Waterproof Flooring for Bathrooms, Laundries and Kitchens

A "waterproof" floor covering resists water on its surface; it is not the same as the waterproofing treatment that protects a wet area from leaks. NSW Government rules cover that treatment separately, with a contractor licence required above $5,000. Retailers rate hybrid highest for wet areas and laminate lowest.

Two different things

The floor covering is what you walk on: tiles, vinyl plank, hybrid planks. Retailers describe hybrid as fully waterproof, vinyl plank as water resistant, and laminate as unsuited to wet environments.

The waterproofing is the protective treatment under or behind it. The NSW Government waterproofing page describes it as protective treatment of a home to keep out water or moisture, and of wet areas such as showers to stop water escaping, using membranes applied by brush, roller or as a solid sheet. A contractor licence is required for such work valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials including GST. In our reading, a click-together plank is a floor covering and not a membrane, so ask your builder or a licensed waterproofer how the wet area is being waterproofed.

Choosing a covering for a wet area

Option	What the sources say	Check
Tiles	Wall and floor tiling above $5,000 needs a contractor licence in NSW	Who is doing the waterproofing under the tiles
Hybrid planks	Rigid core, described as waterproof, handles temperature change better than standard vinyl	The product's wet-area specification and warranty
Vinyl plank	Water resistant	Whether the maker approves it for wet areas
Laminate	Not suited to wet environments, per retailers	Avoid in bathrooms and laundries

The material claims are from retailers. "Waterproof" varies by product, so read the manufacturer's specification for the exact floor. For the full comparison, see hybrid vs vinyl plank vs laminate flooring.

Licence rules

Tiling and waterproofing share the $5,000 threshold on the NSW Government pages: see do you need a licence to tile a floor in NSW. Always check a licence before work starts: the licence check steps for NSW contractors.

The slab under it

A damp concrete slab can damage a floor over time. See slab moisture testing under the Australian standards.

Find contractors

NSW Flooring lists 161 businesses with a confirmed floor tiling service, from Google Maps, retrieved 22 October 2026. Examples: floor tiling western sydney and floor tiling south west sydney. For vinyl, hybrid and laminate see vinyl and laminate flooring contractors in NSW. The directory does not list waterproofers separately and does not check licences: see the data rules behind these counts.

Quick answers

Can I use hybrid in a bathroom? Retailers say it suits wet areas, subject to the manufacturer's specification.

Who is responsible for waterproofing? Ask in writing, and ask for the licence number of whoever does it.