Kitchen or Bathroom Renovation Defects? Notice to Remedy Breach

Kitchen and bathroom renovations are the most expensive single rooms in any home. $30,000 to $100,000+ for a kitchen, $15,000 to $60,000 for a bathroom. When the result has defects — leaking shower base, misaligned cabinetry, doors that don’t close, tiles that lift, plumbing that fails, surfaces that crack — and the builder stops returning your calls, you’re in a difficult spot. The space is essential to daily life. Re-engaging another tradesperson is expensive. The original builder still has your money.

Australian consumer protection law gives you specific tools for exactly this scenario.

What you’re entitled to

• Acceptable quality of workmanship — the work has to meet trade standards, even if your contract didn’t spell those standards out
• Compliance with the National Construction Code — wet-area waterproofing, electrical work, gas work all need to meet code
• Statutory warranties — periods differ by state (NSW: 6 years for major defects, 2 years for others; Victoria: 10 years; Queensland: 6 years 6 months structural, 1 year other), regardless of what the contract says
• Builder licensing obligations — registered builders are bound by codes of conduct that include dispute resolution requirements

Most renovation defects fall into clear categories

• Waterproofing failures — leaking shower bases, water tracking under tiles, deteriorating silicone joints. These are non-compliance with AS 3740 (Australian Standard for waterproofing wet areas).
• Tiling defects — lippage, lifting tiles, hollow sounds when tapped, grout failure. AS 3958 sets the standards.
• Cabinetry defects — misalignment, doors that don’t close, drawers that bind, hinges that fail. Cabinet-makers’ work has implied trade-quality requirements.
• Plumbing failures — leaks, slow drainage, hot/cold reversed, water hammer. Licensed plumbing work has to meet AS 3500.
• Electrical defects — exposed wiring, missing earth, non-compliant points. Licensed electrical work has to meet AS 3000.

The Building Defects Claim

For renovation defects, a Building Defects Claim:

• References the contract (date, scope, total value)
• Itemises each defect with photos and the specific Australian Standard or contract clause breached
• Identifies attempts you’ve made to have the builder return
• Demands the defects be remedied within a reasonable timeframe (typically 28 days)
• Names the alternative remedy if no action: refund of the cost to have another tradesperson rectify
• Names the licensing authority complaint and tribunal application that will follow

Why this works for renovations specifically

Most residential builders carry public liability and workmanship insurance. A formal defects claim may be passed to the builder’s insurer, which then has commercial reasons to resolve the matter rather than fight it. State builder licensing also matters — registered builders have a lot to lose from a complaint that triggers a code of conduct review.

Flat fee

The wizard asks for the renovation details, the specific defects, what remedies you’ve already requested, and the relevant Australian Standards (we cite them for you). Our Programmatic Algorithms draft the notice and send it to the builder.

If the builder doesn’t act, the next step depends on your state: in NSW, lodge a home building complaint with NSW Fair Trading (Building Commission NSW) before NCAT, unless your matter is exempt; in Victoria, go to the Building and Plumbing Commission’s dispute resolution service before VCAT; in Queensland, lodge with the QBCC before QCAT. Other states have their own regulator and tribunal or court. Tribunal applications are $97 plus filing fee.