When Gold Coast HR manager Rob Lancaster and his wife Julie decided to renovate their main bathroom, they took the reins themselves – no builder, no project manager. That meant juggling trades, coordinating shifting timelines, and making one decision after another. It’s not easy. And when something goes wrong, it can hold up the whole job.
That’s where we came in.
They brought us in to handle the plumbing. Rob later told us that what they got wasn’t just a plumber – it was someone who calmly helped them through the messier parts of the process. From giving layout advice to solving problems on the fly, we took a lot of the pressure off.
“We started a full-on renovation of our bathroom; walls off, the whole lot.
“Oceania Plumbing didn’t just come in and chop pipes off and put new ones in. They actually talked to us and gave us good suggestions about where things should go.
“They relocated drainage in the floor and laid things out really well.. Concrete cutting, roughing in the pipework.
“They did a really good job, super neat. And we’re really happy with the results. It’s been fantastic.”
When things changed – we worked around it
Rob and Julie’s renovation didn’t follow a perfect schedule. Like many projects, there were delays from other trades and shifting plans. We made sure our work wasn’t something they had to stress about.
“We changed things around quite a bit… we always felt that that was accommodated really well for us.”
Being flexible with bookings and staying in communication helped them keep the project on track. Rob told us how much that helped – but to us, it’s simply part of doing the job properly.
“What’s important is, if you book Oceania Plumbing and they say, ‘We’ll be here on Wednesday between 10 o’clock and midday’ – they turns up.”
A calm presence when things get busy
There’s a lot going on during a renovation, and it’s easy for things to feel overwhelming – especially when you’re managing the whole thing yourself. Rob described our approach as calm and thoughtful, which helped them feel more confident during a stressful process.
“He’s a calm guy. He’ll come in, sit down, work through what the issues are, give us options, fix it up. Job done.”
“Joe’s thoughtful. He knows his stuff. And if he thinks you’re asking him to do something that could be done a little better, he’ll offer it. It’s not just, ‘I’ll do what you say.’ He’ll work with you.”
That kind of back-and-forth isn’t unusual for us. Helping clients find better solutions is part of what we do.
It’s the small details that make everything easier
During the rough-in stage, Rob noticed the care we took with how things were labelled and laid out. It might not seem like much, but when you’ve got multiple trades following behind – electricians, tilers, cabinet makers – those details can save time and avoid confusion.
“Even though pipework gets hidden inside a wall… if you look at the neatness and quality of that and just some of the little details – like as he was re-roughing in the pipework, he would label everything, and he would write on the wall, so the next trade that comes in knows what to expect.”
We don’t do that for praise. We do it because it makes everyone’s job easier – and it keeps the whole project moving.
Willing to come back, even if we don’t have to
At one point, Rob and Julie weren’t sure if their vanity was too close to a PowerPoint. we’d already roughed in the pipework, but when they raised the concern, our response was simple.
“What Joe said to us is, ‘Look, if your electrician says that the vanity needs to move, just give me a call. We’ll come back and move it.’”
“As it turned out, we were okay. It was all fine. It was in the right place. But it was his willingness to, if needed, come back and redo something that was already done – it was really sort of reassuring to get that. Experience has shown that we can trust Joe.”
We’re glad it helped. Being available after the fact – just in case – is part of what gives clients confidence.
Respect for the space, even when it’s getting ripped out
One thing Rob often brings up is how we left the space after doing some messy concrete cutting. The tiles were coming out that week anyway – but we still cleaned up.
“Joe was in there concrete cutting, which is a wet and messy job… when he finished that job, he came out and mopped the floor. And I had to say to him, ‘Joe, you do realise these tiles are all going in the skip in a week’s time?’ But still, he was like, ‘No, I’m not leaving it like that. I want to leave it clean.’”
It’s not something we think twice about. It’s just the standard we set.
Since that first bathroom, Rob and Julie have brought us back for a new powder room, a laundry upgrade, and have already booked us in to help with their ensuite a little further down the track. But that’s not all..
Taking care of business — literally
Rob also brought us into his workplace, Allplates Laser Cutting & Metal Processing. That led to more complex commercial projects, like refitting a staff lunchroom and upgrading company-owned rental housing for employees.
“We’ve done an installation of a whole new staff lunchroom area. So that was the plumbing associated with all of that. And as part of that, re-layout, removal of an old toilet and bathroom area and capping all of that off.”
“We did a makeover of a downstairs laundry area to expand into an extra bathroom. So Oceania did that, including a shower unit installation, shower pod, removing and relocating the washing machine and a new laundry tub. Guys in the house love it, because it’s given them one extra bathroom.”
Rob said it helped knowing we could handle all the systems – water, drainage, sewage and gas – without bringing in extra trades. That’s one less thing for a business to coordinate.
“In the workplace that I’m at, we’ve got gas, we’ve got compressed air, we’ve got water, we’ve got drainage, we’ve got sewage… and knowing that he’s got the ability to go across those various areas is really good.”
A relationship built on trust – not quotes
“Now, if we get him in to do a job… we don’t even get a quote. We just say, ‘Joe, hey, we need this doing,’ because we know his prices are right. We know the quality of work is good.”
Of course, we always offer quotes when needed – but hearing that from a client means a lot to us. We don’t take it for granted.
“I think the first time we used Joe, we were pleasantly surprised that it was very, very fair pricing… we were happy to pay.”
What Rob says about working with Oceania Plumbing
“Joe knows his stuff. He is a skilled tradesman who knows plumbing inside out.”
“You can trust him. You know his prices are going to be good. And that if you book him to come and do a job, he’ll turn up and do it.”
“He takes pride in his work. He does an excellent job, and he addresses all the details as well.”
Need a plumber who actually makes life easier?
Whether it’s your family home, your investment property, or your workplace – our job is to take stress off your plate and make sure the work is done right.