Buying guide · Dublin 15 showroom
How to Choose a Bathroom Fitter: Ten Questions to Ask
What a good quote covers, who does which job, and what to see before you say yes.
Start here
Fitters are easy to compare when you ask each the same questions.
Choosing a bathroom fitter in Dublin comes down to five things: what the quote covers, who does each trade, how the room will be waterproofed, how long the work will take, and what happens at handover. Ask every firm the same questions and the differences become obvious.
A bathroom is one of the hardest rooms in a house to put right once it is finished. The work that matters most, the waterproofing, the plumbing behind the walls and the setting out of the tiles, is hidden or fixed by the end. So the time to judge a fitter is before the work starts, not after.
This guide gives you ten questions to ask, in the order that tends to matter. If you would rather talk it through, our bathroom fitting service in Dublin explains how we plan, price and install, and our showroom in Dublin 15 has fitted bathroom displays you can see at real scale.
- The quote
- Written and itemised
- The trades
- Named before work starts
- The wet areas
- Waterproofing explained, not assumed
- The handover
- A final check of every finish
The quote.
A good quote lists what is included, what is not, and how a surprise behind the walls will be handled.
The people.
Know who will be in your home, who does the plumbing and electrical work, and who you ring if something needs attention.
The finish.
Ask how wet areas are waterproofed, how tiles are set out, and what is checked before the room is handed over.
The quote
A clear quote next to a vague one.
Two quotes with the same total can cover very different amounts of work. We cannot give you a typical price here, because every bathroom is different, and we quote each room on its own. What you can compare is how much each quote tells you.
A clear quote
- Lists the work stage by stage, so you can see what each part covers
- Names what is included: strip-out, waste removal, waterproofing, tiling and fitting
- Says who supplies each product, and who orders it
- States what is not included, so there are no assumptions
- Explains how extra work is priced and agreed before it happens
- Gives a start date, a finish date and a way to confirm both
A vague quote
- One total with no breakdown, so nothing can be compared
- Allowances that do not say what they cover
- No mention of preparation or waterproofing
- No mention of who does the plumbing or the electrical work
- No schedule, or a schedule that depends on things left unsaid
- A price given without anyone having seen the room
The checklist
Ten questions to put to every firm.
Take this list with you, or read it out on the phone. A good fitter will be comfortable with every one of these, and the answers are easier to compare when each firm hears the same words.
- 1. Can I have a written, itemised quote? It should list the work stage by stage, not give one total.
- 2. What is included, and what is not? Strip-out, waste removal, waterproofing, tiling, fitting and making good should each be named.
- 3. Who does the plumbing and the electrical work? Ask who will do each trade, and whether they are registered for that work.
- 4. How will the wet areas be waterproofed? A clear answer names the method and when it happens, before any tile goes up.
- 5. Who orders the tiles, products and materials? Agree who supplies what, and who is responsible for lead times.
- 6. How long will it take, and what if it overruns? Ask for a start date, a finish date and what happens if either moves.
- 7. What if you find a problem once the old bathroom is out? Ask how extra work is priced and agreed before it is done.
- 8. How will you protect the rest of my home? Dust, floors, access and waste removal should all have an answer.
- 9. What is checked at handover, and what comes with the work? Ask what is checked at the end and what, if anything, is guaranteed.
- 10. Can I see a finished bathroom? Seeing fitted work at real scale tells you more than any brochure.
See it first
Look at fitted bathrooms before you hire anyone.
A fitted display shows you the details a quote cannot: how a tile meets a screen, how a vanity sits against a wall, how much room there is to move. Our showroom has fully fitted bathroom displays, and our design team will talk through the layout, your style and your budget.
We design, supply and install, and we price the supply and installation for your room and your chosen products. See how our bathroom installation works, or build a plan in our online bathroom planner.
Before you agree
Get the room measured, then get it in writing.
A price given without anyone seeing the room is a guess. Ask for the room to be measured before you receive a quote, and bring photos of the existing bathroom, the position of the soil pipe and radiator, and any products you have already chosen. Our bathroom renovation planning guide lists what to record.
Once you have chosen, ask for the scope, the schedule and the payment stages in writing. If a wet room or walk-in shower is part of the plan, ask extra questions about tanking and falls, and read our wet room or walk-in shower guide first.
FAQs
Questions Irish homeowners ask when they hire.
How do I find a good bathroom fitter in Dublin?
Ask two or three firms for a written, itemised quote and put the same questions to each. See finished work in person where you can, because a fitted bathroom shows the finish quality in a way a photo cannot. A showroom with fully fitted displays, like ours in Dublin 15, is a useful place to start.
How many quotes should I get for a bathroom?
Two or three is usually enough to compare. More than that tends to produce quotes that cannot be matched against each other, because each firm has written the job up differently. Give every firm the same room measurements, photos and product list.
What should a bathroom quote include?
It should say what work is included stage by stage, which products are supplied and by whom, what is not included, how extra work is priced and agreed, and when the work will start and finish. A single total with no breakdown makes comparison impossible.
Is the cheapest quote the best one?
Not on its own. A low total can mean something has been left out, such as waterproofing, preparation or making good. Compare what each quote covers before you compare the totals.
Do I need to choose my products before I ask for a quote?
It helps, because the quote is then written for your actual room and products. At New Look we price the supply and installation for your room and your chosen products, and confirm lead times and the fitting schedule before work starts.
How long does a bathroom fit take?
At New Look, most standard bathrooms take one to three weeks. The time depends on the size of the room, the level of strip-out, any plumbing changes, the tiling detail and product availability.
Do you fit bathrooms as well as supply them?
Yes. We design, supply and install, so the products, the design and the fitting come from one team. You can read how it works on our Dublin bathroom fitting page.
Visit the showroom
Ask us the same ten questions.
Visit New Look Tiles & Bathrooms at Roselawn Shopping Centre, Dublin 15, or call us on 01 685 5559. We will talk you through the design, the products and the fitting.