From Measure to Handover: An Inner West Bathroom Renovation

Stage 1: the measure

A visit of about 45 minutes. In an Inner West house it covers more than the room's dimensions:

• The floor, from above and, where possible, from below through a vent or a lifted board
• The walls, including which one is shared and what the linings are made of
• The roof over a lean-to, and its junction with the main house
• Ventilation, and where an exhaust fan can discharge outside
• Access — hallway width, stairs, rear lane, parking, skip placement
• Approvals — whether the house is in a conservation area, a listed item or a strata scheme

Stage 2: testing, approvals and the quote

Asbestos testing for any pre-1990 house or unit. Samples go to a laboratory and results usually come back within days.

Approvals where needed. Strata approval for a unit. Council consent if the job includes external changes in a conservation area, or work on a listed item. Most internal bathroom renovations need neither of the council steps.

A written, itemised quote that names fittings, states a tile allowance, lists any structural or asbestos work as separate lines, explains access costs, and sets out how variations are priced.

Stage 3: selections before a start date

Tiles chosen and in stock. Vanity ordered with a confirmed delivery date. Tapware, toilet, shower rose, mirror cabinet, lighting and heating decided. A start date is booked only once the long-lead items are confirmed, because a missing vanity in week four stops the whole job.

Stage 4: preparing the house

Floor protection from the front door to the bathroom. Dust screens where needed. A skip, cage or van arrangement for rubbish, with any permit organised. The attached neighbour told when the noisy days are.

If asbestos was found, the licensed removalist works first, with the area sealed, and a clearance is obtained before general demolition starts.

Stage 5: demolition (days 1–3)

Tiles, fixtures, linings and old screed come out. In a 1970s bathroom with a mortar bed, this is slower and heavier than people expect. Everything goes out through the house or the lane.

With the room open, the structure is inspected again. Anything not visible at the measure — rot in a bearer, a cracked waste, a termite-damaged stud — is photographed and priced as a variation for your written approval.

Stage 6: structure and rough-in (days 3–8)

Carpentry. Floor stiffened or replaced, new wall framing or stud linings, noggings for the vanity, toilet and grab points, any roof repair over a lean-to.

Plumbing rough-in. New supply and waste pipework, kept out of party walls where possible.

Electrical rough-in. Lighting at the mirror, exhaust fan with ducting to outside, power for a heated towel rail or underfloor heating.

This is the last point where a fixture position can move cheaply.

Stage 7: sheeting, screed and waterproofing (days 8–14)

Wet-area board goes on the walls and floor. The shower floor is screeded to fall. The membrane is applied in coats with drying time between, turned up the walls and detailed at every junction, penetration and waste.

Cold, damp winters can slow curing. The program allows for it rather than pretending it will not happen. A waterproofing certificate is issued once the membrane is complete. See waterproofing.

Stage 8: tiling (days 14–22)

Set-out first, to handle walls that are out of plumb and rooms that taper. Floor, then walls, then grout, then flexible sealant in corners and at the floor junction. Patterned floors and small wall tiles take longer. See bathroom tiling.

Stage 9: fit-off and finishing (days 22–28)

The plumber installs the toilet, vanity, basin, tapware and shower. The electrician fits lights, fan and heating. The shower screen is measured after tiling and installed last. Paint to the ceiling and door.

Stage 10: handover

A walk-through together, a list of anything that needs attention, the waterproofing certificate, and the warranty information for fittings. Floor protection comes up and the house is cleaned.

Payments along the way

The deposit on residential building work in NSW is capped at 10 per cent. For work over $20,000, home building compensation cover must be in place before a deposit is requested. Progress payments should be tied to completed stages such as rough-in, waterproofing and tiling.

Renovation work is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group, a licensed NSW builder; licence and insurance details are provided on request.

Where delays come from

Almost always one of three things: selections not finalised before demolition, a structural problem that was not visible at the measure, or approvals taking longer than hoped. The first is entirely in your control. The second is reduced by a careful measure. The third is why approvals are sorted before a start date.

The cost page has the 2026 bands. Call 02 5950 5195 or send the room details through.