A full renovation, in order
- Measure and assessment — room dimensions, floor structure, wastes, ventilation, window, and any signs of past leaks.
- Selections locked — tiles, tapware, vanity, screen, toilet, bath, fan and lighting named before demolition.
- Asbestos testing where the house or unit was built or renovated before about 1990.
- Strip-out back to studs or masonry, and waste removal.
- Repairs — rotten bearers, joists, wall plates or studs found under old shower recesses.
- Rough-in — plumbing, drainage, electrical, exhaust ducting to outside.
- Sheeting and screed — wet-area board, set-downs or floor build-up, falls to the waste.
- Waterproofing — membrane to the relevant standard, cured before tiling.
- Tiling — floor, walls, niches and trims.
- Fit-off — vanity, toilet, tapware, screen, mirror, accessories, sealant, clean.
The order is not negotiable. A membrane applied over a damp or unfinished substrate, or tiled over before it has cured, is the start of the next leak.
What coastal conditions change
Ventilation is structural, not decorative. Plenty of older beach bathrooms have a fan that exhausts into the roof space, where warm, wet air condenses on the underside of the roof sheeting and the timbers. Current building rules expect exhaust from wet areas in new work to discharge to outside. The fan is sized to the room, ducted through a wall or roof with a proper external outlet, and wired to run on after the light is switched off.
Ceilings get their own specification. Wet-area plasterboard and a paint system designed for bathrooms, rather than standard ceiling board and whatever was left over.
Metals are chosen carefully. Tapware, towel rails, toilet-roll holders, shower-screen hinges, mirror fixings and even the screws holding the fan cover are all potential rust spots in salty air. Quality finishes and marine-grade stainless last noticeably longer.
Glass is easier without tracks. Sliding screens with bottom tracks trap sand. A fixed panel or a hinged frameless door rinses clean.
Windows are an opportunity. A bigger or higher window brings in the light that makes a beach bathroom feel right. It is external work — and on bushfire-prone land, such as parts of Frenchs Forest and Belrose, a replacement window may need to meet bushfire construction requirements.
Old recesses and what is behind them
Pull the tiles off a 1960s or 1970s Northern Beaches shower recess and the usual finds are:
- No membrane at all, or a failed one limited to the shower base
- Rotten timber at the bottom of wall studs and along floor joists
- Galvanised pipes rusting inside the wall
- Asbestos cement sheeting behind wall tiles, in the ceiling or under floor tiles in fibro and many brick homes
- A floor with no fall, where water has always found its way to the door
These are allowed for in the quote — a stated method and rate for timber repairs, a separate asbestos line where testing confirms it — so they do not become an argument halfway through the job.
Bath or no bath?
A main bathroom in a family beach house often keeps a bath for small children and sandy dogs. In a couple's home or a smaller room, removing an old bath in favour of a larger walk-in shower is the most common layout change. A freestanding bath looks wonderful but needs floor space and a fixed tap position, and it collects the same salt spray and dust as everything else.
Fittings, named
The quote lists fittings by brand and model, states the tile allowance per square metre, and specifies the exhaust fan, the membrane system and whether trims are stainless or aluminium. "Supply and install tapware" is not a specification.
Payments and licensing
The NSW maximum deposit is 10 per cent. For work over $20,000, home building compensation cover must be in place before a deposit is requested, and progress payments should follow completed stages.
Renovation work is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group, a licensed NSW builder. Licence and insurance details are provided on request.
See waterproofing, tiling, the 2026 cost bands and how a renovation runs.
Call 02 4705 5289 or send the bathroom details through.
Questions people ask before they commit
How much is a main bathroom renovation on the Northern Beaches?
As a 2026 guide, a main bathroom taken back to frame and rebuilt typically costs $27,000 to $45,000. Keeping the toilet and shower wastes where they are, choosing mid-range fittings and having straightforward access keeps a job toward the lower end; asbestos removal, layout changes, a freestanding bath and premium tiles push it higher.
How long does a full bathroom renovation take?
Around three to four weeks on site for a main bathroom that keeps its layout, assuming selections are locked and materials are ready. Membrane curing, tiling and fit-off each take the time they need; asbestos removal or subfloor repairs add days.
What coastal-grade fittings should I choose?
Look for tapware and accessories with durable finishes that are rated or warranted for coastal environments, marine-grade stainless steel for exposed metal such as towel rails, corrosion-resistant screen hardware and exhaust grilles, and mirrors with sealed edges. Near the surf, cheap chrome plating is usually the first thing to fail.
Can I move the shower or toilet?
In a house with a timber floor on piers, relocating wastes is usually achievable because the plumbing runs underneath. On a concrete slab, or in an apartment where drainage runs through the ceiling of the unit below, it is harder and may not be permitted. It is checked at the measure.