Bathroom Renovation Clerkenwell

GS Renovation renovates bathrooms across Clerkenwell, working within the post-war blocks, new-build apartments and warehouse conversions of this EC1 quarter of Islington. We build wet rooms, en-suites and space-saving family bathrooms that are properly waterproofed and ventilated, which matters more than anything when your neighbour lives directly below you.

In Clerkenwell, a full bathroom refit typically costs £6,000 to £20,000 or more (indicative London ranges, MyBuilder and Checkatrade, 2026). GS Renovation Ltd, a building contractor based in Potters Bar, does the work in Clerkenwell: we carry the tanking, plumbing and tiling as one contract, with the electrics certified by a registered electrician.

How the job runs

1. Free design visit at your Clerkenwell home and an itemised quote.
2. Strip-out, then first-fix plumbing and electrics.
3. Tanking to the wet areas, then tiling.
4. Sanitaryware and second fix, with notifiable electrics certified by a registered electrician. Typically 10 to 15 working days on site.

Waterproofing bathrooms in Clerkenwell EC1 flats

In a stacked Clerkenwell conversion, a bathroom leak is your downstairs neighbour's ceiling, so we tank and waterproof to a standard that leaves nothing to chance. Wet rooms and walk-in showers are fully tanked before a single tile goes on, the falls are set to drain cleanly, and we upgrade extraction and ventilation to clear moisture from rooms that often sit deep inside a converted floorplate with no external window.

Drainage in these EC1 buildings is rarely straightforward. Original warehouse layouts and new-build service voids dictate where waste can run, so we plan the position of the shower, basin and WC around the existing stacks rather than assuming we can move them anywhere. Notifiable electrical work for lighting, heating and extraction is certified under building regulations, and we work within the managing agent's rules on noise and access.

Housing in Clerkenwell

The stock in Clerkenwell runs to roughly 7,790 dwellings, 96% of them flats and 4% houses, built 26% before 1919, 6% between 1919 and 1939 and 65% after 1945. Most homes here are flats, and a bathroom in a flat in Clerkenwell sits over a neighbour's ceiling, so tanking comes first.

Adding a bathroom to a Clerkenwell flat brings in building control

Replacing a bathroom where it stands in Clerkenwell is a refit. Adding an en-suite, or moving the bathroom to another part of the flat, is different, because new drainage and new extraction come under the building regulations. With 96% of Clerkenwell homes being flats, a bathroom here is often in a building with shared stairs and entrances, and Islington will not accept a building notice for residential premises with common areas. In that case the new bathroom is drawn and submitted as a full plans application before the strip-out date is fixed.

The drawings show the new waste route to the stack, its fall, the extract route to outside and how the floor is sealed. Islington's statutory period for a full plans decision is five weeks, or two months if agreed, and that period can run while the sanitaryware and tiles are on order, so applying early keeps it off the critical path. At the end Islington issues the completion certificate once the work is satisfactory and the fees are fully paid, and we keep it with the electrical certificates for the flat's records.

Space-saving en-suites for Clerkenwell homes

Bathroom space is tight in many Clerkenwell homes, so a clever layout matters as much as a smart finish. We carve en-suites out of awkward corners, fit wall-hung sanitaryware and compact walk-in showers, and use continuous tiling and recessed niches to make a small room feel calm rather than cramped. Underfloor heating frees up the walls and keeps a stone or porcelain floor warm underfoot.

The finish is chosen to suit the home, from industrial-toned tiling that echoes a warehouse conversion to crisper schemes for a new-build apartment near the Angel. Whatever the look, the fundamentals stay the same: sound tanking, a reliable drainage route, proper ventilation and certified electrics. In a leasehold EC1 flat we confirm any freeholder approvals for altering services before the strip-out begins.

• Freestanding and built-in bath installation
• Notifiable bathroom electrics certified by a registered electrician under Part P
• Tanking membranes and waterproof boards behind tiles

VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for Clerkenwell. Counts rounded by the VOA.

If you are weighing up bathroom renovation in Clerkenwell, it may help to read chimney breast removal in Clerkenwell, bathroom renovation across Islington, bathroom fitting in London, bathroom renovation across London and Small Bathroom Ideas.

The GS Renovation Difference in Clerkenwell

Clerkenwell owners choose GS Renovation because a bathroom in a stacked EC1 conversion has to be watertight, well drained and quiet to build. One team handles the tanking, drainage, ventilation, tiling and certified electrics, works within the managing agent's rules and confirms freeholder approvals first, all backed by our founder's 30+ years on the tools.

Checked by Abdelaaziz Saaid, founder and director of GS Renovation Ltd (Companies House no. 14611254). Structural design is by the consulting engineer appointed to your project.