How Much Does a New Bathroom Cost in Derby? (2026 Guide)

What a bathroom actually costs in Derby right now

For a straightforward like-for-like refit in Derby — same layout, new bath or shower, new toilet, new basin, retiling the wet areas — you're typically looking at £4,500 to £7,500 all in, including a mid-range suite and standard tiling. That covers a plumber or bathroom fitter, a tiler, and usually a day or two of a labourer's time for stripping out the old suite and making good.

Move the layout around (shifting the soil pipe, relocating the basin to a different wall, adding a stud wall) and costs climb to roughly £7,000 to £11,000, because you're now paying for more plumbing runs, possibly some minor electrics for an extractor fan or shaver socket, and more plastering to patch up the disruption. A full strip-out-and-rebuild bathroom, including new flooring, full tiling, a new suite, lighting and an extractor, generally lands between £9,000 and £15,000 in the DE postcodes for a standard family bathroom around 2.5m x 2m.

Ensuites and small cloakrooms are cheaper in absolute terms — often £3,000 to £5,500 — simply because there's less floor and wall area to tile and usually a single fixture change rather than a full suite swap.

Walk-in showers and wet rooms

A walk-in shower conversion (removing the bath, fitting a low-profile tray or a tanked wet-floor area, a glass screen and a decent shower valve) typically costs £3,500 to £6,000 in Derby if the existing waste and water supply are in roughly the right place. It's one of the most requested jobs on the platform because it's a relatively contained project that makes a real difference, especially for older bathrooms or anyone thinking ahead about accessibility.

A proper tanked wet room — full waterproof membrane under the tiles, a linear or point drain set into the floor, no step or tray at all — costs more because the floor build-up and drainage need to be right first time. Budget £6,000 to £10,000 for a full wet room in an average Derby semi, more if the joists need dropping or building up to get the falls to the drain working properly.

Underfloor heating, a rainfall shower head, and a decent glass screen (rather than a curtain or basic bifold) each add a few hundred pounds, but they're the upgrades that make the biggest difference to how the finished room feels, so most people find room for at least one of them.

What actually moves the price up or down in Derby

Derby's mix of Victorian terraces, 1930s semis and newer estate housing around Chellaston, Mickleover and Allestree means pipework condition varies hugely. Older lead or galvanised supply pipes, or a soil stack that needs rerouting, can add £500 to £1,500 to a job that otherwise looked simple on paper — it's worth asking any quote whether they've priced for a full strip-back inspection or just a like-for-like swap.

Tile and sanitaryware choice moves the number more than people expect. Budget ceramic tiles and a basic close-coupled toilet keep a full refit near the bottom of the range; large-format porcelain, a wall-hung toilet with a concealed cistern, and a freestanding bath can add £2,000 to £4,000 to the same size room without changing the layout at all.

Access and timing matter too — a first-floor bathroom in a terrace with no side access costs more in labour time than a ground-floor room a skip can sit outside, and trades are generally busier (and slightly pricier) from spring through to early autumn. If you're not in a rush, getting quotes in January or February often works in your favour.

Getting quotes without the guesswork

The biggest single cause of bathroom quotes going wrong is scope — one quote assumes you're keeping the existing tiling as a base, another assumes a full strip to brick, and suddenly you're comparing two completely different jobs. Always ask for a written breakdown that states what's included (skip hire, waste removal, first fix plumbing, second fix, tiling, decorating) rather than just a single lump sum.

Check credentials properly rather than taking a business card on trust — anyone doing gas work (a combi swap alongside the bathroom, for instance) must be Gas Safe registered, and it's worth checking that against the public Gas Safe Register yourself rather than assuming. Electrical work on a new extractor fan or lighting circuit should be done by someone Part P competent too.

If you'd rather not ring round, you can post the job free on Rank My Builder and get up to five quotes back from verified local trades covering the Derby area — each one shows credential badges checked against the relevant public register, so you can see who's actually qualified for what before you pick up the phone.

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