Kitchen and bathroom renovations are very popular and no wonder – they can give a house a total rebirth, for relatively little outlay. However, there are regulations that must be followed.

Do you need a permit to renovate your home?

Rules and regulations can really get in the way, huh? If you’re asking ‘Do I need planning permission to change my bathroom? What about my kitchen?’ The answer is you may well do. One thing’s for certain, if you’re found guilty of not having one when you should have, you could be in for a hefty fine. But don’t get into a lather. We’ll go through what you need depending on where you are, so when it comes to kitchen or bathroom renovation, you’ll have a wonderful design that’s totally on the level. 

When it comes to deciding on whether permission is required to renovate a home, a lot will depend on three factors.

1. The historic nature of the house
2. The area it’s located in
3. The extent of the renovation

It’s the last two of these that are most significant in this article. 

You’ll find that Australian bathroom renovations (and kitchen renovations, come to that) do tend to involve a fair level of bureaucracy. Put basically, permits are required for work that results in changes to the structure or shape of the home. Such work might include changing a window’s size or style or adding a door. Changing a cabinet or similar won’t usually require a permit, however. 

Do note that any work that involves altering the gas and/or electricity supply or anything covering water supply and drainage will definitely need a permit. 

What permits do you need?

What needs a permit? What are exempted from building permits? The answers vary from area to area. Home renovations in Darwin will involve different regulations from home renovations Perth style. What regulations you need to observe will have an impact on your kitchen or bathroom reno cost. It’s very important to take on board the different requirements in different areas so let’s take a brief look at each. 

In New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, things are pretty strict. Permits are required to cover the work, and if the venture costs over $5000, you’ll need to employ a licenced contractor. Victoria’s tough too – all structural work, irrespective of price, has to be completed by licenced contractors. In Queensland, older properties (ie built prior to 1946) receive extra protection so you need a special permit for renovation work on these. 

In South Australia, almost all forms of renovations have to be undertaken by licenced professionals and in the Northern Territory if the work involves any changes to plumbing, fixtures or walls, you’ll need a building permit. Tasmania’s got a whole low-risk/medium-risk/high-risk thing going on which we won’t go into here. 

When it comes to Western Australia, here’s the deal… it depends on the nature of the renovation. Work involving bathroom furniture in the area will possibly not involve too much complication, as for joinery work and cabinet installations for example, no permit’s necessary. 

For anything more complicated in kitchen and bathroom renovations Perth based and surrounds, a building permit’s required. If the operation’s costing more than $20,000, you need to get the licenced professionals in. 

How do you get them?

You can apply directly for council approval if you’re pretty sure you know what building approvals you need. Alternatively, you might be wise to employ an architect, who can oversee the whole structural side, and who will know which permissions are necessary and how to get them. 

For instance, if you’re wondering ‘Do I need a building permit for a bathroom renovation in Western Australia?’ an architect will be in possession of the latest data pertinent to Perth bathroom renovations. 

What else should you do to prepare for your renovation?

Obviously, when you’re renovating or even building a bathroom or kitchen, you’ll want to spend some time carefully selecting the materials and products that are going into your brand-new room. If your plan is to renovate shower and to renovate toilet then you’ll be wanting to pick out designs for both that will complement their new surrounds. 

You’ll also need to devote a good deal of attention to the layout, in order to achieve an efficient and supremely usable space. 

There are several other areas you shouldn’t overlook. Sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming, especially as zero hour approaches, but you need to ensure that you’re on top of matters. Such are the many and varied considerations that you’ll be needing to include that it’s well worth instituting a renovation checklist. This way you’ll not be worrying that you’ve forgotten something important. 

Here are some of those areas. 

Get a sub sorted

The kitchen and bathroom happen to be really quite important rooms in the house, performing functions that the lounge, for instance, try as it might, will struggle with. So, you need to think about other facilities that might be pressed into service. If you have camping gear, this could be handy for cooking. If you have a gym membership, this could be really good for washing facilities. 

Strip for action

When the builders start work, their priority will be to get the renovation done. They won’t necessarily apply much attention to protecting valuables and keeping carpets from getting marked. So, make their lives easier and calm your nerves by packing away anything delicate or likely to get in the way of some burly builders manhandling a dirty great bathtub down the stairs and out of the house.

Rubbish thoughts

Renovations create a lot of refuse. When people are considering how to renovate bathrooms and kitchens, this can be overlooked. Most professionals will however handle this as part of the service, but it’s worth checking. If they don’t include waste disposal, they should be able to advise on where else you might be able to procure it. 

Pet panic

Where’s the dog? Did we check in the oven before it got chucked out? Make sure your quadruped companions are kept well away from the work area, for the sake of the workers and the animals themselves. Cats and concrete do not mix. Well, actually they do. That’s the problem. 

Who can help you with your renovation needs?

The good news is that there’s a huge number of great renovation people out there. If you’re reading this in the Perth area, you’d be best advised to try VBathroom. They handle the best kitchen and bathroom renovations Perth can boast, and have exclusive ranges of furniture laid out beautifully in showrooms in Malaga and Bentley. 

Renovation doesn’t need to be stressful. It can be an enjoyable process from beginning to end, with the proper professional help. Let VBathroom give you the benefit of their expertise so that your new kitchen or bathroom (or both – lucky you!) are all about the pleasure and not the pain.

For a full renovation, our team can help you realise your dream space in less than 3 weeks thanks to over 20 years of experience – so get in contact with us today.