How to Choose a Bathroom Fitter You Can Trust

Any electrical work in a bathroom, from a new extractor fan to a shaver socket or additional lighting, needs to be carried out or signed off by someone qualified to certify it under Part P of the Building Regulations, since bathrooms are a special-risk zone for electrical safety. Ask directly who will be doing the electrical work and how it will be certified, and expect a proper answer rather than a vague reassurance.

On the plumbing and tiling side there isn't a single mandatory qualification in the way there is for gas work, so track record and reputation carry more weight. Ask how long the person or firm has been fitting bathrooms specifically, not just doing general building work, since bathroom fitting has its own particular challenges around waterproofing and drainage falls that general tradespeople sometimes underestimate.

Public liability insurance is essential and any reputable fitter should be able to provide evidence of it without hesitation, typically covering at least £1 million or £2 million. This protects you if something goes wrong during the work, for example if a leak damages a ceiling below or a fitting is knocked and cracks.

It's worth asking to see the actual certificate rather than just taking someone's word for it. A firm that's genuinely insured will have no problem sharing this, since it's a document they hold for exactly this purpose.

Online reviews are a starting point but they're easy to game or cherry-pick, so where possible ask to see photographs of completed bathrooms, ideally a range of jobs rather than just the best one, and ask whether you can speak to a recent customer directly. A fitter confident in their work will usually be happy to arrange this.

Look particularly at photos of tiling in corners and around fittings, since this is where skill differences show up most clearly. Uneven grout lines, tiles that aren't level, or poor sealant work around a bath or shower tray are all signs of rushed or inexperienced work, even if the overall finish looks fine from a distance.

A quote significantly lower than everyone else's for the same specification is the most common warning sign, and it almost always means something is being left out, whether that's proper tanking behind tiles, certified electrical work, or adequate waste removal. Pressure to pay entirely upfront, reluctance to put anything in writing, or an unwillingness to provide their business details, insurance or previous customer references should all give you pause.

Be cautious too of anyone who can start immediately with no lead time at all. Reputable local fitters doing good work are usually booked several weeks ahead, so an offer to start tomorrow can sometimes suggest a gap in their diary for reasons worth asking about.

The only fair way to compare quotes is to make sure each fitter is pricing exactly the same job, ideally after visiting your property in person rather than quoting blind from a description or photos. Ask each firm for a written, itemised breakdown covering strip-out, plumbing, electrics, tiling labour, materials and sanitaryware, so you can see where the differences actually lie rather than just comparing two unexplained totals.

It's also worth asking how disputes or snagging issues are handled after completion, and getting this in writing before work starts. A fitter who's upfront about how they'll fix any minor issues that crop up after the job is finished is generally more trustworthy than one who avoids the question.

We're a family-run business covering Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Newent and the Forest of Dean, and we handle plumbing, tiling and fitting entirely in house rather than subcontracting parts of the job out to whoever is available. That means one team accountable for the whole bathroom from start to finish.

If you'd like to see how we work before deciding, call us on 07927 593 585 or get in touch through our contact page to arrange a home visit and a free, written quote with no pressure to proceed.