12 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Bathroom Renovator
Most Adelaide homeowners lose money on a bathroom renovation before a single tile is lifted. Not because they picked the cheapest quote, but because they did not know which questions separated a licensed, insured, SA-registered bathroom renovation specialist from a generalist handyman running a ute with a logo on the door.
After matching hundreds of Adelaide homeowners with vetted renovators across Unley, Glenelg, Prospect, Mitcham, Norwood, Burnside, and the northern suburbs, we have heard every deflection, every vague answer, and every polite sidestep that ends in a dispute at Consumer and Business Services (CBS). This guide gives you the 12 questions that cut through the sales pitch, plus what a strong answer sounds like, what a red-flag answer sounds like, and exactly what to do when a renovator fumbles one.
Bring this list to every in-home consultation. Tick the answers off as you go.
Why these 12 questions matter in South Australia
Under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995 (SA), anyone performing domestic building work valued over $12,000 must hold a current Building Work Contractor licence. Waterproofing a wet area must comply with AS 3740:2021, and in SA the waterproofing is a separately licensed trade. Get either wrong and you are not just risking a leak. You are risking a rejected insurance claim, an unenforceable warranty, and a CBS complaint that will sit on the renovator’s record long after your bathroom is finished.
The questions below are ordered roughly as you would ask them in a 45-minute in-home visit: credentials first, then scope and timeline, then money, then what-ifs.
1. What is your SA Building Work Contractor licence number?
What a good answer sounds like: The renovator recites the number from memory or pulls it up on their phone in under 10 seconds. The licence is in the name of the company or sole trader you will be contracting with, not a subcontractor or a relative. You can verify it instantly at the CBS public register.
Red-flag answer: “I work under my mate’s licence,” “the licence is being renewed,” or “I don’t need one for bathrooms.” All three are false. Any bathroom renovation over $12,000 needs a licensed contractor on the paperwork.
What to do: Write the number down. Check it on the CBS register before you sign anything. If the name on the register does not match the name on the quote, walk away.
2. Can I see your current public liability insurance certificate?
What a good answer sounds like: They email you a current Certificate of Currency showing a minimum of $10 million public liability cover, with the insurer, policy number, and expiry date clearly listed. Most reputable Adelaide bathroom renovation specialists carry $20 million.
Red-flag answer: “I’ll send it later,” a screenshot of an expired policy, or a vague “we’re fully insured, mate.” No certificate, no start date.
What to do: Ask for the certificate before the second site visit. Note the expiry date in your diary. If the policy lapses mid-project, you are the one exposed if a plumber floods the apartment below yours.
3. Who does your waterproofing, and what is their separate waterproofing licence?
What a good answer sounds like: They name a specific waterproofer, confirm that person holds a current SA waterproofing licence, and explain that the waterproofing will be inspected and certified before tiling starts. They mention AS 3740:2021 without being prompted.
Red-flag answer: “Our tiler does the waterproofing.” In South Australia, waterproofing is a licensed trade in its own right. A tiler without a separate waterproofing licence cannot legally waterproof a wet area, and any warranty you get from them is not worth the paper it is printed on.
What to do: Get the waterproofer’s name and licence number on the quote. Ask for the Form 2 waterproofing certificate at handover.
4. Can you give me three recent Adelaide references with addresses I can drive past?
What a good answer sounds like: Within a day or two they send three completed jobs from the last 12 months, with suburb names (Seaton, Torrensville, Hyde Park, Magill, and similar), rough job values, and contact details for homeowners who have agreed to speak with you. Bonus points if one reference is within 10 kilometres of your place.
Red-flag answer: Only Instagram photos, references from “a job in Melbourne,” or “all my clients want privacy.” Privacy is real, but a legitimate renovation business always has a handful of past clients happy to vouch.
What to do: Ring at least two references. Ask them about timeline blowouts, variations, and whether they would hire the renovator again. Drive past one job if you can.
5. What is your realistic timeline, including the waterproofing cure?
What a good answer sounds like: A standard Adelaide bathroom strip-out to handover runs 3 to 5 weeks for a straightforward job, 6 to 8 weeks for a full reconfiguration with structural changes. The renovator specifically mentions a 48 to 72 hour waterproofing cure before tiling begins and builds that into the schedule.
Red-flag answer: “Two weeks, easy.” Nobody finishes a compliant bathroom in two weeks in 2026. Either they are skipping the waterproofing cure, or they are telling you what you want to hear.
What to do: Ask for a week-by-week schedule in writing. Flag any quote that promises completion in under three weeks.
6. Is your quote line-item or lump-sum, and can I see a line-item version?
What a good answer sounds like: You get a detailed quote broken down by trade: demolition, plumbing rough-in, electrical, waterproofing, wall and floor tiling, cabinetry, tapware, glazing, painting, rubbish removal, and a clear provisional sum for any PC items (tiles, vanity, tapware) you have not yet chosen. Labour and materials are split where it matters.
Red-flag answer: A single lump-sum figure with no breakdown, or a “ballpark” on the back of a business card. You cannot compare two lump-sum quotes meaningfully, and you cannot dispute a variation on a job you never itemised.
What to do: Ask for line-item quotes from every renovator you shortlist. If they refuse, that tells you how they will handle variations later.
7. What is your variation policy, and can you walk me through a recent example?
What a good answer sounds like: Variations are quoted in writing before any work happens, signed by both parties, and added to the contract. The renovator gives you a real example: “On a job in Fullarton last month, the client changed from a framed shower screen to frameless. I priced the variation at $1,840 including the extra glass and install, they signed, I ordered.”
Red-flag answer: “We sort it out at the end,” or “it’s usually only a few hundred bucks.” End-of-job variation surprises are the single biggest cause of renovation disputes in South Australia.
What to do: Get the variation clause in the contract. Refuse to sign any contract that does not require written, pre-approved variations.
8. What is your payment schedule, and what is the deposit?
What a good answer sounds like: A deposit of no more than 10 percent, with progress payments tied to genuine milestones (demolition complete, plumbing rough-in signed off, waterproofing certified, tiling complete, practical completion). Final 10 percent retained until defect-free handover.
Red-flag answer: A 30 to 50 percent deposit, “cash upfront for materials,” or payments tied to dates rather than milestones. Under SA law, for contracts over $12,000 the maximum deposit is capped at 10 percent of the contract value.
What to do: Never pay more than the legal deposit cap. Pay every progress claim by bank transfer, never cash, and always against a written claim tied to a completed milestone.
9. What is your warranty period, and what does it actually cover?
What a good answer sounds like: Minimum 6-year statutory warranty on structural work under SA law, plus a separate written workmanship warranty (typically 2 to 7 years) and the waterproofer’s own warranty on the membrane (often 10 years if the installer is still trading). Tapware, tiles, and appliances carry their manufacturer warranties, which the renovator registers in your name.
Red-flag answer: “12 months on everything,” or a warranty that disappears if the business closes. Ask whether the renovator carries domestic building indemnity insurance, required in SA for work over $12,000.
What to do: Get the warranty in writing, with what is covered, what is excluded, and how to make a claim.
10. Where does the rubbish go, and how do you handle asbestos?
What a good answer sounds like: They name a specific licensed waste facility, include skip hire in the quote, and for any home built before 1990 they proactively raise asbestos testing of sheeting, backing boards, or vinyl tiles. If asbestos is present, they use a SafeWork SA-licensed asbestos removalist and provide you with the waste disposal receipt.
Red-flag answer: “We just chuck it in the ute” or “don’t worry about asbestos, it’s fine.” Illegal dumping and unlicensed asbestos handling can land on the homeowner as well as the contractor.
What to do: In any Adelaide home built pre-1990, insist on an asbestos inspection as part of the scope. Keep the disposal receipts with your contract paperwork.
11. What happens if a trade overlaps with another or runs late?
What a good answer sounds like: The renovator is the single point of responsibility for coordinating plumber, electrician, waterproofer, tiler, cabinet maker, and glazier. If a trade runs late, they reschedule and absorb the coordination cost. They give you a recent example of a delay and how they handled it.
Red-flag answer: “You’ll need to book the electrician yourself” or “I can’t control when trades turn up.” That is exactly the job you are paying them to do.
What to do: Put trade coordination responsibility in writing in the contract. You should never be the one phoning subcontractors.
12. Will I deal directly with you, or with a project manager?
What a good answer sounds like: A named site supervisor or owner-operator is your single point of contact, available by phone or text during business hours, with a clear process for after-hours emergencies (burst pipe, for example). You know who will be on site each day.
Red-flag answer: A sales rep who signs you up and then vanishes, leaving you to chase a call centre for updates.
What to do: Ask for the supervisor’s direct mobile. Agree on a weekly check-in, either a 10-minute site walk or a photo update. If you cannot reach them during the sales process, it will only get worse once they have your deposit.
How to use these 12 questions
Print this list, bring it to every quote meeting, and score each renovator out of 12. Any answer that feels rehearsed, evasive, or contradicts what another renovator told you is worth a second look. A great Adelaide bathroom renovation specialist will welcome these questions. A shaky one will resent them, which tells you everything.
- Get at least 3 written line-item quotes before signing.
- Verify every licence on the CBS register.
- Read the contract, the warranty, and the variation clause before you pay the deposit.
- Keep every document, invoice, and photo in one folder from day one.
The Adelaide bathroom renovators in our network have all answered these questions for us already. Licences verified, insurance current, references checked, SA waterproofing licence confirmed, and a track record of clean handovers from Henley Beach to Modbury. Tell us what you want done, and we will match you with three that fit your budget, timeline, and suburb.