Who to hire for a bathroom to renovate

Short answer

A licensed builder to manage it, or you as owner-builder coordinating a plumber, an electrician, a waterproofer, a tiler and a plasterer in that order. Whichever you choose, the waterproofing is the step that must be done correctly and certified, because it is the one nobody can inspect after the tiles go on.

Plan itThere is time to get more than one quote, which is where the money is.

When it is someone else

Calling the wrong trade costs an attendance fee to be told so. These are the cases where this problem belongs to someone other than a Builder.

  • a plumber

    fixtures are moving. Relocating a toilet or a shower waste is the decision that most changes the price.

  • an electrician

    lighting, a fan, heating or a new circuit is involved — which is almost always.

  • a tiler and a waterproofer

    always. Confirm who is doing the waterproofing and what certificate you get.

What to do before anyone arrives

  1. Decide whether fixtures are staying where they are. Keeping the toilet and the shower waste in place is the single biggest saving available.
  2. Choose tiles and fixtures before work starts and have them on site. Waiting on a special order with the room stripped is the classic delay.
  3. Check for asbestos if the house predates the late 1980s. Bathroom wall sheeting and floor coverings are common locations and it changes the strip-out entirely.
  4. Ask what the arrangements are for the household while the only bathroom is out.

What to ask when you book

  • Who is doing the waterproofing, and will I get a certificate for it?
  • Is a written contract required at this value in this state, and is statutory warranty insurance in place?
  • What is the sequence and the expected duration of each stage?
  • What happens if the floor or the frame is found to be rotten once it is stripped?
  • Are the plumbing and electrical compliance certificates included?

What changes the price

No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.

  • Whether fixtures move.
  • The condition of what is found behind the old tiles — rot and termite damage are common discoveries.
  • Tile format and layout complexity.
  • Asbestos.
  • Whether it is a single bathroom, which compresses the program because the household needs it back.

Is this licensed work?

Building work licensing applies above a threshold that varies by state, and a written contract and statutory warranty insurance are generally required above it. Plumbing, electrical and waterproofing all carry their own requirements and their own certificates. Owner-builder work above the threshold generally requires a permit and carries obligations when you later sell.

There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.

Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.

Common questions

Who should I hire for a bathroom to renovate
A licensed builder to manage it, or you as owner-builder coordinating a plumber, an electrician, a waterproofer, a tiler and a plasterer in that order. Whichever you choose, the waterproofing is the step that must be done correctly and certified, because it is the one nobody can inspect after the tiles go on.
Do I need a builder for a bathroom renovation?
Above the licensing threshold in your state you need a licensed builder or an owner-builder permit, and the thresholds are low enough that most full bathroom renovations are above them. Below it, coordinating the individual licensed trades yourself is legal — but you are then the one carrying the sequencing and the risk, including the waterproofing inspection.
How long should a bathroom renovation take?
The physical work in a standard bathroom is measured in weeks rather than months, and the two things that stretch it are waiting for materials and the curing and inspection points that cannot be compressed — waterproofing in particular has to cure before tiling. A program that promises no waiting anywhere is a program that has left something out.

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Who to hire for

General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.