BATHROOM RENOVATION
The bathroom is the most regulated room in the home
A finished bathroom looks simple. What decides whether it lasts is behind the tiles: a floor that falls towards the drain, a waterproofing layer with no weak points, correctly run pipes and electrics that can cope with moisture. That is why the bathroom is the room where the most trades have to do their part in the right order, and where a mistake at the start is expensive to put right at the end.
Relut does the strip-out, carpentry, walls and painting itself. Waterproofing and tiling are carried out by a partner firm with trade authorisation, the plumbing by a Säker Vatten-authorised firm and the electrics by a registered electrical contractor. We coordinate them and keep the schedule together. Who does what, and who is responsible for which stage, is set out in the written quote. Home visits and quotes are free throughout Stockholm County.
What a bathroom renovation includes
Six stages, shared between us and partner firms with the authorisation each part requires.
Strip-out and removal
We remove surface finishes, fittings and, where needed, old wallboards down to the frame. That shows whether the floor structure or studs have moisture damage that must be dealt with before anything new is built.
Walls and substrate
We build or straighten walls, fit noggins where fittings will hang and prepare the substrate so the waterproofing firm gets a surface their system is approved for.
Waterproofing and tiling
Carried out by a partner firm with trade authorisation under the rules of Byggkeramikrådet or GVK. They form the falls, apply the waterproofing, lay wall and floor tiles and hand over quality documents for their work when it is finished.
Pipes and floor drain
A Säker Vatten-authorised plumbing firm reroutes pipes, replaces the floor drain when required and fits taps, toilet and washbasin. After the work you receive a Säker Vatten installation certificate.
Electrics and underfloor heating
A registered electrical contractor runs new wiring and installs underfloor heating, lighting and sockets protected by a residual current device (RCD). The firm checks the installation before it is put into use and documents it.
Painting and carpentry
We paint the ceiling and the walls that are not tiled with paint made for wet rooms, fit the door, architraves and trim, and install bathroom furniture once the surfaces are finished.
GOOD TO KNOW
The rules that govern a bathroom
Boverket (the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning) sets the requirements. The trade rules from Byggkeramikrådet, GVK and Säker Vatten describe how they are met in practice.
Waterproofing and fall to the drain
Boverket’s regulations require a waterproof layer on surfaces exposed to water, and a floor that falls towards the floor drain where the water ends up. There must be no backfall anywhere in the room. Byggkeramikrådet’s trade rules BBV 26:1 set the fall in the shower area at 7–30 millimetres per metre. The fall is built into the substrate, before the waterproofing. It cannot be corrected afterwards with the floor tiles.
Wet zone 1 and wet zone 2
The trade rules divide the room into two zones. Wet zone 1 is the walls by the bath or shower from floor to ceiling, the wall surfaces at least one metre beyond them, and the whole floor. Wet zone 2 is the remaining walls. The zone decides which substrate and which waterproofing system may be used. In the shower area itself, Säker Vatten allows only one penetration through the floor, and that is the floor drain.
Floor drains are replaced more often than expected
A floor drain made before 1990 must be replaced when renovating, according to both Säker Vatten and Byggkeramikrådet. The same goes for a drain that is damaged or incorrectly fitted in the floor structure. The new drain must be type-approved, firmly fixed and level so the waterproofing can be sealed to it. In a housing cooperative flat (bostadsrätt), changing waste pipes requires the board’s permission, so raise the drain replacement with the cooperative in good time.
The certificates your insurer asks for
Säker Vatten writes that insurance companies have as a rule included requirements in their terms that work is carried out in line with established trade rules. So keep the paperwork: quality documents for the waterproofing from the authorised firm, the Säker Vatten installation certificate (intyg om Säker Vatteninstallation) from the plumbing firm and documentation of the electrical work. The certificates are issued by the firms that did the work. They are also good to have on the day you sell your home.
How it works
From first contact to written quote
Three steps before anything is stripped out, and none of them costs you anything.
Tell us about the bathroom
Get in touch and describe the room: approximate size, the age of the building, house or housing cooperative flat, and what you want to change. Photos of the floor drain, pipes and consumer unit help us prepare the visit.
Free home visit
We measure the room and look at the floor structure, the age and position of the floor drain, pipe runs, ventilation and where electrics are needed. If you want to move the shower or toilet, we go through what that involves. The visit is free throughout Stockholm County.
Written quote
The quote shows the stages in order, what we do ourselves, which partner firms do the waterproofing, plumbing and electrics, who is responsible for what, which certificates you receive and how the ROT deduction (ROT-avdrag) is calculated.
What affects the price?
The price depends mainly on the size of the room, whether the floor drain, pipes and electrics are to be replaced or moved, the condition of the floor structure and walls behind the surface finishes, and which tiles and fittings you choose. Large tiles, niches and patterned layouts take longer. The ROT deduction (ROT-avdrag) is 30 per cent of the labour cost, up to SEK 50,000 per person per year. Materials and travel give no deduction. You get the price in a written quote.
Book a free home visitWould you rather talk to us directly? Call or email us
Free bathroom renovation home visit in Stockholm County
Tell us what you want done and we will get back to you. Call, email or fill in the form. The home visit and the quote cost nothing, wherever you live in Stockholm County.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about Bathroom renovation before you decide.
There is no honest answer without seeing the room, which is why we give the price in a written quote after a home visit. Two bathrooms of the same size can differ a lot in price depending on whether the floor drain is to be replaced, whether pipes and electrics are to be moved and what the floor structure looks like under the old floor. The ROT deduction (ROT-avdrag) reduces the labour cost by 30 per cent, up to SEK 50,000 per person per year.
The time depends more on drying times and sequence than on the number of working hours. Levelling compound, filler and waterproofing must dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions before the next stage begins, and pipes and electrics must be finished before the waterproofing goes on. So a bathroom can only be rushed so far before quality suffers. The schedule, with the start date and the order between the trades, is set out in the quote.
First the strip-out and a check of the floor structure and walls. Then pipes and electrics are run, and the floor drain is replaced if needed. After that, walls and substrate are built with the correct fall. The waterproofing is applied, and wall and floor tiles are laid and grouted. Last, the ceiling is painted, and the toilet, washbasin, taps, lighting and sockets are fitted and connected. The work ends with you receiving certificates and documentation.
Partly. You can strip out, paint and install fittings yourself. Fixed electrical installation, such as underfloor heating and new sockets, may only be done by a registered electrical contractor. You should also leave waterproofing and pipes to authorised firms. Only they can issue quality documents and a Säker Vatten installation certificate, and insurers as a rule require the work to be done in line with the trade rules. Boverket’s requirements also apply no matter who does the job.
Yes, in most cases. Under the Swedish Housing Cooperatives Act (bostadsrättslagen), the board’s permission is required to install or alter pipes for waste water, heating or water, to change the ventilation or to interfere with a load-bearing structure. A bathroom renovation almost always touches one of these. The board may only refuse if the work would cause significant damage or inconvenience to the cooperative. Many cooperatives have their own requirements for authorised firms and certificates, so ask before you order.
As a general rule, a building permit (bygglov) is not needed to renovate an existing bathroom. However, the Planning and Building Ordinance requires a notification (anmälan) to the municipal building committee (byggnadsnämnden) when water and waste water or ventilation are installed or substantially altered, and when load-bearing parts are substantially affected. A completely new bathroom in a room that has had no water may therefore require notification. Check with the building committee in your municipality before work starts.
Three things. Quality documents for the waterproofing from the authorised wet-room firm. A Säker Vatten installation certificate from the plumbing firm, which under the trade rules must be handed over no later than four weeks after the work is finished. And documentation of the electrical installation from the electrical contractor. Keep them together with the quote, invoices and photos from the work. They are often asked for when a home is sold and if you ever need to report water damage.
No. We come out free of charge throughout Stockholm County, look at the bathroom and give you a free written quote. During the visit we go through the floor drain, pipes, electrics and ventilation and talk about what you want to change. You do not commit to anything by accepting the visit or the quote.