Bathroom renovation in Bromley ranges from a refurbishment that keeps the layout and replaces the suite, tiles and fittings, to a full refit with new plumbing and a changed layout. Our free referral introduces a vetted local fitter who surveys the room, prices what's found behind the old tiles and quotes in writing.
Refurbishment, Refit or Renovation: What Each Means in Bromley
A bathroom refurbishment keeps the layout and replaces the suite, tiles and fittings. A refit does the same but also renews the pipework and wiring behind them. A full renovation changes the layout, so the toilet, shower or bath moves. The right choice depends on what’s behind your walls, not just how the room looks.
| Option | Keeps | Replaces | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refurbishment | Layout, pipework, wiring | Suite, tiles, flooring, fittings | A sound bathroom that looks dated |
| Refit | Layout | Everything, including pipework and electrics | Older homes with original services |
| Renovation | Little | Everything, plus the layout | Combining a WC and bathroom, adding a shower, changing access |
What Bromley Bathroom Renovations Uncover
Bromley’s older housing decides what a renovation finds. Interwar semis make up roughly 30% of the borough’s homes, and Victorian and Edwardian property another sixth. When the old suite and tiles come out, fitters here regularly meet lead or galvanised supply pipes, render that has failed behind the tiles, damp plaster, rotten floorboards under the bath and joists notched by earlier plumbers.
| What’s found | Where it’s common | What it means for the job |
|---|---|---|
| Lead or galvanised supply pipes | Victorian terraces in Penge and Anerley, older parts of Beckenham | Replace while the floor is up; a refurbishment becomes a refit |
| Failed render or blown plaster behind tiles | Pre-war homes across the borough | Walls need boarding or re-plastering before new tiles |
| Rot under the bath or shower | Any home with a long-running leak | Floor repair, and a check on the joists |
| Original separate WC | Interwar semis in West Wickham, Petts Wood and Hayes | Combining the rooms depends on the soil stack position |
| Asbestos in old boards, adhesives or panels | Homes built before 2000 | Get it surveyed before disturbance; licensed removal if found |
When something like this appears, a good fitter stops, shows you, and puts the extra cost and time in writing before continuing. Ask at the survey how structural or hidden work will be priced, and whether it comes with a fresh consultation on the budget, because it’s the biggest reason renovations run over.
Limescale is the borough’s other constant. Bromley’s water is hard, so old thermostatic valves, shower heads and immersion elements are often scaled up by the time a renovation is due. Replacing them, choosing fixtures that are easy to descale, and checking the heating and boiler can serve a bigger shower are all part of the plan.
The Bathroom Renovation Process, from Survey to Sign-Off, Across Bromley
A renovation follows the same order as a new installation: survey and quote, strip-out, first fix, boarding and waterproofing, tiling, second fix, then testing and snagging. What differs is the unknowns. Until the old bathroom is out, nobody knows exactly what the walls and floor hold, so the quote should say how surprises are handled.
- Survey and quote: the fitter measures up, checks the soil stack, water supply and drainage, and looks for damp or movement. You get a written, itemised quote.
- Strip-out: the old suite, tiles and damaged boards come out. In a controlled parking zone, book a bay suspension for the van, and let the skip company arrange the council’s skip licence.
- First fix: new plumbing and cables go in, with lighting and storage positions agreed. This is when old lead pipes, a tired extractor or an undersized waste get replaced.
- Boarding and waterproofing: walls are made flat, and cement board and a tanking membrane go into the shower or bath area.
- Tiling: walls and floor, then grout and silicone, with setting time before the room is used.
- Second fix: the suite, taps, shower, towel rail, lights and fan are connected.
- Testing and snagging: pipework is pressure-tested, the fan and drainage checked, and defects fixed before handover.
A refurbishment in an existing layout usually takes one to two weeks. A full renovation with layout changes is more often two to four weeks, and any drying time for plaster or screed adds to that. Expect to be without the toilet for much of the first week or more, so plan an alternative if it’s your only bathroom.
Thinking about the layout too? See bathroom design. Ready to book a survey? Call 020 7946 0123.
Regulations for Renovating a Bathroom in the London Borough of Bromley
A like-for-like refurbishment doesn’t usually need planning permission or Building Regulations approval. Moving the toilet, adding drainage, creating a new bathroom or fitting new ventilation does bring the regulations in, and electrical work near a bath or shower is notifiable under Part P whatever the size of the job.
- Part P: work in the zones around a bath or shower must be done or certified by a registered electrician. GOV.UK: building regulations approval
- Part F: a refurbishment must keep or replace the existing extractor; a new bathroom needs one. Approved Document F
- Part H (drainage): new or altered drainage, such as moving the toilet, is controlled work. Approved Document H
- Asbestos: in homes built before 2000, old floor tiles, adhesives and boards can contain asbestos. A survey before strip-out is safer than a surprise. HSE asbestos guidance
- Conservation areas: 47 across the borough, from Chislehurst to Park Langley and Petts Wood. Internal work rarely needs consent, but a vent, flue or soil pipe added to a street-facing wall might.
Signs a Bromley Bathroom Needs Renovating Rather than Patching
Renovate when repairs keep coming back: resealed joints that fail within months, hollow or cracked tiles, mould that returns after cleaning, a musty smell, low pressure, discoloured water or slow drains. In older homes across Bromley town, original pipework is reason enough, because every repair on a corroded system is a temporary one.
Layout is the other trigger. A bath nobody uses, a separate WC in a 1930s semi, a wish for a walk-in shower or wet room, or a parent who struggles to step into the bath all point to a renovation rather than a refresh. If mobility is the driver, see disabled bathrooms; if you just want the bath out, see bath to shower conversion.
How to Compare Bathroom Refurbishment Quotes in Bromley
Compare renovation quotes on scope, not price. Each should itemise strip-out and waste, plumbing, electrics, boarding and tanking, tiling, the suite and fittings (or fit only), making good, VAT and stage payments, and say how hidden damage will be priced. A cheap quote that leaves out the extractor or the tanking costs more in the end.
- Is it a refurbishment, refit or renovation, in the fitter’s own words?
- What happens if rot, damp or old pipework is found?
- Who does the electrics, and will you get a Part P certificate?
- What goes behind the tiles in the shower area?
- Are the skip, parking and asbestos check covered?
- Start date, finish date, payment stages and the workmanship guarantee, in writing
What renovation work typically costs, from published sources, is set out in our bathroom costs guide.
Bathroom Renovation Questions from Bromley Homeowners
Can a bathroom be refurbished without a full refit?
Yes, if the pipework, wiring and walls are sound. The survey should confirm that before you commit, because a refurbishment on top of failing pipes or damp plaster won’t last.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
One to two weeks for a refurbishment in the same layout, two to four weeks for a full renovation, plus drying time for plaster or screed and any delay in deliveries.
Can I keep my existing bath or toilet?
Often, yes, if they’re in good condition and staying in the same position. Reusing them saves money, but moving them or connecting them to new pipework can cost more than replacing.
What affects the cost of a bathroom renovation?
Size, how much moves, the tiled area, what’s found behind the old tiles, whether you add a walk-in shower or wet room, and supply and fit versus fit only. Plumbing and electrical changes add most. The costs guide breaks these down with published ranges.
What if the floor under the bath is damaged?
The fitter should stop, show you the damage, and price the repair in writing before continuing. Rotten boards and weakened joists must be repaired before a new bath or tray goes in.
Last reviewed: 1 October 2026.