Phase-by-phase bathroom timeline
A standard London bathroom renovation follows six phases. Phase 1 (1-2 days): strip-out of WC, basin, bath, shower, tiles, flooring and any joinery. Phase 2 (2-4 days): first fix plumbing including soil pipe and waste reconfiguration, hot and cold water re-route, shower valve install, underfloor heating mat and wet system pipework. Phase 3 (2-3 days): first fix electrics including ring main isolation, extractor cabling, shaver socket, downlighter wiring, electric underfloor heating mat where chosen. Phase 4 (1-2 days): tanking and waterproofing of wet areas (floors, shower walls to 2m, full wet rooms tanked to 1.8m). Phase 5 (5-10 days): tiling — the longest phase, slowest on large-format or mosaic tiles or with patterned layout. Phase 6 (3-5 days): second fix plumbing and electrics, sanitaryware install, brassware install, vanity and joinery install, accessories, decoration, snag and clean. Total on-site duration 12-28 working days for typical jobs.
Supplier lead times to plan around
Sanitaryware lead times in 2026 London: in-stock Roca, Ideal Standard, Twyford 1-2 weeks; imported Italian or Spanish designer fixtures (Catalano, Antoniolupi, Falper) 4-10 weeks; bespoke stone basins or vanities 8-14 weeks. Brassware lead times: in-stock Hansgrohe, Crosswater 1-2 weeks; Drummonds, Lefroy Brooks, Burlington traditional brassware 4-8 weeks; Vola, Dornbracht, Axor designer brass 6-12 weeks. Tile lead times: stocked porcelain and ceramic 1 week; mid-market porcelain 2-4 weeks; natural marble and stone 3-6 weeks (subject to slab inspection); large-format porcelain over 1m 4-6 weeks. Always order everything before site start — site teams cannot work around backorders, and the on-site pause cost of waiting for a delayed item is £400-£800 per day in lost labour productivity.
Master ensuite vs family bathroom timeline
Master ensuite renovations typically take 18-28 working days because of higher-spec finishes, bespoke joinery and steam shower or walk-in shower complexity. Family bathrooms typically take 12-18 working days because of simpler layouts (bath plus over-bath shower remains the standard for resale-friendly family homes) and stocked finishes. Cloakrooms and downstairs WCs take 8-14 days. Wet rooms add 3-5 days for the gradient floor screed, drainage and tanking. Master ensuite combined with bedroom reconfiguration (knocking through walls, expanding floor area) becomes a small construction project with 4-7 week total site duration.
