Bathroom & Toilet Renovation
in KL & Selangor

Bathroom and toilet renovation in KL & Selangor: what we do

The bathroom jobs we are asked about usually sit in one of three groups. A refresh keeps the layout and the pipes where they are and changes the surfaces and fittings: new tiles, a new toilet bowl, basin, shower set and glass screen. A full renovation strips the room back to the slab and the brickwork, renews the waterproofing and often moves the shower, basin or toilet. The third group is the bathroom done together with the rest of the house, where the hacking, debris and trades are shared across rooms.

Whichever it is, we design it and we build it, so the layout drawing and the finished room come from one team. A small guest toilet follows the same steps on a smaller scale; the guest toilet and powder room guide covers that job. If you are not sure the room needs the work yet, the signs a bathroom is due for renovation are worth reading first.

Typical bathroom jobs by property type

The same brief turns out differently in a condo, a terrace house and an older flat, mostly because of space, building rules and what is hidden under the existing floor. Use the table as a planning guide, not a fixed scope.

For style ideas sized to each home, browse the design galleries for condo bathrooms, terrace house bathrooms and bathrooms in older houses.

Full hack or a makeover without hacking

The first decision is whether the old tiles come off. Hacking back to the slab lets the floor be re-screeded and the waterproofing renewed, and it is the right call when the bathroom leaks, the floor holds water or the tiles sound hollow. Laying new finishes over sound old tiles is quicker and quieter, and it suits a condo bathroom that is dry and level but simply dated.

The catch is that an overlay hides whatever is underneath, so it only makes sense when nothing is leaking. The bathroom makeover without hacking guide explains what can be changed without a full strip-out, and the guide to waterproofing a toilet without hacking covers the coatings used when a dry floor needs extra protection.

Waterproofing: the work you never see

Most of the bathroom problems Malaysian owners live with, from a stained ceiling downstairs to a damp wall outside the shower, come back to the waterproofing layer. On a full renovation the membrane goes on the floor and turns up the walls before the screed and tiles, with extra care at the floor trap and the pipe openings. A careful contractor then floods the floor for a ponding test and checks the ceiling below before a single tile is laid.

Ask how this stage will be done before you compare anything else, because it is the one part of the room you cannot inspect once it is tiled. The bathroom waterproofing guide compares membrane types, and the waterproofing requirements checklist lists what a proper job includes.

Layout, wet and dry zones and moving points

In most Klang Valley bathrooms the space is fixed, so the layout work is about using it well: a shower zone kept apart from the toilet and basin with a glass screen or a step-free kerb, a floor that falls towards the drain, and storage that does not sit in the splash zone. The small bathroom wet and dry layout guide shows how this works in a compact room.

Moving the toilet, basin or shower is possible, but each move means new drainage runs cut into the floor, and the toilet has the least room to move because of its larger pipe. Decide these moves at the drawing stage. The guide to moving a toilet, sink or shower explains the limits, and the squat to sitting toilet conversion guide covers the change many older homes need.

Tiles, fittings and the vanity

Once the layout and waterproofing are settled, the visible choices follow: wall and floor tiles with an anti-slip rating for the shower floor, the toilet bowl, basin and taps, the shower mixer and screen, lighting and the ceiling board. We build vanity cabinets to the measured wall as part of our custom cabinets service, so the basin and storage fit the room as it really stands. The vanity cabinet design guide and the shower screen guide compare the options.

Hot water needs planning early, because the heater position decides where the power point and pipes run before the walls are tiled. The water heater types guide compares instant, storage and heat pump units. Any new circuit or change to the wiring should be done by an electrical contractor registered with Suruhanjaya Tenaga; ask to see that registration before the work is booked.

How long a bathroom renovation takes

A full bathroom renovation typically takes one to two weeks per bathroom, including the hacking, the time the waterproofing needs to cure, the tiling and the fitting out. A refresh that keeps the layout sits at the short end; a strip-out with moved drainage sits at the long end. Ordering the sanitaryware, screen and vanity once the layout is fixed stops the room waiting on deliveries.

The order matters as much as the pace: pipes and drainage go in first, then the screed with its fall, the membrane and its test, the tiles, the ceiling and finally the fittings. Skipping ahead, such as tiling before the membrane has cured, is how leaks start. The bathroom renovation step-by-step guide explains each stage in detail.

Condo rules and the neighbours below

In a condo or apartment, the owner applies to the management office with the scope of works before anything starts. Most buildings limit hacking to set hours, ask for a renovation deposit and have rules on lift use and debris. If an application is refused, the guide to a rejected renovation application lists the usual reasons and how to answer them.

A bathroom sits above someone else's ceiling in almost every high-rise and in the upper floor of a landed house, so it is worth noting the condition of the ceiling below before work starts and telling the neighbours when the noisy days are. Plumbing work on shared pipes or risers usually needs the management's say-so first; that is general advice, so check your building's rules.

What your bathroom quote should show

A fair bathroom quote lists each part on its own line: hacking and disposal, plumbing and drainage points, screed, the waterproofing system and its test, wall and floor tiling, the ceiling, the electrical points and lighting, each fitting by model, the screen, the vanity and the final clean. Two quotes built differently should be compared line by line, not by the total. The guide to reading a renovation quote shows what is often left out.

A good contractor fixes the price for the agreed scope and, if something is found once the old floor is opened, such as a cracked drain pipe, stops, explains it and prices it before carrying on. Ask how a quote deals with that before you sign. Our price is flat for the agreed scope, with no hidden charges.

Areas we cover

We renovate bathrooms and toilets across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya, in condos, terraces, semi-Ds, bungalows and older flats. Local notes on building types and rules are in our area guides for Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam, and every town we cover is listed on the areas we serve page.