Questions about the company
Ask who holds the licence, who will manage the project and who will be your day-to-day contact. Confirm the business name on the quote matches the business you are engaging.
For ETR, the NSW Builder Licence is 475204C. The project is run by the Dawood family, with Omar Dawood as Licensed Builder and Civil Engineer and Adam Dawood as Licensed Tiler and Projects Manager.
Questions about the work
Ask what is included in demolition, plumbing, electrical work, waterproofing, tiling, fittings, waste removal and clean-up. Ask how the team deals with changes or hidden conditions.
You should also ask how the renovation will be sequenced, what decisions are needed before work begins and how the team will protect the rest of your home.
Questions that reveal a hard sell
Be careful when a renovator pushes for a decision before measuring the room, avoids writing down exclusions or says a bathroom can be priced from photos alone. A confident builder should be able to explain what is known and what still needs checking.
Ask why the quoted program is realistic, what could change it and how product delays are handled. A vague answer now usually becomes stress later.
Questions about waterproofing and paperwork
Ask how the bathroom will be waterproofed, what standard applies and whether a certificate is supplied. For ETR bathroom renovations, waterproofing is done to AS 3740 with primer plus two coats, and a compliance certificate is supplied.
Ask what other handover documents you should keep with the final scope, warranty terms and product information. A careful paper trail is not exciting, but it matters if you ever need to check what was agreed.
Questions about the quote and warranty
Ask for a fixed-scope written quote, the payment schedule, the variation process and the terms of any warranty. Make sure the warranty wording is specific and do not assume it covers third-party fittings unless the terms say so.
A good first conversation should leave you with fewer assumptions, not more. If the answer changes depending on who you speak to, ask for the agreed position in writing.
How should you decide after the answers?
Compare the written scope, not just the price. The right renovator should be clear about what is included, who is on site, how updates are handled and what happens if the old room hides a problem.
You are choosing the people who will have your bathroom open for weeks. Good communication, clean site habits and a clear variation process are not extras; they are part of the job.
What proof should matter most?
Look for checkable proof: a licence number, a written quote, clear waterproofing paperwork, a real warranty and real customer feedback. Vague claims about quality are not the same as evidence.
For ETR, the load-bearing trust signals are plain: NSW Builder Licence 475204C, AS 3740 waterproofing, fixed-scope written quotes, a free on-site measure and a 10-year workmanship warranty stated as written.
What should make you pause?
Pause if the scope is hard to understand, the price keeps changing without written detail or the renovator avoids basic questions about timing, waterproofing and variations.
A bathroom renovation is too disruptive to run on guesswork. If the conversation feels rushed before you sign, it rarely becomes clearer after demolition.
What should feel clear before you say yes?
You should know who you call, what happens first, what the written quote includes, when the bathroom will be out of action and how changes are approved.
If those answers are clear, the decision becomes less about trusting a sales pitch and more about choosing the team with the cleanest process.