Quick answer
A fixed-price bathroom quote is a written, all-in price for the agreed scope of work that won’t change unless you change the scope — unlike a rough estimate or a day-rate that can balloon as the job runs on. It gives you certainty on cost before a single tile comes off the wall.
Fixed price vs estimate vs day rate
These three words get used as if they mean the same thing. They don’t, and the difference is your money — so knowing which one you’ve actually been given is the most useful thing you can do before agreeing to any bathroom work.
A fixed price
A written, all-in figure for a clearly defined scope. Barring something unforeseen behind the walls, the number you sign off is the number you pay — the risk of the job overrunning sits with the fitter, not you.
An estimate
An educated guess — and often an honest one — but only a guess. It can move up or down as the work unfolds. Useful early on for budgeting, but it isn’t a commitment and shouldn’t be treated like one.
A day rate
You pay for time, however long it takes. Fine for small odd jobs, risky for a full bathroom — a slow week or a run of delays comes straight out of your pocket, with no ceiling on the total.
What a proper fixed quote includes
A figure scribbled on the back of a card isn’t a fixed quote — it’s a number. A real one is itemised, so nothing can quietly appear later as an “extra”. Ours always sets out:
- Itemised labour for each stage — strip-out, first fix, tiling, second fix and finishing
- Materials, with provisional or PC sums for the tiles and suite you choose
- Waste removal and skip or tip costs
- Making good — plastering, decorating and the trims that finish the room
- A clear scope of works, so everyone knows what’s in and what’s not
For the overall figures first, our Plymouth bathroom cost guide breaks down where the money goes.
Every line ties to something you can see in the finished room — no vague “labour and materials” lump sums.
What are PC and provisional sums?
There’s one honest wrinkle: the tiles and suite are usually your choice, and you might not have settled on them yet. Rather than guess, a good fitter uses a prime cost (PC) sum or a provisional sum — a clearly stated allowance for those client-chosen items.
Say we allow £900 for tiles. Choose a porcelain at £1,200 and the quote rises by the £300 difference; pick something at £700 and you save £200. The labour stays fixed — only the chosen material flexes, transparently. That’s how a fixed price stays fixed without pretending you’ve already decided things you haven’t.
A full bathroom in Plymouth typically lands between £4,075 and £10,870, averaging about £6,340 — and a fixed quote turns that range into one firm number you can plan around.
How scope changes are handled — the variation
A fixed price isn’t a straitjacket. Halfway through you might decide you’d like underfloor heating after all — that’s fine. It’s just a variation, handled in writing before the work happens: we price the change, show you the new line, and you say yes or no. The original price holds for the original scope, so the only thing that ever moves your total is a decision you made with your eyes open.
You change your mind
Upgrade a tap, add a heated mirror, swap to a fancier tile — we price the variation, you approve it, and it’s added as a separate, visible line.
We never change it quietly
If something isn’t on the agreed scope, it doesn’t get done — or charged — without a conversation and your written go-ahead first.
What can legitimately change a fixed price?
Here’s the one fair exception: hidden damage you genuinely couldn’t see until the old bathroom came out. Damp, rot, perished pipework or dodgy old wiring behind the tiles can’t be priced sight unseen — nobody can quote for what nobody can see.
The difference between a good fitter and a chancer is how this gets handled. We flag the possibility up front, before you sign. If we then find something on strip-out, we stop, show you, photograph it, explain your options and price the fix as a clear variation before carrying on — you decide. What we’ll never do is spot a problem on day one, say nothing, and present a swollen bill at the end. That’s exactly what fixed pricing is meant to stamp out, and it’s also why two quotes for the same room can look so different.
Why fixed pricing protects you
Get three quotes the old-fashioned way and you’ll often get three numbers that bear no relation to each other — the “quote lottery”. Some are estimates; some leave out half the job. A proper fixed quote ends that, with Plymouth pricing running around 9% below the UK average.
No mid-job creep
The price is locked to the scope. You won’t watch the total drift upward as “little extras” pile on.
Compare like for like
When every quote is itemised, you can see who’s genuinely cheaper and who just left things out to win the job.
Plan with confidence
One firm number means you can budget properly — and our full bathroom installation service is priced exactly this way.
Still building a shortlist? Read how to choose a bathroom fitter, the questions to ask before you commit, and whether to pay anything upfront.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a quote and an estimate?
A quote is a firm, written price for a defined scope you can hold the fitter to. An estimate is an honest best-guess that can move up or down as the job unfolds. Always make sure you’ve been given a fixed quote, not an estimate dressed up as one.
Can a fixed-price bathroom quote ever change?
Only if you change the scope — handled as a clearly priced variation you approve in advance — or if genuinely hidden damage like damp or rot is found on strip-out. A good fitter flags that possibility up front and prices any fix transparently before carrying on.
What is a PC or provisional sum?
It’s a clearly stated allowance for items you haven’t chosen yet, usually the tiles and suite. The labour to fit them stays fixed; only the material cost flexes against the allowance once you’ve picked — so the price stays genuinely fixed.
No surprises, ever
Get a fixed price you can actually plan around
Tell us about your bathroom and we’ll give you a written, itemised, all-in price — with every line explained before we lift a tool.