Complete Bathroom Renovation: Start to Finish
A room-by-room guide to renovating a bathroom without losing your mind or your marriage.
Educational renovation planning only. Waterproofing, structure, gas, and regulated electrical still belong to licensed trades and local rules.
- Step 1 of 6
Plan and Design
Before touching anything, know what you are doing. This sounds obvious. It is surprising how often it gets skipped. Measure the room, freeze the layout, and order the long-lead items while the bathroom is still a bathroom. A plan on paper is cheaper than a plan invented mid-demo.
Do this
- Measure three times. The tape measure does not judge.
- Get plumbing and electrical plans drawn before demo.
- Order major items early. Tiles take 6 weeks. Tubs take longer.
- Decide on layout changes before demo. Moving plumbing costs money.
Do not
- Demo before planning leads to expensive mid-project pivots.
- Do not assume your floor is level. It is probably not level.
- Step 2 of 6
Demo the Old Bathroom
The cathartic destruction phase. Take photos before you start — for insurance, for the plumber, and for the version of you who cannot remember where the waste landed. Isolate water and power. Test. Then strip with more discipline than enthusiasm. Pre-1990 fabric gets checked for asbestos before it meets a bar.
Do this
- Turn off water at the main. Then turn it off again. Trust no shuts.
- Remove fixtures carefully if you are donating. Habitat for Humanity ReStore loves usable toilets.
- Rent a proper dumpster. Debris adds up faster than physics should allow.
- Wear a mask. Dust is not just annoying. It is also slightly ominous.
Do not
- Do not cut wiring or pipes without confirming they are dead.
- Do not assume the wall you are hitting is just drywall. Assume there are wires inside.
- Do not use a sledgehammer near plumbing you intend to keep.
- Step 3 of 6
Rough-In Plumbing and Electrical
The work that goes behind the walls. This is where bathrooms get their systems right or permanently wrong. Licensed plumbing and electrical belong here. Extra GPOs, a fan that actually leaves the building, and waste falls you will never see again are decided now. Pressure-test before anyone hangs a sheet.
Do this
- Move drain lines before tiling. After tiling is expensive and sad.
- Add extra electrical outlets. You will want them. Trust.
- Install GFCI outlets near water sources. They save lives and are required by code.
- Vent properly. Vents are not optional bathroom decorations.
Do not
- Plumbing requires permits in most jurisdictions. Get them.
- Code violations discovered during inspection require fixing. Which means opening walls again.
- Do not connect different pipe materials without proper connectors.
- Step 4 of 6
Install Insulation and Moisture Barriers
The unsexy phase that prevents mould and keeps bathrooms from feeling like a tiled fridge. Wet-area board in the splash zones, insulation in exterior walls, and seals around every penetration. Moisture barriers go on the warm side. Get that backwards and the wall becomes a swamp with a paint finish.
Do this
- Use moisture-resistant drywall in shower areas. Green board is a minimum. Cement board is better.
- Insulate exterior walls. Bathrooms are cold in ways that feel personal.
- Seal around penetrations with caulk designed for wet areas.
Do not
- Never install regular fiberglass insulation directly against tub or shower surrounds.
- Moisture barriers go on the warm side of insulation. Get this wrong and the wall becomes a swamp.
- Step 5 of 6
Tile Installation
The skill phase. Tiling well takes practice. Tiling badly takes one afternoon and a lot of regret. Set the room out from the centre, keep cuts over 50 mm, and do not grout a bed that is still moving. A laser level is cheaper than a crooked feature wall you will photograph by accident for years.
Do this
- Start with the shower. It is hardest and you will be tired by the time you get to the visible floor.
- Use a laser level. Eye-balling tiles makes crooked people of us all.
- Grout release on polished tiles prevents haze. Do not skip it.
- Seal grout after curing. One week minimum. Realistically three weeks.
Do not
- Uneven subfloor will telegraph through tiles. Fix the subfloor first.
- Thinset under tiles needs to be fully cured before grouting. Rush this and everything moves.
- Do not grout expansion joints. They exist for reasons. Seal them instead.
- Step 6 of 6
Install Fixtures and Trim
The payoff phase. Fixtures go in, and the bathroom starts looking like a bathroom. Tapware before the toilet if you like elbows. Plumber's putty and tape are not interchangeable. Run every fitting before you declare victory — a drip found after silicone is a personality test.
Do this
- Install faucets before the toilet. Easier access.
- Use plumber's putty for drains. Teflon tape for threaded connections. Knowing the difference is the difference between leaking and not leaking.
- Caulk everywhere tiles meet other surfaces. Silicone in wet areas. Latex where flexibility is needed.
- Test everything before declaring victory. Run every fixture. Check for drips under the sink.
Do not
- Over-tightening fittings damages washers and causes leaks. Gentle but firm. Like most things in life.
- Do not caulk the floor trim. Water needs somewhere to go if it gets under.