Bathroom Renovation Cost Calculator
What a bathroom renovation costs in Australia in 2026, and what lands on top.
A bathroom renovation in Australia costs about $20,000 to $25,000 basic, $30,000 to $40,000 mid-range and $50,000 to $60,000 high-end per bathroom at 2026 prices, with a builder running the job. Adding a bathroom where there was none costs roughly half again. Set your finish level and house below to see your own range, the hidden costs likely for your house, and how much contingency to hold.
Bathroom renovation cost in Australia by finish level
These are the ranges the calculator works from, as at September 2026, for a builder-managed job. Finish level moves a bathroom's cost more than its size does: tiles, tapware, the vanity and the shower screen are where the three columns part company.
| Work | Basic | Mid-range | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom, each | $20,000 to $25,000 | $30,000 to $40,000 | $50,000 to $60,000 |
| Laundry | $10,000 to $20,000 | ||
| Flooring, small house | $10,000 to $20,000 | ||
| Removing a structural wall | $10,000 to $20,000 | ||
| Full rewire | $10,000 to $20,000 | ||
| Full replumb | $10,000 to $20,000 | ||
A basic bathroom keeps the existing layout with standard tiles and off-the-shelf fixtures. Mid-range usually means better tiles, a frameless screen and a semi-custom vanity. High-end adds feature tiling, premium tapware and often a freestanding bath or underfloor heating. Whatever the finish, most of the money goes on labour: demolition, waterproofing, plumbing, electrical, tiling and fit-off, with a different trade for almost every step.
What pushes a bathroom renovation's cost up
- Adding a bathroom, roughly half again. Where there was no bathroom before, the drainage, waterproofing and ventilation have to be created rather than replaced.
- Moving the toilet, shower or drainage. Keeping fixtures where they are is the single biggest saving. Moving them means new drainage, and under a slab that can mean cutting concrete.
- Waterproofing. Wet areas must be waterproofed to the Australian Standard, AS 3740, before tiling. It is not the place to save, and it is why a bathroom cannot simply be re-tiled over the old one.
- Asbestos removal, $4,000 to $10,000. Wet-area sheeting in a 1950s to 1980s house is one of the most common places to find it. Removal is licensed work.
- Old plumbing replacement, $10,000 to $15,000. Galvanised pipe from before the 1980s corrodes from the inside and is usually replaced once the wall is open.
- Rewiring, $10,000 to $20,000. Wiring older than the 1980s rarely meets current code, and a new bathroom often forces the upgrade.
The calculator weighs each of these by how likely it is for your house's age and construction, and adds them to the result above. For the whole-house picture, including kitchens and extensions, use the full renovation cost calculator.
Small bathroom, ensuite and second bathroom costs
A small bathroom saves less than you might expect. The same trades turn up whatever the floor area, and the waterproofing, plumbing and electrical work cost much the same in a small room as in a large one, so a small bathroom tends to sit toward the lower end of its finish range rather than well below it.
An ensuite prices the same way as a bathroom, so count it as one. For two or three bathrooms, set the number in the calculator and each is priced at your finish level.
Should you manage the trades yourself?
It can save money, though less than people hope. Managing the trades yourself takes the builder's margin and coordination out, which the calculator puts at about 18 percent, so a mid-range bathroom comes to roughly $25,000 to $33,000 instead of $30,000 to $40,000. In return you book, sequence and chase every trade, and the waterproofing, plumbing and electrical work still have to be done by licensed trades.
Common questions
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Australia?
At 2026 prices, a bathroom renovation costs about $20,000 to $25,000 basic, $30,000 to $40,000 mid-range and $50,000 to $60,000 high-end per bathroom, with a builder running the job. What decides the final number is often what turns up once the old wall and floor linings come off, such as asbestos, corroded pipes and old wiring.
How much does a small bathroom renovation cost?
Usually toward the lower end of the same ranges rather than much below them. A small bathroom needs the same demolition, waterproofing, plumbing, electrical and tiling trades as a large one, so floor area moves the price less than finish level and layout changes do.
How much does it cost to add a new bathroom?
Roughly half again as much as renovating an existing one: about $30,000 to $38,000 basic, $45,000 to $60,000 mid-range and $75,000 to $90,000 high-end at 2026 prices. The extra is the drainage, waterproofing and ventilation that have to be created rather than replaced.
How much contingency should I hold for a bathroom renovation?
At least 15 percent on a newer house with drawings and a written spec. On a house built before 1980 hold far more, often 30 to 40 percent, because the hidden costs an older bathroom tends to uncover, such as asbestos, galvanised pipes and old wiring, are fixed amounts that are large next to a single room. The calculator recommends a figure from your own inputs.
Is it cheaper to renovate a bathroom without a builder?
Somewhat. Managing the trades yourself removes the builder's margin and coordination, about 18 percent in the calculator, so a mid-range bathroom comes to roughly $25,000 to $33,000. The waterproofing, plumbing and electrical work still need licensed trades, and the scheduling becomes your job.
How accurate is a bathroom renovation cost calculator?
Accurate enough to set a budget, not to sign a contract. This one works from ranges Australian renovators paid in 2025 and 2026, so it tells you whether you are looking at a $25,000 or a $60,000 bathroom and how much contingency your house needs. It cannot see your floor plan or the state of the walls, so written quotes against a specification will always be more precise.