Planning an Accessible Bathroom Renovation: A Practical Guide

Start with the person, not the product

The first question in any accessible bathroom plan should not be 'what tiles do I want?' It should be 'what is actually hard about using the bathroom right now?' The answer shapes everything - the layout, the fixtures, the order of priorities and what gets done in stage one versus later.

Someone who has difficulty lifting their foot over a shower hob needs a level-entry shower above all else. Someone with hand tremor and difficulty with taps needs lever or elbow-operated tapware and a thermostatic mixer. Someone who has had a hip replacement needs grab rails positioned to match the hip they are protecting. These are different problems with different solutions.

If you already have a report from an occupational therapist that specifies dimensions and fixture heights, bring it to the first meeting. We work to it directly. If you don't have one, that is fine - we assess the space and the user's needs ourselves.

The order of decisions

Getting the sequence of decisions right saves time and prevents expensive changes later. Settle these in order before anything else.

• 1. Mobility needs - what does the person find hard today, and what is likely to change in the next five to ten years?
• 2. Bathroom layout - can the drain stay where it is, or does it need to move? Does the doorway need widening? Which wall will the toilet go on?
• 3. Shower type - level-entry recess, wet room, or full wet area? What size does the person need to turn comfortably?
• 4. Toilet specification - existing or new? Pan height, cistern type, potential for a bidet seat later?
• 5. Fixtures - lever tapware, thermostatic mixer, hand-held hose, riser rail heights
• 6. Grab rail positions - these must be measured to the individual, not placed by guesswork
• 7. Floor finish - slip rating, colour contrast for low vision, ease of cleaning
• 8. Style and colour - wall tiles, grout colour, vanity, mirror

What to sort before you call for a quote

Before an estimator visits, it helps to know roughly what you are trying to achieve and who will be using the bathroom. You do not need to have chosen tiles or fixtures - that comes later. But knowing whether the priority is the shower, the toilet, the doorway, or all three saves time on the visit.

Think about whether the bathroom needs to serve one person or be usable by the whole household. A bathroom that works for someone in a wheelchair and also functions as the main family bathroom is achievable, but it affects layout choices - you may want a toilet and basin that work for both seated and standing users.

If there is an existing renovation that is close to the end of its life, it is often smarter to combine the accessible modifications with a full update. Pulling up tiles twice costs more than doing it once.

What happens on an assessment visit

An assessment visit typically takes 45 minutes to an hour. The assessor measures the room - floor area, ceiling height, door width and swing arc - and locates the drain and any existing plumbing penetrations.

The assessor will also check the wall substrate. Knowing whether the walls are tiled over cement sheet, plasterboard, fibrous cement or brick affects the waterproofing specification and the fixing method for grab rails.

From that visit, a scope of works and a written quote should follow within a few days. The quote should specify waterproofing membrane brand and warranty, fixture make and model, and whether the work requires a building permit.

How long will you be without a bathroom?

Most Perth accessible bathroom renovations take 5 to 10 working days on site. During that time, the bathroom is not usable. In a two-bathroom home that is manageable. In a single-bathroom home it requires planning.

The critical path is waterproofing. Once the floor membrane is applied, it needs 24 to 48 hours before tiling can start. That drying period cannot be compressed. Everything before and after it can run faster with good scheduling, but that gap is fixed.

Some households arrange to stay with family, book a short-term rental, or hire a portable shower unit for the duration. It is worth talking through the timing when you accept the quote, so arrangements can be made before demolition starts.

Questions to ask any contractor

Not every contractor who quotes on a bathroom renovation has experience with accessible design. These questions will help you judge whether they know what they are doing.

• What Australian Standard do you waterproof to, and what is your membrane warranty?
• Have you installed fold-down shower seats and riser rails before?
• How do you determine grab rail positions - do you measure to the user?
• What floor gradient will you achieve in the shower area, and how?
• Do you handle the building permit, or is that our responsibility?
• Who does the tiling - a subcontractor or your own team?
• What happens if you find fibrous cement sheet or asbestos behind the existing tiles?

Thinking ahead: what to plan for later

An accessible bathroom built today should be designed for what the person needs now and for what they are likely to need in five to ten years. Installing solid blocking in the walls during the renovation - even where rails are not going today - costs almost nothing and avoids tearing tiles off later to retrofit.

A power point near the toilet at the right height (if a bidet seat or washlet might ever be added) is another low-cost inclusion that gets expensive to add later. Same for a non-slip floor that is already at the right slip rating - it is much cheaper to specify it during the renovation than to resurface it afterwards.

Talk through the long-term picture with whoever is doing the assessment. A bathroom built with the next five years in mind tends to serve people better and costs less over time than one built for today only.