Independent guide — not a contractor. Planning information only. Confirm licences, waterproofing, and quotes with qualified trades and the relevant state authority.
Bathrooms
Waterproofing before pretty
A bathroom renovation in Australia is a wet-area project that happens to have tiles on it. Keep the wastes if you can; redo the membrane if you must.
Keep wastes
Cheapest design move
Membrane + falls
Non-negotiable
$15–35k
Same-footprint mid band
Waterproofing
Read first
In this hub
Start with a child page
Risk
Waterproofing
What a membrane is, why inspections fail, and where to read official NCC guidance.
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Choose
Showers
Shower or bath, screens, hob-less entries, and when a wet-room is a good idea.
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What
Ensuites
Ensuite design ideas that fit Australian bedrooms, robes, and second-bathroom politics.
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Choose
Vanities
What vanity size fits a small bathroom — wall-hung, floor, and basin options.
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Fixtures
Toilets & bidets
Suites, in-wall cisterns, and space planning without moving the stack if you can help it.
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Comfort
Heating & ventilation
What heating works in Australian bathrooms, and why extraction is not optional.
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What visitors always ask
Can I renovate a bathroom without moving plumbing?+
Yes. Keeping the toilet, shower waste, and basin in their current positions is the standard cost-control move. You can still replace every fixture, the vanity, the screen, and the tiles. You cannot invent fall to a waste that is in the wrong place — that is when people start opening floors. If the current layout already works, do not move water for a mood board.
Do I need council approval for a bathroom reno?+
Often no planning permit is needed for a like-for-like renovation inside an existing wet area, but licensed plumbing and current waterproofing still apply. Expanding into a robe, moving windows, or changing structure can trigger building approval. Ask a registered practitioner and your state building authority — not a forum thread. We link the NCC; we do not invent clauses.
Keep reading
Australia · kitchens & bathrooms
Make a renovation day of it
Whether you have a weekend cosmetic refresh or a full wet-area rebuild, start with the checklist, then read the cost bands with their assumptions still attached.