Answers to the questions we're asked most often. If yours isn't here, give us a call.
Holmes Bathrooms carries out complete bathroom renovations across Cork and Limerick, city and county, and County Clare. We renovate main bathrooms, en-suites, wet rooms, walk-in showers and downstairs toilets, using our own team of plumbers, tilers and electricians. Every job starts with a free home visit, and you'll have a written quote within 24 hours.
A straightforward renovation keeping the existing layout takes five working days. If the layout changes, such as moving walls or partitions, it can take up to ten. Hidden issues like damaged floor timbers can add a day, and we'll always tell you before any extra work goes ahead.
A full renovation with us covers every stage from start to finish: protecting your home, stripping out the old bathroom, first fix plumbing and electrics, pressure testing the pipework before the walls are closed in, preparing the walls and floor, tanking and waterproofing, tiling and grouting, second fix plumbing and electrics, and a final clean and handover. Waste removal is included. You choose and buy your own tiles and bathroomware, and we can recommend reliable suppliers.
Every bathroom is different, so the cost depends on what you'd like done. Tiling only the shower walls and painting the rest costs far less than tiling a main bathroom floor to ceiling, with storage niches, spotlights and an extractor fan. The products you choose make a difference too, as budget and high-end ranges vary widely in price. For smaller jobs, labour starts from €3,000 plus VAT. The best way to find out is to give us a call. After a few quick questions, we can give you an indicative price over the phone, followed by a free home visit and a written quote.
Yes. The water is only turned off briefly while we drain down the system, and it's back on at the end of each day.
Yes. We can recommend reputable suppliers and we coordinate deliveries to avoid delays.
A 50% deposit on booking, 25% on the first day of work, and the final 25% plus any agreed extras on completion.
Yes, all our workmanship is guaranteed for 12 months. As we don't supply products, any faulty items such as taps, vanity units or mirrors are covered by your supplier.
Yes, we're fully insured, including public liability and employers' liability.
Yes. We'll call out and measure up free of charge, and you'll have a written quote within 24 hours.
We cover Cork city and county, Limerick city and county, and County Clare, including the surrounding towns and villages.
We renovate main bathrooms, en-suites, wet rooms, walk-in showers and downstairs cloakroom toilets.
An en-suite is usually smaller, so you'll need fewer tiles and less adhesive, which lowers the materials cost. The labour is much the same, though, as our plumbers and tilers spend a similar amount of time on site either way.
Yes. About half the bathrooms we renovate involve swapping a bath for a walk-in shower or a shower enclosure, so it's very straightforward for us. We remove the bath, rework the plumbing to suit the new shower, fit the shower tray, then tank the walls so everything is fully sealed before tiling begins. Done properly, it's built to last for many years.
In a wet room, there's no shower tray. The floor tiles run continuously into the shower area, and the floor is laid with a gentle slope towards a drain, so water flows away instead of pooling. It gives a sleek, seamless finish, usually with a single glass panel, and suits larger bathrooms best. A walk-in shower uses a long, low shower tray with a fixed glass panel along one side and an open end, so you simply walk in. A rainfall shower head helps keep splashes inside the shower area.
Yes. Within reason, we can reconfigure the whole bathroom. The main thing that decides where the toilet can go is the direction of the floor joists. If they run the right way, the waste pipe can sit hidden under the floorboards between them. If not, the pipe runs just above floor level and we box it in, often tiling over it to create a neat ledge or feature. Moving fittings also means rerouting the water supply, waste pipes and, for an electric shower, the wiring, which we'll price into your quote.
It depends on your hot water setup. If you have constant hot water, such as a pressurised system or a heat pump, a pumped shower usually makes most sense and gives the strongest flow. If you have to switch on the immersion or heating and wait for the cylinder to warm up, an electric shower can be more convenient. It heats water instantly as you use it, so there's no waiting, though the pressure is a little lower. We'll look at your system during the home visit and recommend what suits your home best.
No. In Ireland, work inside your home that doesn't change its outside appearance doesn't need planning permission. The exception is a protected structure, where internal changes may need permission, so check with your local council if your home is listed.
Yes. We can advise on tile sizes and formats, floor-standing or wall-hung vanity units, and heating options such as a wall-mounted towel rail with no pipes coming up from the floor, for a cleaner, neater finish. We also work with a few reliable suppliers who can help you choose based on your ideas and budget. If you already have everything picked out, that's no problem either.
Small things, like a broken fitting or a damaged piece of plasterboard, we simply fix at no extra cost. If we find something more significant, such as rotten floor timbers or faulty pipework, we'll show you the problem and give you a clear price to put it right, covering materials and labour. No extra work goes ahead until you've agreed to it.
Yes, waste removal is included in the price. We book the collection as the job nears completion. Collection is arranged with a waste company and can take up to two weeks, depending on their schedule.
Please clear everything out of the bathroom, including toiletries, towels and anything stored there. Anything left in the room will be treated as waste. If there's something you want to keep, such as a cabinet, let us know in writing so it's included in the job specification our team works from.
We'll need space outside for a skip bag. If you'd prefer to arrange your own waste removal, that's fine and we'll adjust the price to suit. Parking close to the house is also a great help.
All tiles and bathroomware must be delivered to your home before work begins. This keeps your job on schedule and avoids knock-on delays for other customers.
No. Most customers leave us a spare key and we let ourselves in and out. We leave the room clean, tidy and free of hazards at the end of each day. Arrival times can vary slightly with traffic, but we stay on schedule to finish by the agreed date.
Painting isn't included. Most customers tile their walls and floors fully, so usually only the ceiling is left, and many paint it themselves once the job is finished. You're also welcome to arrange your own painter.
We're usually booked four to eight weeks in advance, depending on the time of year. Your start date is secured once the booking deposit is paid.
Normal weekday hours, usually starting between 8 and 9am and finishing between 4 and 6pm. We don't normally work weekends, but may work a Saturday to finish a project if a customer is under time pressure.
Yes. We've completed many commercial bathroom projects and are happy to discuss offices, shops, pubs or rental properties.
These things happen, and while they're outside our control, we'll help where we can. If you're at work, we can contact your supplier directly to report the problem and arrange a replacement, so your job stays on track.
Look for a company that uses qualified tradespeople for each part of the job, rather than one person doing everything. Plumbing, electrics and tiling each need different skills, and your insurer may ask who carried out the work if you ever need to claim. Check that the company is fully insured, gives a written quote and a workmanship guarantee, and follows a clear process, such as pressure testing pipework and waterproofing before tiling. Reviews from local customers are also a good sign.
A bathroom involves several trades, and it's rare for one person to be fully qualified in all of them. We use qualified tilers, plumbers, electricians and carpenters, each doing the work they're trained for. That matters if you ever need to make an insurance claim for a leak or electrical fault, as your insurer may ask who carried out the work. It's also why we can stand over our workmanship with a 12-month guarantee.