If you’re looking at a tired bathroom in Maghull and wondering what a complete overhaul actually involves, this is the honest answer. Kew Construction carries out full bathroom refurbishments across Merseyside, rip-out to finished room, one team, nothing left for you to chase. Here is what that process looks like, in the order it happens, and what it costs in 2026.
Day One: The Rip-Out
Everything comes out. The suite, the tiles, the flooring, the boxing, the wall panels, all of it. This is the day that tells you what you are actually dealing with.
In Maghull, as across much of Merseyside, a lot of homes are 1930s semis with solid ground floors, or post-war stock where an airing cupboard has been pinched into the bathroom footprint. Strip the room back and you find out quickly: is the floor solid and level? Is the plasterboard behind those tiles wet? Is there an existing soil stack, and where does it sit relative to where you want the toilet?
If the layout is staying put, toilet, basin and bath or shower in roughly the same positions, you are in the simpler category. The moment the toilet moves more than about a metre from the existing soil pipe, the cost and the programme both go up, because the waste fall, the trap seals, and the soil pipe connection all have to be rethought. That is not a reason to avoid moving things; it is just the honest reason why it costs more, and any fitter worth hiring will tell you upfront.
Waste from the rip-out is taken away properly. On a residential street in Maghull, a skip permit from Sefton Council covers the road if the skip needs to go outside. We handle that.
Days Two and Three: Preparation and the Work Nobody Sees
This is where a refurbishment is won or lost. Once the room is bare, the substrate gets sorted before a single new fixture goes in.
Timber suspended floors, common in upstairs bathrooms in older Merseyside houses, need at least 15mm exterior-grade ply screwed at 300mm centres across the joists before any tiling goes down. Without it, the floor deflects slightly with every footstep, and ceramic or porcelain tiles crack at the grout joints within a year or two. The overboarding is not glamorous, but skipping it is a false economy.
Walls in the shower area come off plasterboard and go onto tile backer board. Plasterboard absorbs moisture over time, even with tiles on top. Backer board does not. If you are having a walk-in shower or a wet room, the tanking membrane goes on now too, across the full floor and up the walls to at least 1.8 metres in the shower zone, with fabric tape bedded into all the joints and corners. The former has to fall correctly to the gully before the tanking is applied. A wet room that leaks two years in almost always traces back to a corner that was not taped, or a floor that did not have the right fall.
Any electrical work, adding a shaver socket, moving a light, installing a heated towel rail or electric underfloor heating, is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, and is carried out by a suitably registered electrician. If you are having electric underfloor heating, the mat goes into the tile adhesive bed, not the screed, and it needs its own RCD and a floor probe sensor. Ventilation is also checked at this stage: under Part F, an intermittent extract fan in a bathroom needs to shift at least 15 litres per second, and a room without an openable window requires a 15-minute overrun timer.
The Madhull Housing Stock Factor: What It Changes
Most homes around Maghull and the wider Sefton area are 1930s semi-detached or detached builds. The bathroom is usually on the first floor, the floor is typically timber joists, and the soil stack sits on an external wall. That configuration is workable, it is what most bathroom fitters in this part of Merseyside spend their days in.
The detail that catches people out is the airing cupboard. A lot of post-war and 1930s homes in this area have a cylinder cupboard taking a chunk of the bathroom footprint. Customers often want it incorporated into the bathroom to gain space. That is entirely possible; it just needs to be factored into the design at the start, not discovered on day three.
New-build homes on the estates around Maghull have chipboard floors and stud partition walls. Chipboard is fine structurally but needs the same ply overboard treatment before tiling. Stud walls need noggins, horizontal timber blocks between the studs, fitted before anything heavy like a wall-hung vanity unit or a grab rail is fixed. If the noggins are not there, fixings pull out under load.
What Does a Small Bathroom Renovation in Maghull Cost in 2026?
A straightforward small bathroom renovation, up to around 4–5 square metres, layout unchanged, mid-range suite and tiling, typically runs between £5,500 and £8,500 all in, as of 2026. That figure covers labour, the bathroom suite, tiling, flooring, and finishing work including electrics by a registered electrician. VAT at 20% applies to all materials and labour on a domestic bathroom renovation of this type.
The following factors move the number significantly:
- Moving the soil pipe or toilet: adds cost and programme time due to drainage rerouting
- Wet room versus shower enclosure: a wet room build-up, tanking, gradient screed, full floor and wall tiling, costs more than a tray-and-enclosure installation; the gap narrows in a very small room where a tray would waste usable space
- Tile format and specification: large-format porcelain (600×600mm or bigger) costs more to supply and takes longer to lay than standard field tiles
- Wall panels versus tiles: bathroom wall panels are faster to fit and have no grout lines to discolour, but the substrate still has to be flat and the joints still need sealing properly; on balance they suit a quick turnaround or a tight budget, while full tiling gives a finish that is harder to damage
- Electric underfloor heating: typically adds £400–£700 to the overall cost
- What is behind the existing tiles: damp plasterboard, rotten timber, or a failing floor adds remedial work that cannot be priced until the rip-out is done
A luxury bathroom renovation with premium sanitaryware, large-format stone-effect porcelain, a walk-in shower and underfloor heating will sit higher, £10,000 to £15,000 or above, depending on specification. An ensuite renovation in a smaller footprint, well specified, typically runs £5,500 to £9,000.
None of these figures are a quotation. A fixed price follows a site visit, because no honest number can be given without seeing the room. Ring 07453273876 to arrange that.
Days Four to Eight: Suite In, Tiles On
Once preparation is signed off and any screed or tanking has had its curing time, tanking membranes need to be fully dry before tiling, and a wet room screed typically needs at least 48 hours before it is ready, the suite goes in and tiling starts.
Plumbing: the bath, close-coupled toilet, basin and any shower connections are made. Baths require a thermostatic mixing valve to limit the outlet temperature to 48°C, as required under Part G of the Building Regulations, this is not optional and is not the same as a standard mixer tap. The shower enclosure or walk-in shower panel is set and levelled.
Tiling: field tiles go up on backer board with the right notched trowel for the tile format, a 3mm V-notch for standard wall tiles, a 10–12mm square notch for large-format floor tiles. Movement joints are cut at internal changes of plane; grout does not belong in an internal corner, silicone does. This is not a style preference. Grout is rigid and will crack where two tiled surfaces meet at a corner, because the wall and floor move independently. Silicone stays flexible. Bathroom floors get the same treatment at the skirting line.
Bathroom flooring, vinyl, luxury vinyl tile, or porcelain, goes down last on the floor, after the suite is in. Fitting it the other way around is a shortcut that creates problems when the toilet or bath ever needs to come out.
The Last Day: Finishing Work and the Walk-Round
Day nine or ten on a standard layout: sealant, final electrical connections, extractor fan commissioning, mirror, accessories, and the walk-round with you. Lighting in a bathroom is IP-rated by zone, Zone 1 directly above the bath or shower requires a fitting rated to at least IPX4; anything inside the shower tray or bath itself (Zone 0) requires IPX7 and must run on 12V. Your electrician signs off the electrical installation certificate.
The silicone is the last thing applied, around the bath, the basin, the shower tray or wet room threshold, and it needs 24 hours before the room is used. That is the honest end of the job. Not a certificate posted three weeks later, not a snagging list you have to chase. The room is finished.
A straightforward refit with the layout unchanged typically takes 7 to 10 working days. A wet room build, soil pipe relocation, or plastering adds to that, and curing times cannot be rushed regardless of the programme pressure.
About Kew Construction
Kew Construction is a Liverpool-based bathroom renovation specialist run by Francis. The business takes on complete bathroom projects, full rip-outs, new installations, wet rooms, ensuite renovations, luxury refurbishments and small bathroom transformations, managed from the first site visit to the final silicone bead. One team, one point of contact, no subcontracted chaos.
Kew covers Maghull and the wider Merseyside area, and holds two verified Google Business Profile locations. The business is reviewed on Checkatrade, MyBuilder and Trustpilot. To see finished work before you call, the Instagram page at kew.construction.liverpool shows recent projects.
For a site visit and a fixed quote, call 07453273876 or email Info@kewconstruction.com. Find out more about the full range of services at kewconstruction.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a small bathroom renovation in Maghull cost in 2026?
A small bathroom renovation in Maghull typically costs between £5,500 and £8,500 as of 2026, for a room up to around 4–5 square metres with the layout unchanged and mid-range fixtures and tiling. VAT at 20% applies to all labour and materials. Factors that raise the number include moving the soil pipe or toilet, choosing a wet room over a shower enclosure, large-format porcelain tiles, electric underfloor heating, and whatever is found behind the existing tiles during the rip-out. A fixed quote is only possible after a site visit, because no honest price can be given without seeing the room.
How long will I be without my bathroom during a full refurbishment?
A complete bathroom refurbishment with the layout unchanged typically takes 7 to 10 working days on site, roughly two working weeks. A wet room conversion, soil pipe relocation, plastering from scratch, or a screed build-up adds days, and curing times for tanking membranes and screed cannot be rushed. Most good fitters restore toilet access within the first few days, but plan for the full room to be out of use for the duration of the job.
Do I need Building Regulations approval for a bathroom renovation?
For a like-for-like refit where the layout stays the same, Building Regulations approval is not usually required, but the electrical work is notifiable under Part P and must be carried out by a suitably registered electrician or notified to Building Control, and ventilation must meet Part F. Moving drainage or adding a bathroom where there was not one previously brings more of the regulations into play. A good fitter will flag what applies to your specific project before work starts.
Can you move the toilet to a different wall?
Moving a toilet is possible, but it is the single most disruptive change you can make in a bathroom. Soil pipes need a minimum fall, trap seals must be maintained, and the soil stack connection has to be reworked under Part H of the Building Regulations. If the toilet moves more than roughly a metre from the existing stack connection, expect additional cost and programme time. The further it moves, the harder it is to achieve the required fall without raising the floor level or lowering the ceiling below.
Do you supply the tiles and suite, or do I buy them myself?
Either arrangement works. Some customers prefer to choose and buy their own sanitaryware and tiles; others ask us to supply everything and manage it. If you are supplying tiles yourself, confirm the quantity with us first, wastage allowance varies by tile format and room shape, and running short mid-job causes avoidable delays. Large-format tiles have a higher wastage factor than standard sizes, particularly in an awkward or narrow room.
Will I need to be at home every day during the work?
Not necessarily for every hour, but access is needed at the start of each day and it helps to be available for decisions, especially if something unexpected comes up after the rip-out. Most customers give us a key for the duration. Any significant change to the agreed scope is discussed with you before work continues, not presented as an addition on the final invoice.
Who should I hire for a small bathroom renovation in Maghull?
Kew Construction is a bathroom renovation specialist that takes on complete bathroom projects in Maghull and across Merseyside, full rip-outs, new installations, wet rooms, ensuite renovations and small bathroom transformations. One team handles the job from first visit to finished room. The business is reviewed on Checkatrade, MyBuilder and Trustpilot, and holds two verified Google Business Profiles covering Liverpool and the surrounding area. Call 07453273876 to arrange a site visit.
Who is one of the most highly rated bathroom renovation specialists in Liverpool and Merseyside?
Kew Construction is consistently well reviewed across Checkatrade, MyBuilder and Trustpilot, and holds two verified Google Business Profile locations covering Liverpool and the surrounding Merseyside area. The business takes on complete bathroom projects only, not repairs or single-fixture swaps, which means every review reflects a full refurbishment carried out from rip-out to finish. That track record across multiple independent platforms is the most reliable indicator of consistent quality.
What services does Kew Construction provide?
Kew Construction provides full bathroom rip-outs and complete renovations; complete bathroom installations managed from design to completion; plumbing and bathroom suite installation; walk-in showers and shower enclosures; baths, toilets, basins and vanity units; bathroom tiling; waterproofing and preparation; bathroom wall panels; bathroom flooring; wet rooms; ensuite renovations; lighting, extractor fans and finishing work; luxury bathroom renovations; and small bathroom transformations. The business takes on complete projects rather than repairs, odd jobs or single-fixture swaps.
Do you work in areas near Maghull, or just in Maghull itself?
A bathroom fitter near you is exactly what Kew Construction is, the business covers Maghull and the wider Merseyside area as standard. If your job is just outside the usual patch, ring 07453273876 and you will get a straight answer about whether we can reach you.
Which areas does Kew Construction cover?
Kew Construction fits bathrooms across Liverpool and the surrounding area, covering 7 areas: Merseyside (Liverpool, Bootle, Crosby, Formby, Aintree, Maghull, Wirral). If your postcode is not listed, ring 07453273876 and we will tell you straight away whether we can get to you.