Prices and quotes
Renovating a bathroom on the Costa del Sol: where the money goes
· 3 min read
A complete bathroom on the Costa del Sol costs between €6,000 and €10,000 and takes two to three weeks. Half the budget goes on three things you cannot see once it is finished: new plumbing, waterproofing the shower and the builder's work. Cutting exactly there is what makes a beautiful bathroom start giving trouble a year after completion.
How the budget breaks down
| Item | Approximate share | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 35 – 45 % | Demolition, plumbing, electrics, tiling and installation. |
| Surfaces | 15 – 25 % | Wall and floor tiles. This is where the price varies most by range. |
| Sanitaryware and taps | 15 – 20 % | Toilet, shower tray or bath, screen, basin and taps. |
| Furniture | 10 – 15 % | Vanity unit, mirror and storage. |
| Hidden installations | 10 – 15 % | New pipework, drainage, waterproofing and ventilation. |
Three things not worth cutting
1. Waterproofing the shower area
It is a membrane or liquid product that goes under the tiling and that nobody will ever see. It costs a few hundred euros and it is the only thing between your shower and your downstairs neighbour's ceiling. If a quote does not mention it, ask about it explicitly.
2. The pipework, if the building is over thirty years old
In much of the Costa del Sol housing from the seventies and eighties, the original pipes are at the end of their life. Tiling over an installation like that postpones the problem: when it bursts, the new bathroom has to come off. Replacing them while the wall is already open costs a fraction of what it will cost later.
3. Ventilation in bathrooms with no window
An internal bathroom without properly sized forced extraction builds up condensation, and condensation ends up as mould in the grout and on the ceiling no matter how new everything is. It is one of the most common complaints in recently renovated flats.
Where you can trim without regret
- The tiles: between a good mid-range and a high-end one there is a big price difference and little difference in durability.
- The vanity unit: it can be swapped in a morning a few years from now if you tire of it.
- Keeping the layout: moving the toilet means redoing the drainage and pushes the cost up far more than it seems.
- The shower screen: a decent one performs the same as a designer one, and it is the easiest thing to change later.
Swapping a bath for a shower
This is the bathroom job we are asked for most, especially in homes of older people. Done properly it means lowering the drain so the tray sits flush with the floor: if the tray is simply mounted on the existing level, you end up with a step, which is exactly what you were trying to avoid. It usually takes a week and costs around €2,500–4,000 depending on how much tiling has to be replaced.
How long the bathroom is out of use
If it is the only one in the property, expect ten to fifteen days without being able to use it. That is why in single-bathroom flats it pays to concentrate the work rather than spread it out: the days without service can be minimised, but not eliminated.