DIY Bathroom Renovation: What You Can Do Yourself

Description: A comprehensive start-to-finish guide on how to remodel a bathroom yourself, covering key DIY renovation steps relevant to planning, budgeting, and completing a bathroom renovation project.
Video Credit: The BeefMaster

What a DIY Bathroom Renovation Actually Involves

A diy bathroom renovation isn't just one thing. It's many things. And knowing what to do first and last makes life a whole lot easier.

Let's say you have an average size bathroom of 4–6 m². This is how a renovation would look:

1. Planning and sourcing 2. Demolition 3. Plumbing and electrical 4. Waterproofing 5. Tiling 6. Fixtures and fittings 7. Painting and finishing

The actual DIY stages are: demolition, painting, tiling (if you're confident and have experience), and most of the finishing, such as fixing towel rails, brackets, hooks, accessories, applying silicone, a new toilet seat and assembling flat-pack vanity cupboards. This is quite a lot and by doing it all yourself you can save a lot in labour costs.

One thing a lot of people underestimate is the time it takes. Budget for two to four weeks from demolition to final fit-off, accounting for trade bookings, waterproofing cure times, and letting the tiles dry before you grout them.

Worker installing a bathroom vanity against a tiled wall with a tool belt.

What You Can Legally Do Yourself in Australia

This is where a lot of people can get into trouble; I've seen this happen time and time again.

In Australia, all plumbing work must be done by a licensed plumber (state plumbing licensing legislation) (legislation varies across states). This means everything including tapware, basins, toilets, bathtubs and everything to do with plumbing pipes. There's no argument on this. Any electrical work, including hardwired LED mirrors, heated towel rails and exhaust fans, must be done by a licensed electrician (AS/NZS 3000:2018). All waterproofing membranes in shower spaces and around bathtubs should be installed by a licensed waterproofer in most Australian states.

You can legally do the following yourself in most Australian states — check your particular state or territory requirements:

• Paint the walls and ceilings

• Fix towel rails, brackets, hooks and mirrors

• Replace your toilet seat

• Change a screw-on showerhead

• Assemble flat-pack vanity cupboards (excluding plumbing hookups)

• Apply silicone sealant

• Clean or re-seal your grout

Rules vary between NSW, Victoria and Queensland, and so do owner-builder provisions.

The main point I'm driving at here is that no one should undertake plumbing or electrical work if they're not licensed. It's the law, it can result in significant fines, creates serious safety issues, can void your home insurance, and is simply not worth it.

Tradie in hi-vis vest writing on clipboard beside white toilet and dark tiles

Building a Bathroom Renovation Checklist

A solid bathroom renovation checklist is vital to your project, so you don't end up sitting in a halfway demolished bathroom without any tiles because you didn't order them six weeks ago.

If you're researching how to renovate a bathroom, understanding the correct sequence is just as important as the individual tasks themselves. Typically, a bathroom renovation will follow these steps:

1. Finalise the layout of your bathroom and take measurements 2. Select and order all fixtures, tiles, and fittings — bear in mind that many products have a 4–8 weeks lead time 3. Arrange all your trades well in advance of your start date — licensed plumber, waterproofer, electrician 4. Demolition: remove existing tiles, linings, and fixtures 5. Rough-in plumbing and electrical (licensed trades) 6. Install wall linings and prepare substrate 7. Waterproofing — shower walls must be membrane-treated to a minimum of 1800 mm (NCC 2022, ABCB Housing Provisions, Part 10.2) above floor substrate, and bath-adjacent walls to at least 150 mm above the rim 8. Allow full waterproofing cure time before tiling 9. Tile floor and walls 10. Fixture fit-off: vanity, toilet, basin, tapware (licensed plumber) 11. Shower screen installation (professional fit) 12. Painting, accessories, mirrors, and finishing

The most frequent sequencing mistake is booking trades too late or starting tiling before waterproofing has fully cured. Both lead to rework that will cost significantly more than the time you saved.

Colourful marble and stone tile samples displayed on showroom wall

Keeping Costs Down: Budget Tips and Material Choices

A cheap bathroom renovation in Australia runs between roughly $10,000 (HIA Bathroom Renovation Cost Guide 2025) for a small ensuite and $25,000 or upwards for a full bathroom overhaul — costs tend to be higher in Sydney and Melbourne.

Your most significant savings come from material selection. Ceramic tile is cheaper than porcelain. Ceramic tiles can be used on walls and floors, though floor tiles must be slip rated with a P rating per AS 4586. Labour for tiling ranges between $50–$70 per m², so opting for the simplest format that is fit-for-purpose and appropriately sized reduces installation time and wastage.

Do as much labour as you can yourself — painting and accessories installation, for example — and spend the bulk of your budget on waterproofing and quality tapware.

Row of white and grey bathroom basins with black and chrome taps on display

Choosing the Right Vanity for a Cheap Bathroom Renovation

Of all the fixtures in a bathroom, the vanity has the greatest visual impact, and it can define the whole room without costing too much if selected appropriately.

In Australia, standard vanity widths include 600 mm, 750 mm, 900 mm and 1200 mm. A 600 mm or 750 mm vanity will most likely be appropriate for a small bathroom or ensuite. Take your bathroom's dimensions carefully into account, including door swing and clearances from the toilet, before ordering.

The material a vanity cabinet is made from matters equally. PVC cabinets withstand all levels of humidity, making them a great choice for a bathroom. A cheap bathroom vanity in PVC starts from $300–$600 for a 600 mm unit. The majority of mid-range bathroom vanities are made from MDF; however, this material is not waterproof, so a vanity cabinet made from it must be placed in an adequately ventilated area and fitted with a quality silicone seal at the base. Plywood vanity cabinets are the most durable of all, but they typically command a premium price.

When comparing cheap bathroom vanities, check what is included. A basin mixer and waste are not always included with your purchase — factor in $100–$400 in extra costs for those, and ensure all water supply connections are made by a licensed plumber. Pairing an affordable vanity with careful planning around accessories and finishes can still deliver a polished, high-end result.

Think about basin types too. Above-counter basins are fashionable, but undermount or integrated basins are generally easier to keep clean over the long term.

References

State plumbing licensing legislation (VBA Victoria; Fair Trading NSW; QBCC Queensland; Building Practitioners Board WA; CBOS Tasmania; ACTPLA ACT; Building & Energy SA; ABPB NT)

AS/NZS 3000:2018 Electrical Installations (Wiring Rules), Standards Australia

National Construction Code 2022, ABCB Housing Provisions, Part 10.2 Wet Areas

HIA (Housing Industry Association) — Bathroom Renovation Cost Guide 2025

FAQs

How do I know if my existing waterproofing is still sound before I tile over it?

Look for cracked or lifting tiles near the shower base, damp patches on adjacent walls or the ceiling below, and any musty smell that persists after the room dries out. If you spot any of these, assume the membrane is compromised and budget for a licensed waterproofer to re-treat the area before you lay a single new tile.

Can I reuse existing wall tiles to cut costs during demolition?

Rarely. Tiles removed during strip-out almost always crack or chip, and the adhesive bed left on the substrate needs grinding back before new tiles can go down. It is almost always faster and cheaper to budget for new tiles from the outset rather than counting on salvage.

What is the best way to ventilate a bathroom that has no external window?

A hardwired exhaust fan ducted directly to the outside — not just to the ceiling cavity — is the practical solution, and it must be installed by a licensed electrician. Aim for a fan rated at a minimum of 25 litres per second to adequately manage moisture in a standard Australian bathroom.