Bathroom renovation costs in Sydney
Written and reviewed by Rick Karagiannis, Director and Licensed Builder, Nu-Trend. NSW contractor licence 217859C.
Last update August 2026.
This is a guide to what the whole Sydney market charges, not a price list for our own work. If you want our numbers they are on the bathroom renovations page and we have not hidden them. What follows is written to help you read the quotes you are actually receiving.
What bathroom renovations cost across Sydney in 2026
| Band | Sydney price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic makeover | $5,000 to $15,000 | Existing room kept. New tapware, vanity, painted or resurfaced tiles, new lighting. Nothing behind the walls is touched. |
| Partial remodel | $15,000 to $30,000 | Fixtures replaced, some retiling, existing floor and walls and existing waterproofing retained. |
| Complete renovation, mid range | $30,000 to $55,000 | Stripped to the frame, re-waterproofed, fully retiled, new fixtures, custom shower screen, existing footprint. |
| Complete renovation, premium | $55,000 to $80,000+ | Layout changed, services relocated, freestanding bath, stone finishes, underfloor heating, custom joinery. |
Two things about these numbers.
Sydney is more expensive than the national figure. Industry reporting puts the national average for a mid range bathroom at around $26,000, and Sydney commonly sits 15 to 25 per cent above the national median on labour rates alone. A national average is not a Sydney budget, the HIA Kitchens and Bathrooms Report, confirms this.
The bands describe scope, not quality. You can spend $45,000 badly. What separates a good renovation from a bad one at the same price is what happens in the four days nobody photographs: strip out, subfloor correction, waterproofing and set out.
Why we do not publish an "average"
We used to. The number was $15,000, and it was doing readers a disservice.
An average across the Sydney market is calculated by dividing a set of jobs that includes a $4,000 tapware swap and an $85,000 rebuild.
The figure that comes out describes neither, and its main practical effect is to make people believe they are being overcharged when they receive a realistic quote for a complete renovation.
If a renovator opens with a single average figure, ask which of the four bands above they are describing.
What each price band actually buys, and what gets cut
This is the section worth reading twice. The gap between two quotes for the same room is almost never margin. It is specification.
At $5,000 to $15,000
You are getting a cosmetic refresh. Painted or resurfaced tiles, new tapware, possibly a new vanity, new lighting.
What you are not getting is any change to what is behind the wall. If the existing waterproofing is fifteen years old, it stays fifteen years old, and it is now sitting under finishes that make it more expensive to access when it fails.
This band is legitimate for a rental, a pre sale refresh, or a room that currently works and does not leak. It is not a renovation, and nobody honest will describe it as one.
At $15,000 to $30,000
This is the band where the most damage gets done in Sydney, because it is where a complete renovation is sometimes promised and cannot actually be delivered.
Work out the arithmetic.
A complete renovation in this band has to cover;
- demolition and disposal ($1,000 to $3,000),
- waterproofing ($1,500 to $3,500)
- tiling ($4,000 to $12,000),
- plumbing rough in and fit off ($2,500 to $6,000)
- electrical ($800 to $3,500),
- fixtures ($3,000 to $15,000), before anyone is paid to manage it.
Those are published 2026 market ranges, not our numbers.
Take the bottom of every single range and you are at roughly $12,800 in direct cost with no margin, no project management, no contingency for what is found under the floor, and every item specified at the cheapest available option.
It can be done, it is done constantly but here is where the money comes from.
| Where the saving comes from | What it costs you later |
|---|---|
| Waterproofing subcontracted to the cheapest applicator that week, single coat, no certificate | The most commonly reported serious defect category in NSW residential buildings. Rectification runs $15,000 to $40,000. |
| No water stop angle at the shower | A few hundred dollars saved. On a second storey, water tracks sideways under the tiles and arrives in the ceiling below. |
| Off the shelf shower screen retrofitted to a room it was never measured for | Seals never sit properly, the panel moves, and water escapes at the joins until the silicone lets go. |
| Tiles glued as one continuous run with no set out | Tiles crack in a bathroom nobody has used, because substrate movement has nowhere to go. |
| Substrate not corrected before tiling | Lippage, hollow sounding tiles, and grout that fails early. |
| No licence, or a quote structured to stay under $20,000 | No Home Building Compensation cover, so no recourse if the business fails mid job. |
| Standard plastic floor grate instead of a stainless drain | Stains and clogs, and it is the one visible part of the job you cannot swap out later without lifting tiles. |
| Twenty dollar painter's sheets instead of proper floor protection | Damage to the parts of your home that were already finished. |
None of this appears on a quote template. All of it appears later.
At $30,000 to $55,000
A complete renovation, properly specified, in the existing footprint. Full strip out to the frame, subfloor inspected and corrected, waterproofing applied correctly with certification, full retile, custom measured shower screen, new fixtures, all trades licensed, all certificates issued.
This is where most complete Sydney renovations genuinely land in 2026, and where Nu-Trend sits.
At $55,000 and above
Layout changes, relocated services, structural work, premium materials. A freestanding stone bath may need floor reinforcement. Moving a wall changes the job category.
Everything in the band below still applies, plus the cost of the changes.
The $20,000 threshold worth knowing about
Home Building Compensation cover is required for residential building work valued over $20,000 including GST.
It must be in place before work starts or any payment is taken, including your deposit. It is what compensates you if the business becomes insolvent, dies, disappears, or has its licence suspended.
Cover is up to $340,000, claimable for six years for major defects and two years for other defects.
A job quoted at $19,500 does not trigger it.
We are not suggesting every quote near that number is structured deliberately.
We are suggesting that if you receive a quote just under twenty thousand dollars for what is described as a complete bathroom renovation, two questions are worth asking:
- Is HBC cover included
and
- If not, what happens to me if you go out of business halfway through.
More detail in our guide to whether your renovator has home warranty insurance.
The rules that set the floor under any honest price
A bathroom is a wet area, and wet areas are among the most regulated parts of a residential build in NSW, because when they fail the water goes somewhere it should not. Every obligation below costs money to meet, and skipping them is the most common way a quote gets cheaper.
| Requirement | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed contractor | Residential building work over $5,000. Plumbing, drainage, gasfitting and electrical require a licence at any value. | Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) |
| Written contract | Over $5,000. Over $20,000 it must be a full home building contract with statutory warranty details, a progress payment schedule and the prescribed checklist. | Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) |
| Maximum deposit | 10% of the contract price, whatever the job size. | Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) |
| Home Building Compensation cover | Required over $20,000 including GST, before work starts or any money changes hands. Cover is up to $340,000. | Home Building Act 1989 s92, administered by icare HBCF |
| Statutory warranties | Six years for major defects including waterproofing failure, two years for all other defects. Cannot be contracted out of. | Home Building Act 1989 s18B |
| Wet area waterproofing | Shower wall and floor junctions, wall junctions 40mm either side, and all penetrations must be waterproof. Shower area walls waterproofed to 1800mm. | NCC 2022 Volume Two H4D2 and H4D3, ABCB Housing Provisions clause 10.2.2 |
| Falls to floor waste | If a floor waste is installed, the floor must be graded to it. New requirement in NCC 2022. | ABCB Housing Provisions clause 10.2.12 |
| Plumbing and drainage | Must comply with the Plumbing Code of Australia and the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions of AS/NZS 3500. | Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011 (NSW) |
| Notice of Work | Lodged before regulated plumbing work begins. Not required where fixtures stay in their existing locations. | Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011 (NSW) |
| Certificate of Compliance | Completed by the licensed plumber at the end of all plumbing and drainage work, given to you and submitted to Building Commission NSW. | Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011 (NSW) |
| Electrical work | Licensed electrician, wiring to AS/NZS 3000 including the zone and IP rating rules around baths and showers, with a CCEW issued to you. | Electricity Supply Act 1995 (NSW) |
| Ventilation | Natural ventilation or mechanical exhaust discharging to outdoor air, not into the roof space. | NCC 2022 Volume Two |
The waterproofing question, answered properly
Most Sydney renovation and waterproofing websites will tell you that AS 3740 compliance is mandatory. That is not correct for a house, and the detail is worth understanding because it tells you how closely a contractor actually reads the code.
Under NCC 2022 there are two Deemed-to-Satisfy pathways for wet areas in a Class 1 building:
- Option 1: the ABCB Housing Provisions Part 10.2 in full, clauses 10.2.1 to 10.2.32. AS 3740 is not used.
- Option 2: Housing Provisions clauses 10.2.1 to 10.2.6 and 10.2.12, plus AS 3740:2021.
AS 3740 is a construction method you may choose, not an obligation you must meet. If a contractor uses it, the version referenced by NCC 2022 is AS 3740:2021. Several Sydney sites still cite AS 3740-2010, which is two editions out of date.
Two further points the market routinely gets wrong. Shower wall waterproofing is often stated as 1800mm and left there. AS 3740:2021 requires 1800mm above finished floor level or 50mm above the shower rose, whichever is higher, so a raised rose lifts the requirement. And a waterproofing certificate, while something you should absolutely insist on, is not a statutory document in NSW the way the plumbing Certificate of Compliance is.
It matters for your insurer, your membrane warranty, your strata scheme and your eventual buyer.
At Nu-Trend we work to the Housing Provisions and apply AS 3740:2021, and we issue a certificate. The code allows one or the other. We do both, and our own licensed people do the work rather than the cheapest applicator available that week.
Which building code applies right now
NCC 2022 remains in force in New South Wales. NCC 2025 was published on 1 May 2026, is available for voluntary early adoption, and becomes mandatory in NSW on 1 May 2027. NCC 2025 made no changes to the Volume Two housing provisions governing wet areas in a house.
If anyone tells you a price increase is driven by “the new code” for a standard house bathroom, ask which clause changed.
What materials and fixtures cost in Sydney in 2026
These are current market ranges, retail, including GST. They are what you would pay walking into a showroom. If you renovate with us, Rick can supply fixtures at trade cost instead, which is usually a meaningful saving against the mid and upper columns.
Surfaces
| Item | Entry | Mid range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiles, supply per m² | $20 to $45 | $45 to $100 | $100 to $400+ for stone, mosaic and large format |
| Tiling labour per m² | $55 to $80 | $80 to $110 | $110 to $150+ for herringbone, diagonal and large format |
| Tiling supply and install per m² | $95 to $140 | $140 to $220 | $220+ |
| Full bathroom tiled, floor and walls | $3,000 to $5,000 | $5,000 to $9,000 | $9,000 to $15,000+ |
| Wall render or re-sheeting | $800 to $1,500 | $1,500 to $2,500 | $2,500+ where large format tiles need a flatter substrate |
| Adhesive, grout and sealants | $300 to $500 | $500 to $900 | $900+ for epoxy grout and premium adhesives |
A note that saves people money: mid range porcelain is usually better value than budget tile in a wet area, because the labour, waterproofing and rectification cost is identical either way and the material difference is the smallest variable in the equation.
Fixtures
| Item | Entry | Mid range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toilet suite | $185 to $400 | $400 to $900 | $1,200+, smart toilets $3,000 to $8,000 |
| Vanity, supply only | $250 to $600 flatpack or PVC | $900 to $2,500 | $3,000 to $10,000+ custom joinery with a stone top |
| Bath | $280 to $700 acrylic drop in | $1,200 to $3,500 freestanding acrylic | $3,000 to $8,000+ stone composite |
| Tapware, per set | $35 to $100 | $150 to $350 | $400 to $1,000+ |
| Shower head | $30 to $80 | $200 to $400 | $600 to $1,000+ |
| Shower screen | $500 to $1,200 aluminium framed | $850 to $1,500 frameless, standard alcove | $1,500 to $2,500+ custom measured, large or corner enclosure |
| Heated towel rail | $150 to $400 | $500 to $800 | $800 to $1,200, hardwired by an electrician |
| Exhaust fan | $50 to $150 | $200 to $500 | $500 to $800 inline or ducted |
Vanity, supplied and installed, by size
| Size | Installed cost |
|---|---|
| 600mm, powder rooms and small ensuites | $1,500 to $2,500 |
| 900mm, the most common size for main bathrooms | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| 1200mm double basin, shared bathrooms and master ensuites | $3,500 to $6,000 |
A heavier bath is not just a bath. Floor mounted mixers require plumbing relocated, a stone tub may require floor reinforcement, and a large tub may need roof tiles removed to get it into the room. The same bath can be $900 installed or several thousand depending on what it asks of the building.
Trade rates and stage costs
| Item | 2026 Sydney range |
|---|---|
| Demolition and disposal | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Waterproofing | $1,500 to $3,500 |
| Plumbing rough in and fit off | $2,500 to $6,000 |
| Plumbing relocation for a layout change | $2,000 to $5,000 |
| Electrical: lighting, fan, towel rail, power points | $800 to $3,500 |
| Plumber, hourly | $100 to $150 |
| Electrician, hourly | $80 to $100 |
The costs that do not appear until the room is open
| Item | Cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos testing | $50 to $150 | Any Sydney home built before 1990. |
| Asbestos removal | $1,500 to $5,000+ | Wall sheeting and floor tiles are the common locations. |
| Rotted framing or subfloor repair | Varies with extent | Old bathrooms where the waterproofing has already failed. See what a subfloor repair costs. |
| Substrate correction and levelling | Varies with extent | Required before large format tiles can be laid flat. |
| Waterproofing rectification | $15,000 to $40,000 | When a previous renovation failed. This is the number that makes a cheap quote expensive. |
We strip the room, run a CCTV camera through the pipes, inspect what is behind the walls, and quote anything we find with a solution before proceeding rather than absorbing it silently or presenting it as a surprise.
Why quoting generically produces uncomparable numbers
“Two silver taps” and “Caroma Metro Basin Tap Set SKU 97400C5A” are not the same request. If every line of your scope reads like the first one, you will receive quotes that cannot be compared and you will spend weeks trying to work out why. Name the products, or ask each renovator to name the ones they have allowed for.
What drives the cost of your particular bathroom
Property age and construction. A 1920s home on bearers and joists behaves differently to a 2010 slab. What is under the old floor is unknown until the room is stripped.
Whether the layout changes. Fixtures staying put keeps the plumbing within minor works. Moving a toilet, shower or basin means new waste and water runs, a Notice of Work lodged before starting, and potentially an inspection. Entirely doable, including on a concrete slab. See adding a toilet to existing plumbing and renovating over a damaged slab.
Tile height and tile format. Tiling to the ceiling costs more than tiling to 2100mm. Large format tiles need a flatter substrate, which means more render and levelling before the first tile goes on.
Site access. A ground floor room with a driveway is not the job a fourth floor unit with a booked lift and a two hour access window is.
Strata. Owners corporation approval, by-laws, restricted working hours, and in many schemes the waterproofing membrane is common property. See apartment bathroom renovations. {Verify membrane ownership and s108 minor renovations position under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.}
Structural work. Floor reinforcement for a heavy bath, or moving a wall, changes the job category.
Timeframe. Compressing a job means more labour on site at once. The curing times are not negotiable regardless of what you pay.
Why a small bathroom is not much cheaper than a large one
Almost every line item in a bathroom is fixed rather than proportional. Project management, demolition, subfloor preparation, the number of waterproofing visits with curing time between coats, the plumbing rough in, the electrical compliance work, the set out, the certification and the trade call outs do not scale down with floor area.
What changes between a 1.5m × 1.5m room and a 3m × 3m room is a few square metres of tile.
This is also why we treat cost per square metre as a misleading measure.
Dividing a fixed set of tasks by a small area produces a high rate and dividing the same tasks by a large one produces a low rate, and neither tells you anything about your own room.
If you see a per square metre figure quoted for Sydney, check what it includes before you multiply it by anything.
Are bathroom renovation discounts genuine?
How can a company offer 20% off something neither of you knows the price of yet?
The offer can only be genuine if you already hold a quote prepared before the promotion existed and they then apply the discount because you proceed. Otherwise:
- They record who clicked the ad or requested the quote.
- They keep the offer in mind while pricing the job.
- The baseline is set high enough to absorb the discount.
- A line item shows 20% off a number you have no way to benchmark.
The same applies to “free toilet included”. The item and the labour to install it are priced somewhere else in the quotation. It is also worth asking whether the toilet is new.
None of this is illegal. It is a lead generation mechanism, and recognising it is enough to stop it working on you.
How to get quotes you can actually compare
The main reason quotes are uncomparable is that each company was given different information.
Have this ready before you contact anyone
- Purpose of the renovation: forever home, sale preparation, rental, adding value
- Room dimensions and which floor it is on
- Property age and construction type, slab or bearers and joists
- Whether the layout is changing and whether services are moving
- What is currently in the room
- Who is supplying fixtures
- Tile height preference
- Extras to be priced: heating, niches, skylight, joinery
- Strata details if you are in an apartment
Ask every renovator these
- What is your licence number and what categories does it cover
- Will Home Building Compensation cover be provided, and at what point
- Is the waterproofing done in house or subcontracted
- Which pathway are you building to, the NCC Housing Provisions or AS 3740:2021
- Will I receive a waterproofing certificate
- Will a Notice of Work be lodged, and will I receive the plumbing Certificate of Compliance
- Will I receive a CCEW for the electrical work
- Is a water stop angle included at the shower
- Is the shower screen custom measured or off the shelf
- Is demolition and rubbish removal included
- Is this a fixed price or an estimate, and what triggers a variation
- What are the payment stages
- Can I see active job sites and speak to recent customers
A renovator who answers all of these without hesitating is telling you something. So is one who does not.
What a compliant quote and contract must contain
Over $20,000 the contract must include statutory warranty details, the cost of Home Building Compensation cover, a progress payment schedule, the prescribed checklist and the Consumer Building Guide.
Maximum deposit is 10%. Every variation must be in writing and signed by both parties.
Related reading: how to spot a low cost bathroom renovator and why bathrooms get water leaks in Sydney.
What it costs to have a bathroom designed
| Option | Cost | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | $0 | Measure the room, sketch the layout and gather images. Free tools like the Reece 3D bathroom planner help you visualise it before you commit. |
| Included with your renovator | $0 | Many complete renovators, ourselves included, work through layout, tile selection and fixture choice with you as part of the job. Ask whether it is included before you pay for it separately. |
| Interior designer | $800 to $4,000+ | You want a considered scheme, a coordinated palette and full documentation. Cost varies with how many consultations and drawings are involved. |
| Architect | $2,000 to $6,000+ | Structural change, a complex or unusual layout, or a heritage property. You get 2D drawings and 3D models accurate enough for every trade to build from. |
Most renovations under $40,000 do not involve a separate designer. See the quickest way to design a new bathroom.
How long it takes, and why that affects cost
Most Sydney bathroom renovations take 14 to 28 days from demolition to handover, most finishing around three weeks.
The time is not spent laying tiles.
Screed and render need to cure.
Waterproofing requires multiple visits with drying time between coats: floor, then walls, then grout, then silicone.
A custom shower screen can only be measured once tiling is finished, and then it has to be made.
Anyone promising a complete bathroom in five to seven days is describing new taps and paint, not a rebuilt and re-waterproofed room.
Where Nu-Trend sits in this market
We are in the $30,000 to $55,000 band, and we publish our labour figures rather than making you ask: $24,000 to $48,000 including GST depending on room size, with fixtures and tiles chosen and bought by you or supplied by us at trade cost.
If your budget is under $20,000 we are not the right company, and Rick will tell you that on the phone rather than take up your evening. If a complete renovation is out of reach right now and your current bathroom works and does not leak, our advice is to leave it alone. Disturbing sound substrates and working waterproofing for a budget rebuild leaves you worse off than you started, and Rick gives that advice regularly to people who could have been customers.
The full reasoning, inclusions and comparison against a cheaper quote are on the bathroom renovations page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Sydney? Between $5,000 and $80,000 depending on scope. A cosmetic makeover is $5,000 to $15,000. A complete renovation stripped to the frame and re-waterproofed is $30,000 to $55,000 for most Sydney homes, and above $55,000 once the layout changes or premium materials are used.
What is the average cost of a bathroom renovation in Sydney? There is no useful average. Published averages divide cosmetic makeovers and full rebuilds into a single figure that describes neither. National reporting puts the average around $26,000, and Sydney typically runs 15 to 25 per cent above the national median, but the more useful question is what a renovation of your scope costs for a room of your size and condition.
Can you renovate a bathroom in Sydney for under $10,000? You can change tapware, resurface or paint tiles, re-grout and replace a vanity. You cannot strip a room to the frame, re-waterproof it, retile it and re-certify the plumbing and electrical. Anyone offering the second thing at that price is leaving something out.
Why is my quote just under $20,000? It may be coincidence. It is also the threshold above which Home Building Compensation cover becomes compulsory. Ask directly whether it is included.
Is AS 3740 compliance compulsory in NSW? Not for a house. NCC 2022 provides two Deemed-to-Satisfy pathways: the ABCB Housing Provisions Part 10.2 in full, or a subset of those provisions combined with AS 3740:2021. Many Sydney websites state that AS 3740 is mandatory. It is one permitted construction method, and the current version is AS 3740:2021.
Do I need council approval to renovate a bathroom in Sydney? Usually not, where no structural change is involved. Structural change, alteration to the external envelope, or a heritage listing changes that. {Verify and link current NSW planning position.}
What certificates should I receive at the end? The plumbing and drainage Certificate of Compliance, a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, a waterproofing certificate, your Home Building Compensation certificate if the job is over $20,000, and your written warranty documentation.
How long are my statutory warranties? Six years for major defects including waterproofing failure, two years for all other defects, under the Home Building Act 1989. These cannot be contracted out of.
Is a small bathroom cheaper to renovate? Only slightly. Labour, trades, curing times and certification are nearly identical. The difference is a few square metres of tile.
Which building code applies to my bathroom? NCC 2022. NCC 2025 becomes mandatory in NSW on 1 May 2027 and made no changes to the Volume Two housing provisions covering wet areas in houses.
Get a fixed price for your bathroom
Rick will come to your home for 30 to 45 minutes, look at the room, talk through budget, layout and access, and answer every question. You will have an itemised fixed price quote within 24 hours.
Free, no obligation, no chasing afterwards. You will meet Rick Karagiannis, the licensed director who is on the tools at your job.
Book your free consultation or call 0401 165 779.
NSW Licence 217859C · HIA Home Owners Warranty · $20M Public Liability · Renovating Since 2009 · Licensed Plumbers & Drainers · 270+ Reviews
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Content written and reviewed by Rick Karagiannis, Director and Licensed Builder, Nu-Trend, NSW contractor licence 217859C. Last updated August 2026