Renovation Cost Calculator Australia

How this works

If you have no number yet, the calculator prices the work first: each item you tick takes its range from the cost table below at the finish level you chose, less the labour you take on if you manage the trades or do the work yourself. If you already have a quote or budget, it starts from that instead. Either way, it then works out what typically lands on top. That is the figure that catches people out: the average Australian renovation finishes 20 to 40 percent over where it started, and almost none of that shows up in the first quote.

The result is built from four things. Hidden costs are the problems that only appear once walls and floors are open, and the calculator weighs each one by how likely it is for your house: asbestos in a 1950s to 1980s home, rotten stumps under a weatherboard, wiring and galvanised pipes in anything pre-1980. Variations are the small changes every build accumulates, typically 10 to 15 percent of the works, more in a pre-war house. Uncertainty is how much the number can drift before anyone has priced it properly, which is why drawings and a written spec narrow it so much. And if you entered your own estimate but plan to use a builder, their margin and coordination gets added, because a quote includes it and an estimate usually does not.

The contingency recommendation comes from those same inputs rather than a flat rule, and the split between labour and materials reflects who is running the job. On a builder-managed renovation roughly two-thirds of the money goes to people, not products, which surprises almost everyone the first time they see it.

The ranges are indicative and dated September 2026, drawn from what Australian renovators actually paid in 2025 and 2026 rather than from a pricing database. They will drift, and no calculator replaces a written quote against a specification. Use the result to decide how much buffer to hold, then track the real numbers as the build happens. If you are still working out the total you can afford, the step-by-step budgeting guide covers that first.

What a renovation costs in Australia

These are the ranges the calculator works from, as at September 2026. Finish level moves a kitchen or bathroom more than anything else does, which is why those two carry three columns and the rest carry one.

Putting a bathroom where there was none costs roughly half again, because the drainage, waterproofing and ventilation all have to be created rather than replaced. Drawings cost $2,000 to $8,000 from a draftsperson, or $30,000 to $50,000 from an architect once an extension and engineering are involved. A builder running the job adds roughly 20 percent for margin and coordination, which is already inside a builder's quote and almost never inside a homeowner's own estimate.

Kitchen renovation cost in Australia

A kitchen renovation in Australia typically costs $25,000 to $35,000 for a basic fit-out, $40,000 to $60,000 for mid-range and $70,000 to $100,000 for high-end, at 2026 prices with a builder running the job. Finish level is the biggest lever: benchtops, cabinetry and appliances move the total more than the size of the room does.

The number that catches people out is what the demolition finds. In a house built between 1950 and 1980, asbestos behind the old splashback or under the vinyl is close to certain, and a new kitchen usually forces a rewire if the wiring predates the 1980s. Moving the sink or the cooktop means moving plumbing, gas and power, which is where a kitchen stops being a replacement and starts being structural work.

To price your own, choose I don't have a number yet, tick Kitchen and set the finish level, or open the calculator set up for a mid-range kitchen.

Bathroom renovation cost in Australia

A bathroom renovation in Australia typically costs $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. Most of that is labour: a small room packs in demolition, waterproofing, plumbing, electrical, tiling and fit-off, with a different trade for almost every step.

Putting a bathroom where there was none costs roughly half again, because the drainage, waterproofing and ventilation have to be created rather than replaced. In an older house, wet-area sheeting is a common place to find asbestos, and galvanised pipes from before the 1980s are often replaced once the wall is open.

To price your own, use the bathroom renovation cost calculator. It starts with one bathroom set up, and also covers small bathrooms, ensuites, adding a new bathroom and managing the trades yourself.

The hidden costs behind most blowouts

Scope is the part people budget for. What they miss is what the demolition uncovers, and it is heavily predictable from the age and construction of the house. The calculator weighs each of these by how likely it is for yours.

• Asbestos removal, $4,000 to $10,000. Near certain in a 1950s to 1980s house, common either side of that. It sits in wet-area sheeting, eaves and under old floor coverings, and removal is licensed work.
• Restumping or re-levelling, $20,000 to $40,000. The big one for a weatherboard house on stumps. Floors that felt fine often turn out not to be once the coverings come up.
• Old plumbing replacement, $10,000 to $15,000. Galvanised pipe from before the 1980s corrodes from the inside, so it looks serviceable until a plumber opens the wall.
• Rewiring, $10,000 to $20,000. Wiring older than the 1980s rarely meets current code, and a new kitchen or bathroom usually forces the upgrade.
• Stormwater and sewer repairs, $5,000 to $15,000. The surprise nobody budgets for, and worse when the lines run under paths or a slab.
• Lead paint handling, around 10 percent on top of painting. Paint from before the 1970s often contains lead, which changes how it must be prepared and disposed of.

On top of those sit variations, the small changes every build accumulates, typically 10 to 15 percent of the works and closer to 20 percent in a pre-war house.

Common questions

How much does a renovation cost in Australia?

As indicative 2026 ranges: a kitchen runs about $25,000 to $35,000 basic, $40,000 to $60,000 mid-range and $70,000 to $100,000 high-end. A bathroom runs about $20,000 to $25,000 basic, $30,000 to $40,000 mid-range and $50,000 to $60,000 high-end, and putting one where there was none adds roughly half again. Flooring through a small house is about $10,000 to $20,000, interior painting $8,000 to $23,000, ten replacement windows $15,000 to $25,000, a full rewire or replumb $10,000 to $20,000 each, and an extension about $3,500 to $5,500 per square metre. What decides the final number is less the scope than what turns up once the walls are open.

How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Australia?

At 2026 prices, a kitchen renovation costs about $25,000 to $35,000 basic, $40,000 to $60,000 mid-range and $70,000 to $100,000 high-end with a builder running the job. Hold a contingency on top: asbestos and rewiring are common finds in a house built before 1980, and moving the sink or cooktop adds plumbing and gas work.

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. Adding a bathroom where there was none costs roughly half again, because the drainage, waterproofing and ventilation all have to be created.

How accurate is a 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 a job is a $40,000 or a $100,000 project and how much contingency your house needs. It cannot see your floor plan, your site access or the builder's workload, so written quotes against drawings and a specification will always be more precise. The ranges are widest before anyone has priced the job, which is why the calculator shows a range rather than a single figure.

Is a remodel the same as a renovation?

In everyday use they mean the same thing, and this calculator treats them the same way. Strictly, a renovation restores or updates what is already there, while a remodel changes the structure or the layout: moving walls, relocating plumbing, turning two rooms into one. Remodel is the usual word in the United States, renovation in Australia and the UK. The distinction matters for your budget rather than your vocabulary. Work that moves walls, plumbing or wiring carries far more risk of uncovering something expensive, which is why the calculator asks what is in scope rather than what you call it.

Does the calculator work in the United States?

Partly, and it is worth knowing which half. The method transfers anywhere: how far a quote drifts without a written spec, the share that goes to labour, the contingency an older house needs, and the hidden costs that surface once the walls are open are not specific to one country. The dollar ranges do not transfer. They are calibrated to Australian 2026 costs, so what a contractor charges in the United States will differ, sometimes considerably. If you are outside Australia, use the percentages rather than the totals: the overrun figure, the recommended contingency and the labour split all still hold.

Why do renovations go over budget?

Three things do most of the damage: quotes given without drawings or a written spec, so builders price the unknowns; hidden problems that only appear once walls and floors are open, like asbestos, rotten stumps, old wiring and corroded plumbing; and variations, the small changes made mid-build that each add cost. The average renovation runs 20 to 40 percent over its starting number.

How much contingency should I hold for a renovation?

A well-specified job on a modern house needs 10 to 15 percent. A pre-1980 house, or any job without drawings and a spec, needs 20 percent. Both together, or a weatherboard on stumps, justify 25 percent. The calculator recommends a figure from your own inputs rather than a flat rule.

Why is labour such a large share of a renovation budget?

On a builder-managed renovation roughly two-thirds of the spend is labour and coordination, not materials. Every fixture you buy has to be demolished around, framed for, plumbed, wired, tiled, painted and cleaned up after. Managing trades yourself lowers the share a little; doing the work yourself lowers it a lot.

Is the calculator a quote?

No. It is an indicative reality check calibrated to Australian 2026 costs, meant to show what the work typically costs and what lands on top of a quote or budget, and why. Always get written quotes against a specification, and use the result to decide how much buffer to hold.