The more you've decided before a builder walks through the door, the more accurate your quote will be. Here are the 12 decisions that matter most.

Two homeowners can ask for a quote on the same bathroom and get very different numbers. Usually it isn’t the builder that’s different, it’s how much has been decided beforehand. The clearer your brief, the more accurate your quote, and the fewer surprises once work starts.

Here’s the checklist we’d work through before booking an onsite quote.

Layout and scope

1. Is the layout staying the same?

Keeping the shower, toilet and vanity where they are is the single biggest way to control cost. Moving a toilet or shower means relocating drainage, which can involve cutting into the slab or reworking floor framing. It’s often worth doing, but it should be a deliberate choice.

2. Bath or no bath?

If it’s your only bathroom and you have young children (or might sell to a family), a bath is usually worth keeping. In an ensuite, many people swap the bath for a larger walk-in shower.

3. Are any walls, windows or doors changing?

Widening a doorway, moving a wall or changing a window adds structural work and sometimes engineering. Flag it early so it’s priced properly.

4. How high do you want to tile?

Floor-to-ceiling tiles look great and are easy to clean, but they add tile and labour cost compared with tiling to a set height and painting above.

Fixtures and finishes

5. Vanity: wall-hung or floor-standing, single or double?

Wall-hung vanities make small rooms feel bigger. Double basins suit shared bathrooms but need roughly 1,200 mm or more of wall. Our vanity guide covers the options.

6. Shower screen: framed, semi-frameless or fixed panel?

A fixed panel with no door is the cleanest look and has no hinges to maintain, but it needs enough space to stop water escaping.

7. Tapware finish

Chrome is the most affordable and easiest to match. Brushed nickel, gunmetal and brushed brass look premium but vary between brands, so choose all your tapware from the same range.

8. Tile size and style

Large-format tiles mean fewer grout lines, while feature tiles such as herringbone or fish-scale take longer to lay. See our tile guide for help narrowing it down.

Comfort and practicality

9. Storage

Think about what needs a home: towels, cleaning products, hair tools. A recessed shower niche, mirror cabinet or tall linen cupboard is far easier to plan now than to add later.

10. Lighting and power

Do you want an LED or backlit mirror, a power point inside the vanity cabinet for a toothbrush or hair dryer, or heated towel rails? Electrical work needs to be planned before walls are lined.

11. Ventilation

Brisbane’s humidity is hard on bathrooms. A good exhaust fan ducted outside (not just into the roof space) is one of the best investments against mould.

Budget and timing

12. Your budget range and deadline

Sharing a realistic budget range isn’t giving anything away. It lets your builder suggest where to spend and where to save. Likewise, if you have a deadline (guests, a new baby, a sale), say so upfront. Our bathrooms typically take around four weeks on site once selections are locked in. For a guide on price ranges, read how much a bathroom renovation costs in Brisbane.

Don’t have every answer yet?

That’s completely normal. You don’t need to have chosen a single tile to get started. Even knowing which of these decisions are still open helps us give you a clearer quote and talk through the options that suit your home.

ADG is a QBCC-licensed Brisbane builder, and our onsite quotes for bathrooms are free. Book your free onsite quote and we’ll work through this checklist with you, or browse our bathroom renovation work for ideas.