Choosing the right bathroom fitter
Reading time: 11 minutes
Bathrooms are one of the most functional rooms in our homes, in use everyday and forced to deal with a lot of wear and tear.
Whether you’re updating a tired family bathroom or looking to install a luxury en suite, with such an important space, it’s vital that you find the right bathroom fitter to perform the work. We spoke to some of the experiencedbathroom fittersrecommended on MyBuilder to find out the key things you should know in order to make the right choice:
- Look out for experience as much as accreditations
- Make sure you are comfortable with them
- Get quotes that cover everything
- Establish a payment plan
- Check their familiarity with building regulations
- Ensure there are follow-ups after the build
Keeping these points in mind can help you focus on what to look for when you’re meeting with tradespeople and getting quotes for the work. Carry on reading for more details on how to go about finding the right tradesperson for your job.
Look out for experience as much as accreditations
浴室远非一件简单的现成物品。尽管从表面上看，每个工作都要安装浴室的基本设施——安装浴缸、水槽、马桶，也许还有一些瓷砖——但关键在于细节，换一个新的三件套和翻新一个大的浴室有很大的区别，比如安装地板到天花板的瓷砖和地暖。
As with many jobs, there are a range of available tradespeople who will be able to take on the project. At one end of the scale, there are firms that specialise in bathroom fitting, working with you on every element of the build, from designing the new bathroom to installation and decoration. At the other end of the scale will be more general builders and plumbers, who have the necessary skills to remove and fit a bathroom, but may outsource jobs like installing electric showers. Both have their advantages - while a specialised firm will likely deliver a very high standard to your exact specifications, the chances are it will be more expensive than hiring a generalist.
当你为你的项目寻找一个商人时，明智的做法是找那些从事过与你所计划的类似工作的人。除了看到他们以前的工作例子，他们可以展示给你作为他们作品集的一部分，你也可以通过他们安排参观他们以前的工作——他们应该很高兴让你接触他们以前工作过的客户。
As well as checking their references, there are other things you can do to check their experience. On MyBuilder, you can read honest feedback on the jobs they have undertaken for homeowners, as well as seeing pictures of the jobs they have taken on. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions as well, about any qualifications they may have, their length of time working with bathroom installation, or how they’ll approach your own particular job.
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有些商人可能属于行业协会。As well as general trade bodies for builders like theFederation of Master Buildersand theGuild of Master Craftsmen,bathroom fittersmay also be part of theKitchen, Bathroom and Bedroom Association (KBSA), which offers protection for consumers who hire KBSA members.
However, it is experience that is the most important thing to look out for.Charles Bell of Charles Bell Refurbishments, who has more than 150 pieces of positive feedback on MyBuilder, said:
Experience is really what’s key when it comes to bathroom fitting, as there are so many parts of the job someone has to learn to become good at it. It took me years to really get going with it. I learnt on the job - there’s the tiling, there’s the plumbing, all these different elements. You also learn the importance of knowing about and purchasing the right materials.
Make sure you are comfortable with them
除了了解他们是否对你的工作有经验之外，你还应该简单地评估一下你与潜在的商人相处的舒适程度。你可以从第一次接触他们开始就这样做;他们在电话里礼貌吗?他们在预定的时间到达会议现场吗?他们会问很多关于项目的问题吗?
Bathroom fittings aren’t completed in a couple of hours - depending on the size of the job, it can last for as little as a few days, or up to several weeks. Much of that time, if your bathroom is out of action, you may need to vacate your home while your tradesperson works on it. Being able to maintain good communication throughout the project is essential. You shouldn’t try to become best friends with them, but you should be able to have a professional relationship - you must feel comfortable speaking openly about any concerns that may arise, and dealing with any issues.James Woodham of Akiva Projectssaid:
I believe that every tradesperson that comes into your house should be really friendly, really experienced, really clean and tidy. And they should be able to explain everything to the client. Every time we leave a project I like to think we leave them with knowledge as well. You can never provide a client with too much information. The more you ask them, the more they feel involved in the process, and the more confident they can feel in you.
Get quotes that cover everything
With many larger jobs, it’s advisable to meet with, and get quotations, from at least three tradespeople. The detail and scope of their quotation can tell you a lot about their process. It’s important to make sure that all the quotations are like-for-like - do they include materials and labour, as well as any subcontracting the tradesperson may do, and VAT? If the tradesperson will be removing and disposing of the previous bathroom features, is that included? The only way to accurately compare quotations is if you are comparing like-for-like, and to get them from people who have seen the job in person.
Taking a sample of at least three quotations can can help you spot any that seem unreasonably low - if this is the case, it could be the sign of a tradesperson who wants to win the job, but will make up the true value by adding on extra costs during the course of the build.
Roman Panici of Good Global Services Ltd, who has more than 60 pieces of positive feedback on MyBuilder, said:
I’ve had people try and explain jobs on the phone, but I tell them I’m sorry, I have to see it in person to talk it through - it’s the only way to give a good, accurate quote. You have to get everything out up front, give all the information, so everyone knows what’s included and what to expect. It should be clear about things like materials too.
你的项目成本当然会受到你工作范围的影响——如果你想雇一家公司来设计你的新浴室以及安装它，它将大大超过一个简单的安装项目。费用也会根据你是否自己购买浴室而改变，无论是从商店，还是从网上，或者你是否雇佣一个安装者，让他们购买浴室。在某些情况下，这可能会更便宜，因为装配工可能与制造商有关系，或被批准安装，并可以把他们的商业折扣传递给你。这也将自己购买元素的风险降到最低，结果发现它们是不合格的，或不适合你的空间。如果你选择自己购买，重要的是你要与你的试衣师沟通，以确保他们熟悉特定的品牌和舒适的试穿。瓷砖、毛巾架、水龙头和配套的卫生纸架等配件也是如此。Yaz Meer of MPM Builders, a firm in Nottingham that specialises in bathroom fitting and has more than 30 pieces of positive feedback on MyBuilder, said:
It’s always worth speaking to a tradesperson before you go out and buy everything, just to make sure you’ll be getting the right stuff. Even when people buy their own suites, they often ask me to provide the things behind the scenes like the pipework, as it all adds up and I can source the best stuff cheaply. I can also think about the bigger picture because of my experience - people sometimes just want to swap in a new bath, sink and toilet, but they don’t realise it can mean changing things like tiling as well.
Roman added:
You need someone who knows their products - it’s all in the detail. If you buy a cheap, bad sealant that cracks after a few weeks, what happens? If that’s on a bath, and the crack means there’s a leak, and the wall and floor and electrics are damaged, that’s a huge problem - all because you tried to cut a corner.
Establish a payment plan
After agreeing to a price through an accurate, written quotation, make sure you have a payment plan in place that you are comfortable with. A written contract is the best way to ensure you are on the same page, with no misunderstandings.
A reputable tradesperson will generally not expect, or ask for, the total value of an expensive bathroom job upfront. However, a small deposit is not uncommon. While many builders buy materials on account from trade suppliers, and will not request money up front to cover these costs, if it’s a small firm working on a large build with high costs involved, this may be worked into the plan. Many tradespeople are happy to be paid in cash, but most will accept cheques or bank transfers for larger amounts, which allow you to keep a better record of the transaction. Charles said:
我收取总费用的25%预先，然后支付剩余的工作完成后，当房主满意它。我认为这对安装新浴室这样大小的工作来说是相当标准的。我接受银行转账支付，所以每个人都有它的记录——即使是较小的工作，这是现在的标准——现金转手并不常见。
Check their familiarity with building regulations
If your bathroom job involves electrical work, either with changing lighting, installing a new power shower or similar, that particular element should be carried out by a qualified electrician. Most major electrical jobs in the home must be certified for their safety, so should be either:
- Approved by the Building Control department of your local authority
- Carried out by tradespeople registered with a competent person scheme, who is qualified to self-certify their work
This is to ensure that all the electrical work is safe, and will not pose a danger to yourself and other people in your home. If the work does not come up to standard, your local authority can insist that the work be corrected, while you can face difficulties selling your home if you don’t have the correct electrical safety certificates to show that the work has been done.
在合资格人士计划注册的合资格电工可自行核证其工作，并在完成工程时向你发出符合规定的证明书，以及代你处理楼宇管制事务。你的浴室安装人员应该能够告诉你他们将如何处理任何电气工作。你可以在我们关于雇佣电工的文章中找到更多关于家庭电气工作的信息。同样，如涉及气体工程，处理有关工程的人士必须登记在气体安全登记册内。Charles said
I have an experienced electrician who comes and does any electrical work that’s involved - I’ve had a bad experience with that before. You need someone who’s fully qualified, so all the work I do now is done by someone who is up to standard and can have it signed off. If I do encounter gas, then it has to be carried out by someone who is on the gas safe register.
Ensure there are follow-ups after the build
With a project like bathroom fitting, there is chance that there will be complications along the way. Often, these issues may not manifest themselves until after the work is notionally complete, and the tradesperson has moved on to other jobs. That being so, it is sensible to hire a tradesperson who is happy to return to the build to follow-up on their work and make right anything that may have happened since the work finished.
Some builders will put something to this effect in their initial contracts with the homeowners, while others will offer a more informal arrangement. Bathroom units themselves may also come with warranties, which is worth double checking if buying through the fitter. Charles said:
I honour a bathroom for a few years. Especially in older houses, things can shift so it helps the homeowner to say I’ll be able to come back and look at anything that might have happened. If there’s leaks and things, then obviously I’ll come and take care of that.
If the tradesperson is willing to put you in touch with previous clients to see their work, then it is a good sign that they have maintained good relationships, taken pride in their work, and ensured that they have followed-up on any issues that have arisen.
