Your bathroom renovation checklist
Decide what you want to keep, replace or move. Have the room assessed, choose the products and agree the scope, permissions, programme and payment terms. Plan bathroom access during the work, then collect the applicable completion records and care instructions at handover.
Choose the work you actually want
A room size does not define a renovation. Use the description that fits your plans, then have the existing bathroom and proposed work assessed.
| Your plan | Describe in the brief | Have assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh the finishes | Name the surfaces, storage or fittings you want to update and what will stay. | Can the existing room and finishes be retained? Will the work affect services or waterproofing? |
| Replace the bathroom | List what will be removed and replaced, including fixtures, surfaces and storage. | What preparation, trade work, waterproofing and completion checks are included? |
| Change the layout | Describe the positions and access you want to change. | Which design, building, service and approval work does the new layout need? |
Include the existing condition and proposed changes in your brief, then agree the work and programme for that bathroom.
Make the quotes easier to compare
Give each contractor the same brief and selected products. Compare the complete work and selected products for your room.
| Check | Put in writing |
|---|---|
| Products and finishes | List the selected fixtures, tiles, vanity and other products, including supply and installation. |
| Preparation and trades | Identify removal, waste, repairs, waterproofing, plumbing, electrical work and who coordinates them. |
| Allowances and exclusions | Show items still to be selected, work priced separately and anything you must arrange. |
| Programme and changes | Agree the work sequence, room access, payment arrangements and how changes affect cost and time. |
The QBCC quote-comparison guidance is a useful Queensland example. For budget context, our bathroom cost guide provides published examples with their individual inclusions, not a price for your room.
A checklist from first ideas to handover
Before requesting quotes
- Write down what you want to keep, replace or move, plus the storage and access you need.
- Have the room and proposed work assessed, including any leak, damage or materials that may be disturbed.
- Choose your preferred products or identify selections that still need an allowance.
Before booking the work
- Agree the scope, selected products, exclusions, programme and payment terms in writing.
- Check relevant licences and insurance yourself. Confirm applicable council, building and strata permissions before work starts.
- Arrange the toilet and shower access your household will use while the room is unavailable.
Before strip-out
- Confirm product deliveries, site access and protection arrangements with the contractor.
- Have possible asbestos assessed before materials are disturbed; seek professional advice rather than starting demolition yourself.
- Confirm who coordinates the trades, required inspections and product-specific drying or curing stages.
At handover
- Walk through the agreed work with the contractor and record any unfinished items or defects.
- Get the applicable completion records, product details, warranties and care instructions.
- Confirm when the shower and other fixtures can be used, who to contact about problems and any follow-up work.
Use the written programme for your project, including approvals, delivery dates, preparation and the selected products. NSW contract guidance and NSW strata rules are regional examples to check alongside requirements where your home is.
Check the choices before ordering
Bring your selections together in one list so the designer, trades and suppliers can confirm that they work with the room.
| Choice | Confirm for this bathroom |
|---|---|
| Layout and access | Have the designer confirm clearances, door movement, storage and access needs for the proposed room. |
| Fixtures and water use | Record exact models and connections. Compare applicable WELS labels and confirm product suitability with the supplier and plumber. |
| Tiles and flooring | Ask for wet-area suitability, slip-resistance information, drainage/fall requirements and cleaning instructions for the selected products and room. |
| Lighting and power | Have a licensed electrician specify fittings, positions and controls that suit the room. |
| Ventilation | Ask the designer how the room will be ventilated and how moisture will be managed, including any exhaust path and controls. |
| Care and maintenance | Get the manufacturer's cleaning, sealing and maintenance instructions for the products you choose. |
Use the WELS label guidance when comparing relevant fixtures. Ask the designer and relevant trades to confirm access, ventilation and electrical requirements for the proposed work, including the applicable code edition and local provisions.
Agree the waterproofing plan before work starts
Ask the designer or contractor to explain what this bathroom needs and which requirements apply to the proposed work. The ABCB waterproofing guidance explains why existing-building renovations need to be considered under the relevant state or territory rules.
- Scope: Which areas, preparation, drainage details and interfaces are included?
- Responsibility: Who will do and supervise the work, and what qualifications or licences apply where your home is?
- Products and sequence: Which system is specified, and when can the next trade begin or the shower be used?
- Records: Which inspections, certificates or other completion documents apply, who supplies them and when?
Get the selected system's current product data sheets and agree the readiness checks with the contractor. ARDEX's published membrane example distinguishes tiling readiness from full cure and gives conditions for both. Follow the current instructions for the specified system, with the contractor confirming readiness at each stage.
NSW waterproofing licensing and Queensland's waterproofing licence scope are regional examples. Check local requirements before appointing the person doing the work, and discuss your own insurance cover with your insurer.
Keep the budget focused
Ask for alternatives before cutting work that the assessed bathroom needs:
- Compare layout options. Price the proposed layout alongside retaining existing positions, with the work and exclusions clear.
- Compare selected products. Ask for alternatives that suit the design and specify what changes in supply, installation and maintenance.
- Plan for changes. Agree how unforeseen work and selections still to be made will affect the budget and programme. Keep a reserve suited to the assessed project, rather than assuming one percentage covers every bathroom.
Compare actual proposals and get agreed changes recorded before the work is carried out.
Sources and further reading
- ABCB: waterproofing in houses
- NSW: waterproofing work licences
- QBCC: waterproofing licence scope
- ARDEX WPM 155 Rapid Plus technical datasheet
- QBCC: seeking and comparing quotes
- NSW: contracts for residential building work
- Asbestos guidance for householders and renovators
- WELS: what water-rating stars mean
- NSW: electrical safety in the home
- NSW: strata renovation permissions
- ABCB: NCC 2022 Housing Provisions ventilation
Checked 13 October 2026. NSW and Queensland references are regional examples. The ventilation reference is labelled NCC 2022; confirm which edition and local rules apply to your project. The ARDEX document is a product-specific illustration of differing readiness stages, not a product recommendation or renovation timetable.
