Bathroom supply and fit or installation only: which works for your project?

What supply and fit can cover

With supply and fit, the agreed bathroom products and their installation sit within one project arrangement. This can help if you would like support bringing the choices together. You still need a written specification: the words supply and fit do not, by themselves, tell you which fittings, preparation or finishes are included.

Ask for the proposed products and any allowances to be recorded. Check whether the scope includes removing the old bathroom, wall and floor preparation, tiling, plumbing, electrical work, ventilation, decoration and waste removal. Agree how alternative products will be approved if a chosen item becomes unavailable.

What installation only asks of you

Installation only can suit you if you have already chosen a suite or want to buy from a particular supplier. Agree which products you will order and which the installer will supply. Confirm the list item by item, including less obvious parts such as wastes, valves, fixings, screens and tile trims.

Share product details with the installer before ordering. Dimensions, connections and fitting instructions can affect whether a product suits the room and existing services. Agree who will check deliveries and organise replacements. A cheaper item can become an expensive delay if an essential part is missing when fitting is due. Agree who to contact about a product fault and who will handle an installation concern.

Check the room before choosing a wet room

A wet room needs more thought than swapping a shower tray. Ask the installer to assess the floor construction, drainage route, available depth and the waterproofing approach. The design needs to bring the floor falls, drain and surrounding surfaces together. Tiles and grout should not be treated as the whole waterproofing plan.

Discuss who will use the shower and how the room should work day to day. Consider the entrance, screen position, splash area, cleaning and any future need for support fittings. A level-access arrangement may be possible, but the finished floor height and drainage need assessing before anyone promises a particular layout.

Manufacturer information: Impey: What is a tanking system in a wetroom?.

Allow for ventilation and the right approvals

Planning Portal says that refitting an existing bathroom with new units and fittings does not generally require building regulations approval, although associated drainage or electrical work may. Creating a bathroom where there was not one before is likely to need approval. Check the actual scope rather than assuming every bathroom job follows the same rules.

Ventilation belongs in the discussion from the start. Planning Portal advises retaining or replacing existing extract ventilation during a refurbishment, and says new bathrooms need extract ventilation. Ask how the proposed fan, duct route and controls will work with your layout, and confirm any required electrical certification and building control arrangements.

Guidance: Planning Portal: Is building regulations approval needed for a kitchen or bathroom?; Planning Portal: Need for additional ventilation.

Compare the full project and plan the handover

Put both options on the same basis. Add the cost of products you would buy yourself, deliveries and any preparation excluded from the installation price. Ask who coordinates each trade and how an unexpected problem behind the old tiles will be reported and priced. A clear scope matters more than the label at the top of the quote.

Before work begins, agree delivery dates and how long you may be without the bath, shower or toilet. At handover, go through the fittings together, record any outstanding items and collect the care instructions and relevant paperwork. Ask when sealants or finishes can first get wet and what ongoing maintenance the installed products need.