Cost and value
Why do quotes vary so much? Because they contain different things. Check whether each names the fittings by model, states the tile allowance, includes the skip and the making good, shows waterproofing cure time in the program, and sets out how variations are priced. The cost page lists what a complete quote should name.
Is it cheaper to do the bathroom and laundry together? Considerably. The trades are on site, the skip is ordered, the waterproofer is attending and the tiles arrive in one delivery. Same logic for an ensuite done alongside the main bathroom.
Will it add value before I sell? A dated bathroom is more often a deduction than a new one is an addition — buyers price in the cost, the disruption and the risk, and they price it generously. A competent mid-range renovation is usually a sound pre-sale move. Over-specifying beyond what the street supports is not.
Design and layout
Should I combine the bathroom and the separate toilet? In most post-war houses here, it is the highest-value change available. The suspended timber floor makes the drainage change affordable. The question to think through is whether your household can live with one less toilet — in a large house, that is a real consideration.
Can I add a second bathroom? Frequently yes, and it is the most common request in this area. It comes down to how far a new waste has to travel to reach an existing stack and whether there is fall to get it there.
Should I remove the bath? If the household has another bath or has not used this one in two years, converting to a walk-in shower is usually the biggest improvement in a small bathroom. With small children in the house, that calculation changes.
During the job
Why does nothing happen for days? The screed dries and the membrane cures before tiling starts. How a renovation runs shows where the waiting falls.
What is a variation? Work outside the original scope, usually because something was found once the room was opened. It should be documented, priced and approved by you before it proceeds.
Who cleans up? Rubbish removal and a builder's clean should be line items in the quote. If they are not in writing, assume they are not included.
Still have a question?
Call 02 4404 0504 — seven days, 6am to 7pm — or send it through with the room details. If we do not know the answer we will say so rather than guess.
From first call to hand-back
- Measure — half an hour at your place, no cost, evenings and weekends included.
- Survey where the age warrants it, before the price is finalised rather than after.
- Written quote — fittings named, tile allowance stated, variation method set out.
- Build — 15 to 20 working days, with the waterproofing cure time shown.
Questions people ask before they commit
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Bankstown?
As a 2026 guide: a powder room $7,000–$14,000, an ensuite $14,000–$25,000, a small bathroom like-for-like $15,000–$24,000, a standard main bathroom $22,000–$34,000, and a combined bathroom-and-toilet or large room from $34,000. Asbestos removal is priced separately.
How long will it take?
About 15 to 20 working days keeping the layout — three to four calendar weeks. Add a week if a wall comes out, and put asbestos removal in front of all of it where it applies.
Is asbestos likely in my bathroom?
If it was built or refitted before about 1990, yes. Canterbury-Bankstown was built through the decades when asbestos cement was standard, and wet areas were a common application. Have it surveyed rather than guessing — you cannot identify it by eye.
Who removes asbestos?
A separately licensed asbestos removalist, not the renovation crew. It is a different licence from a builder's licence. Work stops, the area is assessed, the removalist does the removal and clearance, then the renovation resumes.
Can we stay in the house?
Yes if there is a second toilet and somewhere to shower. If it is the only bathroom, arrange alternatives for the whole period — this is consistently the part people underestimate.
Do I need council approval?
For work that stays inside the existing room, generally not. Moving walls or changing the building's external fabric is a different conversation, and worth checking with Canterbury-Bankstown Council before locking in a design.
What about an apartment?
In a strata scheme, work affecting waterproofing or common property generally needs owners corporation approval before it starts. Speak to your strata manager first — the approval usually sets your realistic start date, not the builder's diary.
Is the builder licensed?
Renovation work here is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group Pty Ltd, holder of NSW contractor licence 493393C, Class: Builder, current to 24 March 2029. The number is in our footer and on the public register — check it before anything starts.