Bathrooms · Showers

Shower or bath — choose the room, not the reel

Most Australian family bathrooms still want one bath in the house. The ensuite can often be shower-only. A wet-room is a waterproofing decision wearing a design hat.

One bath somewhere

Family house default

Shower-only

Ensuite default

A tanked room

Wet-room is

Glass if you can

Screen vs curtain

Independent guide — not a contractor. Planning information only. Confirm licences, waterproofing, and quotes with qualified trades and the relevant state authority.

Shower vs bath — household test

Choice	Usually fits	Usually skip when
Keep one bath in the house	Family bathroom; children or anyone who soaks	The ensuite is already shower-only and a tub exists elsewhere
Shower-only	Ensuites; mobility; rooms too small for an honest tub	This is the only bathroom and the street still expects a bath
Hob-less tiled base	Step-free entry if falls and waste are designed	You wanted a look without a waterproofer
Wet-room	Step-free access you will pay to tank properly	Upstairs over a neighbour as a styling shortcut

A wet-room is a tanked floor, not a missing screen. Confirm the membrane system before you delete a hob.

What visitors always ask

Shower or bath — which should I choose?+

Choose a bath if this is the only tub in a house with children or anyone who soaks, or if resale in your street still expects a bath in the main bathroom. Choose a shower-only if the room is an ensuite, if mobility and a hob-less entry matter more, or if the footprint cannot take a bath without wrecking circulation. Many Australian houses keep a bath in the family bathroom and go shower-only in the ensuite. You rarely need two baths.

Is a wet-room bathroom a good idea?+

A wet-room (the whole room graded and tanked, little or no hob, sometimes no screen) is a good idea when you want step-free access and you will pay for a more demanding waterproofing and tiling job. It is a poor idea as a styling shortcut in a timber-framed upstairs bathroom with a nervous neighbour below. Screens still help contain spray. The membrane does the real work either way.

Keep reading

Bathroom hub

Same footprint vs gut.

Waterproofing

The real wet-room cost.

Ensuites

Shower-only planning.

Vanities

What floor you have left.

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.

Open the checklist →Read cost guides