Grout occupies a small fraction of a tiled wall, but it's the part that discolours, stains and breaks down first - and because it runs in lines across the whole area, when it goes off, everything around it looks dated. Tiles themselves are considerably more durable and often outlast the joints between them by years.

So the useful question isn't "should I redo the bathroom?" It's "which part of this has actually failed?"

• the tiles themselves are sound - no cracks, chips or damage
• the main problem is grout that's stained, discoloured, deteriorated or mould-affected
• the tiles are secure, sitting flat and don't sound hollow when tapped
• you want to refresh how the area looks without replacing tiles that are doing their job

• tiles are cracked, chipped or otherwise damaged
• tiles are loose, lifting or hollow-sounding
• there are defects new grout simply can't address
• you want a genuinely different finish, in which case this is a design decision rather than a repair one
• looking at it closely shows the issue goes beyond cosmetic grout deterioration

Plenty of bathrooms sit somewhere between the two lists - sound tiles overall, with a couple of damaged ones. That's a normal outcome, not a complication.

Usually yes, and often more than people expect - but it won't make an old bathroom new. Fresh, evenly finished joints and renewed silicone at the edges make a tiled area read as clean and cared-for rather than tired. That's a real difference, and it's a fraction of the cost and disruption of re-tiling.

What it won't do is change the tiles. If you dislike the tile colour, size or style, regrouting will give you a tidier version of the bathroom you already have. Worth being honest with yourself about which of those is bothering you.

Then that's the job, and it doesn't have to become a bigger one. Localised tile repair and replacement is a service in its own right in our catalogue:

Like regrouting, it's quoted after a look rather than sold at a fixed price, because the number of tiles, their location and how the surrounding area behaves all change the work. Matching replacement tiles to existing ones is worth raising early - if you have spare tiles from the original installation, mention it, as an exact match is far easier than an approximate one. Which tiles are used and what's supplied is confirmed as part of the quotation.

If you're seeing water coming through a tiled wall or floor, persistent damp, or tiles lifting in one particular area, that's worth pausing on. Cosmetic work over an unresolved source of moisture generally doesn't last, because the conditions that caused the problem are still there afterwards.

We'd rather establish what's happening than tile over it. Where the underlying cause sits outside what tiling and regrouting can properly address - waterproofing or structural issues, for instance - we'll say so rather than take on work that won't hold. If water is appearing near a bathroom drain or fitting, our plumbing services may be the more relevant starting point.

Then the sensible thing is to have the condition assessed before committing to anything, rather than quoting for the largest possible job on the assumption it's needed. Sound tiles and failed grout is a contained piece of work. Loose or damaged tiles is a different one. Which of those you're looking at is a five-minute question for someone standing in the room, and it decides everything else - including the cost.

If cost is the main thing on your mind, what affects regrouting price covers that in detail.