Every bathroom renovation is different which means, of course, that it’s impossible to give a catch-all answer to the question of how long any given bathroom remodelling project will take to complete. There are endless variables to take into account – the schedules of the different tradespeople who’ll do the work, the delivery dates of the materials and bathroom suite you’ve chosen, the size of the room itself and how much building, plumbing and electrical work will be needed, as well as making provision for the unexpected in terms of delivery delays, sickness etc.
Planning stage
But even before the work begins, there are key factors to think about and decide upon. For example, how extensive will the renovations be? Is there enough natural light or do you need additional light fittings? Do you want to add extra space? You may want to simply replace the existing bathroom layout, or you may want to move things around, in which case, the additional plumbing and building needs will add time to the project.
There is probably a lot more to think about at the planning stage than you realise. It’s not just a question of opting for a particular toilet, you’ll also have to consider the flush and cistern to go with it. When it comes to sinks, baths and showers, there are decisions to make about taps and the type of shower that will be best for you. Then there are all those finishing touches that will make a big difference, such as trims, hooks, handles and even the type of lock you want on the door. So much to think about!
There are a number of other time factors to consider that will have a bearing on how long the overall bathroom renovation will take.
Poor planning
If you don’t dot all the ‘i’s and cross all the ‘t’s at that initial planning stage, you could delay your bathroom refurbishment. If you don’t plan every tiny detail now, you’ll have to make decisions as you go along, which could have implications for the length of the project in terms of the time you’ll take, the availability of the materials you choose, and the schedules of the people doing the work.
Scheduling tradespeople
For an extensive remodelling project, it’s likely that you’ll need to hire different bathroom fitters to do different jobs. And their work schedules will have a big impact on the progress of your renovation. For example, the person doing the tiling can’t begin their work until your plumber and electrician have finished their work. So any delay in the initial work could impact the tiler’s schedule and it is unlikely they will be able to fit around your revised schedule with their other commitments. That means you’ll have to wait until they can do the work, delaying things even more.
The unexpected
There will always be problems you might not have been able to foresee, whether it’s hidden damage that’s only uncovered when the work starts, unexpected delays in deliveries from your suppliers, or people working on your bathroom going sick. Any unexpected issue will have a knock-on effect on the amount of time it takes to complete your bathroom renovation.
Plumbing requirements
Even if you only want to replace your bathroom suite, you may still need some plumbing work to reposition pipes with the new sanitaryware which needs to be factored in. And if you want to change the layout of your bathroom completely, the extent of the plumbing work needed to accommodate this will depend on the amount of work that needs to be done.
Complexity of the work
The amount of detail you want in your new bathroom is also something that needs to be taken into account in terms of the time it will take to install. For example, if you want to include patterns in your tiling, it will take longer to complete the job than it would be using only plain tiles. The greater the detail, the more time it will take to complete.
Getting a realistic timescale
By working with a professional bathroom renovation company like Dobsons, you can sidestep all the potential pitfalls of renovating your bathroom. With an in-house team of experts who have decades of experience, including our award-winning bathroom designer, we have the knowledge, skills and experience to give you a realistic timeline at the beginning of your bathroom renovation project, and enough specialist fitters to ensure that whatever issues arise, your new bathroom will be finished on time.
