After 15+ years of bathroom renovations across Melbourne, we can usually predict which projects will blow their budget, and it's almost never the tiles. It's the plumbing decisions that weren't made early enough.
Decide fixture positions before demolition
Moving a toilet 300mm sounds trivial; it can mean cutting the slab and re-running drainage. Moving a shower rose, relocating a vanity, adding a second basin: all cheap on paper, expensive in concrete. Lock in the layout with your plumber and builder before demolition starts, while changes are still lines on a plan.
Check the things you can't see
A renovation is the cheapest moment you'll ever have to fix what's hidden: old galvanised pipes that should be replaced while walls are open, tired isolation valves, and drainage that's already root-affected. Ask for a quick condition check during rough-in, five minutes with a camera can save you re-tiling a wall two years later.
Get the fall right on floor wastes
A bathroom floor has to fall to the waste. If screed and waste positions aren't coordinated between the plumber and tiler, you end up with the classic puddle in the corner. This is a sequencing job. It's why we work in with your tiler rather than around them.
Don't skimp on the mixer valves
Tapware is where budget renovations go wrong quietly. A cheap mixer behind a tiled wall costs more to replace than it cost to buy the moment it fails. Spend properly on anything that gets buried; save money on things you can swap later.
Insist on compliance certificates
All drainage, water and gas work in a renovation must be done by a licensed plumber, and certifiable work comes with a compliance certificate. You'll want those certificates when you sell, and your insurer may want them sooner.
Planning a bathroom, kitchen or laundry? Send us your plans for an itemised plumbing quote, no obligation. Call 0423 345 575.
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