Bathroom Suites Buying Guide: Layouts, Sizes and What to Order
Compare complete, cloakroom and designer bathroom suites, plan the layout properly, and order everything the fit needs first time.
A bathroom suite is the sanitaryware package — usually toilet, basin and bath or shower — bought together so styling and dimensions match. The choice depends on the room size, the layout you can achieve within the pipework, and how much of the fit you want in one box. This guide covers suite types, clearances, and the full list of parts a suite install actually needs.
Suite types compared
| Suite type | Usually includes | Room size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete suite | Toilet, cistern, basin, bath or shower | Medium to large | Full bathroom refits in one order |
| Cloakroom suite | Compact toilet and small basin | Under 2m² | Downstairs WCs and en-suites |
| Designer suite | Wall-hung or back-to-wall pieces, often with furniture | Medium to large | Higher-specification refits with concealed pipework |
Buying a suite rather than separate pieces keeps the ceramic colour and styling consistent and reduces the number of deliveries to coordinate. Where you need a specific bath size or a particular toilet projection, mixing individual pieces from the same range is usually the better route.
Browse suite ranges
Layout, sizes and clearances
Measure the room and mark existing soil, waste and water positions before choosing pieces. Moving a toilet is the most expensive change in any bathroom because of the soil connection and the fall required on the waste run.
| Item | Typical size | Clearance to allow |
|---|---|---|
| Standard bath | 1700 × 700mm | 700mm access along one long side |
| Shower bath | 1700 × 750–850mm | Space for screen to swing or slide |
| Close coupled toilet | 600–700mm projection | 600mm clear in front |
| Basin | 450–600mm wide | 200mm each side where possible |
| Quadrant enclosure | 800–900mm | Door swing clear of the toilet |
- Wall-hung pieces need a supporting frame and solid fixings — allow for the frame depth in the room dimensions
- Back-to-wall toilets need a boxed or furniture unit behind them; confirm the cistern fits the depth
- Shower trays need a level, fully supported base — check whether the floor needs building up
Related reading
Choosing the showering arrangement
The shower choice depends on the heating system. Mixer showers suit systems with balanced hot and cold pressure; electric showers work independently of the hot water supply and suit properties where stored hot water is limited; digital showers need a compatible pump or supply.
Shop showering
The full order checklist
Suites rarely include everything the fit needs. Missing items are the usual reason a bathroom job stalls halfway through, so price the following alongside the suite itself:
- Taps and bath filler, plus wastes and traps for bath and basin
- Toilet pan connector, flexible or offset as the soil position requires
- Isolating valves and flexible tap connectors
- Bath panel, feet and cradle if not supplied
- Shower valve, riser or head, plus enclosure seals
- Tiles, adhesive, grout and silicone
- Towel rail or radiator, and extractor fan where required
Add the finishing items
Buying a bathroom for a job
For a full refit, build the specification as a saved list so the whole bathroom — suite, brassware, enclosure, tiling and consumables — can be ordered together and reordered on the next property. Larger or multi-bathroom schedules can go through the quote desk for project pricing and phased delivery.
Frequently asked questions
- What is included in a bathroom suite?
- Most complete suites include a toilet with cistern and seat, a basin with pedestal or brackets, and a bath. Taps, wastes, traps, panels and shower fittings are frequently sold separately — check the specification before ordering.
- What size bathroom suite fits a small room?
- Cloakroom suites with a compact toilet and small basin work in spaces under about 2m². In small full bathrooms, a 1700mm shower bath with a screen usually makes better use of the space than a separate bath and enclosure.
- Can I move the toilet when refitting a bathroom?
- It is possible but it is the most costly change, because the soil connection and waste fall have to be reworked. Keeping the toilet in place and moving the basin or bath instead is usually far cheaper.
- Should I buy a suite or separate pieces?
- Buy a suite where you want matching styling and a single order. Choose separate pieces from the same range when you need a specific bath length, toilet projection or basin width that the packaged suite does not offer.
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Plumb Supply Team
Practical buying information from the Plumb Supply team.
