Bathroom Renovations in Melbourne

A standard bathroom strip-and-refit including waterproofing and retiling typically takes 7–14 business days, with membrane cure time a mandatory step that cannot be shortened.

Timeline drivers include the size of the bathroom, the extent of substrate repairs discovered during strip-out, the mandatory cure time for the waterproofing membrane (a minimum of 24–48 hours for most products, longer in cold or humid conditions), tile availability, and the complexity of the fit-out. We always build proper cure time into our schedule — this is the step most frequently rushed by less experienced contractors and the single most common cause of premature failure in bathroom renovations.

AS 3740-2021 requires waterproofing of the entire shower enclosure to 1800mm height, the bathroom floor perimeter to 100mm up walls, and all floor waste surrounds — and full-floor waterproofing is strongly recommended.

For a shower recess: the entire floor and walls to a minimum of 1800mm (or to the ceiling where the height is less). For the remainder of the bathroom floor: a 100mm upstand around the perimeter and around any floor waste. In practice, for a full bathroom renovation, we waterproof the entire floor and all areas that will regularly contact water — the marginal cost at construction time is small, and it eliminates future failures at zone boundaries. For apartments in Melbourne, floor-to-ceiling waterproofing in shower recesses is strongly recommended given the consequences of water ingress to the unit below.

Yes — apartment bathroom renovations are a significant part of our work, with additional steps for building management approval, OC compliance, and higher waterproofing standards given the units below.

Apartment bathroom renovations require more coordination than house bathrooms: building management or OC approval is typically required before work commences; adjoining occupants may need to be notified; structural plumbing changes usually require a plumbing permit; and waterproofing must be applied to a higher standard given the consequences of water ingress to units below. Working hours are typically restricted by OC rules. We are experienced with the Melbourne strata environment — we manage the approvals process, liaise with building managers, ensure our work complies with OC requirements, and coordinate all trades within your building's access constraints.

A building permit is required for bathroom renovation work that involves changes to waterproofing, fixtures, or configuration — not for like-for-like tile replacement over a sound existing surface.

Under the Victorian Building Act 1993 and Building Regulations 2018, a building permit is required for bathroom renovation work classified as 'building work' — this includes removal and replacement of waterproofing (most bathroom strip-and-relays), any reconfiguration of the wet area, and changes to the structural or plumbing configuration. A permit is generally not required for cosmetic retiling over an existing sound surface where no changes are made to waterproofing or layout. In practice, any work involving removal of tiles and application of a new waterproofing membrane in a residential property should have a building permit. Carrying out unpermitted building work is an offence under the Victorian Building Act 1993.

Recently renovated bathrooms most often fail because the membrane was not applied to AS 3740-2021 standard, curing time was insufficient, the substrate was not properly prepared, or movement joints were omitted.

The most frequent causes of failure: membrane not applied by a qualified practitioner to AS 3740-2021; inadequate membrane thickness or coverage — particularly at corners, floor waste surrounds, and junctions; tiling commenced before the membrane had fully cured; substrate not correctly prepared or repaired prior to membrane application; and movement joints (flexible silicone at wall-floor junctions and internal corners) not installed or installed with rigid grout instead of silicone. If your renovation was completed within the last 10 years by a registered practitioner, you may have rights under the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 — our inspection report documents the failure cause in a format suitable for a VCAT application.

We work with all standard tile types — ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, large-format rectified, encaustic, and mosaic — with installation method and adhesive selection specific to each material.

We install all standard tile types used in Australian residential and commercial construction: ceramic, porcelain, natural stone (marble, travertine, slate, granite), encaustic and terracotta, large-format rectified tiles (600×600 and above), and mosaic tiles. Each material has specific requirements for substrate preparation, adhesive selection, grout joint sizing, and sealing. Natural stone in wet areas requires periodic resealing with a penetrating stone sealer to prevent moisture absorption and staining. Large-format tiles mandate 95% adhesive coverage under AS 3958.1 — this requires back-buttering and cannot be achieved with a standard notched trowel technique alone.