Renovation costs, Australia

How much does it cost to renovate a house in Australia?

A full renovation of a standard 3 to 4 bedroom home costs $250,000 to $450,000 or more at mid-range finish in 2026, with internal-only work starting around $120,000. The number that matters is yours, though, and it is built room by room. Below are the current per-square-metre bands, then a live breakdown that prices every room of the house from real supplier data, so you can see where the money actually goes before a single quote lands.

What a house renovation costs per square metre

Renovators price whole-house work per square metre of the area being touched. These are the 2026 capital-city bands. Where you land depends on how far you push the finishes and whether you move any walls or wet areas.

Level	Cost per m²	What it buys
Cosmetic refresh	$2,000 – $3,000 / m²	Paint, flooring, new tapware and fittings, no walls moved. The fastest way to lift a tired home without touching the structure.
Mid-range renovation	$3,000 – $5,000 / m²	New kitchen and bathrooms, quality finishes, some walls opened up. Where most whole-house renovations land in 2026.
High-end renovation	$5,000 – $7,000+ / m²	Structural changes, stone and joinery throughout, custom work and designer finishes. Heritage homes sit at the top of this band.

A 150 m² home at mid-range ($3,000–$5,000/m²) works out to roughly $450,000 to $750,000 for a full gut, which is why most people renovate the rooms that matter rather than the whole footprint at once.

Where the money goes: a live room-by-room breakdown

This is the cost of finishing each room to a middle-of-the-road style, priced live from current supplier data: tiles by the box with wastage built in, grout, fittings and tiling labour at metro rates. AUD, ex-GST. It covers finishes and fit-out, not demolition, waterproofing, plumbing or electrical rough-in.

Room	Typical finish cost
Bathroom	$14,828
Kitchen	$17,788
Living room	$8,193
Laundry	$7,108
Bedroom	$5,340
Whole-home finishes, one of each	$53,258

That whole-home figure is finishes and fit-out only. Add demolition, waterproofing, trades and a contingency to reach the $250,000-plus total for a structural renovation. Click any room to see the full line-item schedule and the same figure by city.

The four things that move the number most

Moving wet areas

Relocating a kitchen or bathroom means new plumbing runs, waterproofing and often structural work. Keeping wet areas where they are is the single biggest saving on a whole-house job.

Structural change

Knocking out a load-bearing wall pulls in an engineer, a steel beam and a permit. Beautiful, open, and the fastest way to push a mid-range budget into high-end territory.

Finish level

The same kitchen in laminate versus stone and timber joinery can differ by tens of thousands. This is the lever you control most, and where seeing it priced first pays off.

The age of the house

Pre-1990 homes hide asbestos, old wiring and out-of-level floors. Older bones mean a bigger contingency and fewer surprises you can price up front.

The costs that catch people out

Demolition and skip bins

Strip-out labour plus bin hire. Allow $800 to $1,500 for a wet area, less for a dry room.

Waterproofing

Mandatory in wet areas under the NCC. Allow $500 to $900 for a bathroom, $300 to $500 for a laundry.

Contingency, 15 to 20%

Walls and floors hide things: out-of-level slabs, old leaks, surprise plumbing. Price it in up front, not after.

Lead times

Imported stone and feature tiles run 3 to 6 weeks. Order when the schedule is locked, not when demolition starts.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to renovate a house in Australia in 2026?

A full renovation of a standard 3 to 4 bedroom home runs $250,000 to $450,000 or more at mid-range finish in 2026. Internal-only work with no extension or structural change usually starts around $120,000. Per square metre, budget $2,000 to $3,000 for a cosmetic refresh, $3,000 to $5,000 for a mid-range renovation, and $5,000 to $7,000 or more for high-end finishes.

What is the cheapest way to renovate a whole house?

Stay cosmetic and leave the plumbing and walls where they are. Paint, new flooring, updated tapware, cabinet fronts and lighting transform a home for $2,000 to $3,000 per square metre. The cost jumps the moment you move a wet area, open up a wall, or add floor space, because that pulls in plumbing, electrical and structural trades.

Should I renovate room by room or all at once?

Doing it all at once is cheaper per room because the trades, scaffolding and site setup are shared, and you only live through the disruption once. Room by room spreads the cost over time and is easier to fund, but you pay call-out and setup fees more than once. Either way, price each room first so you know the total before you commit.

How much should I set aside for contingency?

Allow 15 to 20 per cent of the build cost for the surprises walls hide: out-of-level slabs, old leaks, dated wiring, asbestos in pre-1990 homes. On a heritage property, sit at the top of that range. This is on top of the finishes budget, not inside it.

Are these figures GST inclusive?

The live room-by-room totals on this page are in Australian dollars ex-GST, matching how trade quotes are built. Add 10 per cent for a GST-inclusive view. The per-square-metre bands quoted from the market are typical all-in ranges.

Price your own home

See your renovation before you spend a dollar

Photograph a room, pick a style, and get a photorealistic redesign with a costed, supplier-linked material schedule for your own measurements. Do it room by room and you have priced the whole house. Free, in your browser.

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