Home Services Bathroom Design and Installation Rye
Bathroom Design and Installation in Rye
Fitting a beautiful, modern bathroom into a centuries-old Rye cottage takes more thought than dropping a showroom suite into a new build. Ellwood & Son design and install bathrooms across Rye that respect the character of the building while giving you the comfort and reliability of brand-new plumbing.
Bathroom Design and Installation
Designing Around Character, Not Against It
Rye's housing runs from medieval and Georgian cottages in the old town to Victorian terraces and modern family homes beyond it. In the older properties, sloping ceilings, exposed beams, small windows and rooms that were never meant to hold plumbing all shape the design.
We treat those constraints as the starting point. Short projection baths, corner basins, made-to-measure shower enclosures and clever storage let us fit a genuinely comfortable bathroom into spaces other fitters would call impossible. Traditional-style suites and fittings are available where you want the room to feel in keeping with the house.
Gas Safe registered engineers
All major brands: Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Ideal
Registered Ideal Connect installers
Worcester accredited installers
Gas Safe Registered. Local. Guaranteed.
We follow a structured approach to ensure every job is completed to the highest standards, with minimal disruption to your home or business in Rye.
Hastings & East Sussex
The Plumbing Nobody Sees
Older Rye properties often carry generations of altered pipework, odd pipe runs and original floor structures that need respecting. Before we quote, we survey what is actually behind the panels and under the boards, so the price you get reflects the real job.
All installation work is done by our own Gas Safe registered engineers. Where the bathroom project touches the heating system, fitting a towel rail, moving a radiator or extending pipework, it is handled in-house to the same standard as our boiler work.

Hastings & East Sussex
What a Rye Bathroom Project Looks Like
- Free survey and design visit, with honest advice on what the room can take
- Itemised written quote covering the whole project
- Strip-out, plumbing, installation and finishing by one team
- Modern shower fixtures or traditional suites to suit the property
- Careful protection of floors, beams and original features throughout
- Waste removed and the room left ready to use

Hastings & East Sussex
Worth the Trip, Every Time
We are based in Hastings and Rye is firmly inside our regular working area, alongside St Leonards-on-Sea and Bexhill-on-Sea. You get the responsiveness of a local firm and engineers who have worked in Rye's older buildings before, which counts for a lot when the unexpected turns up behind a 200-year-old wall.

Accredited & Trusted
Manufacturer-Backed Workmanship
Worcester Accredited InstallersGas Safe RegisteredOur Work
Recent Installations Near Rye




Help & Advice
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you fit a modern bathroom in a period or listed Rye property?
Yes. We fit modern and traditional-style bathrooms in older properties regularly, working carefully around original features. If your building is listed, some internal works may need consent, and we recommend checking with the local conservation officer before structural or significant alterations. We can help you work out what falls in that category.
My bathroom has sloping ceilings and awkward corners. What can you do?
Quite a lot. Showers can be positioned where head height is best, short and corner baths make use of tricky footprints, and bespoke enclosures deal with angles that off-the-shelf units cannot. We design from accurate measurements of your actual room, so nothing is guessed.
How much does a new bathroom cost in Rye?
It depends on the room, the specification and how much of the plumbing needs updating, which in older properties can be the deciding factor. We survey properly, then give you an itemised written quote so you can see every cost. There is no charge for the survey or the quote.
Do older properties need their plumbing upgraded during a bathroom refit?
Often, partially. If we find pipework that is undersized, corroded or poorly routed, the refit is the sensible moment to correct it, while everything is accessible. We only recommend upgrades that earn their place, and they are always itemised in the quote rather than hidden in a lump sum.
How long does a bathroom refit take in an older property?
Around one to two weeks for most refits once materials are on site. Older buildings can add a little time because access is tighter and surprises are more likely, and we build sensible allowance into the schedule rather than promising a fantasy deadline.
Can you improve low water pressure in an old cottage?
Usually. Low pressure in older Rye properties can come from old supply pipework, the hot water system or both. As plumbing and heating engineers we diagnose the actual cause and design the fix into the project, so the lovely new shower actually performs.
Can I have a freestanding or traditional-style bath?
Yes, and they suit Rye's older houses beautifully. We check the floor structure can take the weight when filled, position the bath where the joists and pipe runs allow, and source traditional-style brassware to match. It is a favourite request and one we enjoy delivering.
Do you handle tiling and the finishing trades?
Yes. Tiling, flooring and any electrical work are arranged by us as part of the project, so the whole room is finished to one standard under one quote. You do not need to find and manage separate trades.
Is a small en-suite possible in an older house?
Frequently, yes. A corner of a bedroom, a deep cupboard or an underused landing can often become a compact shower room. Feasibility hangs on water supply, drainage routes and head height, all of which we can assess in a single visit before you get attached to the idea.
Do you charge more for working in Rye?
No. Rye is part of our standard area along with Hastings, St Leonards-on-Sea and Bexhill-on-Sea, and travel is included in the quoted price. The free survey and quote apply in Rye exactly as they do everywhere else we work.
Where We Work
Bathroom Installation Nearby
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Other Services in Rye
A Bathroom Worthy of the House
Talk to Ellwood & Son about your Rye bathroom project. Call 07525 024973 to book a free design survey.