Bathroom renovation checklist: what to sort before work starts

Before a bathroom renovation starts, sort out your budget, the layout, your tiles and fittings, who holds which licence, and a written contract. In Queensland, the QBCC says work over $3,300 needs a licensed contractor, a contract with a cooling-off period and home warranty insurance.

Below is a checklist for each step, from the first quote to the day the job is handed over. The prices are market prices from cost guides, checked on 5 October 2026. They are not a quote from us. The rules are a short summary, not legal advice.

How much should I budget for a bathroom renovation?

A mid-range bathroom costs about $19,600 to $34,300, according to What's The Damage (Gold Coast page).

Source: What's The Damage, Gold Coast bathroom renovation page, October 2026. These are its national figures adjusted for location.

• Set a total that covers tiles, fittings, plumbing, electrical and rubbish removal, not only the labour.
• Keep 10-15% aside for surprises. What's The Damage gives rotten framing, asbestos and failed waterproofing as examples.
• Get more than one quote. The QBCC recommends it.
• Check that each quote lists the scope, the materials and finishes, the labour, the timeline, and any certificates, inspections and fees.

Our bathroom renovation cost guide has more price ranges and what each part of the job costs.

Should I keep the same bathroom layout?

If you can, yes. The toilet, shower and vanity all have pipes, so moving any of them means a plumber moves the pipes too. Settle the layout before demolition day. What's The Damage warns that "mid-project changes are expensive".

• Decide if the toilet, shower and vanity stay where they are.
• Decide if you want a bath, a shower or both.
• Mark where you want power points, lights and the exhaust fan.
• Think about storage: a wider vanity, a shaving cabinet or a recess in the shower wall.
• Agree the plan in writing before any work starts.

Does my bathroom have asbestos?

It might, if your home is older. The Queensland Government says that if a house was built before 1990, "there is a good chance that it contains asbestos". It lists wall sheeting in bathrooms as one place it is found.

• Find out when your home was built.
• If it was before 1990, have the old wall sheeting checked before demolition.
• To remove more than 10 m2 of bonded (non-friable) asbestos, a homeowner needs a certificate. Loose, crumbly (friable) asbestos must only be removed by someone with an A class licence.
• Allow for removal in your budget if it is found.

The Queensland Government's asbestos guide for homeowners has the full steps.

When should I choose tiles and fittings?

Before the start date. What's The Damage's advice is to plan your fixtures and tiles before work starts. Anything that arrives late can stop the job while the trades wait.

• Floor and wall tiles, and the grout colour
• Vanity, basin and mirror or shaving cabinet
• Toilet
• Tapware and shower head
• Shower screen, or bath and bath spout
• Lights, exhaust fan and towel rails

Ask your contractor which items they supply and which you buy. Then order yours early, and check it has all arrived before demolition day.

Who needs a licence for a bathroom renovation in Queensland?

Building work over $3,300 must be done by a contractor with a QBCC licence, and a full bathroom is well over that. Some trades need a licence at any value.

• Plumbing and drainage: a QBCC licence at any value.
• Gas fitting (for a gas hot water unit, for example): a QBCC licence at any value.
• Electrical work: an electrical work licence. The Electrical Safety Office says DIY electrical work is illegal, with penalties of up to $40,000 for individuals.
• Waterproofing: the QBCC has a separate waterproofing licence class. It is not on the list of work that needs a licence at any value. A contractor with another licence class can do waterproofing worth less than $3,300 as incidental work, if their class allows it.

Look up every licence number on the QBCC licensee register. The QBCC suggests clicking "licensee's full history" to see the contractor's record.

What should a bathroom renovation contract include?

Work over $3,300 needs a written contract, says the QBCC. Jobs from $3,301 to $19,999 use a level 1 contract, and jobs of $20,000 or more use a level 2 contract. Check that yours has:

• the contractor's name and QBCC licence number
• the address and a description of the work
• the contract price, or how it is worked out
• the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme premium
• the completion date, and for level 2, the start date too
• plans and specifications, if needed
• a notice about your cooling-off period

For level 2 contracts, the contractor must give you the QBCC Consumer Building Guide to read before you sign. Either way, you should get a fully signed copy within 5 business days.

You then generally have a cooling-off period of 5 business days, starting the day after you get that signed copy. To pull out, give the contractor a signed letter saying so. They can keep $100 plus any out-of-pocket costs they reasonably spent. Any change to the job later on (a variation) must be given to you in writing, with the change to the price and any delay. The QBCC says this generally happens before that part of the work starts.

How much deposit can a contractor ask for in Queensland?

No more than 10% for a job from $3,301 to $19,999, and 5% for a job of $20,000 or more, according to the QBCC's deposits page.

• Many full bathrooms cost $20,000 or more, so the cap is often 5%.
• A contractor cannot claim more than 50% of the price, deposit included, until at least half of the work on site is done.
• Match each progress payment to a stage in the contract, and pay only for work that is done.

What should I ask about waterproofing?

Ask who does it, what product they use, and how it is checked before the tiles go on. Once the tiles are down, you cannot see the waterproofing again.

• Who does the waterproofing, and which licence do they hold?
• Which membrane will they use?
• Will the work be inspected before it is covered up? The QBCC lists this as part of doing waterproofing right.
• Will you get records, photos and test certificates? The QBCC expects licensees to keep them.

Our guide to bathroom waterproofing cost in Queensland covers the price, the building code rules and the licence detail.

What order do the trades come in?

Demolition first, then the plumber and electrician, then waterproofing, tiling and the fit-off. Each trade has to finish before the next can start, so one late trade holds up the rest.

• Ask who books and runs each trade: you, or your contractor.
• Ask for the order of work and the dates in writing.
• Ask how long the waterproofing will be left to cure before tiling.
• Ask who to call if a trade does not turn up.

Each stage, and how long it takes, is in our guide to how long a bathroom renovation takes.

How do I live without a bathroom during the renovation?

Plan for the room to be out of use for the whole job. From demolition until the fit-off is done, it is a building site.

• Ask for the timeline in writing, so you know how many weeks to plan for.
• If it is your only bathroom, sort out another toilet and shower for that time.
• Clear the room, the cupboards and the hallway before day one.
• Ask where the rubbish and the skip will go, and how floors along the way will be protected.
• Ask when the water will be turned off, and for how long.
• In a unit, check what your body corporate needs before work starts.

What paperwork should I get when the job is finished?

At least a plumbing notice, an electrical certificate and proof of home warranty cover. Keep them with your house papers.

• The plumbing notice. The QBCC lists bathroom renovations as notifiable work. The plumber must register it with the QBCC within 10 business days of invoicing, and give you a copy.
• Electrical certificate. The electrician must give you a certificate of testing and compliance as soon as possible after the work is done.
• Waterproofing records. Ask for the photos and test certificates.
• Product warranties for the tapware, toilet, vanity and shower screen.
• A final walk-through. List anything that needs fixing before the last payment.

Does a bathroom renovation need home warranty insurance?

Yes, if it costs more than $3,300, counting materials, labour and GST. The QBCC says the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme is compulsory for residential work over that amount.

• Your contractor collects the premium from you as part of the contract price and pays it to the QBCC.
• They must pay it before work starts, or within 10 business days of signing, whichever comes first.
• You can search the QBCC's records to check that cover is attached to your property.
• Cover for structural defects lasts 6 years and 6 months. Claim within 3 months of first noticing one.
• Cover for non-structural defects lasts 6 months after the work is substantially complete. Claim within 7 months of that day.

We renovate bathrooms across the Gold Coast, from the strip-out to the fit-off. We book and run the trades, with licensed plumbers and electricians doing their parts, and you get a timeline with your proposal before any work starts. See our bathroom renovations page for how we run a job.

Where does this information come from?

Checked on 5 October 2026: What's The Damage (Gold Coast bathroom renovation page, October 2026). Rules from the QBCC (when you need a licence, August 2021; waterproofing licence class, August 2021; contracts and payments, May 2026; contract types, deposits, cooling-off and variations pages, June 2025; seeking and comparing quotes, June 2026; notifiable work, February 2024; home warranty pages, May 2025 and November 2025; time limits for cover, September 2021; and its waterproofing article, February 2026), the Electrical Safety Office (DIY electrical work, undated), WorkSafe Queensland (electrical certificates, September 2019) and the Queensland Government asbestos site (undated). We will check the prices again every three months.

See our bathroom renovations work, or check what your job will cost.