Before anything starts
The single best predictor of a renovation running to program is whether the selections are locked before demolition.
That means the tiles chosen, ordered and physically in stock; the vanity confirmed with a delivery date; tapware, shower rose, toilet suite, mirror and towel rails all decided. Not narrowed down. Decided.
The reason is mechanical. The tiler cannot start until the tiles are on site, and every day the tiler waits is a day the plumber and electrician also wait, because fit-off follows tiling. One undecided tile pushes a whole program.
We measure, quote a fixed price and then work through selections with you before booking demolition. It feels slow. It is the part that makes the rest fast.
Week one — strip-out and rough-in
Days one and two: demolition. The room comes back to frame. Tiles off, screen out, vanity out, bath out, old membrane removed. Floor protection goes down through the path from the front door, and a skip sits in the driveway.
In Hills stock this stage is straightforward — there is no asbestos, so nothing stops for testing or licensed removal. That predictability is the main reason these jobs hold their program.
Days three to five: plumbing and electrical rough-in. New pipework runs in the walls for the shower, basin and any changed outlet positions. The electrician runs cabling for the new lighting layout, the exhaust fan and any heated towel rail or underfloor heating.
This is the stage where the decisions made on paper become physical. A vanity moved 200mm after rough-in is a real cost; before rough-in it is free.
Week two — waterproofing
Screeding and sheeting. Wet-area sheeting replaces anything damaged, and the shower floor is screeded to fall so water actually reaches the waste.
The membrane. Applied in coats with drying time between them, turned up the walls to the required height, and dressed properly into the waste and around penetrations. This takes several days and most of that is waiting.
It cannot be rushed and it should not be. A membrane that is tiled over before it has cured fails, and it fails inside the wall where you cannot see it until the damage is done.
You get a compliance certificate at the end. Keep it — it matters at sale and it matters if there is ever a claim.
Weeks two and three — tiling
Floor first, then walls, then grout. Full-height tiling in the wet areas is standard on our jobs rather than an upgrade, because the two-metre line is the single strongest date stamp on a Hills bathroom.
Tiling is the longest continuous stage and the one where format choice shows up in the program. A straight-set large-format tile moves quickly. Herringbone, mosaic and anything with mitred external corners takes materially longer — worth knowing when you choose, not after.
Silicone goes into the internal corners and the floor-to-wall junction, not grout. Those junctions move, and grout in a moving joint cracks.
Week four — fit-off and finish
The plumber returns for the toilet suite, vanity, basin, tapware, shower rose and any bath. The electrician fits the lights, the exhaust fan, the switches and the heated towel rail.
Then the smaller things that make the room feel finished: mirror, shower screen, towel rails, hooks, door hardware. The screen is measured on site after tiling, not before, which is why it lands late.
Final clean and handover. We walk the room with you, list anything that needs attention, and come back for it.
Where delays actually come from
Not weather — this is interior work. Not trades — they are booked around a known program.
It is selections and lead times. A vanity on a six-week order placed in week one of a four-week job stops everything. An imported tile that turns out to be on the water is the same problem. Both are solved by ordering before demolition, which is why we do not book a start date until the material is confirmed.
What it costs and where we work
The cost page has the 2026 bands. We work across Kellyville, Bella Vista, Rouse Hill, Beaumont Hills and Glenwood.
Call 02 5944 1412 or send the room details through.
The rest of the detail
Questions people ask before they commit
How long does it take?
Three to four weeks on site for a standard Hills main bathroom, assuming the selections are locked before demolition starts. An ensuite is usually closer to three weeks, a powder room under two.
How long are we without a bathroom?
The whole program. There is no stage where a half-finished bathroom is usable — once the waterproofing goes down, nobody walks on it until it is tiled. Most Hills houses have a second bathroom, which is why doing one room at a time works here.
What causes delays?
Two things, overwhelmingly. Selections not locked before demolition, and a tile or vanity on extended lead time. Both are avoidable and both are decided before anyone lifts a hammer.
Do I need council approval?
Generally no. A like-for-like bathroom renovation inside the existing room is exempt development under the State Policy. Removing a structural wall or extending the room changes that, and we will tell you before you commit.
Who is on site each day?
Different trades at different stages — demolition crew, plumber, electrician, waterproofer, tiler, then plumber and electrician again to fit off. There is not one person there for four weeks, which is normal and is why the program has the shape it does.