Bathroom
renovation
in Highgate, N6
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A Highgate bathroom may be in a Georgian house, a mansion flat or a listed block; we design it from the drainage and the building's rules outwards.
GOV.UK says a bathroom with new plumbing, or electrical changes near water, may need building regulations approval.
We measure the room, find the soil stack and trace the supply before suggesting a layout, because those three things decide where the bath, shower and WC can go.
Source: GOV.UK: Building regulations approval
What a Highgate bathroom renovation includes
Most jobs start with a full strip back to the floor joists and wall surfaces, so we can see the condition of the timber, the old waste runs and any earlier repairs before the new layout is fixed.
The new bathroom is then built in layers: drainage and supply pipes, a waterproofed floor and walls where water falls, electrics in the right zones, an extract fan, and finally tiles, joinery and fittings.
An en-suite or cloakroom follows the same order on a smaller scale. Where space is short we look at wall-hung fittings, a concealed cistern or a shower in place of a bath.
Building control and certificates
Building regulations approval is separate from planning permission, and a bathroom can need one without the other.
Approval can be given by the local authority's building control team or by a registered private approver.
Without the approval, the compliance certificates you may need when selling the home will be missing.
We confirm the route before first fix and hand over the certificates with the finished room.
Source: GOV.UK: Building regulations approval
Fans and fresh air
When a bathroom is refitted, Approved Document F asks for existing fans to be kept or replaced and checked to be working.
A room that had no ventilation system before does not have to gain one, but more ventilation may be needed to keep it dry.
We run the duct the shortest practical way to the outside and leave the fan where it can be reached for cleaning.
Source: Approved Document F, Volume 1: Dwellings (2021 edition)
Pipes, vents and outside walls
On the Camden side, new pipework should be kept to side and rear elevations where possible, and in conservation areas a pipe on the principal front facing the road is a planning matter.
Camden's appraisal says the council will consider where air-handling equipment can go so that it protects amenity and the area's appearance.
Original rainwater pipes and gutters should be repaired or replaced like for like.
Sources: Camden Council: Home Improvements, Camden Planning Guidance (January 2021), Camden: Highgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Strategy (adopted October 2007), Camden Planning Guidance: Home Improvements (January 2021)
Bathrooms in listed buildings
Every part of a listed building is protected, including the interior, so a new bathroom in one is designed with the list entry and Camden's or Haringey's conservation officer in mind.
Highgate's listed buildings include Highpoint I on North Hill, listed at Grade I.
In a listed room we prefer surface-run pipework in a duct to chasing old walls, and free-standing fittings that leave the floor and skirtings intact.
Sources: Camden Council: Listed buildings, Historic England - National Heritage List for England, list entry 1358885 (Highpoint I)
Bathrooms in a Highgate flat
A lease clause banning any cutting of external walls would stop new openings for pipes, LEASE notes.
Underfloor heating that passes through floors or ceilings the landlord owns needs the landlord's permission.
Leaseholders are also asked to limit noise for other occupiers and keep corridors and stairs clear during the work.
Source: LEASE: Alterations and home improvements
Big baths, showers and the water supply
A bath holding more than 230 litres must be notified to the water supplier before it is installed.
We check the hot water capacity and the mains pressure before specifying a large bath or a rain shower, so the fitting works as intended on the top floor of the house as well as the ground.
Source: The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, regulation 5
Waterproofing, tiles and finishes
Where water will fall, walls and floor are tanked with a liquid or sheet membrane, lapped into the shower tray or the drain, before any tile goes on.
Large-format porcelain or stone needs a flat, rigid wall, so on old lath and plaster we strip back and board out first. Grout and silicone are chosen for the room's use and cleaned off as the tiler goes.
Joinery in a bathroom, vanity units, panelling or a bath surround, is sealed on all faces before fitting.
What to tell us before a bathroom is priced
Tell us which floor the bathroom is on and what is below it, whether it is in a house or a flat, and whether the building is listed.
List the fittings you want, any you would keep, and whether a bath, a shower or both matter most. Photographs of the room and of any visible pipes help us price the work before the survey.
Mention any access needs, such as a level shower or grab rails, so the floor and walls are designed for them from the start.
If the household will stay at home during the work, say so: we then plan a temporary washroom elsewhere in the house, keep the noisiest days short and agree in advance which mornings the water will be turned off.
Using the height of a period bathroom
Many Highgate bathrooms were once bedrooms, with a high ceiling and a tall sash window. That height suits a full-height mirrored cabinet, a towel shelf above the door and pendant lights that would crowd a lower room.
Under the window, a built-in seat or a low cupboard can hide the radiator and its pipes, and keep the sash free to open.
Noise, dust and the rest of the house
Breaking out old tiles is noisy, so it is scheduled inside the hours both boroughs set: 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.
We seal the room, protect the stair and landing, and agree when water will be off so the household can plan around it.
Sources: Camden Council: noisy building works, Haringey Council: Noise complaints
Bathroom detailing for Highgate’s varied buildings
Highgate includes Georgian villas, Victorian townhouses and later apartments. Confirm the address and relevant authority, then assess the actual building and room; the area name alone does not establish what can be changed.
For an older room, mark the fabric to retain before proposing recessed pipework, wall-hung fittings or large-format stone. Establish the supporting wall and floor construction and plan maintenance access. For a new extractor or waste route, show both the internal run and any external alteration so design and permission checks address the same proposal.
Related local guidance: Highgate flat refurbishment · house refurbishment · bespoke joinery.
A Highgate house we have modernised
Questions about bathroom renovation in Highgate
Does my bathroom renovation need building regulations approval?
It may, if it involves new plumbing or electrical changes near water.
Who can approve the work?
Either the council's building control team or a registered private building control approver.
Do I need a new extractor fan?
Existing fans should be kept or replaced, and a room with no ventilation may need more to stay dry.
Can I run a waste pipe down the front of the house?
On the Camden side new pipework belongs on side and rear walls where possible; on a principal elevation facing the road it is a planning matter.
Is there a size limit for baths?
A bath over 230 litres must be notified to the water supplier before installation.
What does a bathroom renovation in Highgate cost?
In Highgate the building comes first. A bathroom in a Georgian house, a mansion flat and a listed block start from different drainage positions and different rules, and a listing can govern where new pipes and extract run. Under GOV.UK's guidance, new plumbing or electrical changes near water may also need building regulations approval. The specification comes after that. We see the room, agree the scope and specification with you, and confirm the cost in a written quotation.
Sources: GOV.UK: Building regulations approval, Approved Document F, Volume 1: Dwellings (2021 edition), Camden Council: Home Improvements, Camden Planning Guidance (January 2021), The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, regulation 5
Sources
- GOV.UK: Building regulations approval
- Approved Document F, Volume 1: Dwellings (2021 edition)
- Camden Council: Home Improvements, Camden Planning Guidance (January 2021)
- Camden: Highgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Strategy (adopted October 2007)
- Camden Council: Listed buildings
- Historic England - National Heritage List for England, list entry 1358885 (Highpoint I)
- LEASE: Alterations and home improvements
- The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, regulation 5
- Camden Council: noisy building works
- Haringey Council: Noise complaints
Guides & Local Reading
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Highgate history & architecture
Background on the streets, buildings and conservation history of Highgate: The Boogaloo · The Parkland Walk · The Archway · The Highgate Ponds · Yehudi Menuhin at Highgate · The Whittington Hospital
Completed renovation project examples
