We get asked, sometimes, why our prices are what they are. The short answer: we charge what the work costs to do properly, plus the margin needed to keep a small business going. The long answer is below.
Why we don't do bathrooms under £25,000
A proper bathroom strip-and-refit takes about three weeks of work for a single tradesman, plus tilers, plumbers, electricians and decorators alongside. Materials — sanitary, tile, brassware, lighting, joinery — for a mid-spec bathroom run £8,000 to £15,000. Labour for the team across three weeks, including planning and supervision, is another £10,000 to £18,000. Add overheads and margin, and the floor for a bathroom we can deliver to the JAG standard sits at £25,000.
Below that price, the maths breaks down. Either the labour rate is lower (cheaper trades), or the materials are bottom-spec, or the time isn't there to set out, snag, and finish properly. Those are real choices a client can make — but not at the JAG standard.
Why our renovations sit between £80,000 and £250,000
A whole-house refurbishment is a six-to-nine-month project for a small team. Materials for a four-bed Victorian terrace run £40,000 to £100,000 depending on spec. Labour is the bigger number — multiple trades on site over months, project supervision, snagging, building control, all the coordination that turns a list of tasks into a finished house.
The £80,000 floor is for a basic-spec refurbishment of a small house. The £250,000 ceiling — and projects do go above it — is for high-spec work in larger houses with structural changes, extensions, and bespoke joinery.
What's included in the price
Everything written in the scope. The scope is the contract. If it's in the scope, it's in the price. If it's not in the scope, it's not — but you'll know about it before any work happens, in writing, with a price you sign off on.
What's not included
Architects' fees. Structural engineers' fees. Planning application fees. Building control fees. Party wall surveyor fees. These all come from third parties and are charged separately at cost.
Items the client supplies — tiles, brassware, kitchen, etc. — if you want to supply them yourself rather than have us buy them with our trade discount.
Anything outside the agreed scope. If you decide halfway through that you want a new boiler, an extra bathroom, or a different kitchen, that's a variation. We price it before we start it.
Where we sit in the market
Our pricing is in the middle of where small London residential builders price honestly — cheaper than big-firm agency rates, more than directory listings. If you have three quotes and ours is in the middle, we're probably the right fit. If we're the cheapest, we've missed something. If we're miles more than the next, something has gone wrong on our end.
What you're paying for
James on site. The same trades on your job from start to finish. A scope written properly. Materials that hold up. Snagging done before handover. A 12-month defects period. A team that picks up the phone.
That's it. That's what the price buys.