The short version
Renovating a bathroom in a Sydney apartment or strata unit starts with the building rules. A wet-area renovation is not the same as a cosmetic refresh inside a free-standing house.
Does a strata bathroom renovation need approval?
Yes. NSW Government guidance says a renovation that requires waterproofing cannot be treated as minor cosmetic work, so get the owners corporation's approval before work starts. Depending on the scope, approval may need a special resolution; work that changes common property may also need a by-law.
Check your scheme's rules and approval path before setting a start date. Read the NSW Government strata renovations guidance and confirm the requirements with your strata manager.
What we handle for strata jobs
The written scope sets out the agreed renovation work. It is carried out under NSW Builder Licence 475204C, and the waterproofing is completed to AS 3740 with a compliance certificate.
Give your renovator the approval conditions and building rules so the written scope can reflect them. Your owners corporation or strata manager can confirm which rules apply to your building.
What should you ask strata before the quote?
Ask if the owners corporation needs a renovation application, which forms they need, what work hours apply, how to book the lift and whether shared areas need special protection.
Ask for the rules in writing. A neighbour may help, but the renovator needs the building rules before the work plan and quote are final.
Plan access and protection
Check how materials and waste can move through the building, where trucks can stop and how shared areas must be kept safe. These details belong in the work plan and quote.
Give the team the building rules early so the site plan fits the property. A good access plan is part of the job, not an afterthought.
Why access can affect timing
Apartment work can take longer when lifts, loading zones, parking, concierge rules or waste removal windows are tight. None of those details changes the quality of the bathroom, but they can change the way the job is staged.
This is why a strata renovation should not be priced as if it were a freestanding house with easy driveway access. The access plan is part of the scope.
Keep the paperwork together
Keep approvals, the written scope, choices, certificates and records of changes in one place. Clear records help everyone see what was agreed.
A free on-site measure is a good first step before we write a strata quote. If you are comparing a unit renovation with a house renovation, read our apartment bathroom renovation vs house guide next.
What should not be assumed?
Do not assume the work can start just because the renovation is inside your apartment. Also do not assume every building has the same approval steps. Older blocks, newer buildings and tightly managed strata schemes can all handle wet-area work differently.
Bring the building rules to the first serious quote conversation. That gives the renovator a fair basis for scope, timing and access, and it gives you fewer surprises once the bathroom is open.
How should neighbours and common areas be handled?
A strata bathroom renovation is not only about your apartment. Noise, lift use, hallway protection and waste movement can affect neighbours and common property.
Ask how notices, access windows and protection are handled in your building. The smoother those details are, the less likely the job is to stall over something that was known before work started.
What should you give the renovator?
Give the renovator the by-laws, approval conditions, contact details for the building manager and any forms the building wants completed. Those documents shape access and timing as much as the bathroom design does.
If the building changes a rule after the quote, ask for the timing and cost effect to be recorded before the plan changes. That is the safest way to keep a renovation moving without surprises.