficult’ can be interchanged with the word ‘costly’ or even ‘impossible’.
Difficult addition of an en suite 1
This example shows how adding an en suite to the 1st or 2nd bedroom would prove difficult due to drainage restrictions.

This is because the proposed position of the en suite is on the opposite side of the house to the existing soil pipe.
This would mean that plumbing in the toilet in particular could prove impossible.
A compromise:
However, in these situations sometimes an en suite shower room can be added without a toilet (if there is a way to get rid
of the waste water from the basin & shower.
PS Using impossible is another way of saying without incurring huge costs, so in practise they often mean the same
thing.

This is what we did with this en suite shower room.

Difficult addition of an en suite 2
Please see here for this case study of an en suite added into a tricky location.

Summary
Hopefully by now you
1. Understand what permissions are required to add an en suite
2. Have identified a potential space for your en suite
3. Have assessed the suitability of the space in terms of size
4. Have assessed the suitability of the space relative to the existing drainage
5. Have set a realistic budget based the approximate level of work you require

How long does it take to fit an en suite?
Introduction
The best way to ensure that your installation finishes on time is to set a realistic timescale, which is dependent on your
experience, the level of work required and the availability of the various tradesmen involved such as plumbers, tilers,
plasterers, electricians & joiners (unless you go with a turnkey solution such as UK Bathroom Guru)
Factors to consider
1. Who is doing the work
Most projects will be carried out in 1 of the 3 following ways or a mixture of 2 of them:
a) DIY
This route will take the longest out of the 3 options listed here and is largely dependent on your experience / knowledge of
the installation process and planning skills. Thats often a long time without bathing facilities....
b) Employing tradespeople
This route should be quicker than DIY but is dependent on your ability to:
1) understand the work that is required - and crucially the order in which it should be carried out
2) source & line up reliable, qualified tradesmen e.g. a plumber, tiler, electrician & plasterer
3) ensure materials & tradesmen are available on site at the correct time.
4) communicate with & co-ordinate all of the trades involved & assign responsibilities clearly
5) manage the project as it progresses & deal with any issues that arise
c) Employing a turnkey provider e.g. ukbathroomguru
This route will probably be the quickest and will certainly be the easiest for you, as a single project manager oversees the
project from start to finish, supplying all materials and managing their dedicated team through to completion (this is my
business model).
You will only need to deal with one person and liability lies with one party – this can be extremely important as disagree-
ments on renovation projects are very common, especially when responsibilities fall into the grey areas between the
trades.
These teams will work together all the time and will have a clear understanding of each others roles and responsibilities,
and should pull together better than a group of strangers you have assembled.
2. What you’re having done
Swopping a suite like for like is obviously going to be a lot quicker (& cheaper) to do than a full bathroom refurbishment
which may include work with several different tradesmen:
• builders (for structural work such as knocking down walls etc)
• joiners
• tilers
• plasterers
• electricians
• plumbers
• floor fitters

It sounds obvious (and it is) but the more work involved, the longer a job takes and the more expensive it is.
3. The position of the new en suite vs. the existing pipework & drainage
Placing an en suite on the far side of your house away from all the drainage pipes, or a long distance away from another
bathroom can take longer as running pipework is not as simple.
4. Are you utilising an existing room or building a new one?
Simple en suite making use of an existing cupboard
This simple en suite makes use of an existing storage space so no new studwork was required.

Though a door had to be knocked through.....
…..and a door added.

a simple tiled shower enclosure kept tiling time down to a minimum....
as did the fact that we fitted a vinyl floor which takes less time than a tiled floor.
More complicated en suite
This more complicated en suite was done at the same time as the house bathroom and was a lot more complicated than
the other example above, despite the finished rooms being approximately the same size.

This is because there was much more work involved, and you can look at why here.
5. Other factors
The list of other factors is potentially endless but point to consider may include:
• If your house is very small it may take longer to fit the en suite as tools have to be constantly moved, packed away
etc and there’s no physical space in which to work.
• Is your en suite on the ground floor of a remote bungalow (easy & quick) or the 8th floor of a block of flats with a
broken lift?
You get the point.......
Summary
Depending on who does the work, a straight forward ensuite that utilises an existing space may take 1 week for a
dedicated team of installers.
A more complete en suite installation that may involve structural work, plumbing, electrics, gas, joinery, plastering, tiling
and decorating may take the same team 2 weeks.
An en suite should take a turnkey installer between 1-2 weeks depending on its complexity, but DIY & other
routes will take much longer.

How is an en suite fitted?
Work sequencing
Generally most en suites will follow this basic schedule, though there will often be some overlap or changes in sequencing
that invariably comes with doing building work, trade availability and many other constraints.
This is where a team that works together a lot has a big advantage over a team of strangers.
Planning
• Layout is determined
• Suite items are chosen
• Tiles (or wet panels) are chosen
• Floor covering is chosen
• Details are decided upon (paint colours, light fittings etc)
• Waste disposal is arranged along with all deliveries, tradesmen, etc
• Building notice is submitted with appropriate fee to the local council

Installation
Step 2: Walls are built with timber studwork (1st fix joinery) Step 3: Waste pipework is run from shower/
bath, basin & toilet to the soil pipe or sewer
(1st fix plumbing
Step 1: Layout is checked

• Pipework is run for any radiators /
towel warmers (1st
fix plumbing)
• Hot & cold supply pipework is run
for the shower/bath, basin & toilet
(1st
fix plumbing)
• Cabling is run for any lighting, extractor fans,
underfloor heating or shaver points (1st fix
electrics)
• Building control come for a site visit
• The floor is prepared for tiling or vinyl
• Walls are prepared (insulated and boarded)

• Wet areas to be tiled are tanked and then tiled.
• Remaining walls are plastered

• Remaining walls are decorated (painted)
• The floor covering is fitted (in this case vinyl but could be tiled)
• Walls are painted or wallpapered where required
• The door is fitted and architrave & skirting is fitted
as required (2nd fix joinery)
• Lights, fans, LED mirrors & shaver points are fitted
(2nd
fix electrics)

After installation
• A completion certificate is issued by the electrician for the electrical work (normally)
• A completion certificate is issued by the council to confirm that your installation has passed building regulations.
You will need this when you come to sell your house.
• Toilets, basins, showers &
enclosures are fitted
(2nd
fix plumbing)
• Building control come
for a site visit

Who’s going to install your en suite?
Your options
As mentioned previously most projects will be carried out in 1 of the 3 following ways or a mixture of 2 of them:
a) DIY
This route will probably take the longest out of the 3 options listed here and is largely dependent on your experience /
knowledge of the installation process and planning skills.
b) Employing tradespeople
This route should be quicker than DIY but is dependent on your ability to:
• understand the work that is required - and crucially the order in which it should be carried out
• source & line up reliable, qualified tradesmen e.g. a plumber, tiler, electrician & plasterer
• ensure materials & tradesmen are available on site at the correct time.
• communicate with & co-ordinate all of the trades involved & assign responsibilities clearly
• manage the project as it progresses & deal with any issues that arise
RECOMMENDED APPROACH:
c) Employing a turnkey provider e.g. ukbathroomguru
Due to the many trades that can be involved in something as simple as fitting an en suite, many people choose to
employ a turnkey supplier such as ukbathroomguru.com to carry out the work so that it is completed in the quickest
time possible to limit disruption and to ensure that the project runs smoothly.
Contractors like this can take projects from a simple plan....
Through the work....

To completion....
With all work done to a high standard in a professional manner – all managed by a single project manager to
keep things on track.

Working out en suite layouts
Introduction
The layout of an en suite is basically deciding where everything will go e.g. the toilet, shower enclosure, basin etc.
The existing plumbing & the space available will be the main factors in determining where your suite items can be
positioned (bath, shower, basin, toilet, radiator etc), and therefore how big your room needs to be.
Planning
Careful planning related to the layout and suite choices will be the single greatest factor in making a small bathroom or
(shower room) work, and careful planning will result in a better fitted bathroom with a neater finish.
Make a simple scaled drawing on graph paper and use these rough sizes as a starting off point:
• bath – 170 x 70cm (though 120 & 150cm long baths are also available)
• toilet – 35cm (w) x 60cm+ (d)
• basin – 40cm (w) x 40cm (d)
• towel radiator – 40cm+ (w)
• shower tray 70 x 70cm+ (minimum)

*Obviously the height of these items doesn’t really matter for the purposes of planning though low or sloping ceilings must
be taken into account with glass shower enclosures etc:

Clearances
When considering the size & positioning of your suite items
e.g toilets & basins you also need to consider another
couple of factors:
1. static clearance spaces
2. dynamic clearance spaces
Static clearance spaces should be maintained so that the
various suite items fit into your room without being on top
of each other.
This also includes leaving space to stand in front of the toilet
or sit down on it without hitting your legs, knees or shoul-
ders on other items / the wall.
Towel radiators get very hot so you don’t want any bare skin
to brush up against them accidentally!
Some example MINIMUM clearances:
Shoulder width for a toilet: 60cm*
Space in front of a toilet: 30cm*
Space needed to stand in front of a basin 50cm*
* These figures are meant as a guide but exact requirements will be determined by the size of the user (and their
opinion of what constitutes ‘acceptable’ and should be therefore MAXIMISED wherever possible.
i.e. These are the figures you need to consult when having to compromise to squeeze everything in.
Warning!
Bathroom planning cannot be done by someone remotely in a Bathroom showroom – planners need to actually be
there to see how the existing plumbing is laid out as this will determine where suite items can be located.
Otherwise they will have no idea (for example) which way the joists run under the floor so will consequently have
no idea as to whether their nice, sleek low profile shower tray can actually be fitted in the corner of the bathroom
they had planned!
Please ring a fitter before committing to buying £1000’s worth of sale items that will not fit in your new layout (or
will fit but only with waste water pipes running across the centre of the floor or uphill) These sale items do not
reflect good value for money in these instances!
PS If you think I’m joking I priced a job for a couple who had bought £3000+ worth of suite items from the Bathstore
sale (as they were seemingly very impressed with the professionally drawn up ‘plan’) only for me to tell them that it
was impossible to fit all the items where they wanted them due to plumbing constraints.
Don’t let this be you!

Dynamic clearance spaces includes things such as:
• the space a door occupies when it swings open
• the way a shower cubicle door or bath screen opens or folds
• the distance a drawer pulls out of a basin vanity unit vs the other items in the room
• ceiling pull cords vs door opening arcs
Clashes between adjacent items such as these should always be considered at the planning stage rather than when you’ve
bought all your stuff, booked a bathroom fitter and its too late to change it!

This example above is on the cusp of what is acceptable as the basin is very near the toilet.
In the example above if the basin had been pushed further away from the toilet, it would prevent the door from opening fully.
This shows that compromise is sometimes unavoidable when dealing with very small bathrooms.
This is where priorities often come in – i.e. would you rather have a bigger bath and more compromised space around the
toilet or vice versa.

Natural light
Introduction
The position of your new en suite may not benefit from any natural light, depending on where it is located.
Therefore, lighting needs to be considered at the outset to ensure the room does not feel small & dingy.
If there is no window you can still utilise natural light:
1. Install a window
This is probably the most expensive option and would need to be undertaken by a builder. It may also need council
approval and planning permission and it is your job as the homeowner to make sure the work being done at your
property complies with all local regulations.
This will probably require scaffolding.

2. Install a velux or suntube
This is a job that is best undertaken by a roofer, and again you should check permissions with your local building
control department.
This may require scaffolding.
3. Steal natural light from an adjacent room
If there is no opportunity to install a window to the outside of the house or in the roof above, then you can still steal
some natural light from the adjacent rooms through a specially constructed window.

Or through a glass door:
PS Please note that glass doors in en suites do not provide much privacy for the user as shapes and sounds can be
seen and heard through the door!

En suite privacy
Maintaining privacy
If there is already a window then you may wish to:
• fit a blind
• replace the clear glass with a obscured glass (not a DIY job)
• cover the glass internally with an opaque finish (DIY option)
This third option can be done by applying a self adhesive, plain or patterned, film onto the glass as has been done here.
This saves having a new window put in for a fraction of the price.
There are also spray variants that claim to do a similar thing.

En suite humidity
Introduction
Excess moisture in en suites can lead to damp, condensation and black mould growth.
Telltale signs of excess moisture are:
• Mould growth
• Damp areas on walls – often in upper corners
• Peeling wallpaper
• Deteriorating plaster or paint
• Mildew
• Condensation on windows, wall tiles and mirrors
If you are adding an en suite you need to take action to prevent the problems associated with excess moisture.
Prevention
There are 4 theoretical ways to prevent condensation associated with an en suite:
1. Increase the temperature of the room.
2. Extract the moist air.
3. Reduce the amount of moisture being created through design.
4. Use specialist anti-mould products.
1. Heating & Insulation
Making the en suite warm will not only result in a more pleasant bathing environment, but will help to keep damp & con-
densation at bay. This is because warm rooms are capable of carrying more moisture in the air, and warm rooms have less
cold surfaces onto which water vapour can condense.
Keep the heat in
When installing a new en suite (if applicable) consider replacing old windows with double glazed units. This will ensure that
the internal glass panels in your bathroom are considerably warmer and less likely to have water condense on them, and
will also help to retain heat within the room. Trickle vents can be included on new windows, allowing moist air to escape to
the outside (even when the window is shut).

If ‘boarding out’ the en suite when starting from ‘back to brick’, it would be wise to use thermally efficient tile backer
boards instead of standard plasterboard to reduce the amount of heat being lost through the external walls. This is particu-
larly important if your house has solid walls in exposed locations.
Ensure your loft (normally above your en suite) is fully insulated to recommended levels. Check for local council schemes
run in conjunction with energy companies to see if you can get this done for free.
Also, check whether you are entitled to free cavity wall insulation on the same schemes:
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Add heat
Ensure you have some form of heating in your en suite, even if the room is small.
This may take the form of a towel warmer, radiator or underfloor heating.
Whichever form it takes, ensure it has enough heat output (measured in BTU’s) for the size of the room. There are various
online calculators to help you do this.
2. Ventilation (extraction)
Extractor fans
Extracting moist air and bathroom smells can be achieved with the use of an extractor fan, which essentially suck out moist
air through a hole in the external wall (or ceiling) of your bathroom via a fan.
When installing a new en suite, building regulations state that you must fit an extractor fan, and this is something that the
building control officer will insist on.
They are normally wired into the existing lighting circuit so that when the light is turned on, the fan turns on, and when the
light is turned off the fan is turned off after a pre determined time period.
The fan can also normally be isolated by a separate pull cord inside the bathroom or a switch mounted outside the en suite (often
above the door). This ensures that you don’t have to listen to a noisy fan when your partner uses the loo in the middle of the night.
Top tip: All fans usually have a Db (noise) rating so if your are looking for a quiet en suite fan, bear this figure in mind, or
use an inline fan in the loft space above the en suite that vents out through the eaves.
Using an inline fan is the method I nearly always use.
Top tip
Never vent moist air into your loft space!
Moist air will condense on the timbers and could run down them, possibly causing damp stains to appear on your
bedroom ceilings.
Also, shut the door when the fan is running for maximum efficiency.
Venting out through the roof
If there are no external walls in your en suite, (and you cannot vent out through the eaves) you can fit a fan in the
ceiling that takes moist air out through the roof, though this can be a bit more complicated.
If the duct passes through an unheated roof void the duct should be insulated to reduce the formation of conden-
sation. A vertical duct should also be installed with a suitable weatherproof roof cowl. A condensation trap must be
fitted in order to release the condensation build up.
A shower enclosure in a confined space such as a basement will require an in line extractor which can extract the
moist air over a longer distance.
PS Always use an In line Duct or Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) fan to ventilate a shower cubicle (zone 1).

Variable options are available:
Timed extractor fans work as stated above but stay turned on for a pre-determined period of time after the light has been
turned off to expel any excess moist air or odours.
Humidity sensor extractor fans operate in the same way but also have an inbuilt humidity sensor which turns the fan on
whenever moist air is detected (independently of the light) The optimum humidity level is pre-determined when installing
the unit (and a bit of trial and error is often required to get this setting right.)
Position
The best place to site a fan is opposite the bathroom door on an external wall, as high as possible.
This will ensure maximum airflow of fresh air throughout the whole room.
Size of fan
Most 4” fans extract around 90m3 / hour and are by far the most commonly used in bathrooms.
Larger, 6” fans extract over 200m3 / hour and are used when manual ventilation is limited (no windows for example), or
the space is very large, or has had damp or condensation problems in the past.
3. Design
Number 3. is not really a major consideration unless all other areas have failed to deal with the problem, so will not be
covered here. Things that could be considered may be swopping a shower for a bath to produce less airborne moisture.
4. Anti-mould products
Mould is a sign of a damp bathroom.
Dangers of mould
Moulds are a potential cause of many health problems including asthma, sinusitis, and infections, and may also play a
major role in cases of sick building syndrome and related illnesses. The young and elderly are particularly at risk.
Cleaning mould off walls in a constantly damp room will not get to the root of the problem – to do so you should follow the
4 steps listed in this article to limit excess moisture.
Anti-mould paint
Specialist bathroom paints have a superior moisture and steam resistant formula that is perfect for wet and steamy envi-
ronments, and mould resistant varieties may also contain a fungicide that helps to reduce the risk of mould.
I use Dulux Bathroom+ paint as it is available locally to me and its always performed well, but there are alternatives
available.
Anti-mould silicon
These specialist silicones contain a anti-bacterial solution such as Microban, which prevent mould growth within the silicon
for up to 10 years. Some, also contain additives that kill germs such as E-Coli and Salmonella.
I often use Dow Corning but there are others available too, as they are not cheap when compared to other silicones.
Top tip
A major cause of premature development of mould in silicon around baths is hair dye – so clean & dry your bath
thoroughly after using hair dyes.
Also, clean your en suite regularly, as even anti-mould silicons will develop mould on top of them if not cleaned
properly.

Fitting baths into an en suite
Introduction
As with en suites containing shower trays, it often makes sense to make the room fit the bath (or shower tray) rather than
the other way round (to avoid the problems of awkward shaped rooms outlined below.).
Bath sizes
Most baths are 170cm x 70cm, and in small en suites these will often fit from wall to wall as above
However, if your room is only 150cm long you can still fit in a compact 150cm x 70cm bath, or even a 120cm x 70cm variant
– though from experience these are very small indeed!
Baths also come in 180cm lengths and this is handy if your room is 180cm long (or if you can make it 180cm long!)
Awkward sized rooms
If your room is too small to fit in a bath then you will have to have a shower tray / enclosure instead.
If your room is too big to fit in a standard bath (wall to wall) then you will either have to:
1. have a gap at the end of the bath (you will also need a side bath panel)

2. build something to fill it in:
Here a custom made storage unit has been made to span the gap between the bottom of the bath & the wall which can be
used for storing towels.
In this bathroom the gap at the foot of the bath was very small (I think the room was about 175cm) so the gap was boxed
in and then tiled using timber studwork and tile backer boards.

This room was 180cm long but in this instance we chose to stud out part of the wall behind the shower end of the bath so
that the bath would fit snugly between it and the opposing wall.
This studded out ‘wall’ (which ran from floor to ceiling) allowed us to run concealed pipework within it up to the shower
valve (without the need to chase into the solid brick wall behind it which is a lot more laborious and messy)
Different bath shapes
Different shapes of bath are available that can help you to maximise the available space.
This curved bath has been chosen as it allows for a bit more space between the various elements (bath, basin & towel
radiator.)

This bath is only 170cm x 75cm but it is classed as a shower bath as it has a larger area at one end for showering without
the need for a big bulge in its side (as most traditional ‘P’ baths do which makes them have a much bigger footprint.)
Showers vs Baths
If you have a small en suite (which is completely normal in the UK!) the chances are that you will not be able to fit a
separate bath & shower cubicle in.
Many people choose to put a shower over their bath as above.
PS Ideally a shower will be placed over the steep end of a bath.

If you have a double ended bath (with 2 shallow ends)
it will be harder to shower as you will be stood at the
bottom of the shallow slope (therefore further away
from the wall where the shower is.)
Therefore you will need a shower head that angles
‘out’ as well as ‘down’ and you may wish to consider a
longer glass bath screen to cope with the spray.
Glass shower screens are better than shower curtains
in that they do not get mouldy or cling to you when
wet. They also last longer and make the room appear
larger (as you can see through them.)

Limiting potential problems
when planning an en suite layout
Door openings
Bifold doors should be orientated so that they do not clash with exposed shower valves.
Having the main en suite door open out into the adjoining bedroom prevents any potential problems associated with
having the door open inwards and clashing with the toilet or basin:
Bifold doors are an option when the arc of the door opening
could otherwise cause problems.
Sliding (or ‘pocket’) doors also save space where the opening
of a door outwards into the bedroom (or inwards into the en
suite) would cause problems.
However, they are more costly.
Doors that open outwards into the bedroom may clash with the bed so plan carefully!

This shower room has been carefully designed so that the basin and toilet chosen did not protrude out too far into the
room, so that users could get past both items easily.
This was done way before any work started (when choosing the suite items.)

Tips for creating a sense of space
Utilise natural light
Add a window, rooflight or steal light from an adjacent room.
Ensure you have enough light, full stop!
Small, dark rooms are not inviting.
A single central light fitting will not produce as much light as
several spotlights.
Large mirrors can be bought from local glass merchants to
bounce light around the room making it appear larger.
Alternatively, an LED mirror cabinet can be used to reflect
natural light and also provide a secondary source of artificial
light.

Consider wall hung furniture
If you have a small room, then lifting every-
thing off the floor will expose more of the
floor, giving a greater impression of space.
It will also make it easier to clean around basins and toilets.
This approach will necessitate careful planning and may
involve the purchasing of a bit more stuff – namely metal
frames to hang the toilets off for adequate support.
Wall hung basins can normally be secured into brick walls fairly
easily as above.

When studding out a wall where wall hung fixtures (like the basin in this example) will be hung, the points at which they
are to be fixed to the wall can be made to be solid timber.
This will give a much stronger fixing than merely trying to fix into plasterboard or the tiles on top of it.
Consider storage space
Along the same theme, make provisions for storage.
Its no use if everything looks immaculate when new but
then becomes overrun with ‘stuff’ once its in use – Look for
vanity units rather than pedestal sinks and mirrored storage
cabinets to keep all your bathroom knick knacks tidy and
out of sight.
Using bathroom units rather than freestanding items will
not save space directly but it will provide you with storage
space, allowing you to put away all of your stuff.
This will have the effect of making your bathroom appear
larger and uncluttered as everything will be capable of
being hidden out of sight.

This unit is only 90cm wide yet contains a toilet & a basin which makes it a great space saving item.
The basin has a cupboard under it to provide storage and the unit itself serves to hide all of the unsightly pipework that
may otherwise be on show.
Smaller well thought out spaces can appear larger than bigger spaces with lots of messy pipework on show etc.

Use frameless fittings
Frameless shower enclosures allow for an uninterrupted view
through the space, and make the room appear larger than big,
thick metal frames.
For example this bifold shower door below does not have a thick
metal bar down the centre of it (which many do).
Consider tiles
Use glossy tiles to bounce around natural light, and consider only tiling the wet areas as in the picture above.
Use wall depth to your advantage
Use the depth of walls and studwork to your advantage by integrating storage:

And adding extra light:
Conceal cisterns where possible
In the example below, more space has been created inside the en suite by moving some parts of the suite outside of it – in
this case the toilet cistern is hidden behind the wall (in the eaves).

This reduces the space occupied by the toilet as it protrudes out into the room less than if it were a close couple toilet
(with the cistern up against the wall behind it as below):
Go up
Use vertical radiators rather than horizontal ones to allow
them to fit into smaller spaces:
Or scrap the radiator altogether to create
more wall space by using underfloor heating:

Wall to wall shower trays
Plan your en suite to be the full width of a shower tray
i.e. base the size of the room on the shower tray, not
the other way round e.g. your room could be 70, 76,
80, 90, 100, 120 or 140cm wide (internally) to accom-
modate the standard range of shower tray sizes.

Radiator positioning
Most en suites have either a radiator or a towel warmer to provide the room with heat, and to control bathroom humidity.
If you do not have much wall space to fit in a towel radiator then you could consider installing one above the bath:
Positioning it as far away from the shower head as possible means that towels should stay dry (whilst the user showers)
whilst ensuring a hot towel is always on hand following a shower.
If you do not have enough wall space to add a traditional towel radiator (40cm wide minimum) then you may have to try
an alternative design such as this.
Having a shower tray go from wall to wall ensures the
maximum sized showering area for the space available,
with no wasted space down the side of it like this example I
saw recently:
It also saves having to buy a return panel for the enclosure.

This narrower (but deeper) towel radiator has been com-
bined with an appropriately sized shower tray to fit the
available space perfectly.
If you have no wall space for a radiator at all, then you can
always opt for underfloor heating.
This will allow you to keep you walls clear or could boost the heating in the bathroom if you can only fit a small radiator in
(that would not produce enough heat on its own to heat the entire room) as with the example above.

Tips for dealing with small spaces (case study)
This en suite (in an Easy hotel in London) fitted into a space approximately 70cm x 160cm and utilised some clever features
to save space, so if you are looking at adding an en suite, but don’t think you have the space then read on....
Features
The small room had rounded or angled corners and whilst this may initially look like a waste of space it accomplished the
following:
1. Hiding the toilets’ concealed cistern behind the wall, ensuring the toilet does not protrude out into the room as
much as possible. This was also enhanced by the fact the the toilet was angled.
Takeaway lesson: Concealed toilet cisterns and shower valves can be hidden in stud walls, maximising space
within the room.

2. Hiding the soil pipe that serviced the floors above in the corner of the room.
3. Hiding the hot and cold supplies to the shower valve, whilst allowing for recessed storage above the height of the
shower.
The basin is semi-recessed into the wall and is tiny but still functional
due to the offset tap (standard on many tiny basins) There is a modular
panel below the basin which can be removed for maintenance.
The mirror above the basin is as large as possible within the space and
serves to bounce light around the room, making it seem less small
(I can’t really say bigger in all honesty!)
The showering area covers around half of the floor space, and can be
separated off from the rest of the ‘room’ with a shower curtain that
follows the circular contour of the floor (when people are showering)
whilst remaining open when not.
This can be accomplished in your en suite with a wetroom.
Takeaway lesson: Consider pipe & drainage runs when planning your en suite initially as this will determine
where you can put things e.g. toilets, shower trays etc.
Takeaway lesson: Concealed toilet cisterns and shower valves can be hidden in stud walls, maximising space
within the room.

A custom made wet room style floor ensures a level floor (apart from the small lip into the shower area) which, when com-
bined with the shower curtain, helps to keep water from the shower within the showering area. It also negates the need
for a traditional shower tray which would not fit into this custom made configuration.
Summary
Whilst you may not be able to have custom made plastic modular panelling (as this wet room has) due to the fact that your
en suite would be a one off (rather than a batch produced specialist item such as this) it should give you some ideas which
you could replicate.

Tips for hiring the right tradesmen
Introduction
Organising people to do all the work required can seem intimidating but it is relatively simple process in theory:
1. Decide the work you want doing
2. Split it down into trades
3. Find people to do all these trades (bearing in mind there may be some overlap)
Assembling the right team
So, by answering the questions asked on p88 you can come up with a schedule of works which will consist of a combina-
tion of the following split down into different trades
• Joinery: studwork etc
• Electrical work: installing lights, fans, shaver points etc
• Plastering: boarding & plastering
• Decorating: painting the walls & ceiling
• Plumbing: installing the new en suite
• Tiling: Tiling the walls
• Flooring: Fitting a vinyl floor
This gives you a rough schedule of works (what you want doing)
You can then use this to decide what you’ll DIY (if anything) and what skills you’ll need ‘hire in’ through tradesmen.
Don’t forget that even if you hire in all these tradesmen eg a joiner, electrician, plasterer, painter, plumber, tiler and floor
fitter (in the example above) that your work is not over.
Without a dedicated project manager to oversee all of the work, YOU ARE THE PROJECT MANAGER!
You will have questions fired at you constantly by all trades and your job will be to bring the job together as a whole, plan the work,
arrange for waste disposal & permits, manage schedules, communicate intentions, manage deliveries, gain approvals etc etc.
My recommendation
Hire a turnkey bathroom installer that can do everything from start to finish.
It really is a whole lot easier and may not be as costly as you think.
If you fancy yourself as a project manager
You’ll need to source your tradesmen independently and for the purposes of this guide lets assume you don’t know any
good ones.
Finding reliable tradesmen is never easy but you can have better chances of success if you:
• Get a referral from a friend.
• Use social media to give a shout out to your network to see if anyone else has recommendations.
• Don’t confuse cheapness with value
• Be realistic & willing to wait for quality tradesmen – decent tradesmen who are good at their job are not going
to be the cheapest around or the most readily available (because they’re good at what they do and therefore in
demand remember!)

A couple of other tips
• Use local directories such as On Your Doorstep to find installers working in your area.
• Look for a plumber 1st and once you have found one, ask them if they often work with an electrician and tiler –
they often will. This is a better approach than looking up separate tradesmen independently, as they are less likely
to let each other down as they work together.
• Get 3 quotes for the (same spec) work - this is very important
• Ask to see examples of their past work - if they take pride in their work they should at least have photos on their
phone even if they don’t have a professional printed portfolio or website (they may rely heavily on recommenda-
tions so don’t feel they need one.)
• Ask if they have references or public liability insurance. Public liability insurance ensures that if your tradesmen
accidentally causes a lot of damage to your property (e.g. from a leak) then you will be covered.
• Communicate what you want – draw a plan, show them a Pinterest board of suite and tile ideas and have answers
ready to all the questions he should be asking you (on p88)
• Find an installer that you like and if their price is too high let them know your budget and see what they suggest
– it may be that by making a couple of changes to the spec that are completely acceptable to you will enable you
to stick to your budget AND get the installer who you really want to do the work.
Contrary to popular advice (clearly written by non tradesmen) try not to bombard tradespeople like they’re in
‘The Apprentice.’
In all likelihood they work for themselves and are in no hurry to obtain a tyrant boss demanding to see an up to
date CV, 6 references, a written copy of your public liability insurance and meet your last 10 customers within the
first minute of meeting you.
“But that’s how I’ll get the best surely?”....
No, thats how you will not get anyone to work for you. Believe me.
Remember upon meeting a tradesmen you are looking to partner with someone and they will be assessing you just
as much as you are assessing them.
If they think you’re going to be a pain, they’ll either never get back to you or send you a massive price that makes the job
more palatable should they have to work for someone they perceive (rightly or wrongly) to be a bit of a pain at this point.
In short, deal with people how you would like to be dealt with and follow the advise on p88

Tips for a smooth installation
Assuming you’re not doing the work yourself you will need to get in help, either from a turnkey bathroom installer or by
hiring all of the separate tradesmen needed to complete the work you want doing.
Plan it properly
Hire the right people
Assemble the right team as per the suggestions on the previous page.
Don’t pay money up front!
Not everyone that requests money up front is a rogue but they may lack the cash flow to smooth over any uneven terrain
with regards to your job. If your installer is insisting on money up front for materials and you really want to use them, you
may consider asking to pay his suppliers direct for the suite or tiles to ease your concerns.
What next?
So you’ve done your homework prior to beginning work, and you have a small team of reliable, qualified tradesmen that
take pride in their work and are available to work when you need them.
The next step to a smooth installation is to nip potential problems in the bud by following the advice below.
Before the work starts, be completely clear as to what work is being done, by whom and when etc.
Do your bit (before & during the installation)
You may say “its not my job so why should I have to do anything”
However, in my opinion thats a bit like walking out into a pedestrian crossing without waiting to see if the cars will actually
stop 1st
.
It might be your right of way, and you may be perfectly entitled to do so, but you’ll be the one paying the price is things go
wrong that you could have easily avoided with just a little input.
Even if he has public liability insurance to cover any accidents, prevention is better than cure so...
Tidy up
This may sound counter intuitive as the process you are embarking on WILL create dust, but this approach will allow you to
easily assess the condition of any carpets & walls prior to work beginning.
It also makes it easier to see when the builder has not cleared up adequately after himself.
I personally cost to put plastic carpet protection down which stays put for the duration of the project and can be
easily swept clean and then hoovered at the end of the project. It is also less of a trip hazard than dust sheets and is
better for allergy sufferers (Its called “roll n stroll” if you want to specify it to your installer or fit it yourself prior to his
arrival.)
Remove any pictures or ornaments on the walls or window cills between the main door to the house and the en suite –
Manoeuvring heavy steel baths and large shower enclosures upstairs is not the easiest of tasks at the best of times and the
less things in the way that could be damaged, the better.
Make sure you’re clear as to what the plan is by the time work starts
This will normally take the form of a highly detailed written estimate.

If possible, clear out the cupboards by the stop tap (if having plumbing work done) and the fuse box (if having electrical
work done.)
Tradesmen will inevitably need to access these locations, and they may not be as careful or delicate when removing your
personal items to gain access as you would be.
Clear the way
If a tradesmen quotes to fit an en suite into a bedroom, they will in all likelihood expect the room to be completely empty
of all your possessions upon his arrival.
Beds and cupboards may need to be pushed up against a wall with a dust sheet over them – make sure you discuss this
with your installer before the work starts.
Get things off on the right foot and give him a clear run at the job in hand.
It will make the job run quicker and your possessions are less likely to get lost or damaged.
Make it easy
In my bathroom installation business in Leeds, I always recommend clearing a spare bedroom adjacent to the en suite
(normally the bedroom) or an area in the garage (if possible) to allow for storage of items ready to be installed: bath, toilet,
tiles etc.
This storage space helps to smooth the whole renovation process out, as the installer does not need to ensure items arrive
‘just in time’ (which can be a recipe for disaster.)
I prefer to get most materials on site on day 1. This gives the customer and I the chance to check everything for damaged
or missing parts.
If you cannot provide storage space for the new suite, tiles etc, then you are essentially insisting that the installer supply &
fit on the same day meaning that you will have no time to:
• check for damages before installation
• check you are happy with your installers products (If he is supplying them)
• replace any damaged items before they are due to be installed
Motivate him
You should aim to have your installer want to go the extra mile for you because (and here’s the important part) there will
be times during an installation when they have a choice between cutting a corner and doing a job properly.
In all likelihood, this will be something that you will never see, but you may see the effects of in years to come.
This is where the individual personality of the tradesman comes in with regard to their attention to detail and pride in their
work, but there are things you can do to make sure that your installer chooses the ‘proper job’ route.
Case study: 1 day delay does not necessarily add 1 day to the job!
If a plumber cannot fit a bath on a Monday because it is damaged, and a replacement bath is delivered the next
day, the plumber may not be able to come back (due to pre-arranged job commitments) for another week, by which
time you’ll have been without a bath for a week, and your electrician and tiler may have to be postponed as well!
And they might be going on holiday for 2 weeks meaning further delays.
Disaster all round and a massively delayed job!
Also, if a job drags on too long, and you keep postponing people, some tradesmen may get peeved off and you may
loose your workforce or find it hard to get them to come back, especially if you’ve already paid them up to date.
All of this could have been avoided by using storage space as a buffer to allow items to be delivered and checked
prior to work beginning.

The best way to do this is to communicate your expectations to him, be firm but fair in implementing them, and be a nice
person to work for, in the hope that he will be willing to go the extra mile for you because you did for him. Everyone likes
to be appreciated, and it only costs a couple of teabags!
Don’t be a cowboy customer
If you have agreed to a written bathroom installation estimate, then it is your duty to stick to it just as much as the installers.
It works both ways:
Pay on time and in the format requested.
If you have agreed to pay the installer on a Friday in cash, then don’t pay him the following Monday by cheque – ask your-
self how you would cope if your employer effectively delayed your salary payment by a week or more.
Stick to the plan & don’t change your mind
Adding work to the schedule or insisting that work is re-done purely because you have changed your mind is OK, but it will
cost you extra money and extra time.
Plan properly to ensure this doesn’t happen, and inspect work at the end of each day to ensure everything is as originally
intended. This will ensure that the ideas you have in your head, or the plans that have been agreed are accurately realised
before things go too far to rectify them.
Prevention is better than cure.
Can you just?
If you need extra jobs doing by your tradesmen ‘whilst they’re there’ by all means ask, but never assume that this work will
be free of charge.
These ‘can you just?’ jobs can add a day a week to every job and that adds up over a year if you’re doing them for free.
Don’t be insulted when someone turns down what you perceive to be a simple ‘5 minute job’. They rarely are!
Have realistic expectations
“You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs!”
• Hammering is noisy
• Mixing plaster is dusty
• Sharing your house with big burly tradesmen is not ideal
• Fitting an en suite will involve some disturbance – to your water / electrical supply & general life, especially if you
live in a small house
• Having building work done after redecorating your house is not sensible – a scuffed skirting board does not mean
the plumber has to repaint your entire home!
Although steps can be taken to reduce the effects of these statements, they are truisms never-the-less.
Having realistic expectations and discussing these with your installer before beginning will help to ensure things go as
smoothly as possible - largely by lowering your concept of what ‘smoothly’ is when referring to building work!

Avoiding builder disputes
Remedies for the most common problems listed above (according to Which)
Poor quality of work
Hire right, don’t automatically choose the cheapest quote, look at past work & seek referrals where possible
Messiness
Communicate your expectation to your builder before work starts i.e. when he comes to quote
Failure to turn up on time
Make sure a start date is set and written down.
Ask him what time he usually works and if he expects to work Saturdays.

Forgive him half an hour delay in the morning when his merchant doesn’t have a part in so he has to go somewhere else.
(If you need to let him in before going out to work, make sure he knows you’re waiting in especially.)
Asking for more money than agreed
Get a written quote and make sure you both stick to it – the more detailed the quote the better.
Causing damage
Accidents can happen, but try and minimise the chances by following the advice given overleaf.
Ensure your builder has public liability insurance – ask to see the certificate.
Dispute over when to pay
Make sure you understand the payment terms (when, how much and in what format) before work begins and make sure
this is written down.
Proposed more work than necessary
Most customers prefer to work to fixed costs, and this is completely understandable.
However, sometimes additional work is required to do a job properly, and it may only be discovered during the work.
This will increase your costs.
As a general rule if it’s in the quote it’s included, if its not then it isn’t. If you’re not sure, ask!
Please see here about potential legitimate extra costs that may arise.
For example, a builder may plan to add an en suite to your bedroom and strip the carpet back only to find that all
the floorboards are rotten or have a woodworm infestation. These boards would then need replacing or treating
to ensure the final job is safe and this would invariably incur additional costs, as there would have been no way of
knowing that this work was required prior to lifting the carpet to have a look.
Please see here about potential legitimate extra costs that may arise.

En suite installation checklist
If you’re planning an en suite use this checklist to make sure you’ve covered all the bases.
Feasibility
Do you have permission for your en suite? YES □ NO □
Write down your budget here: £
Where do you plan to put the en suite?
Write down how big the room will be internally (MINIMUM size is 70cm x 180cm)
Will you be able to run drainage pipes from the en suite? YES □ NO □
Will you be able to pick up the hot & cold pipework to the en suite? YES □ NO □
Will you be able to pick up the central heating pipework to the en suite? YES □ NO □
Have you decided on the EXACT schedule of works (what is being done / not done) YES □ NO □
If not, what is left to decide
Procurement
Have you chosen your suite items & arranged delivery? YES □ NO □
Have you chosen your tiles or wetwall panels & arranged delivery? YES □ NO □
Have you chosen your floor covering & arranged delivery? YES □ NO □
Installation
Who will install your en suite? DIY □ SUBBIES □ TURNKEY □
How will waste be disposed of and who pays for this?
How will the different trades’ workload be divided?
How and when will people be paid?
Recommended lead times – when do do things (measured in weeks prior to work beginning)
Obviously exact lead times will differ based on local suppliers, but based on my experience I would suggest the following:
Planning your en suite Before you see an installer (to be completed with his help*)
Getting installation quotes Up to 6 months (depending on installer availability)
Booking your installer Up to 6 months (less for installers less in demand)
Ordering glass doors 3-4 weeks
Council building applications 2 weeks
Ordering UPVC windows 2 weeks
Scaffolding 2 weeks
Ordering suite 2 weeks
Skip 1 week

Questions you’ll need to answer
to get an accurate quote
Know what you want (but be willing to compromise)
The more specific you can be about what you want, the better.
This is because you are limiting the amount of misunderstanding that can occur between you and your installer.
However, be flexible, because what you want (an amazing bathroom you’ve seen on Pinterest from an Architect designed
Manhattan Penthouse) may not be achievable within the budget you have in mind!
This may mean having to adapt your plan to bring costs down, and unless you have an unlimited supply of money, compro-
mise is a word you may soon be using but this doesn’t have to be seen as a bad thing.
Having a budget can make a lot of your decisions for you, thus taking the anguish and stress of ‘unlimited choice’ away
from you!
If you don’t know what you want, a tradesmen definitely won’t, and will therefore be unable to give you an
accurate price.

How to know what you want
Read this list below and answer the questions – thats it!
Of course you may not know all of the answers as you may not know what’s technically feasible but leave this aside for a
moment and think about what you would want if it WERE possible.
Compromises may have to come later based on price, feasibility & compatibility (with your houses’ heating system for
example) but for the purposes of this exercise, create your ‘ideal scenario.’
Once you’ve got the answers to the majority of these questions sorted then its time to speak to some installers and get
some prices.
Disposal:
• Who will remove the old suite?
• Who will remove the tiles from the walls and/or floor?
• How will the waste be carted through the house?
• How will the flooring be protected during this time?
• How will the waste be disposed of?
• If a skip is to be used, where will it be sited and will it need a permit?
Building:
• Do you need any walls knocking down or new openings made?
• Are any approvals required e.g. building regulations (like when taking out a structural wall)
• Do you need any new windows or skylights fitting?
• Will scaffolding be required? Who will pay for this? Will it infringe on your neighbours drive?
Joinery:
• Do you need any new studwork? (likely)
• Which way do you want the new en suite door to open?
• Do you need any new skirting boards or architrave?
• Do you want the door into your bedroom rehanging to open the other way to gain space?
• Do you need any other joinery work?
• Do you need any custom storage building e.g. cupboard?
Electrical work
• Do you need a central light fitting or require spotlights?
• Would you prefer wall lights?
• Will spotlights be LED bulbs that are easy to change?
• Do you want a pullcord or a switch outside the bathroom instead?
• Do you want to add an extractor fan?
PS If you are unsure of something e.g. whether to have a vinyl floor, wooden floor or tiles for example, then thats ok!
Do some internet research and then speak to your installer about the choice and any concerns you may have.

• Do you have a new electric shower to fit that requires a supply from the fusebox?
• Do you require a shaver socket or an LED mirror unit with an integrated shaver socket?
• If you are planning on having a large mirror installed do you want to add a demister to keep it clear?
• Do you want underfloor heating?
• Do you want anything else that requires as electrical connection eg an electrical flush plate for a toilet?
Plastering
• Does your ceiling need plastering?
• Do any of your walls need plastering?
• If you’re stripping wall tiles, do the walls behind them need re-skimming or are they to be tiled?
• Who will re-board the walls if the tiles pull the walls down?
• Are the walls to be re-boarded? If so with what (plasterboard, cement backer board etc)
• Is there any external rendering to do if a window is being blocked up?
Decorating
• Does your ceiling need painting?
• Do any of your walls need painting?
• Does any of your woodwork need painting?
• What colour do you want your paint? Have you tried tester pots?
Plumbing:
• What facilities do you want in your new en suite – basin, toilet, radiator, shower, bath, wetroom etc?
• If you have to compromise, would you rather have a bath or a shower or a small bath and a big shower or vice
versa?
• What style of fittings do you like? (use Pinterest or the internet to show your installer pictures of shower, taps &
basins you like, regardless of who ends up supplying the suite)
• What style do you not like? Eg Victorian, minimalist, angular etc
• What layout do you envisage – is it feasible? (check with your plumber)
• Are there any special requirements or features that you definitely want to have? Eg a bluetooth mirror that plays
music from your phone whilst you’re having a bath or speakers in the ceiling?!
Tiling
• Do you want to tile all of the walls from floor to ceiling, half tile the room or only tile the wet areas?
• Or do you want to use wetwall panels?
• Will you be tanking out the wet areas? (you should)
• What style of tiles do you like? (use Pinterest or the internet to show your installer pictures of tiles you like) e.g.
small mosaics, large tiles or natural slate or travertine? (talk to your tiler about the implications of each of these
as there are a few)Have you thought about colour co-ordinated grout & silicone.
• Do you want plastic or metal tile trims to finish off the tile edges?
Floor covering
• Do you want a vinyl floor?
• ..or a laminate floor?
• ..or a tiled floor?

• ..or a wetroom?
• ..or a wooden floor?
• ..or even a carpeted floor (not recommended)
• Do you want underfloor heating?
Accessories
• Do you need a toilet roll holder?
• ..or a towel ring?
• ..or some glass shelves?
• ..or a custom cut mirror?
• ..or a mirrored cabinet hanging?
• Do you need these fitting?

About me
I own a turnkey bathroom installation company, based in Leeds, UK – ukbathroomguru.com
I’ve included some frequently asked questions below, but if you have a question or have found this guide useful then
please email me or leave a comment or review here.
UK Bathroom Guru
173 Vesper Rd, Leeds LS5 3NA, United Kingdom
Check out our 5* reviews on Google....
General
What do you do?
I carry out project managed bathroom installations in Leeds from initial consultation & design through to completion, with
my team of quality local tradesmen.
Please see here for more information on working with me.
What areas do you cover?
I live near Kirkstall Abbey and serve North Leeds out as far as Harrogate. I also work out towards Ilkley and over towards
Crossgates. If you’re in doubt, then give me a call and I can advise you.
Can you assist me? I don’t have a clue where to start!
Of course!
Everyone starts in your position.
Get in touch to arrange a free site survey and I can discuss your requirements.
I am happy to give advice as to what will fit, what is possible and how much things generally cost.
Payment / Costs
How much do your en suites cost?
Generally speaking, my en suites cost between £3K & 5K depending on the specification, with all labour and materials
provided including the suite & tiles.

This will includes a site survey & bathroom plan prior to installation as well as....
• Waste disposal costs
• Stripping the old bathroom
• Reboarding the walls prior to tiling / plastering
• Plastering
• Painting & decorating
• Wall tiling
• Floor preparation & tiling
• Supply & installation of the new bathroom suite
• Electrics e.g. adding ceiling spotlights, extractor fans to deal with humidity & shaver points
• Underfloor heating on some installations
My focus is on quality and longevity of installation and providing genuine value, not being the cheapest around.
Of course I’ll try and be competitive but if this is your ONLY selection criteria I’d suggest going elsewhere or considering DIY.
Do you adhere to fixed costs?
I provide fully itemised, free estimates with fixed costs.
Accurate costs mean you can budget your bathroom installation without worry of skyrocketing prices.
Any potential costs (that may only arise after beginning the work) will be highlighted in the initial estimate whenever possible.
An itemised, clear, detailed estimate essentially acts as a contract between you (the customer) and me (the contractor) and
helps hold both parties to account, limiting risk on both sides.
Itemised costs also allow you to see exactly what you will be paying for and where you can do a bit of DIY if necessary to
save money.
When do I pay for my bathroom installation?
Usual installations last between 1 & 2 weeks (normally an en suite that starts on a Monday will finish the following Wednesday-ish)
So in this example you would pay for all materials (suite, tiles, skip etc) upon delivery to your house (ie when you have it in
your possession) and you will then pay the balance on completion of the work.
On larger jobs (such as installing a few bathrooms at once) stage payments may be required.
Feasibility
Can an en suite be added to my bedroom?
There are a few factors that determine whether this is possible, but you should have read about these already on p2.
Quality / Reassurance
Have you got previous bathroom installations we could look at?
Of course, check them out throughout this guide or have a look on my website.
Can you provide references?
Online testimonials are available here, and I can put you in touch with local customers if required.
Do your suite items come with a guarantee?
Yes.
Most of our suite items (toilets & basin etc) come with a lifetime guarantee and most of our brassware (showers, taps etc)
come with 10 years+. I do not fit cheap rubbish!
If you are unsure of what warranty is included in suite items costed for then please just ask.

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