A Comprehensive Guide to Finding a Bathroom Fitter: Step-by-Step Process

After planning and deciding for several months to renovate your bathroom, finally a time comes when you can get rid of living with a dingy and damp bathroom, dealing with cracked tiles and leaky taps, and now you have the chance to create a stylish bathroom of your dreams. 

You have spent hours looking at several designs, searching for perfect fittings, your ideal suite, and all the accessories you need for your classic bathroom. However, the only thing that is bothering you is getting it fitted.

Talking about fitting a bathroom, you can either do it yourself or find a good professional bathroom fitter who can do it for you. Nonetheless, the DIY route is not applicable for everyone, so, it is suggested to look for a reputable bathroom installer? The team working at Urban Gaffa are dedicated in helping homeowners in locating the best bathroom specialist, as they are aware of what you need to ask an expert or what required credentials needs to be checked before hiring them for fitting your bathroom.

Continue reading to know more!!!

What Essential Qualities To Look For in a Great Bathroom Fitter

When choosing one of the best bathroom fitters near you, you can look for certain qualities: 

• Experience Level: A specialist with a proven track record of successful bathroom installations can work faster with timely completion of projects.
• Certifications: A reputable fitter will have certain qualifications or certifications from recognized plumbing bodies. 
• Insured and Licensed: Ensure they are fully insured and licensed to work as a professional bathroom installer.
• Compliance with Regulations: Bathroom renovators should be up-to-date of all current building standards and regulations, and ensure all electrical and plumbing works should meet updated building codes. 
• Quality Workmanship: A reliable bathroom fitter will produce a high-quality finish, pay attention to detail while preventing future issues, and costly mistakes. 
• Coordination: This skill is useful while working with different suppliers on varied tasks in small spaces for a smooth, and timely completion.
• Plumbing Skills: Local plumbers know the building codes and can easily identify what needs to be upgraded. 
• Dedication: A commitment in providing the quality work to their esteemed customers.
• Expertise Level: Bathroom fitters have extensive knowledge of the fixtures, products, electrical and plumbing systems installed in bathrooms. 
• Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Bathroom Fitters: Such bathroom experts focus on beautifully creating functional spaces while diminishing environmental impact by using eco-conscious materials, like sustainable wood for shelving and cabinets, low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints, recycled tiles, and water-efficient fixtures, like dual-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads, and sensor-activated faucets to help reduce water consumption.

Tips to Find a Reliable Fitter For Bathroom Installation

Here are some tips to keep in mind while trying to look for a vetted and reliable bathroom installer:

• Asking for reliable recommendations: If you know someone who recently has had a bathroom fitted at their home, ask them for a reliable fitter recommendation. Else, you can search on social media platforms like Facebook or community groups for getting effective advice from friends, or anonymous people.
• Keep your eyes peeled: It is important to carefully look for neighbours, or people who are having or recently got their bathroom renovated. Remember, never hesitate to knock and ask for the details of the fitter or plumber.
• Google it: Even after getting recommendations, or having chat with several community groups, there still remains a doubt, and no other option left than doing Google and to check if they are also listed on an independent review site, so that you can read their unbiased reviews.
• Seek out for specialists: If you have planned to install a new bathroom, then it is fairly straightforward that it is best to hire a bathroom specialist. They equip a relevant experience to handle such jobs and better aware to deal with any surprises getting along the way.
• Get Quotations in Writing: After you have found a good fitter, ask them to provide you a quote. Ideally, you should consult around 3 professionals who can provide you with quotes for your projects and it should include a detailed breakdown of work that has to be done including the other associated costs.
• Prefer Hiring a one stop shop, if possible: Ensuring your installation goes as smoothly as possible, try to source an expert who is skilled in electrical working, plumbing and tiling. Else, he should have other experts involved in depending upon the requirements of your project. Otherwise, a halt will occur in your work while waiting for the next person to do his job.
• Keep Open-ended Communication: Questions like Additional costs, fitters not turning up on time and incorrectly delivered bathroom products. When you find such things happen, do not be afraid to ask them about it along the way. Remember, you are paying them for this and that they are accountable.

2024 Budget Estimation to Hire a Bathroom Fitter

The anticipated average cost in 2024 for fitting a new bathroom will range around £7,000, based on the finishing quality and your bathroom size. A complete bathroom fitting cost depends on the layout and design that your bathroom fitter will include into your bathroom. 

Here are the approximate average bathroom installation costs for the most popular features: 

• Toilet installation – £200 
• Basin installation – £155 
• Bath installation – £320 
• Shower installation – £450 
• Shower enclosure installation – £500 
• Heated towel rail installation – £250 
• Radiator installation – £220

Warning Signs to Look for While Hiring a Bathroom Fitter

While hiring a bathroom fitter, it is essential to recognize the red flags at the earliest to save you money, stress, and time. Here are some key warning signs to look for:

• Providing unusual low quotation
• Lack of portfolio or references 
• Incomplete or vague or contract
• No Proof of insurance or licence 
• Overpriced upfront payment demands
• Delayed responses or poor communication 
• Hesitating in offering any warranties or guarantees
• Using forcefully selling approaches
• Lack of professionalism in his appearance and behaviour 
• Lack of membership in trade associations or certifications

By keeping an eye on these above-mentioned red flags, you can make an informed choice while selecting a bathroom fitter who is skilled, trustworthy, dependable, and ensures a successful and smooth bathroom renovation.