What Does a Bathroom Installation Include?

17 Sep What Does a Bathroom Installation Include?

Installing a new bathroom is an exciting project, but what does a full bathroom installation actually include? In short, it’s much more than just swapping out a bath or toilet. A complete bathroom installation involves a series of steps from initial design to final finishing touches, covering plumbing, electrics, fixtures, finishes, and everything in between.

This comprehensive guide breaks down each stage of the process, with a focus on details relevant to Scotland (Glasgow and surrounding areas). By understanding what’s involved, you’ll know what to expect and how to prepare, ensuring a smooth renovation. Whether you’re a busy professional in Glasgow or a family looking to upgrade your home, this guide will provide massive value, empowering you to plan confidently and choose the right team for the job.

A modern high-end bathroom renovation exemplifies the result of a well-planned installation. Premium fixtures, ample lighting, and quality craftsmanship come together to create a spa-like retreat at home.

Planning and Design Consultation

Every successful bathroom installation starts with careful planning and design. In this initial phase, you (the homeowner) discuss your vision, needs, and budget with the installation team. A professional installer will often survey your bathroom space and create a detailed design plan, sometimes offering 3D design or virtual reality previews so you can visualise the finished space before work begins.

This design stage covers:

• Layout and Features: Deciding on the new layout and which features you want (e.g. a walk-in shower vs. bathtub, double-sink vanity, storage cabinets, etc.). If you’re in Glasgow’s classic tenement flats or Victorian homes, layout changes might be limited by structural walls or plumbing positions, but a creative designer can often find solutions.

• Style and Fixtures: Choosing a style (modern, traditional, minimalist, etc.) and selecting specific fixtures and finishes. This includes picking out the bath or shower unit, toilet model, sink/vanity, lighting style, tiles or wall panels, flooring, and accessories. A medium-to-high-end bathroom will likely involve premium materials (porcelain or natural stone tiles, high-quality taps and shower heads, possibly underfloor heating).

• Budget and Timeline: A clear budget ensures the project scope is realistic. The team will help balance your wish list with cost, suggesting where to invest (e.g. quality plumbing fixtures) for longevity. They’ll also provide an estimated timeline. Typically, a full bathroom renovation takes about 1–2 weeks from start to finish (sometimes up to 4 weeks for larger or more complex projects), but planning helps avoid delays.

Importantly, hiring a professional, all-trades team at this stage can save you a lot of stress later. An experienced Glasgow bathroom installer (like We Love Your Projects) will coordinate plumbers, electricians, tilers, and joiners for you, ensuring everything is scheduled with “perfect timing”. In fact, a full bathroom installation involves multiple trades and careful coordination. A professional team can manage all the materials, schedules, and tradespeople so the process runs smoothly and your dream bathroom comes together without the usual stress.

Removal of the Old Bathroom (Demolition & Prep)

Once the design is finalised and materials are ordered, the next step is removing the old bathroom and preparing the space. This “demolition” phase is messy but crucial. Here’s what it includes:

• Disconnecting Utilities: Before any demolition, professionals will turn off and safely isolate water supply and electrical circuits in the bathroom. In older Glasgow homes, this step is critical to prevent leaks or electrical hazards. Certified tradespeople handle this to comply with safety regulations.

• Stripping Out Old Fixtures: The team removes all old fixtures – toilet, sink, bathtub or shower enclosure, and any built-in cabinetry. They’ll also take out old taps, shower fittings, and sometimes even radiator or towel rail if it’s being replaced. Essentially, the bathroom is taken back to a blank shell.

• Removing Tiles and Flooring: Old wall tiles, floor tiles (or vinyl, laminate, etc.) are chiseled off and removed. This can damage the walls (old plaster or plasterboard often comes away with the tiles), so don’t be alarmed if the walls look rough after this stage. Floorboards or subfloor may also be exposed at this point, especially if there were issues like rot or water damage beneath an old tub or shower.

• Waste Disposal: All debris — broken tiles, the old toilet and suite, pipes, etc. — is cleared out. A quality installer will dispose of these materials responsibly (recycling where possible) and keep the worksite as tidy as possible. This is a big plus, since you won’t have to arrange skip hire or dump runs yourself.

• Assessing the Bare Space: With everything stripped back, the installation team can inspect the condition of the walls, floor, and substructure. They’ll check for any hidden problems, like water damage, wood rot, mould, or structural issues that need fixing. In Scotland’s damp climate, it’s not uncommon to find a bit of rot in old floor joists or mould behind leaky tiles. If such issues are found, they will be addressed now — replacing any damaged timber, repairing leaks, or treating mould — before the new fixtures go in. This stage basically “resets” the room and ensures a sound foundation for the new bathroom.

Tip: If this is your only bathroom, plan ahead for how you’ll manage while it’s unusable. You might arrange to stay with family or have a temporary setup. At minimum, discuss options with your installer — some can install a temporary toilet or maintain a working toilet until the last possible moment. In any case, communicate with your contractors and possibly set up a temporary wash station to get through the demolition phase.

Plumbing and Electrical First Fix

With the room prepped, the next phase is tackling the plumbing and electrical infrastructure (the “first fix” stage). A new bathroom isn’t just new surfaces — it also means ensuring the hidden systems (water, waste, power) are correctly configured for your updated design. This stage typically includes:

• Plumbing Work: A qualified plumber will install new pipework or modify existing pipes for water supply and drainage. If your new layout differs from the old one, pipes may need rerouting to new positions. For example, moving a toilet or shower to a different spot requires moving the waste pipe and water lines accordingly. Even if fixtures stay in place, old pipework (especially in older Glasgow homes with old lead or iron pipes) might be upgraded to modern materials (like copper or PVC) for better flow and to meet current standards. The plumber will also adjust plumbing for any new features — like adding pipes for dual shower heads and a rainshower. All plumbing connections for the basin, bath, shower, and toilet are set up now but will be capped off until final fixture installation.

• Electrical Work: A qualified electrician handles any wiring and electrical installations in the bathroom. This can include installing new wiring for light fittings, extractor fan, heated towel rail, vanity mirror lights, shaver sockets, or even underfloor heating thermostats. Modern bathrooms often have more gadgets (e.g. demisting LED mirrors or smart shower controls) that require safe electrical connections. The electrician will run wiring behind walls/ceilings as needed at this stage. In Scotland and the UK, electrical work in bathrooms must comply with strict building regulations for safety (special care around wet zones). Using a certified electrician ensures all wiring meets these standards and you’ll get the proper certification upon completion. This is important not just for safety but also for legal compliance — when you go to sell your home, you may need to show that any electrical work was done to code.

• Fixture Supports & Carpentry: If you’re installing items like a wall-hung toilet or sink, the team may need to install support frames or reinforcements inside the walls at this stage (since these have carriers and require sturdy mounting). Also, any adjustments to walls (creating a niche in the shower wall, boxing in pipes, or even shifting a non-load-bearing partition) would be done now, typically by a joiner or builder. For instance, older buildings in Glasgow might have uneven walls or alcoves, so this is when studwork is adjusted or new plywood/backer boards are fitted to create a plumb surface for tiling. If the design includes moving a doorway or building a feature (like a shelf or seating bench in a large shower), those rough carpentry changes happen during this phase.

By the end of the first fix, all the “behind-the-scenes” work is done: new pipes are in place (but not yet connected to taps), electrical cables are run (but fixtures not yet attached), and any structural or layout modifications are complete. Essentially, the skeleton of your new bathroom is ready.

Waterproofing and Wall/Floor Preparation

Bathrooms are wet environments, so proper waterproofing is critical to prevent leaks and water damage over time. After plumbing and wiring, the installation team will ensure the room is ready to receive finishes (tiles, panels, paint) in a way that seals out moisture:

• Waterproof Membranes (Tanking): Areas that will see a lot of water — such as shower enclosures, around baths, or the entire floor if it’s a wet room — should be tanked. This means applying a special waterproof membrane or sealant layer to the walls and floor. Often, a paint-on liquid membrane or waterproof backer boards are used. This step is sometimes skipped in DIY jobs, but it’s essential for longevity. In Scotland’s building standards, proper waterproofing is part of a quality bathroom installation. You definitely don’t want damp or leaks seeping through to downstairs neighbours in a Glasgow tenement or rotting the timber in a house.

• Wall Reinforcement & Plastering: Old wall plaster often gets damaged during tile removal. Installers will typically put up new moisture-resistant plasterboard (drywall) or cement board in splash zones. They’ll make sure walls are smooth, level, and sturdy enough for tiles or panels.

• Floor Preparation: The subfloor must be sound and level. If floorboards were pulled up or damaged, new plywood or cement board may be laid down. Some projects require pouring a self-levelling compound to ensure the floor is flat for tiling. If underfloor heating is being installed, the electric heating mats or water pipes will be laid out on the floor at this point (before the final floor finish goes on) and tested.

This preparation phase might not be visible in the end result, but it’s absolutely vital for a quality installation.

Installing the New Fixtures and Suite

Now we come to the most exciting part — installing all the new fixtures you selected. This is when your bathroom really starts to take shape:

• Bath and/or Shower: The installer will fit the bathtub (or shower tray for a shower) in position, hooking it up to the plumbing prepared earlier. For showers, this includes installing the shower base or tray, sealing it, and assembling any shower enclosure (glass doors/walls). If it’s a walk-in shower with no tray (wet room style), the floor will have been prepared with a slope and drain during the floor prep, and now the area is ready for tiling or wall panels.

• Toilet: The new toilet is bolted down and connected to the waste outlet and water supply. Modern toilets might be close-coupled, back-to-wall, or wall-hung. A wall-hung toilet would already have had its frame set in the wall during the first fix, so now the bowl simply attaches to that frame and the concealed cistern is connected.

• Sink and Vanity Unit: Next, the basin or vanity unit is installed. This could be a pedestal sink, a wall-hung vanity, or a furniture piece with an inset sink. They’ll secure the unit, connect the taps to the water lines, and hook up the waste (drain trap). If your vanity has features like LED lighting or an electric demister mirror, those will be wired in by the electrician at this stage.

• Taps, Shower, and Accessories: All the fittings like taps, shower head, shower valve, and any bath filler are mounted and connected. If you have chosen accessories like a smart shower system or body jets, these components are also fitted now. Similarly, a heated towel rail or radiator would be hung and plumbed in (if hydronic) or wired (if electric).

• Cabinetry and Storage: Any built-in storage, such as mirror cabinets, shelving units, or recessed niches, are installed. This might involve some final carpentry/finishing work.

By the end of this stage, the suite (toilet, sink, bath/shower) is in place and connected. However, the job isn’t done until the finishes are completed around them for a polished look.

Tiling and Flooring

With fixtures in place, attention turns to tiling and flooring — the finishing surfaces that will make your bathroom both functional and beautiful.

• Wall Tiling: Professional tilers apply tiles to the walls (unless you opted for wall panels or another wall finish). They use waterproof adhesive to fix tiles on the prepared walls, cutting tiles neatly around fixtures and openings as needed.

• Floor Tiling (or Flooring): If using tiles, the tiler will lay them in a chosen pattern, ensuring a level surface and proper slope toward the drain in wet areas if applicable. Alternatives include luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) or waterproof laminate, which are installed by flooring specialists.

• Grouting and Sealing: Once tiles are set, grout is applied between them and flexible silicone sealant is used around corners, edges, and fixtures to keep everything watertight.

At this point, the bathroom is almost complete.

Finishing Touches and Decoration

The final stage includes:

• Painting and Decorating: Any untiled wall or ceiling areas are painted with moisture-resistant paint. Woodwork such as door frames or skirtings may also be refreshed.

• Installing Accessories: Towel rails, hooks, toilet roll holders, mirrors, cabinets, and shelves are installed.

• Final Plumbing & Electrical Connections: Plumbers and electricians return for second fix. Taps, shower heads, radiators, lighting, extractor fans, and underfloor heating are connected and tested.

• Testing: Everything is tested thoroughly — toilets flushed, taps and showers run, extractor fans checked, towel rails heated.

• Cleanup and Handover: A deep clean is carried out. The project manager walks you through your new bathroom, explaining how everything works and providing any warranty details.

Typical Timeline and What to Expect

From start to finish, a standard bathroom installation in Scotland typically takes around 1 to 2 weeks for an average-sized bathroom. Larger bathrooms or more complex renovations (involving structural changes or relocating fixtures) might extend to about 3–4 weeks.

Rough timeline:

• Days 1–2: Demolition and prep.

• Days 3–5: First fix plumbing and electrics.

• Days 6–8: Major fixture installation and underfloor heating (if applicable).

• Days 9–12: Tiling and flooring.

• Days 13–15: Finishing touches, decorating, second fix, testing, and handover.

Every project varies, especially in older homes where hidden issues may be uncovered.

Tips for a Smooth Bathroom Installation

• Plan ahead and finalise choices early.

• Communicate openly with your team.

• Make arrangements for bathroom use if it’s your only one.

• Protect adjacent areas in your home.

• Be ready for unexpected issues.

• Always use qualified trades.

Why Choose We Love Your Projects for Your Bathroom Installation in Glasgow?

• Family-run business with a personal touch.

• End-to-end project management.

• Expert design and 3D visualisation.

• High-quality craftsmanship.

• Punctual and reliable service.

• Meticulous cleanliness and tidiness.

• Customer satisfaction guaranteed.

• Local Glasgow expertise.

• Flexible finance options.

Conclusion: Transforming Your Bathroom with Confidence

A full bathroom installation includes every step needed to turn an outdated or empty space into the bathroom of your dreams — from planning, removal of the old suite, plumbing and electrical work, to tiling, fixture installation, and final finishing. It’s a complex dance of tasks, but with the right professionals it can be a smooth and even enjoyable journey.

Ultimately, investing in a quality bathroom renovation not only enhances your daily life with a spa-like retreat in your own home, but also adds value to your property.

If you’re in Glasgow or the surrounding region and considering a bathroom makeover, We Love Your Projects is here to help from day one. Let us apply our 20+ years of expertise to deliver a hassle-free installation and a breathtaking result. From the initial design consultation through the final polish, we’ve got you covered.

Contact us today!