Most bathroom renos blow the budget on plumbing surprises. Use this pre-demolition checklist to lock your scope and your price before the tiles come off.
We get called into more than a few bathroom renos that have gone sideways — usually after the tiler has already started and the homeowner realises the waste isn't where the new vanity needs it. A 20-minute plumbing walkthrough before demolition saves four-figure surprises. Here's our pre-reno checklist.
Before the First Tile Comes Off
- Confirm vanity, basin and toilet positions on a marked-up floor plan
- Photograph the existing wall and floor wastes (you'll want them later)
- Check water pressure — older homes often need a pressure-limiting valve
- Verify the hot water unit's flow rate meets the new shower spec
- Plan for a tempering valve if not already installed
- Confirm waterproofing scope and sequencing with the tiler
Hidden Costs to Quote For
| Item | Typical Cost | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Relocating a floor waste | $450 – $900 | Often the difference between a great layout and a cramped one |
| New in-wall mixer rough-in | $280 – $480 | Required for any modern wall-mounted shower or bath spout |
| Compliance tempering valve | $220 – $360 | Mandatory if you're touching the hot water tempering |
| Waterproofing certificate | $180 – $320 | Insurance and resale require it |
| Tile-on shower base build-up | $350 – $600 | Falls have to be right or you'll have pooling forever |
The Sequence That Saves You Money
Bathroom renos go wrong when trades overlap badly. Here's the order we run our plumbing scope to keep the project on track:
- •Day 1: Demo and strip-out — plumbing isolated, wastes capped
- •Day 2–3: Rough-in plumbing — pipes in walls and floor, pressure tested
- •Day 4: First fix sign-off and waterproofing starts
- •Day 5–8: Tiling
- •Day 9–10: Second fix plumbing — tapware, toilet, vanity, shower screens
- •Day 11: Final inspection, compliance certificate issued
Lock the layout in writing
Verbal 'we'll move the toilet a bit' decisions on site are where budgets die. Every position change should be marked on the plan and re-quoted before work continues.
"Spend a day on the plan to save a week on the build. Bathrooms reward planning more than any other room in the house."
Need a hand with this in person?
Call Lehonde directly for a same-day quote across Port Augusta and the Spencer Gulf.