A bathroom renovation is one of the biggest home improvements you will make — and one of the most disruptive if it is not planned properly. Whether you are updating a tired tenement bathroom in Marchmont or converting an en-suite in a Corstorphine semi, the process involves the same decisions. This checklist covers everything Edinburgh homeowners need to think about before work starts, from budget to building warrants to bin day logistics.
Set Your Budget
Budget is the first and most important decision. Everything else flows from it — the materials you can choose, the layout changes you can make, and the fitter you can afford. Get this right early and the rest of the process becomes far less stressful.
- Set a realistic range. Edinburgh bathroom renovations range from £3,699 for a complete Starter package (design, all materials, professional fitting, flooring, mirror, rubbish removal) to £7,995+ for a Luxury or wet room specification. See our full pricing breakdown for what is included at each level.
- Include a 10% contingency. Particularly in older Edinburgh properties, you do not know what is behind the tiles until they come off. Rotten timber, outdated plumbing, damp patches — these are common in tenements and pre-war properties. A 10% buffer means surprises do not derail your project.
- Consider finance. 0% interest options are available from £67/month with no deposit required. Do not delay a necessary renovation because of cash flow — a leaking shower or mouldy grout causes more damage the longer you leave it.
- Get at least 2 quotes, but compare like-for-like. Check what is included in each. Some quotes exclude flooring, mirrors, rubbish removal, or electrical work. A £3,000 quote that excludes half the job is not cheaper than a £3,699 quote that includes everything. Read our guide on how to choose the best bathroom fitters in Edinburgh for what to look for.
Make Your Layout Decisions
Layout decisions need to be made before you get quotes — they affect the price, the timeline, and what is physically possible in your space. Think these through before your design visit, not during it.
- Bath or shower? This is the biggest layout decision. A walk-in shower frees up significant floor space in a small Edinburgh bathroom, but families with young children may want to keep the bath. If you have two bathrooms, consider a bath in one and a walk-in shower in the other.
- Same layout or different? Moving plumbing adds cost. Sometimes it is worth it — gaining space for a walk-in shower by moving the toilet, or repositioning the basin to open up the room. Sometimes it is not — moving the toilet 30cm for no functional benefit just adds to the bill. A good fitter will advise on what is worth the money.
- Storage. Where will you keep toiletries, towels, cleaning products? Edinburgh tenement bathrooms are small. If you do not plan storage early, you end up with bottles on the floor and towels on the door handle. Wall-mounted vanity units, mirrored cabinets, and recessed shelving all help. Think about this now, not after the walls are finished.
- Think about your daily routine. Do you shower in the morning or evening? Do two people need the bathroom at the same time? Does anyone in the household have mobility issues? These practical questions affect layout decisions more than aesthetics do.
Edinburgh-Specific Considerations
Renovating a bathroom in Edinburgh is not the same as renovating one in a new-build estate. The city's housing stock — tenements, Victorian villas, Georgian townhouses — comes with specific challenges that national chains and general builders often overlook.
Measure your close and stairwell before ordering anything. Standard tenement close doors are 750mm wide. Can a bath panel fit through? What about a shower tray? We order materials in sizes that fit Edinburgh tenement stairwells as standard. If you are considering a freestanding bath, measure the narrowest point on the stair — including the turn at the half-landing. Read more in our tenement bathroom renovation guide.
Edinburgh controlled parking zones cover most of EH1–EH12. Your fitter needs somewhere to load and unload materials, tools, and waste. Check if trade permits are available for your street. We sort this as part of the process, but tell your fitter about any restrictions — residents' parking, yellow lines, or streets where vans cannot stop — before the start date.
Edinburgh Council requires permits for skips on public roads, and in many streets there is simply no room for one. Our alternative: we load our van daily and dispose of waste responsibly. If you are getting quotes from other fitters, ask specifically how they handle waste removal. Some leave it in the close. Some expect you to arrange a skip yourself.
In a tenement, your bathroom renovation affects everyone in the stair. Noise from 8am, tradespeople going up and down, dust sheets in the close, water shut-offs that may affect other flats. A quick knock on doors the week before goes a long way. We always protect communal areas during a strip-out, but a heads-up from you makes the whole process smoother for everyone.
Most like-for-like bathroom replacements do not need a building warrant. Adding a brand new bathroom where there was not one before, moving major plumbing, or making structural changes (removing a wall, changing a window) do require one. If in doubt, check our detailed guide on building warrants for bathroom work in Scotland or contact Edinburgh Council's building standards team directly.
Will turning off the water affect other flats? In some Edinburgh tenement blocks, the main stopcock serves multiple properties. Your fitter needs to know this before day one — not halfway through stripping out the old plumbing. Check where your stopcock is and whether it is shared. If it is, coordinate with your neighbours on timing.
Materials to Choose
You do not need to be an expert in bathroom materials, but you do need to make some decisions before work starts. Here is what you will be choosing between.
- Wet wall panels vs tiles. We recommend wet wall panels for Edinburgh properties. They are 100% waterproof, completely grout-free (no mould, no regrouting), and save 10–15mm of space compared to tiles — which matters in a small tenement bathroom. Over 25 designs available, from marble-effect to concrete-look.
- Flooring. LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) is our standard. It handles the flex in older Edinburgh floorboards that ceramic tiles cannot — ceramic cracks when timber sub-floors move. 15 styles available. Ceramic tiles available on request if you prefer.
- Fixtures. Chrome is standard in all packages. Matte black is a free upgrade this month — taps, shower head, towel rail, and accessories. Both are quality finishes that last.
- Sanitaryware. Toilet, basin, bath or shower tray. We supply modern, soft-close, easy-clean options in every package. You choose the style during your free home design visit.
- Mirror. An LED mirror with demister is included as standard in every package. It clears condensation automatically and provides even, flattering light without a separate wall light.
What to Expect: Timeline
One of the most common questions we get is "how long will it all take?" Here is a realistic timeline based on how we work in Edinburgh.
- From first call to design visit: usually within 1 week. We come to your home, measure the space, bring real samples, and give you a fixed price quote on the day.
- From design visit to start date: typically 2–4 weeks. Longer if you are ordering specific panel designs or non-standard fixtures. We confirm your start date and order materials in advance.
- Installation: 5–7 days for most bathrooms. Our own Edinburgh bathroom fitters work on your project every day until it is finished — no juggling multiple jobs.
- Total process: 3–6 weeks from first contact to finished bathroom.
- Edinburgh-specific: summer and autumn are our busiest periods. January to March has the shortest wait times. If you want a summer installation, book your design visit in spring.
Day-by-Day: What Happens During Installation
Knowing what to expect each day takes the stress out of living through a renovation. Here is a typical 5–7 day installation schedule.
- Day 1: Strip out the old bathroom completely. Everything removed and loaded onto our van — no skip needed. Communal areas protected with dust sheets and floor covering.
- Day 2: Plumbing first fix. Walls and floor prepared — any repairs to timber, plasterwork, or damp treatment done now.
- Day 3: Wet wall panels fitted. LVT flooring laid. The room starts to look like a bathroom again.
- Day 4: Sanitaryware installed — toilet, basin, bath or shower. Plumbing connected and tested.
- Days 5–6: Electrical work — LED mirror, extractor fan, underfloor heating if specified. Fixtures fitted (towel rail, toilet roll holder, hooks). Final plumbing connections.
- Day 7: Snagging check, final clean, handover. We walk you through everything — how the shower valve works, how the mirror demister operates, what to do if you spot anything after we leave.
Important: you will be without a fully working bathroom during days 1–4. From day 5 onwards, the toilet is usually functional. If you only have one bathroom, plan accordingly — a neighbour, a gym membership, or a temporary arrangement for those first few days.
Your Renovation Checklist
Print this, screenshot it, or bookmark it. These are the action items to work through before your renovation starts.
- Set your budget (include 10% contingency)
- Decide: bath, shower, or both?
- Decide: same layout or new layout?
- Plan your storage — vanity unit, mirrored cabinet, shelving
- Measure your close and stairwell (tenement properties)
- Check parking restrictions on your street
- Find out if your water stopcock is shared with other flats
- Knock on your neighbours' doors and let them know
- Check if you need a building warrant
- Choose your wall finish — wet wall panels or tiles
- Choose your flooring — LVT or ceramic
- Choose your fixture finish — chrome or matte black
- Book your free home design visit
- Confirm start date and make arrangements for days without a working bathroom
- Clear the bathroom — remove everything from shelves, cabinets, and surfaces
Ready to get started? Call 0131 357 3869 or request a free quote online. We will visit your home, measure the space, bring real samples, and give you a fixed price — no pressure, no obligation.