24/7 EmergencySandton · Midrand
    Electrical

    Renovating a Bathroom? The Electrical Checklist People Forget

    Bathroom renovations focus on tiles and fittings — but the electrics in a wet room matter for safety and compliance. The electrical checklist for a Johannesburg bathroom reno.

    26 March 2026 6 min read
    Back to all articles

    Bathroom renovations are all about tiles, taps and that statement mirror — but the electrics in a wet room are where safety and compliance live, and they're easiest to get right while the walls are open. Here's the checklist people forget.

    Plan it while the walls are open

    • Correctly-zoned, protected lighting
    • An extractor fan vented outside
    • Circuits for a heated towel rail or underfloor heating
    • Suitably placed, IP-rated-where-needed sockets and switches
    • Proper earthing — all to SANS 10142 for wet areas

    Bathrooms have zones

    Bathrooms are divided into safety zones by distance from water, and fittings must suit their zone — switches are typically outside the room or pull-cord, and sockets must be correctly placed and protected. An electrician ensures the layout is compliant; it's a specific focus of a COC inspection.

    It needs a COC

    Any electrical work is part of your fixed installation and must be certified — and wet-area wiring is exactly what an Electrical COC checks closely. Doing it to standard during the reno protects you and your insurance.

    Coordinate both trades

    Because a bathroom reno touches plumbing and electrical, one accountable team is simpler. We handle both — see bathroom renovations or plan yours with us.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Plan it while the walls are open: correctly-zoned, protected lighting and any heated-towel-rail or underfloor-heating circuits, an extractor fan vented outside, suitably-placed (and IP-rated where needed) sockets and switches, and proper earthing — all to SANS 10142 for wet areas. Bathrooms have strict requirements because of the water, so this is electrician work.

    Related reading

    Need a Plumber or Electrician Today?

    Owner-managed by Garth Blair. We pick up the phone and book you in personally.