Buyer guide · Updated August 2026

How Many Trades Are Involved in a Bathroom Fit?

A full bathroom refit properly involves at least four separate skills: plumbing, electrics, tiling and plastering. The trouble most homeowners run into isn't the work itself, it's coordinating four different people's diaries and then figuring out who's responsible when something goes wrong between two trades. We handle plumbing, electrics and tiling in house with our own fitters as one team, which is specifically designed to remove that problem.

Key takeaways

  • A full bathroom refit needs at least plumbing, electrics and tiling, and sometimes plastering
  • Separate subcontracted trades are the most common cause of blame-shifting delays
  • Cotswold Maintenance Group handles plumbing, electrics and tiling in house with our own fitters
  • One team means one point of accountability, backed by a written guarantee

The plumber

The plumber moves or extends pipework for the new layout, fits the bath, shower, WC and basin, connects waste and supply, and tests for leaks under pressure. On most jobs this is the trade with the biggest knock-on effect on everyone else, if the plumbing isn't finished and tested, the tiler can't seal around fittings and the electrician can't safely wire anything nearby.

When the plumber is managing their own separate business and diary, any delay here delays every trade that follows.

The electrician

Bathroom electrics need to meet Part P of the Building Regulations because of the water risk, covering lighting, the extractor fan, shaver sockets and any underfloor heating. This isn't work that can be done casually, it needs to be certified.

When the electrician is a separate subcontractor booked by a general builder, they're often juggling several jobs and slot your bathroom in around other work, which is one of the most common causes of a fitted bathroom sitting half-wired for a week.

The tiler

Tiling can only start once waterproofing and boarding are done properly, and it needs curing time that can't be rushed. A tiler working on a fixed day rate has every incentive to move fast; a tiler who's part of the team responsible for the finished result has every incentive to get it right first time.

Large-format tiles, mosaic borders and wet-room floors with falls to a drain all add time and skill requirements here.

The plasterer

Not every bathroom needs a plasterer, boarded and tiled walls often don't, but ceilings, exposed brick after removing old tiling, or rooms being replastered around a new layout do. Where needed, this work has to happen before final electrics and tiling, so it has to be scheduled correctly in the sequence, not squeezed in wherever a plasterer happens to be free.

Why the blame game happens with separate trades

When four independent tradespeople are booked separately, usually by the homeowner directly or loosely coordinated by one lead trade, delays and mistakes tend to get blamed on whoever isn't in the room. A leak behind a tiled wall becomes 'the plumber's fault' to the tiler and 'the tiler's fault' to the plumber, and the homeowner is stuck in the middle chasing both.

With one in-house team responsible for plumbing, electrics and tiling, that argument doesn't happen, because it's the same company accountable for the whole result, backed by a written guarantee.

Quick questions

Do I need to hire the electrician and plumber myself?

No. With Cotswold Maintenance Group, plumbing, electrics and tiling are all handled in house by our own fitters, so you're dealing with one team and one point of contact, not coordinating separate tradespeople yourself.

What happens if the plumber and tiler disagree about who caused a problem?

Because both are part of the same in-house team working under one written guarantee, that disagreement doesn't land back on you. It's our responsibility to sort it, not yours.

Is a plasterer always needed?

Not always, it depends on the state of the walls and ceiling and whether the layout is changing. We'll assess this at the free design and quote home visit and only include it if it's genuinely needed.

How many people will actually be in my house?

Usually one to two fitters from our team on site on any given day, depending on the stage of the job, rather than a rotating cast of different subcontractors.

Does using one team cost more than hiring trades separately?

Not necessarily, and it often works out better value once you account for the delays and rework that can happen when separate trades aren't coordinated properly.