Bathroom Renovation Cost in Australia (2026): Real Numbers

Bathroom renovation costs by tier

These ranges assume a standard Australian bathroom of roughly 4 to 6m², with about 8m² of floor and 20m² of tiled wall, and include materials, fixtures and trades. Small ensuites sit at the bottom of each range; large family bathrooms and layout changes push the top.

The single biggest cost trigger is stripping the tiles. Once tiles come off the wall, waterproofing has to be redone to meet the NCC, and that pulls the plumber, waterproofer and tiler back through the job in sequence. Keep the tiles and the waterproofing intact and a transformation can stay under $15,000. Strip the room and you are in full-renovation territory whatever the finishes cost.

Cost breakdown by trade

A typical $28,000 mid-range bathroom splits like this:

• Tiling, supply and lay. Usually the biggest line. Bathroom tiling labour runs $85 to $110 per m² laid, more for herringbone, mosaics or small formats. With around 28m² of tiled surface, labour is commonly $2,400 to $3,100, plus tiles at $30 to $150+ per m² supplied. Together, allow $5,000 to $9,000.
• Waterproofing. Allow $500 to $900 for a standard bathroom, and it is non-negotiable under the NCC. Cheap waterproofing is the most expensive mistake in this room; a failed membrane means doing the whole renovation twice.
• Plumbing. Rough-in and fit-off for a bathroom that keeps its layout typically runs $2,500 to $5,000. Moving the toilet, shower or drainage adds $1,000 to $3,000 on top, which is why keeping fixtures where they are is the classic money saver.
• Vanity, fixtures and fittings. A flat-pack vanity starts around $400; wall-hung and custom units run $1,500 to $4,000+. Add tapware, shower set, toilet, screen, mirror and accessories and this bucket commonly lands between $3,000 and $8,000 depending on how premium you go.
• Demolition, electrical and finishing. Strip-out and skip bins allow $800 to $1,500, electrical work (lighting, exhaust fan, heated towel rail circuit) $800 to $2,000, plus plastering and painting above the tiled zone.

How costs vary by city

Labour rates drive most of the difference between capitals. Sydney sits highest, typically 10 to 15 per cent above the national baseline, so a mid-range bathroom that costs $28,000 elsewhere can quote at $31,000 to $33,000 there. Melbourne tracks close to the national baseline, with strong competition among tilers keeping labour quotes honest. Perth runs slightly under the eastern capitals for labour, though imported stone and fittings can carry a freight premium. Adelaide is usually the cheapest capital for a bathroom renovation, commonly 5 to 10 per cent under Melbourne for the same spec, so a bathroom renovation cost in Adelaide of $25,000 to $32,000 buys what $28,000 to $35,000 buys in Melbourne. Wherever you are, get three itemised quotes; the spread between the cheapest and dearest quote on the same bathroom is routinely 30 per cent.

Resurfacing vs a full renovation

If the bones of the bathroom are sound and it just looks tired, resurfacing is the cheapest lever in the room. Resurfacing an existing bath typically costs $500 to $1,200, against $2,000 to $6,000+ to remove and replace it once the new bath, plumbing, tiling repairs and waterproofing are counted. Tiles and shower bases can be resurfaced too, usually for $1,000 to $3,000 for a whole bathroom, which sidesteps the strip-out and the waterproofing trigger entirely.

The honest limits: resurfacing will not fix a cracked or leaking bath, failed waterproofing, water damage behind the tiles, or a layout that does not work. A resurfaced finish typically lasts 5 to 10 years with care. Treat it as a way to buy time or dress a rental, not a substitute for a renovation the room genuinely needs.