How Much Does An Average Bathroom Renovation Cost? [2024]

Planning a bathroom reno but worried how much it’s going to cost? Whether it’s to increase the value of a property for a sale or simply to make your home more comfortable, most Aussies are happy with the outcome of a new bathroom. 

This articles costs deeper into the costs of a bathroom renovation in 2024, including:

• How much does a bathroom reno cost?
• More specific costs for a bathroom reno
• Planning your bathroom reno budget
• Council, permits and strata for a bathroom reno
• How long will my bathroom reno take? 
• Does my bathroom renovator need to be licensed?
• Hiring a bathroom renovator

How much does a bathroom renovation cost?

Housing Industry Association of Australia (HIA) data from 2023 shows that the average bathroom reno in Australia cost $26,000. As a good rule of thumb, renovating your bathroom can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $35,000.

As you can expect there are a lot of variables that impact how much your bathroom renovation will cost, including:

• The size of your bathroom
• The materials and fittings you choose
• Labour costs, with different rates depending on where you live
• Permits costs, if these are required for your job

More specific costs for a bathroom reno

For most Aussie homes, you can break down the cost of a bathroom reno into three price brackets:

• Budget cost: $8,000 - $15,000
• Standard cost: $15,000 - $35,000
• Premium cost: $35,000+

A budget reno involves a minor facelift and a few touch ups. It could be new tiles or paint, along with small touches like new handles and tapware. Most of the major fixtures will stay as they are. 

A standard renovation may include a complete new look, but there will be restrictions on what sort of materials and fittings you use. With a premium reno, the sky’s the limit! 

You may also have read or heard about a per square metre rate, which builders sometimes use to quote a project. In this case you can expect to be quoted from $2,300 and $4,600 per square metre for a bathroom reno. 

Planning your bathroom renovation budget and costs

Planning your bathroom reno starts with a budget, which means researching all the costs thoroughly. This includes materials, tradies and permits. 

Once you have a total, it’s a good idea to include a buffer of 10% – 20% for unexpected costs.

The major costs to plan for in a bathroom renovation include:

• Plumbing: Especially if you are moving or installing major features
• Tiling: For both wall and floor tiles
• Shower screen: Frameless, semi-frameless or standard shower screens all add to the cost
• Bath: A new bathtub, whether it’s integrated or freestanding, is one of the major expenses of a reno 
• Toilet: Toilets range significantly in price, from basic models to those with built-in bidets 
• Vanity and basin: Standard or wall mounted basins which look cleaner and give you more floor space
• Tapware: Including for your basin, bath and shower
• Lighting: Which could be task, general or mood. New lighting means additional costs by hiring an electrician
• Waterproofing: A vital step to ensure your bathroom doesn’t leak

Now let’s take a look at some of these projects and what they may cost.

Bathroom plumbing costs

Plumbers charge a call-out fee of $60 to $100, with hourly rates anywhere from $100-$150 depending on the plumber.

The fee your plumber charges will depend on where you live and may vary according to the plumber’s skill level. If a plumber is quoting for a large project such as your bathroom renovation project, ask for an itemised quote which details all the elements they are charging for.

Bathroom tiling costs

The size of your bathroom is going to be a major factor in the cost of your renovation since so much of a bathroom is tiled. 

Expect to be quoted by the square metre if you’re hiring bathroom tilers. As a ballpark figure, expect to pay $35 per square metre to $120 per square metre, with the average quote being around $60 per square metre. This does not include the price of the tiles, so you’ll need to budget for that separately.

For wall tiles, expect to pay from $20 to $28 per square metre for standard white ceramic wall tiles (600mm x 300mm) to $68 per square metre for steel grey polished porcelain wall tiles (150mm x 600mm). 

Moving up in price expect to pay around $86 per square metre for handmade Spanish white gloss ceramic subway tiles (150mm x 75mm) and $159 per square metre for artisan manufactured ceramic wall tiles (200mm x 200mm).

For floor tiles, expect to pay $35 to $50 per square metre for ceramic or porcelain tiles, $50 to $100 per square metre for high quality porcelain and $80 to $130 per square metre for high quality natural stone tiles.

Bathroom bathtub costs

Baths range in price from affordable and versatile acrylic to durable cast iron and flexible fibreglass and high-end natural stone. 

Expect to pay anywhere from $350 for a plumber to replace and fit a bath. 

New baths can cost from as little as $400 to thousands of dollars, with stone freestanding versions at the upper end of the scale.

Shower screen costs

Shower screens vary in price according to their size and if they’re framed, semi-frameless or frameless, with the latter being the most costly. 

Expect to pay in the region of $400 to have a basic framed shower screen installed. Frameless shower screens use thicker glass, and are consequently more expensive - expect to pay in excess of $600 depending on the size and number of panels.

Toilet cost

Depending on the style you choose, toilets can cost from $150 to $750 or more for a floor-mounted hidden cistern or wall hung toilet. 

On average, a good quality floor-mounted vitreous china toilet costs between $275 and $450.

Vanity costs

Bathroom vanities range in price from:

• $467 for a 900 mm wall hung vanity with hidden handles
• $849 for a 750 mm floor standing console vanity
• $999 for a 1500 mm double bowl vanity
• $1360 for a 1200 mm wall hung vanity with integrated ceramic basin

Waterproofing costs

Expect waterproofing costs to be anywhere from $500 to $750 for an average sized bathroom.

Read more: How long does bathroom resurfacing last?

What about permits or renovating in a strata?

Besides budgeting you may also need to get a permit (from council) or permission (strata title properties) before any work can get going on your bathroom project.

Council and permits

Make sure you have researched local council regulations regarding your bathroom renovation. This is especially true if you are changing the floorplan and making structural changes, in which case you are likely to need a permit.

Different councils have different regulations – and these also vary by state, so be sure to check what applies where you live. Your bathroom renovator or plumber can also help you make sense of any red tape.

Strata permission

If you live in a strata complex, there’s another layer of regulations to deal with. As a strata title owner, you essentially only own the space between the walls – and even small renovation jobs could require approval from your strata committee. They will need to see your plans and evidence that you’re using licensed tradespeople. 

How long will my bathroom renovation take?

In terms of the research, planning and design, with no major structural changes, allow around six to eight weeks. This includes:

• Research and design including getting quotes: 1 to 4 weeks
• Applying for permits (council or strata permissions): 4 weeks
• Selecting materials and fittings: 2 to 4 weeks
• Actual building work: Depending on the scale of your project, allow anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks

Factors that can affect this timeframe, and the cost, can include:

• Any structural works that take more time
• Moving plumbing and/or electrical elements
• Having large amounts of tiles to lay
• Unforeseen events, like discovering asbestos in your wall or floor cavity

Read more: Ultimate bathroom renovation timeline

Does my bathroom renovator need to be licensed?

In short, yes.

Most elements of a bathroom renovation, such as plumbing and tiling require the use of a licensed contractor - no matter where you live. 

If you are doing a structural bathroom renovation you will likely require a licensed builder, though some states have a licence specifically that covers bathroom and kitchen renovations. If you are hiring individual trades such as plumbers, waterproofers and sparkies, they all need to be qualified and licensed.

Hiring a bathroom renovator

When it comes time to hiring a contractor, check out our bathroom renovation checklist to make sure they are right for your job. Some questions to ask then include:

• Are you licensed to renovate my bathroom?
• Are you insured to work in my home?
• How long will my job take?
• Can you provide a written quote?
• Do you have references I can follow up?
• Can I see examples of your work?

The best way of working out how much your project will cost is to get a range of quotes from local businesses who specialise in renovating bathrooms. You may be surprised how different they are.