Bathroom quotes aren’t always easy to compare. You might have a couple in front of you with different prices, wondering what “installation included” actually covers. We’ve put together 12 questions to help you understand what each company is offering before you make your choice.
What to check before hiring a bathroom fitter
| Question to ask | Why it matters | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Have you completed bathrooms like mine? | Your project may need particular experience. | Recent examples and an explanation of the work involved. |
| Who will carry out the work? | You need to know who organises and takes responsibility for the trades. | Clear responsibility for the full installation. |
| What does the quote include? | Excluded work adds to what you’ll need to arrange and spend. | Written scope, specified products and clear exclusions. |
| What could change the price? | Concealed problems may require additional work. | An agreed way to approve extras and their cost. |
| When are payments due? | You need to plan payments alongside the project. | Written terms explaining what each payment relates to. |
| Can I see reviews and ask for references? | Previous customers can describe more than the finished look. | Relevant feedback about the work and how issues were handled. |
| What insurance and credentials do you hold? | Claims need supporting evidence. | Current documents and independently checkable memberships. |
| Who handles specialist work? | Electrical and gas work need appropriate competence. | Identified trades and clarity about certification. |
| What do the guarantees cover? | Labour and products have different cover. | Written terms, duration and exclusions. |
| How will installation affect my home? | You may lose use of your only bathroom. | A realistic schedule and a named contact. |
| What is checked before I order? | The proposed design needs checking against the room. | A site survey before the specification is finalised. |
| Who do I contact afterwards? | You need a route back if something needs attention. | Clear arrangements for outstanding work and aftercare. |
Questions to ask your bathroom installer
1. Can you show me recent bathrooms similar to mine?
Ask to see completed projects that involved the sort of work you’re planning. For a wetroom, ask about previous wetroom installations and how the team approached drainage and waterproofing. For an accessible bathroom, ask how they planned access around the fittings.
The company should be able to talk you through its involvement. Did it design and install the room, or supply the products? This helps you judge whether the experience shown in the photographs is relevant to the work you’re asking it to do.
You can browse our recently completed bathrooms before visiting the showroom and point out any features you’d like to discuss.
2. Who will actually carry out the work?
Ask whether the fitters are employed by the bathroom company, brought in as subcontractors or people you’ll need to appoint yourself. Then establish who coordinates their work and takes responsibility for the installation.
Using subcontractors can work well. What you need to understand is whether the company manages them as part of your agreement, or simply gives you names to contact. If the plumber needs to return before tiling can continue, who arranges that visit?
At Watertight, our installations are carried out by our own employed, in-house fitters. We handle the design, supply and installation, so you don’t need to find and coordinate separate trades yourself.
3. What exactly is included in the quote?
You should receive a written breakdown of the work proposed, including the products, with any exclusions clearly stated. Two quotes can promise a complete bathroom installation while still leaving you with different amounts to arrange and pay for yourself.
Decoration is worth asking about. Will the ceiling and any untiled walls be painted, or will they be left ready for you to decorate? Ask whether touching up paintwork affected by the installation is included too. These finishing jobs can make a difference to when the room feels properly finished.
Check who’s supplying the fittings and any installation materials, and whether removing your old bathroom and disposing of the waste is also included. Ask the company to explain what you’ll need to arrange yourself, so you can allow for those costs when comparing quotes.
At Watertight, we sit down with you at our showroom so we can go through the CAD design and quotation together before the design is signed off. This is your opportunity to ask us any questions and make any last-minute tweaks to the design. The sales order then lists the agreed products and installation materials. Our fitters work tidily and remove the waste at the end of the job, so you won’t be left arranging its disposal yourself.
Before comparing the prices, check what you’ll still need to arrange yourself once the fitters have finished.
4. What could change the price?
Ask how the company deals with additional work uncovered during installation. Removing the old bathroom may reveal damaged flooring that needs attention before the new fittings can go in. A survey helps with planning, but it can’t reveal everything concealed beneath the existing finishes.
Agree how any extra work will be explained and priced before it proceeds, including whether it will affect the schedule. You should have an opportunity to understand what’s needed and approve the cost.
The same applies to changes you request. If you choose a different shower after agreeing the specification, ask for the full cost of the change, including any effect on installation and delivery.
5. What is the payment schedule?
Ask how much is due when you place the order and when you’ll need to pay the remaining balance. Check what triggers each payment, particularly whether it’s due before installation, when the fitters start or once the work is complete.
At Watertight, payments are split between placing your order, the start of installation and completion, with the final portion retained until the job is finished and you’re happy with the work. We discuss the payment schedule during your initial showroom appointment.
Ask for a written copy so you can plan for each payment and understand what you’re committing to before going ahead.
6. Can I read customer feedback?
Read recent reviews on Google and Checkatrade, looking for detail about how the job went. Did the team keep the customer informed? If something needed attention afterwards, was it sorted?
Look for reviews of projects similar to yours too. Someone who’s had their only bathroom replaced may mention how the fitters managed the disruption, which is useful to know if you’ll be living at home throughout the work.
7. What insurance and trade credentials do you hold?
Ask for evidence of current public liability insurance and confirmation that it covers the proposed work. This relates to claims involving injury or damage to property; it doesn’t replace a workmanship guarantee.
If a company displays accreditation or membership logos, check its listing with the organisation concerned so you know the registration is current.
Watertight Bathrooms is registered with TrustMark, the government-endorsed quality scheme for work carried out in and around the home. You can check our TrustMark listing for details.
8. Who will handle specialist work?
If the project includes electrical installation work, ask who will carry it out and what certification you’ll receive. Electrical Safety First recommends using a registered electrician, and you can use its registered electrician finder to check the person or business.
Ask the bathroom company to explain who will arrange any necessary building regulations notification as well. Establishing this before work starts helps you know which documents to expect at completion.
Gas work is only relevant if it forms part of your project, such as moving a boiler. In that case, use a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified for that particular work. You can check registration through the Gas Safe Register; the engineer’s ID card also shows the categories of work they’re qualified to undertake.
9. What do the guarantees cover?
Ask for written details of the workmanship guarantee and the warranties on the products supplied. Check when each starts and what exclusions apply.
An installation problem and a fault with a manufactured product may fall under different cover. The terms should explain what’s covered, including any conditions about maintenance or registering a product warranty. Don’t assume that every item has the same warranty period.
Watertight’s private installations come with a two-year labour guarantee from the date of sign-off. The products we supply carry their own manufacturer warranties.
Our private installations come with a two-year labour guarantee. The products we supply also carry their own manufacturer warranties.
10. How will the installation affect my home?
Ask when your toilet and shower will be out of use and what that means for staying at home during the work. If this is your only bathroom, you’ll need to discuss arrangements before agreeing the installation dates.
Request an expected schedule for your project, including anything that could affect completion. Ask about working hours and access, particularly if you’ll be out during the day. It’s also worth discussing how floors and routes through the house will be protected.
Establish who will keep you updated if the schedule changes. At Watertight, a dedicated project manager is your point of contact throughout the project.
11. What happens before I place an order?
Ask when someone will visit to measure the room and assess the proposed work. Rough sizes and photographs can help start a design conversation, but the layout needs checking at your home before the specification is finalised.
Moving a WC, for example, means considering the drainage route as well as its position on the plan. Ask how the company checks that the proposed changes can be installed, and when any restrictions will be explained to you.
Watertight’s process starts with an initial showroom consultation, followed by a home technical survey. We then develop the CAD design so you can review the layout and selected products together. You can read more about our bathroom design and installation process.
12. Who do I contact if something needs attention afterwards?
Ask how the company records any smaller items still needing attention at completion, often called snagging. Establish who will arrange the remaining work and how you’ll know when it will be done.
You should also know how to report an issue you notice after the installers have left. Ask who will assess it and whether the bathroom company will help establish if it concerns the fitting or a supplied product.
At Watertight, you can contact us after completion and our own team handles issues that arise. You don’t need to work out which trade to approach before getting in touch.
Warning signs when choosing a bathroom fitter
Pause before booking if a company:
Won’t provide a written quote or explain its exclusions.
Can’t explain its role in the projects it shows you.
Pressures you to make a large upfront payment without clear terms.
Won’t identify who is responsible for the installation or specialist work.
Makes accreditation claims you can’t verify, or offers a guarantee without written terms.
A noticeably lower quote is worth questioning too. Ask what accounts for the difference before assuming it covers the same work.
Bathroom renovation checklist: before you commit
Keep these details together so you can refer back to what you’ve agreed:
Written quotation and product specification, including exclusions.
Payment schedule and booking or cancellation terms.
Arrangements for approving additional work and costs.
Confirmation of who carries out and coordinates the installation.
Insurance evidence and relevant trade-registration checks.
Expected installation dates and arrangements for bathroom access.
Written guarantee terms and an aftercare contact.
Talk through your bathroom project with Watertight
Planning a bathroom renovation in Leeds, Harrogate, York or the surrounding area? Visit our Horsforth showroom or Harrogate showroom to discuss your plans with the team.
Your initial showroom consultation is free. We can talk through the design and installation service and explain the next steps before you decide to take it further.
