Bathroom Fitter's Tool Kit: Multi-Trade Essentials

Bathroom fitting combines plumbing, tiling, carpentry, and sometimes electrics. It's a multi-trade skill set that needs the tools to match. Here's what bathroom fitters actually carry.

The Plumbing Side

Pipe cutters: 15mm and 22mm rotary cutters for copper. Plastic pipe cutters for push-fit waste. These get used constantly.

Pipe benders: Handheld for quick bends, proper lever bender for neat visible work. Though a lot of bathroom plumbing is now push-fit which needs no bending.

Adjustable wrenches: At least two sizes. Basin, bath, and shower connections all need these.

Basin wrench: That long awkward tool for tightening tap connectors in impossible spaces behind basins.

Compression fittings kit: Elbows, tees, straights, isolation valves. Stock for common sizes saves trips to the merchant.

The Tiling Side

Tile cutter: Manual cutter for wall tiles. Most bathroom tiles are ceramic and cut easily with a good manual cutter.

Angle grinder: With diamond blade for L-cuts and holes. For cutting around pipes and fittings.

Diamond hole saws: For pipe holes through tiles. 35mm, 50mm, and a larger one for waste pipes.

Notched trowels: 6mm and 10mm for wall tiles typically.

Grout float and sponge: For finishing.

The Carpentry Side

Multi-tool: For cutting flooring around toilets, trimming door frames for floor height, detail work everywhere.

Jigsaw: For bath panels, cutting flooring, boxings.

Circular saw or track saw: For flooring, panels, any straight cuts.

Impact driver and drill: The usual - fitting brackets, frames, panels, bath supports.

Silicone and Sealant

Bathroom finishing depends on good sealant work:

• Quality silicone gun with adjustable flow
• Silicone in appropriate colours
• Finishing tools or just your finger and soapy water
• Masking tape for clean lines

Bad silicone work ruins an otherwise good bathroom. Take time to get it right.

Specific Bathroom Tools

Spirit level: Everything needs to be level in a bathroom - basins, baths, tiles, vanities.

Laser level: For tile setting out. Gets your first row bang on.

Stud detector: For finding fixings in stud walls, and checking for pipes and cables.

Inspection camera: For checking waste runs under floors, seeing into voids. Not essential but useful for diagnosis.

The Wet Room Question

If you're doing wet rooms, you need to understand tanking. This means:

• Tanking membrane and tape
• Correct application tools
• Understanding of falls and drainage

Wet rooms done wrong leak and cause massive damage. Make sure you know what you're doing or sub it out.

Electrics in Bathrooms

Bathroom electrics have specific regulations. Unless you're Part P qualified:

• Don't do notifiable electrical work
• Coordinate with a qualified electrician
• Understand zones and IP ratings

At minimum, have a voltage tester for checking existing circuits and knowing what's live.

The Full Service Approach

Many bathroom fitters offer complete fitting including:

• Strip out
• Plumbing alterations
• Electrical work (qualified or subbed)
• Plastering or boarding
• Tiling
• Fitting sanitaryware
• Finishing and siliconing

This needs tools from multiple trades and the skills to use them. It's why good bathroom fitters can charge premium rates - they're doing several jobs in one.

Build your kit based on what services you're offering. If you're subbing the tiling, you don't need tiling kit. If you're subbing electrics, you don't need test equipment beyond basics.