Question 1

How much does a bathroom renovation cost in the Waikato?

Accepted Answer

Most Waikato bathrooms land between $18,000 and $45,000. Keeping the plumbing where it is puts you at the lower end. Removing a tub, merging a separate toilet or relocating the shower moves you into the middle. Full spec tiling, custom joinery and underfloor heating take you to the top. See our full cost guide for a complete breakdown by trade and by size.

Question 2

What is actually included in your fixed price packages?

Accepted Answer

Every package includes strip out and disposal, waterproofing to Building Code clause E3, tiling, new fixtures, electrical and ventilation, and full trade and consent management. Higher tiers add layout changes, custom joinery, underfloor heating and feature tiling. Full inclusions for each tier are on the packages page.

Question 3

Do you charge extra once the job starts?

Accepted Answer

Not for anything covered in the written quote. The only time a price changes is a genuine unforeseen issue, most commonly rot, old copper pipework or unlined framing discovered once an older wall is opened up. We price for the likely version of this at quote stage based on the age of the house, and we tell you immediately, in writing, if something changes the number.

Question 4

Why is moving my toilet or shower more expensive than replacing it in place?

Accepted Answer

Relocating a fixture means re-running plumbing and drainage to a new position, and often changing the waterproofing arrangement of the wet area. That labour, not the fixture itself, is what adds cost. It is usually the single biggest driver of price difference between our packages.

Question 5

Can I supply my own tiles or fixtures to bring the cost down?

Accepted Answer

You can, though it shifts some risk to you. If a tile is out of stock partway through, or a fixture does not match the waterproofing detail the plumber is working to, the delay becomes your problem to manage rather than ours to absorb. Most of our pricing on fixtures is close to retail once trade discount and warranty coordination are accounted for.

Question 6

What actually happens from the first phone call to a finished bathroom?

Accepted Answer

You tell us about the room and roughly what you want to spend. We come and measure up for free, and talk through what is realistic in the space. You get a fixed price and a day by day schedule in writing. We run the whole job, every trade included. We hand it back with a written workmanship guarantee.

Question 7

Do I need to organise any of the trades myself?

Accepted Answer

No. Plumber, electrician, waterproofer, tiler, gib stopper and painter are all booked, scheduled and signed off by us. You get one point of contact and one invoice, and you are never the one chasing a subcontractor who has not turned up.

Question 8

Can I make changes once the quote is signed?

Accepted Answer

You can, but it is worth knowing that a change to tile, tapware or layout after ordering has started is one of the most common causes of delay, since it can mean waiting on a new delivery and re-sequencing trades that were already booked. Lock in the spec before ordering starts if you want to avoid this.

Question 9

What if I only have one bathroom in the house?

Accepted Answer

Tell us up front and we plan around it. You get a schedule showing exactly which days you will have no working toilet or shower, so you can arrange somewhere else for those specific days rather than being caught out partway through the job.

Question 10

Will my bathroom renovation need building consent?

Accepted Answer

Often not. Replacing fixtures in the same position is generally exempt work under Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004. You generally need consent once you move or add sanitary fixtures, alter drainage, or remove a wall doing structural work. We work this out at quote stage. See our full guide to building consent for the detail, and always confirm your specific situation with your council.

Question 11

What is restricted building work?

Accepted Answer

Restricted building work, or RBW, is work critical to a house meeting the Building Code, and it generally has to be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner in the relevant licence class. Whether it applies depends on your job's exact scope. We confirm this at quote stage and can show our LBP credentials.

Question 12

Do you handle the council paperwork if consent is needed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Where a job needs consent, we manage the application, the required inspections, and the sign off, so you are not the one dealing with the council directly.

Question 13

What is a Code Compliance Certificate and do I need one?

Accepted Answer

A Code Compliance Certificate, or CCC, is issued by the council once all required inspections on a consented job have passed. It confirms the completed work meets the consent that was granted, and it is an important document to have on file, particularly when you come to sell the house.

Question 14

How long will I be without a bathroom?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the scope, and we will not quote you a number we cannot hit. What we will do is give you a day by day schedule before we start, so you know exactly which days the trades are on site and when you get the room back. See our full timing guide for typical ranges by scope.

Question 15

Why do some renovations take longer than others?

Accepted Answer

Layout changes add plumbing and drainage work, and structural changes can add consent and inspection timing. A lot of the difference between a short job and a long one comes down to waiting time, waterproofing cure, grout drying, material lead times, rather than working time.

Question 16

Can you work around a specific date, like before a family event?

Accepted Answer

Tell us the date as early as possible and we will build the schedule backward from it, and flag honestly if the scope you want cannot realistically land in time, rather than promising a date we are not confident in.

Question 17

What causes the biggest delays in a bathroom job?

Accepted Answer

Trades not booked back to back, special order materials ordered too late, and surprises behind older walls are the three most common causes. Booking with a specialist who schedules the trades back to back, and ordering fixtures early, avoids most of it.

Question 18

What tiles and tapware do you use?

Accepted Answer

We work with a range of NZ-available tile and tapware suppliers across each package tier, chosen for durability and fit for the Waikato's water and climate conditions rather than a single house brand. We talk through specific options at the measure up.

Question 19

Is underfloor heating worth adding?

Accepted Answer

For a lot of Waikato homeowners, yes, particularly in a main bathroom used first thing in the morning through winter. It is included as standard in our Premium package and available as an add on to the other two.

Question 20

What is the real difference between your three packages when it comes to spec?

Accepted Answer

The Refresh keeps the existing layout and replaces everything with a straightforward spec. The Renovation adds layout changes, full height tiling options and underfloor heating readiness. The Premium adds custom joinery, stone benchtops, large format or feature tiling and full underfloor heating. Full detail is on the packages page.

Question 21

Do you specify different materials for coastal areas like Raglan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Salt air accelerates corrosion on standard tapware and fittings, so we specify corrosion-resistant hardware and put more thought into ventilation for coastal jobs than we would for an inland Hamilton bathroom.

Question 22

What does your workmanship guarantee actually cover?

Accepted Answer

Two things cover you. The 10-year implied warranty set out in the Building Act 2004 applies to residential building work as a matter of law. On top of that, our New Zealand Certified Builders membership means the Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee is available, which covers defects, non-completion and loss of deposit. Specific terms are confirmed in writing at quote stage and again on handover, alongside your Code Compliance Certificate where one applies.

Question 23

What happens if something goes wrong after the job is finished?

Accepted Answer

Contact us directly and we will assess it against the guarantee. Because we manage every trade on the job ourselves, there is one point of contact to deal with rather than trying to work out which subcontractor is responsible for what.

Question 24

Are your trades licensed?

Accepted Answer

Restricted building work is carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner. Just Bathrooms is an established Waikato building team, certified with New Zealand Certified Builders, which means the Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee is available on your job. Every trade on site, plumber, electrician, waterproofer and tiler, holds the registration or licensing relevant to their work.

Everything homeowners ask us before booking

Cost

Process

Timing

Materials and spec

Guarantees

Full guides on the big questions

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