How to plan a bathroom renovation

Flawless execution is a byproduct of ruthless upstream planning. If you are making design decisions while the demolition team is on site, your timeline will blow out, and your budget will hemorrhage.

To properly plan your bathroom renovation, you must front-load the friction:

Audit the Structure

If your home was built before 1990, you must assume there is asbestos in the wall sheeting or floor glue. Budget for a licensed asbestos removalist to test and remove it before the builder arrives, or notify the builder and have them include it in their contract. Be prudent and get an estimate from a builder before demolishing tiles to test sheeting.

Decide on PC Items Early

"Prime Cost" items are everything you physically touch (tapware, baths, tiles, vanities). High-end brassware, custom vanities, window replacements, or custom-fluted glass screens can have up to an 8-to-12-week manufacturing lead time. You must order these items months before the builder commences so they are sitting in your garage, ready to go. A builder cannot do their plumbing rough-in if they don't have the exact technical specifications of your chosen shower mixer. Most builders won't start a bathroom renovation without these decisions having already been made, and they definitely won't make the choice for you.

Determine Your Tolerance for Chaos

You will be without a shower and toilet for at least a month, maybe two. Plan your logistics. Will you rent a portable ensuite for showering, or rely on a second bathroom in the house? Have you discussed dust mitigation screens and carpet or hard surface flooring-protection with your builder?

Have your design and selections ready

A builder loves a client who is ready to build. Interior designers manage selections, colours, tiles and layouts. Unless you are involving an interior designer, do not bother your builder with these things. The faster you have your selections prepared, the faster your bathroom renovation will be quoted, started, and finished!

Select a builder

This step is both exciting and overwhelming. Selecting a builder is a critical step for both you and the builder, if you get this step wrong, it may end poorly for both of you. This is where finding an expert builder who is experienced in bathroom renovations and has completed a good number in recent years is critical.

Where to go next

Read next: the bathroom renovation timeline, step by step, or how to save money on a bathroom renovation. Or start at Bathroom Renovation for the wider picture.