A bathroom renovation lives or dies on the order you do things. Choose a vanity before the layout is settled and you can box yourself into a plan that doesn't work. Order the tiles too late and the whole job stalls waiting on them. A good checklist just puts each decision in the right sequence, so nothing important gets missed and nothing gets paid for twice.

Here's how a renovation comes together, in the order it happens on site: layout first, then fixtures and finishes, then the work behind the walls, then budget and timeline. Work through it top to bottom and you'll know what to plan and what to expect at each stage.

Start With Your Layout

The layout is the foundation of the whole renovation. Before you look at a single tap or tile, work out how you want the room to flow. Where's the morning bottleneck? Is storage the real problem rather than size? Does the shower need to be easier to get in and out of, now or down the track? Honest answers here are worth more than any mood board.

In most renovations the toilet, shower and vanity stay roughly where they are. Around 85 per cent of our clients keep their existing layout, and there's good reason for it. Leaving the fixtures where they are avoids moving pipework through the floor and walls, which is one of the biggest cost drivers in any bathroom, and it keeps the plan simple.

You don't need a full design service to get this right. We'll walk the room with you and look at how the existing layout can be improved, so the space, the function and the look of the bathroom all work harder without a costly reconfiguration.

Choose Your Fixtures and Finishes

With the layout set, the next job is choosing the pieces that decide how the bathroom looks and works. Three decisions carry most of the weight: the vanity and basin, the toilet, and whether you want a shower, a bath, or both.

Size the vanity to the space rather than squeezing in the biggest one you like, since it's usually the main storage and the focal point. Wall-faced toilets are popular here because they're compact and easy to clean. In the shower area, a walk-in shower works well if you have the room, while a freestanding bath is the move if you're after more of anensuite retreat.

Tapware and finishes are what pull the room together. Pick one finish, chrome, matte black, brushed nickel or brushed brass are the common choices, and carry it across the basin, shower, bath and accessories. Mixing too many metals is one of the fastest ways to make a well-built bathroom look unconsidered.

Have your fixtures on site before work starts. Stock delays are a leading reason bathrooms sit half-finished, because trades can't install what hasn't arrived. Tiles, vanities and tapware can all run on long lead times, so locking in your selections early is what keeps the job moving. Plenty of clients arrive with their selections sorted. If you'd rather have a hand narrowing things down, we'll guide you through it, and we work with a joinery supplier if you want cabinetry made to fit.

The Work Behind the Walls

Some of the most important work in a bathroom is the part you never see. Plumbing, electrical and waterproofing all happen behind the walls and under the floor, once the old bathroom has been stripped out. Getting that stage right is what keeps the finished room sound for years.

Waterproofing is the one that matters most. Domestic wet areas in Australia are waterproofed in line with AS 3740, the Australian Standard covering showers, floors and wall junctions, and it's the single biggest factor in whether a bathroom lasts. We complete and document it as part of every renovation, to the standard in force at the time of your build, so it's handled properly and it isn't something you need to think about.

Sort Your Budget and Timeline

With the layout and the selections settled, you can put real numbers and dates against the job. A complete bathroom renovation in Australia commonly lands between $20,000 and $35,000, moving with the size of the room, the materials you choose and how much structural change is involved. Canberra pricing tends to sit toward the upper end once you factor in quality materials and licensed trades, which is why a clear written quote beats a rough ballpark every time.

Set aside 10 to 15 per cent on top for the things you can't see until the old bathroom comes out. Hidden water damage under the existing shower is a common find, particularly in older homes. A contingency also gives you room to move if you change your mind partway through. It's common for clients to add extra electrical work once the walls are open, like mood lighting or wall lights.

Most renovations take two to four weeks of on-site work once they start, depending on the size of the job. Planning, selections and ordering all happen before that. With us, work usually commences within 10 to 12 weeks of you accepting the quote, so you know where you stand from the start. One team coordinates the trades, the orders and the sequence, which is the difference between a renovation that runs to plan and one that drifts.

Renovating a Bathroom in Canberra

A checklist is the same anywhere, but the conditions aren't. Canberra homes range from established places in suburbs like Griffith, Narrabundah and Downer through to homes across Gungahlin and Tuggeranong, and each brings its own quirks once the old bathroom comes out. What's behind the walls of an older ACT home isn't always what you'd expect, and an experienced local team plans for that rather than being caught out by it.

Dolphin Bathrooms has renovated bathrooms and ensuites across Canberra for more than 25 years, in suburbs like Braddon, Kambah, Macquarie and Yarralumla. We work right across the ACT and the surrounding region, including the Belconnen district and out to Queanbeyan and Murrumbateman. We take on fulllaundry renovations as well. That local track record means the allowances and the timeline you're quoted reflect real Canberra conditions, not a generic estimate.

Avoid the Most Common Mistakes

Even a well-planned renovation can trip on the same handful of avoidable errors:

• Forgetting storage. A beautiful bathroom with nowhere to put anything feels cluttered within a week. Consider vanity drawers, a mirrored cabinet or wall shelving early in the plan.
• Choosing fixtures too large for the space. An oversized vanity or bath can make a small bathroom feel cramped and awkward to move through.
• Mixing too many finishes. Three or four different metals across the taps, handles and accessories reads as unplanned, not eclectic.
• Rushing product decisions. Late selections push back ordering, and late orders are the main reason a bathroom stalls halfway through.

The thread running through all of these is coordination. One team managing the build, the trades and the sequence is what turns a good plan into a bathroom that still looks and works the way it should in 10 years.

Ready to Get Started?

Planning a bathroom, ensuite orlaundry renovation in Canberra? We've been renovating local bathrooms for more than 25 years as licensed builders. Book your free in-home consultation for a clear written quote, or call (02) 6242 8544.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you plan first in a bathroom renovation?

Start with the layout. Work out how you want the room to flow and where the vanity, toilet and shower or bath will sit. In most renovations the fixtures stay roughly where they are, which keeps the plan simple and the cost down. Once the layout's settled, every fixture choice, budget line and timeline decision follows from it.

How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Australia?

Acomplete bathroom renovation in Australia commonly costs between $20,000 and $35,000, though the figure moves with the size of the room, the materials and how much structural change is involved. In Canberra, pricing tends to sit toward the upper end once quality materials and licensed trades are factored in. Set aside a 10 to 15 per cent contingency on top for hidden surprises.

How long does a bathroom renovation take?

Most bathroom renovations take two to four weeks of on-site work once they begin, depending on the size of the job. Planning, selections and ordering happen before that and can add several weeks, so the realistic timeline runs from your first measure-up through to handover.

Can I stay at home while my bathroom is being renovated?

Usually, yes, especially if you have a second bathroom. The renovated bathroom will be out of action for the duration of the build, so the main consideration is whether you have an alternative bathroom available. If it's your only bathroom, talk to your builder early about sequencing.

Do bathroom renovators help with the design, or just the build?

It depends on the renovator. We're builders rather than interior designers, so we don't run a full design service. What we do is help you get the most out of the layout you already have, which is the path around 85 per cent of our clients take. If you want a hand with tile, fixture and tapware selections, we'll guide you through it, and we can arrange custom joinery through our supplier. Plenty of clients come to us with their selections already chosen, and that works just as well.

What order should a bathroom renovation follow?

Layout, then fixtures and finishes, then the work behind the walls, then budget and timeline. In practice that means settling the plan, ordering everything, stripping the old bathroom out, rough-in for plumbing and electrical, waterproofing, tiling, then fit-off and handover. Working in that order is what stops a job stalling halfway through.