Renovating a bathroom yourself or hiring tradespeople

You do not have to choose between doing everything yourself and hiring someone for the whole bathroom. You could clear the room and paint it yourself while tradespeople handle the pipework, waterproofing and electrics.

Decide whether you have the experience and time for each job. Also consider what happens if it goes wrong. A mistake behind the tiles is harder to put right than an unpainted wall.

Do the preparation yourself

Dismantling units, removing rubble and painting yourself saves paid labour. If you also plan to strip out the room, first find out where the pipes run and which parts are load-bearing. Agree with the contractor which preparation you can safely do before their work starts.

Have suspicious old boards, adhesive or floor coverings assessed for asbestos before stripping out. Pay particular attention to homes built or renovated up to around 1994. You can only remove asbestos yourself in limited circumstances and must submit the right notification. The conditions depend on the material and method. Check them with the council or an asbestos survey company before starting.

In 2026, private individuals may only remove a few types of asbestos-containing material themselves, totalling no more than 35 m². Subject to conditions, these are screwed panels with bonded fibres, floor tiles and flooring that is not glued down and comes away in one piece. Roof slates are excluded.

A demolition notification to the council is compulsory. Under the Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving (Bbl, the Dutch building regulations), you must submit it at least one calendar week before demolition starts. You must also notify the council two working days before starting and on the first working day after finishing. If in doubt, arrange an asbestos survey first.

Have work behind the finishes carried out or checked

Waterproofing, the shower floor’s fall, concealed taps and hidden pipe joints disappear behind tiles and walls. Have an experienced installer or tiler check that work before it is covered up.

Work on the consumer unit and electrics around the bath and shower requires knowledge of the safety rules. The main points are covered in waterproofing and ventilation.

Separate tradespeople or a main contractor

If you hire separate tradespeople, you organise the jobs and the order of the work yourself. Discuss with each contractor what needs to be ready when they arrive. The installer and tiler need to be able to build on each other’s preparation.

A main contractor usually organises several jobs. Ask which parts are included and who is responsible where different contractors’ work meets.

Record how you will hand work over

Write down who will do each job, when it must be finished and how you will leave it for the next person. For example, specify how flat and clean the floor needs to be after stripping out.

Ask the tradesperson to inspect your preparation before they start. Discuss what happens if the floor or wall does not meet the agreed standard. You will then know what needs putting right before their work begins.

What to do now

• decide who will do each job: you, the contractor or a specialist, and write down why
• hire someone for work where a mistake can stay hidden for a long time, such as waterproofing and pipework
• record in writing where your work ends and the tradesperson’s work begins