Most full bathroom refits take between one and three weeks on site, but the honest answer depends on what you are changing and what the fitters find once the old suite comes out. This guide breaks down realistic timescales for typical jobs in Cardiff and South Wales homes, what tends to slow things down, and how to keep your project on track.
A straightforward like for like swap, where the new bath, basin and toilet go in the same positions as the old ones, usually takes 5 to 7 working days. There is minimal pipework alteration, so the job is mostly strip out, first fix, tiling and fitting.
A full refit with layout changes, for example moving the toilet to another wall or swapping a bath for a walk in shower, typically runs 2 to 3 weeks. Moving soil pipes and water feeds, rerouting electrics for a new shower or underfloor heating, and replastering all add days rather than hours. Larger projects, such as knocking through to create a bigger bathroom or converting a bedroom into an en suite, can take 3 to 4 weeks or more once building work and drying times are factored in.
The first day or two is strip out: removing the old suite, tiles and sometimes the floor. This is where surprises appear, so a good fitter inspects the walls, floor joists and pipework before anything new goes in. Days two to five are usually first fix, which means running new hot and cold feeds, waste pipes, and any electrical cabling for showers, extractor fans or spotlights.
After that comes boarding, plastering or tanking wet areas, then tiling, which is often the longest single stage. Tiling a full bathroom, including floor, can take 3 to 5 days on its own because adhesive and grout need proper curing time between steps. The final days are second fix: installing the suite, connecting everything, sealing with silicone and testing for leaks. Silicone and grout ideally need 24 hours before the shower is used, so build that into your expectations.
The most common delays are hidden problems uncovered during strip out. In older terraced houses across Cardiff, it is not unusual to find perished lead or corroded steel pipework, rotten floorboards under a leaking bath, or walls that need replastering before tiles can go on. Fixing these properly might add 1 to 3 days, but skipping them stores up expensive trouble.
Material availability is the other big one. Made to order items such as bespoke shower enclosures, vanity units or specific tiles can have lead times of 2 to 6 weeks. A reputable fitter will not start ripping out your only bathroom until everything is on site or confirmed for delivery. If your home has only one bathroom, ask your fitter how long the toilet will be out of action; on most jobs it can be kept usable overnight for all but a day or two.
The single best thing you can do is finalise every decision before work starts. Changing your mind about tiles or moving the shower position mid job is the fastest way to add a week. Confirm your choices, check delivery dates, and agree a written schedule of works with your fitter.
It also helps to clear the bathroom and the route through your home before day one, agree working hours up front, and ask who is coordinating any other trades. A refit typically involves plumbing, tiling, electrics and plastering, and a fitter who manages all of these under one roof avoids the gaps between trades that stretch a two week job into four.
Call Simon for an initial chat, or send a couple of photos of the space and Sycamore will come back with a quote the same week.
A few photos and a sketch of the room is usually enough for a first quote. For anything structural or tricky, we come and look.