Where we work
Home accessibility modifications in Fremantle
Fremantle has some of the oldest residential housing stock in Perth - limestone cottages, Federation-era brick terraces, and interwar homes built long before wheelchair clearances or level shower entries were part of anyone's thinking. The charm of a Freo cottage comes with a specific set of access challenges: hallways as tight as 750 mm, small original bathrooms, high door thresholds, and jarrah floors throughout that run continuously from room to room and complicate any modification to floor level.
The limestone construction that defines much of inner Fremantle creates a different technical problem from the brick-veneer and cream-brick work we do in the southern suburbs. Doorway widening in a limestone wall requires a lintel check and careful cutting - it takes longer and needs different tooling than brick. Heritage overlay requirements in some streets focus on streetscape and exterior character, but internal modifications are generally outside their scope and we confirm the situation before any work begins.
From our Melville base, Fremantle is about ten minutes by Leach Highway. We work there regularly and know the construction types well enough to avoid the surprises that catch less experienced tradespeople.
What we find in Fremantle homes
Every suburb has its own housing character and its own access challenges. Here is what we most often see when we visit homes in Fremantle.
Original doorways in Fremantle cottages are frequently 750-800 mm - below the 820 mm that makes wheelchair access comfortable. Widening these openings in limestone walls requires checking for lintels, careful cutting to avoid cracking the reveal, and different tooling from brick work.
High door thresholds between rooms are nearly universal in pre-war Fremantle homes. Removing them and creating a level transition is usually one of the first fixes we recommend, as they are a fall risk in every room passage.
Original bathrooms in Fremantle cottages can be as small as 2.5 m by 1.8 m. A tight footprint does not rule out an accessible shower - it rules out a generous one - and we design within what the room allows rather than recommending an extension unless there is a specific reason.
Jarrah floorboards throughout the home mean any modification affecting floor level needs a careful perimeter transition where the new surface meets the surrounding timber. A badly finished join between tiles and jarrah creates a new trip hazard at the bathroom doorway.
Some streets in inner Fremantle fall under heritage guidelines. These focus on streetscape and exterior character - internal accessibility modifications are generally not affected, but we check the specific address before any work is committed to.
Services available
What we build in Fremantle
All nine of our services are available in this area. Here is what people most often ask us about.
Accessible bathrooms
Full accessible bathroom design and build, in-house, by a team that has done this for over ten years across Perth.
Walk-in showers
A shower you walk straight into - no step to clear, no screen to navigate around, and a floor that drains away from you.
Wet rooms
A wet room waterproofs the entire bathroom floor so there is no shower recess - the whole room is the shower zone.
Accessible kitchens
Kitchen changes that fix the specific thing beating you, from a set of drawers and a lever tap through to a lowered bench with knee clearance.
Ramps & level entry
Rubber, timber, aluminium and concrete ramps built to the right gradient, from a door threshold to a full exterior ramp.
Doorway widening
Wider clear openings for wheelchair and walker access.
Non-slip treatments
Non-slip clear coating for your existing tiles.
Nearby
We also cover suburbs near Fremantle
Our coverage does not stop at suburb boundaries. If you are in one of these suburbs, or anywhere nearby, get in touch.
- Palmyra
- Bicton
- Alfred Cove
- Hilton
- White Gum Valley
Start here
$149 home safety audit
We walk through your home, find the trip and fall risks, and give you a written list of what to fix first. We walk through every room, note every hazard, and give you a written list of what to fix first. The $149 is refunded if you proceed with the work.
Or simply ask us for a quote - describe what is getting difficult and we will tell you whether a visit makes sense.
Questions
Questions about work in Fremantle
Can you widen a doorway in a Fremantle limestone cottage without damaging the walls?
Yes, though it is more involved than brick. Limestone reveals require a lintel check and careful cutting to avoid cracking. We assess the wall construction during the site visit and give you an honest picture of what the job involves and what it costs before any commitment is made.
Our Fremantle terrace has jarrah floors throughout. Will the bathroom modifications look out of place next to them?
Not if the work is done carefully. We tile the wet area and create a transition that meets the jarrah cleanly at the doorway threshold. Jarrah-toned floor tiles are available if a close visual match matters to you, and we can show you options at the visit.
Do heritage overlays in Fremantle affect what we can do inside the home?
Internal modifications are generally outside the scope of heritage controls, which focus on the streetscape and the exterior character of the home. We confirm the situation for your specific address during the site visit so there are no surprises further down the track.
How far is Fremantle from your Melville base?
About ten minutes via Leach Highway. We cover Fremantle regularly and there is no distance premium on quotes or the $149 home safety audit.
Next step
Ready to talk about your Fremantle home?
Ask us for a quote. Tell us what is getting difficult - we will tell you what we would change first and what it costs.
Monday to Friday, 7:00am - 5:00pm. Based in Melville, working right across Perth.