Bathroom renovation: stages, waterproofing and price

Price by grade

Prices for a 6 m² bathroom in an older building — from stripping out the old one to fitting new sanitaryware. They include labour, a materials allowance and additional costs (10%).

A square metre of bathroom costs more than a square metre of apartment, and that is normal: a small floor carries wall tiles, waterproofing, pipework and several plumbing points. That is why a bathroom is priced as a total, not per m².

The estimate line by line

A Standard-grade bathroom, labour and materials apart:

There are 33 m² of tiles on 6 m² of floor: both the floor and the walls are counted. If an estimate tiles only the floor, the walls will arrive later as "extra work".

A bathroom estimate has none of the apartment-wide works: no electrical panel, partitions, living-room flooring, skirting or wall paint — the walls are tiled.

Waterproofing: where and how much

• The whole floor plus the walls up to 20 cm.
• At the shower, the walls up to 2 m.
• Curing: 3 days before tiling.

Waterproofing goes onto the bathroom's own thin screed right after rough plumbing. That is why bathroom tiling does not wait for the six-week drying of the screed in the other rooms.

Waterproofing ends up hidden under the tiles, so accepting this stage matters most: once the tiles are on, you can no longer see it.

What to check at acceptance

• Rough electrical: No horizontal chases in load-bearing walls
• Rough electrical: RCD on wet areas; cable: sockets 2.5, lighting 1.5 mm²
• Rough plumbing: Drain slope 2–3 cm/m, no reverse slope
• Rough plumbing: Water pipes pressure-tested before closing up
• Waterproofing: Floor + 20 cm up the walls, up to 2 m at the shower
• Tiling: No hollow spots under tiles (tap test)
• Tiling: Even joints, neat cuts
• Final fit-out & cleanup: All sockets and lights work, no leaks

A bathroom in a new build

In a white frame the developer has already done the pipework, plaster, screed and waterproofing, so the same 6 m² bathroom in the Standard grade costs about 7,984 ₾ — instead of 10,733 ₾ in an older building.

But waterproofing hides under the tiles, and if it is missing you will not find out once they are laid. Before tiling, check it: the floor plus 20 cm up the walls, up to 2 m at the shower. If it is not there, untick "Waterproofing" on the estimate page and it returns to the estimate.

Points, and the bathroom within a whole renovation

The calculator counts 3 fixtures per bathroom: a toilet, a basin and a shower or bath. The 6 m² bathroom estimate has 3 sanitaryware installations and 4 electrical points.

When the bathroom is part of a whole-apartment renovation, it follows the common order: waterproofing after rough plumbing, tiles after waterproofing and plaster. That is why the bathroom is often finished while the screed in the rooms is still drying.

What a bathroom price is made of

In the Standard grade, labour is 4,814 ₾ and materials 4,944 ₾, plus 10% in additional costs. The largest lines are the tiles (floor and walls), fitting the sanitaryware and the pipework — compare those first in a contractor's estimate.

Grades differ on every line of the price list, in both labour and materials. If the apartment has two bathrooms, wall tiles are counted for each: about 18 m² per bathroom, plus the floor.

A kitchen is priced the same way

The calculator also prices a kitchen as a room on its own, without apartment-wide works. For a 10 m² kitchen:

A kitchen has no bathroom tiling or waterproofing, but it does have water, drains and electrics. Furniture and appliances are not included. More on the kitchen renovation page.

Moving the bathroom

Relocating a wet area needs redesign drawings + plumbing layout, prepared by an architect, in 21–60 days. It does not stop work from starting: a move within the apartment is done first and legalised afterwards.

The bathroom renovation service, with prices and FAQs, is on the bathroom renovation page.

Bathroom renovation step by step

1. Demolition. Old tiles, sanitaryware and coverings come out. Load-bearing walls are not touched.
2. Rough electrics and plumbing. Cable, an RCD on the wet area, water and drain pipes. Drains fall 2–3 cm per metre; water pipes are pressure-tested before closing up.
3. Plaster and screed. Walls are levelled and a thin screed is poured on the floor.
4. Waterproofing. Floor plus 20 cm up the walls, up to 2 m at the shower; 3 days of curing.
5. Tiling. Tiles on the floor and walls. Tap test: no hollow spots; even joints.
6. Ceiling. Skim coat and paint.
7. Sanitaryware. Toilet, basin, shower or bath, sockets and lights. Everything works and nothing leaks.

Frequently asked questions