Stage one: the call
A short conversation about the room, the suburb, the age of the house, how the floor is built if you know, and what you want to change. Enough to work out whether a full renovation or a partial upgrade is the right conversation, and to book a measure at a time that suits.
Stage two: the free measure
About forty minutes on site. We confirm the dimensions, look at the floor construction and the subfloor where it can be reached, check the plumbing positions and the fall to the waste, look at the fan and where it vents, check the ceiling space, and establish the era of the house.
We also walk the access route. Where a skip can sit, whether a delivery truck can turn, how far materials have to be carried and whether there are stairs. On a bush block or a narrow Katoomba street that single piece of planning saves more trouble than anything else in the process.
If the house was built or renovated before 1990, asbestos testing is flagged here.
Stage three: the written quote
A fixed, itemised quote in writing. It names the fittings, states the tile allowance and the tiling height, includes waterproofing with a certificate, rubbish removal and the skip, sets out the program in working days, and explains how variations are priced if something is found behind the walls.
If a partial upgrade would serve you better than a strip-out, this is where we say so.
Stage four: selections and ordering
Tiles, tapware, vanity, basin, toilet, screen, heating and lighting are all chosen and ordered before a start date is confirmed. This is the stage people want to rush and the one that most often decides whether the job runs cleanly.
Anything imported or custom-made is identified now, because a four-week lead time on a vanity is only a problem if the bathroom is already demolished.
Stage five: the contract and the deposit
A written contract, a deposit capped at 10 per cent of the contract price, and home building compensation cover where the value of the work requires it. Progress payments are tied to completed stages. The cost page covers the money side in more detail.
Stage six: protection and demolition
Floor protection along the carry route, dust containment at the door, and the room stripped back to its frame or slab. Where asbestos was identified, a licensed asbestos removalist does that work first, separately, before anything else happens.
Demolition is when the house tells the truth. A soft bottom plate under the old shower wall, a decayed joist near the waste, borer in a bearer, a patched waste from a previous renovation. Anything found is documented and priced as a written variation before the work goes ahead.
Stage seven: repairs, rough-in and insulation
Framing repaired, floors stiffened or re-sheeted, then plumbing and electrical rough-in: new waste positions, water lines, the fan and its ducting to an external vent, lighting, heated towel rail circuit and underfloor heating mat.
Insulation batts go into the ceiling, and into external wall cavities and the subfloor where they can be reached. This is the cold-climate stage, and it is only accessible once.
Stage eight: sheeting, screed and waterproofing
Wet-area sheeting goes on, the floor is screeded to form the falls to the waste, bond breakers and flashings go in at the corners and junctions, and the membrane is applied in coats.
Then everybody waits. Cure time is set by the product, the temperature and the humidity, and in a mountains winter the membrane is working near the bottom of its temperature range. A job that would cure in two days in February can take noticeably longer in July. We build that into the program and we do not tile early. The waterproofing page explains why that matters so much here.
Stage nine: tiling and grouting
Setting out first, so cuts land where they are least visible and the falls are maintained across the shower floor. Floor, then walls, then grout, then silicone at the internal corners and the floor junction.
Stage ten: fit-off
Vanity, basin, tapware, toilet, screen, mirror, lighting, heated towel rail, towel rails and hooks, door furniture, and the fan commissioned and tested. Paint where the room needs it.
Stage eleven: handover
A walk-through together, a defects list if there is one, the waterproofing certificate, warranty and care information for the finishes, and a short explanation of how to run the ventilation and heating. That last part matters more up here than anywhere: a fan on a timer used properly is what keeps the room you just paid for.
What runs differently in the mountains
- Access planning is a real stage, not an afterthought
- Travel time between the ends of the line affects trade attendance
- Cure times stretch in cold, damp weather, and the program says so honestly
- Old houses hold unknowns, so variations are explained before work rather than after
- Insulation and ventilation are part of the job, not an upsell
- Weather affects deliveries on unsealed and steep driveways
Ready to start
See the cost page for planning tiers, or go straight to the room: full bathroom renovations, ensuites or small bathrooms.
Renovation work is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group, a licensed NSW builder; licence and insurance details are provided on request.
Call 02 4705 3295 or send the room details through.