Three very different addresses
The flat. Narrabeen and Collaroy's low-lying streets between Pittwater Road, the beach and the lagoon hold a mix of fibro and weatherboard cottages, 1960s–70s brick homes, and walk-up units. Many cottages started as holiday shacks and have been extended, re-clad or partly rebuilt over the decades.
The beachfront. Units and houses along the beach, with direct exposure to salt spray and, on some lots, coastal hazard controls.
The plateau. Collaroy Plateau rises steeply behind, with brick and weatherboard homes and some apartments looking across the ocean and lagoon from cliff-top positions.
Fibro cottages: test first
A fibro cottage bathroom is the most asbestos-sensitive job on the peninsula. Walls, ceilings and eaves may all be asbestos cement sheeting, sometimes painted over or hidden behind later linings.
The sequence is fixed:
- Sample and test suspect materials.
- Licensed removal of confirmed asbestos, with the area made safe.
- Only then does the bathroom demolition continue.
The cost of testing is small. The cost of skipping it — to health, and to a job stopped mid-demolition — is not.
Timber floors, rotten bottoms
Old cottages on piers usually have timber floors. That makes plumbing changes easier, because pipes can run underneath, but decades of leaking showers mean:
- Rotten bearers and joists under the shower area
- Soft floorboards near the toilet and bath
- Termite damage in damp timber
These are exposed and repaired during strip-out, priced at an agreed rate. A timber floor then allows a step-free shower more easily than a slab. See waterproofing.
Lagoon humidity
Narrabeen Lagoon adds moisture to already humid coastal air, especially on still mornings. Bathrooms in lagoon-side streets benefit from:
- An exhaust fan ducted outside, sized for the room, on a run-on timer
- Wet-area plasterboard and mould-resistant ceiling paint
- Tiling to the ceiling in the shower zone
- Epoxy or sealed grout
Low-lying properties may be subject to flood planning controls. These rarely affect an internal renovation but matter for extensions or ground-level additions.
Beachfront and cliff-top exposure
Salt spray on the beachfront and wind-driven salt on the plateau attack metal quickly:
- Corrosion-resistant tapware finishes
- Marine-grade stainless towel rails, hooks and screen hardware
- Stainless tile trims or mitred edges
- External fan outlets and window hardware chosen for the environment
Units along Pittwater Road
Walk-ups in Collaroy and Narrabeen follow the strata approach — by-laws, approval, access and waterproofing documentation. See small and apartment bathrooms.
Costs
Fibro cottages with asbestos removal and floor repairs, and cliff-top apartments with difficult access, tend to sit toward the upper end of the bands: main bathrooms $27,000–$45,000 as a 2026 guide. See the cost bands.
Nearby
Also serving North Narrabeen, Wheeler Heights and Collaroy Plateau. See Dee Why to the south and Mona Vale to the north.
Call 02 4705 5289 or send the bathroom details through.
Up and down the beaches
Questions people ask before they commit
Does my fibro cottage bathroom contain asbestos?
It is likely enough that testing is essential. Fibro cement sheeting manufactured before the late 1980s commonly contained asbestos, and it was widely used for bathroom walls, ceilings and eaves in beach cottages. Suspect materials are sampled before demolition, and any asbestos is removed by a licensed asbestos removalist.
Is my Narrabeen house on flood-prone land?
Some low-lying properties near Narrabeen Lagoon and its creeks are affected by flood planning controls. An internal bathroom renovation is generally not restricted, but extensions, raised floors and new ground-level rooms may be. The property's planning certificate and Northern Beaches Council's flood information show whether controls apply.
What about beachfront properties and coastal erosion?
Parts of the Collaroy–Narrabeen beachfront are identified as affected by coastal hazards, and the 2016 storms damaged several properties. Internal bathroom work is not usually affected, but structural and external work on those properties can be subject to specific controls.
What suits a cliff-top apartment bathroom on Collaroy Plateau?
Wind-driven salt reaches every metal fitting, so corrosion-resistant finishes are essential. Strata approval, lift or stair access and waterproofing documentation are standard. Large windows with views are common, so glazing and privacy are often part of the design.