Insert Basin

An insert basin drops into a cut-out in the benchtop so the rim sits on the bench and the bowl hangs below. A semi-insert does the same but sits forward, with part of the bowl proud of the front edge of the cabinet — which buys you bowl depth without needing a deeper vanity.

The range covers full insert and semi-insert basins in gloss white ceramic, in 500mm and 600mm widths, from the Coco, Jess, Lois, Nero, Megga, Milan and Venice ranges.

Insert or semi-insert basin

A full insert sits entirely within the benchtop footprint. It gives you bench space either side of the bowl and it is the tidier look from the front, because the cabinet face is unbroken.

A semi-insert pushes forward past the cabinet line. That matters in a narrow bathroom — you can use a 400mm deep vanity and still get a full-size bowl, because the bowl is making up the difference out front. The trade-off is that the basin becomes a feature whether you wanted it to be one or not.

Either way the benchtop needs a cut-out, and the cut-out has to match the template that comes with the basin. If the top is stone, that cut is made by the stonemason before the top is installed, so the basin needs to be ordered and on site first. This is the step that most often holds up a bathroom.

Check the tap hole count while you are ordering — one hole for a mixer, three for a tap set, none if the tap is going on the wall.

Above-counter alternatives are in Above Counter Basins, undermount in Under Counter Basins, and the full range in Bathroom Basins. Builders Warehouse Online ships Australia-wide.