Renovating a bathroom is really a project management job in juggling the trades, which is how a lot of builders earn their money. If it was a simple lineal sequence then more people would be doing it themselves, and every job is slightly different.

The main challenge is that a bathroom is a small space and you can't get more than one tradesman working in it at once, so the order needs to be carefully managed. Most tradesmen need to come back a few times, but not on subsequent days. For instance the plumber and electrican can only finish off after the tiler has finished. But the tiler can't start tiling until all the pipes and wires are in place and the plasterboard is up, and waterproofed.

At the same time your tradesmen will have other jobs with other customers that they are juggling, so it can sometimes be difficult to get the tradesman you want turning up for the next stage exactly when needed. If something unforeseen turns up during the demolition - such as timber joists that have rotted out underneath an old leaky shower, it can throw the best laid plans into chaos.

Builders who do small bathroom jobs earn their money by dealing with these stresses.

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

BUILD Architecture Award 2018 · More Info

ideally you have an alternative bathroom to use during construction which can take from a few days spread over weeks or months depending on what you need to do ...managing a bathroom reno is a juggling act to have all the trades arrive in sequence as well as making all the decisions about choosing and ordering all the tiles, taps and fixtures etc and, despite having built and renovated numerous bathrooms, we've found that it can be a relief to use a professional bathroom company or builder to organise the sequence of work because you need all the trades to come and go several times for different stages and renovations often uncover surprises that may cause extra delays (asbestos removal or damaged framing or rearranging walls or problems with supplies or trades held up on other jobs) so you could need a carpenter, asbestos remover, demolition and removal teams with suitable transport and equipment, plumber, electrician, waterproofer, tiler, plasterer, renderer, gyprocker, painter and bricklayer and all these tradespeople depend on their next job and are more likely to be ready to work with a familiar professional than a one off home owner....luckily we now have our group of dependable tradespeople (who will also identify and recommend others) and we usually start with having the plumber, electrician and tiler inspect the scope of the work and discuss options, calculate quantities, brands and styles and agree on who will organise supplies and a rough timetable and prices and we make sure that we have all the supplies on site before we have the plumber disconnect the water, electrician make wiring safe and then arrange the necessary demolition and removal of rubbish and then all the trades come back several times in sequence depending on each job and we always keep simple diary notes and send emails to confirm agreements, prices and especially any changes and we also confirm all the trades' white cards and double check our public liabilty and household insurance during construction...so many details to cover but very rewarding when it all comes together

Hi Annagoanna,

Here's an article that covers exactly what you're looking for:

How long does a bathroom renovation take?

If you need inspiration you might also like: 101 Kitchen and Bathroom Design Ideas

Regards Richard@themakeovergroup (Melbourne)

Thankyou, I am sure many people will benefit from this answer

Usually the company you hire to undertake the project will have a trade schedule for all works. As Dr Retro stated, it can be tricky and requires someone to manage the project for you, Its all dependent on what your having done, how old the home is can play a factor as well.

Homes built before the 60's may require asbestos removal. Your project manager will be able to know if its present or not relatively early on in the "quoting" phase.

Basically you will need strip out, electrician and plumber at the site on the same day to rough in and strip out.If you have asbestos and you have booked in strip out without letting him know about it, you will pay for the time he has allocated for you for the day and he wouldn't have done anything. Likewise with the plumber and electrical.

Your best bet is to ask for quotes from bathroom reno companies first, Ok louise has given you an outline of trades you may need. Ask them for a quote for each job you need done. Calculate it and compare. In saying that also add in the time it will take for you to organize it all, calculate the frustration with dealing with trades professionals who march to their own beat and cancel last minute leaving you scrambling for a back up.

I believe it can be very rewarding to DIY as its your very own masterpiece, however if you lack patience it may not be for you.