Bathroom renovations can bring a tired and outdated bathroom back to life, add value to your home or serve the needs of you and your household for years to come. But when you're dealing with plumbing and other sensitive fixtures, it's important to get help from the experts.

Even simple bathroom renovations may need the expertise of several qualified tradies, including a plumber, tiler, cabinet maker, electrician and more. You can get multiple quotes from bathroom renovators near you for free through hipages or hire a bathroom builder who may be able to organise tradies for you.

Bathroom renovations usually involve tasks that require appropriate licenses.

Why should you hire a professional for bathroom renovations?

A professional bathroom builder may be able to take care of your whole bathroom renovation or may work alongside other professionals. Their jobs may include:

• Installing baths, showers, sinks, toilets and other plumbing fixtures
• Making or installing shelves and storage units
• Resurfacing walls and flooring
• Removing and disposing of old units and materials

By handing over the reins to a pro, you can be sure of a high-quality job by someone who knows what they’re doing. One of the most common problems with DIY renovation jobs is that they get put on the backburner and get left undone. By committing to hiring someone, you can be sure that the work will be carried out.

How to choose the best bathroom renovators for your job?

Unless your bathroom builder has the necessary skills or holds the appropriate licences, you may also need to hire other professionals to complete your bathroom project. The list of trades needed for a bathroom renovation may include:

• Architects or interior designers – these can help to draw up blueprints/plans for the new bathroom and can also help you decide what style, fittings and finishes would be best for you.

• Plumbers – you'll need a plumber to install or move pipes, taps, baths, showers and other plumbing fixtures. Plumbers can also install drainage and ensure that waterproofing is performed correctly.

• Electricians – only a licensed electrician can install lighting, heating, ventilation and power points. An electrician may also be needed when installing fixtures such as a spa.

• Carpenters – necessary if you are moving any doors or windows or making structural changes to the bathroom. Carpenters can also install wooden features such as cabinetry and flooring.

• Cabinet makers – they can make vanities and cabinets to fit the exact specifications of your bathroom, while keeping true to the style that you have chosen.

• Tilers – if you want to install new tiles, mirrors or other tiled features. Tilers can also resurface or remove existing tile work.

• Painters – if you need to paint any areas that are not covered by tiles or other elements. Bathroom painters will use moisture and wear-resistant paint.

Separating the true professionals from the cowboys is a source of angst for many, but by checking someone’s hipages account you can read reviews of their work and see photos from previous jobs.

How to plan my bathroom remodelling project?

When you're planning your bathroom project, here are some things to consider that could help you to save money or get the most out of the renovation.

• Will your bathroom be a place to relax, or just to get clean? This could influence how much you want to spend on luxury fixtures.

• Try to leave existing plumbing and electrical services in place, as these can be very costly to move. If you want to move the shower or bath, for example, consider whether the cost to move the plumbing will be offset by a gain in convenience.

• If you're planning to incorporate a laundry into your bathroom, you may need to install extra plumbing and electricals. Calling in a design professional at this early stage may help you to decide what will work best for you and your household.

• Bath resurfacing rather than replacing a bath could save you a lot of money. If you want to install a spa, check that the floor can bear the load and that there is sufficient room for the electrical components needed.

• If your tiles are in good condition, but look a little dated, consider having your tiles resurfaced or painted rather than replaced. A tiling professional can check the integrity of your tiles and recommend what will work well in your bathroom.

• Water efficiency is another important consideration. Looking into water-efficient fittings such as water-saving taps and showerheads, dual flush toilets and grey water systems will help you to save water and save money on your water bill.

• Heating is another thing to take into account when designing a bathroom and there are several options to choose from, depending on your climate and preferences. These include heated towel rails, heating lights that will heat the whole room and heated floors to make walking barefoot more comfortable.

• Bathrooms also need sufficient storage. Shelving, cabinetry, recessed wall spaces and towel racks are all good ways to store essentials such as towels and toiletries.

• If you want a classic bathroom that won't date, stick to a colour palette of neutrals and whites in the main areas – the tiling, bath, shower and walls. You can always update the look seasonally or express your personality through the use of accent pieces.

• Many bathrooms are on the smaller side, especially in established homes, so speaking with the appropriate professionals will help you to maximise the space. Some clever tricks for making the space appear larger include using larger tiles, mirrors, vertical lines and tiling from the floor to the ceiling.

 

Bathroom ventilation and waterproofing

Good ventilation and waterproofing are vital to prevent mould build-up and water leakage in your bathroom. These jobs may be carried out by a bathroom builder or other tradie.

• The best ways to ensure adequate bathroom ventilation is through the installation of exhaust fans and windows that cross-ventilate. Make sure that your exhaust fan vents the moist air to the outside of your home to prevent moisture from entering the roof space.

• Waterproofing ensures that water from the wet areas (the shower, bath and vanities) does not penetrate through the walls or floor and cause damage to the structural integrity of your home. This should be done before tiling or fittings are installed, but after the walls and floors have been thoroughly prepared.

• Make sure that the paint you choose for your bathroom is able to handle the moisture levels. Semi-gloss or gloss paints are a good choice.

 

What is the whole process of a bathroom renovation?

The first step in bathroom renovating is to decide what you want to do. To begin, make a list of what you like and don’t like about your bathroom. It might be as simple as a change in colour or you might want to do major changes like rip out the bath or reposition the toilet.

For a complete overhaul, you’ll likely want professional help from a designer and tradies. But for small changes you might be able to find one person to do the entire job.

With your plan in place, it’s time to start looking at materials. You can do this yourself by visiting hardware stores or you can delegate the job to your designer or tradies.

Once you have materials lined up, the demolition begins. For wholesale changes, this might mean your bathroom is out of action for a while. For small changes, you might be able to chip away in stages – with tiling, you can do a wall at a time, for instance.

In what order should I renovate my bathroom?

The most efficient way to renovate a bathroom is to do everything at once. This way you can get everything done and dusted and only feel the disruption of the renovation once.

However, we know that not all budgets will accommodate for this. If you want to break up your bathroom reno into smaller chunks, it’s best to do the big items first. There’s no point redoing the tiles if you’re going to move the shower and toilet a few weeks later.

Once the fixtures and plumbing are all in place, you can think about cabinetry, tiling and lighting.

Read more: Bathroom renovation timeline

What materials get used in a complete bathroom remodelling?

There are many different materials that you can use to create a beautiful bathroom. Your bathroom builder can recommend the best options to suit your space and your budget. These include:

• Glass – a modern choice that's versatile and looks good, glass can be used as a shower screen, as a partition or as a way of letting more natural light into the bathroom. Whether clear or opaque, the glass chosen should be reinforced for safety.

• Chrome – chrome is mainly used for fittings and can be used for taps, showerheads, towel rails and more.

• Tiles – perhaps the most versatile bathroom material, tiles can be used on floors, walls and within the shower and bath recess. A wide range of styles means that tiles can suit any bathroom design and décor.

• Laminates – most commonly used in bathroom benchtops and cabinetry, laminates are hard wearing and come in a range of colours and patterns.

• Stone – natural stone such as granite can be used in the bathroom, particularly as a countertop or as flooring. It is very durable and will last for a long time.

• Marble – perfect for creating a classic look that will never go out of style. Marble is expensive however, so use according to your budget.

• Pebbles – a relatively new feature in bathroom design, pebbles can be used to create an earthy feel in the bathroom. They are mostly used on floors and as feature panels on walls.

• Wood – wood flooring is starting to become fashionable in bathrooms, but it's important that the wood is adequately treated and waterproofed first. The number of wood varieties means you can achieve looks ranging from colonial to ultra-modern.

  

What costs the most in a bathroom remodel?*

The biggest cost in a bathroom remodel is when you decide to rearrange the fittings, especially if you have to extend the plumbing to accommodate these changes.

Structural changes are also expensive. Extending the size of a bathroom or splitting a bathroom so the toilet is in its own room can seriously add onto the cost of a renovation.

Picking top of the range fittings can also bulk up the bill. According to Open Agent, a premium bathtub can cost up to $8000, while a budget one can be bought for much, much less. Likewise, a premium toilet can be $1200, while a standard option would be one tenth the price.

How much will it cost to renovate my bathroom?*

Bathroom renovation cost can be anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000, depending on the size of the project. This includes the cost of a bathroom builder and other trades needed to bring the project to completion.

The only way to know how much your bathroom builder will charge is to get quotes from local professionals. Include as much detail about your bathroom renovation as you can so they can give you a more accurate initial quote that will better reflect what you eventually pay.

 

Questions to ask when hiring a bathroom builder

 

Before agreeing to a quote from a bathroom builder, you need to be sure they are the best person for the job. Questions to ask them include:

• Do you have a licence?
• Are you insured to work on my property?
• Will you manage my renovation project?
• Do you have experience with the type of bathroom design and features I want?
• Do you have examples of previous jobs or references you can provide?

 

It's also important that you feel comfortable with the people who will be completing your bathroom project, so it's a good idea to arrange to meet with them beforehand.

What qualifications and licenses will my bathroom renovator need?

While lots of trade work can be learnt on the job, there are two important roles that are highly regulated in Australia: electricians and plumbers.

All across the country, electricians have to be licensed. The requirements for sparkies are different in each state. For example, for bathroom renovations in Melbourne require an electrician to have obtained their licence within the last five years. You can see the full list of requirements on our electrician certification checklist.

You'll also need to make sure your plumber has the right certification before starting work in your bathroom.

  

*Costs and prices in this article are indicative and should only be used as a guide. They also vary locally and are subject to market forces.