Bathroom vanity replacement and installation in Sydney
Licensed Sydney plumbers who remove the old vanity, install the new one, reconnect the plumbing and repair the wall. Labour from $1,000 to $2,000, fixed written quote.
Replacing a tired vanity is the fastest way to change how a bathroom feels, and in most homes it is a job of a few hours. Nu-Trend removes and disposes of your old vanity, installs the new one, reconnects the water and the drainage, replaces the tap if you are changing it, repairs the wall or floor where the old unit was, and tests everything before we leave. Labour is typically between $1,000 and $2,000 excluding GST.
This page covers vanity replacement and installation only. If you want the whole room done, our bathroom renovations page is the place to start. If you are still working out the budget, we break down what a vanity replacement costs in detail separately.
NSW Licence 217859C | In business since 2009 | 270+ reviews | $20 million public liability cover | Fixed written quote before we start
What it costs to have a vanity replaced
The labour to replace a bathroom vanity in Sydney is generally between $1,000 and $2,000 excluding GST for a straightforward like for like swap. That figure covers our time and our work, and the scope is more extensive than most people expect: turning off the water and disconnecting the existing plumbing, removing the old unit as carefully as possible, rubbish removal and tip fees, preparing the surfaces, upgrading the plumbing with new mini taps and a new sewer trap, installing the new vanity, connecting and testing it, and finishing with a clean and a silicone seal on the gaps. It does not include the vanity itself, the tap, or any repair work that becomes necessary once the old unit is off the wall.
| What changes the price | Effect |
|---|---|
| What changes the priceThe new vanity is a different size to the old one | EffectWall and floor tiling behind and beneath the old unit becomes visible and has to be repaired or replaced |
| What changes the priceMoving from floor standing to wall hung | EffectThe floor under the old unit is exposed, and the wall needs noggings or reinforcement to carry the new one. Usually needs two people on site |
| What changes the priceTaps or drainage have to move | EffectPipework inside the wall or under the floor has to be altered, which adds time and may involve tiling |
| What changes the priceChanging from two taps to a single mixer | EffectThe existing tap holes and the supply pipework both have to be reworked |
| What changes the priceThe vanity arrives flat packed | EffectAssembly time is added before installation can begin |
| What changes the priceThe old unit was fixed with heavy silicone | EffectRemoving it without pulling tiles off the wall takes care and time |
| What changes the priceA wall cabinet or mirror is being installed at the same time | EffectAdditional fixing and, where relevant, electrical work for lighting |
The single largest hidden cost on this job is almost always the remedial work behind and beneath the old vanity, because nobody knows what condition that tiling is in until the unit comes off. We look at it during the site visit and we tell you before we start rather than after.
Who should install a bathroom vanity?
Anyone can stand a cabinet on a bathroom floor. The part that requires a licence is what happens next, because connecting the water supply and the waste to a fixture is plumbing work, and in New South Wales plumbing work must be carried out by a licensed person.
That leaves four realistic options and they are not equivalent.
| Who | Suitable when | The risk |
|---|---|---|
| WhoDo it yourself | Suitable whenNever for the plumbing connections | The riskUnlicensed plumbing work, no insurance cover and no recourse if the connection leaks into the floor |
| WhoA handyman | Suitable whenAssembly and positioning only | The riskMost cannot legally make the plumbing connections, and a slow leak under a vanity is not noticed for months |
| WhoA plumber | Suitable whenA direct like for like swap with no building work | The riskWill connect the plumbing correctly but generally will not repair the tiling, the wall or the paintwork |
| WhoA licensed plumber who can also do the building work | Suitable whenAny replacement where size, position or wall type is changing | The riskNone of the above, because the plumbing and the making good are the same company |
Nu-Trend holds NSW contractor licence 217859C, which covers plumbing, drainage and gasfitting as well as kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovation. That combination is why we can take a vanity job where the new unit is a different size to the old one and hand back a finished wall rather than a connected vanity and a damaged one.
What is included when we replace a vanity
- Removal of the old vanity, basin and tap, and disposal of all of it
- Disconnection of the existing hot and cold water supply and the waste
- Assembly of the new unit where it arrives flat packed
- Preparation of the surfaces and the plumbing, including new mini taps and a new sewer trap where the existing ones are due
- Installation of the new vanity, whether floor standing or wall hung, including wall reinforcement where required
- Connection of the new tap or mixer, the basin and the waste
- Repair of wall or floor tiling where the old unit has left a gap or damage
- Testing of every connection for leaks before we leave, a silicone finish on the gaps, and a clean site
Anything that falls outside this list is identified and priced before we start, not discovered halfway through and added afterwards. If we find something behind the old vanity that we did not expect, we stop and show you.
Do you supply the vanity or do I buy it?
Either way works and most clients prefer to choose their own, because the vanity is the visible part and taste matters more than logistics here. We do not stock vanities ourselves, but we help clients source them from suppliers such as Reece, The Bathroom Collective, Beaumont Tiles and Sannine, we can usually arrange a trade discount, and we are happy to work with a supplier of your choosing.
Our advice is to choose the vanity you like but not to buy it straight away. Send us the specifications first and we will check that it will actually fit the space, whether it is costly to make it fit, and whether it is the best choice for the room, so that the labour quote reflects the real scope of work. If you are buying your own, order it and have it on site before the installation date, and check that it has arrived undamaged. The most common cause of a rescheduled vanity installation is a unit that turns out to be damaged or incorrect when the box is opened on the day.
How long it takes
A straight like for like replacement usually takes between three and eight hours in a single visit. Where tiling has to be repaired, allow for two or three further short visits of around three hours each, because surface preparation, waterproofing, tiling and grouting each need curing time before the next step and cannot be rushed by banging tiles on the wall. Where the plumbing has to move, we will tell you which of these applies when we quote.
Every type of vanity we install
We install every common configuration, and the choice affects both the cost and the finished look more than most people expect.
| Type | Best suited to | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| TypeFloor mounted with cupboards | Best suited toMain bathrooms where storage matters most | Worth knowingThe most common type we install and usually the simplest replacement |
| TypeWall hung with drawers | Best suited toRooms where the floor should read as continuous | Worth knowingRequires wall reinforcement and exposes the floor beneath, so tiling underneath must be complete |
| TypeWall hung double | Best suited toLarger main bathrooms and ensuites shared by two people | Worth knowingNeeds adequate wall structure and two sets of plumbing connections |
| TypeShallow floor mounted ensuite | Best suited toEnsuites and small bathrooms with very little depth | Worth knowingSacrifices bench space to gain floor space |
| TypePedestal | Best suited toPowder rooms and period style bathrooms | Worth knowingOften a direct replacement with a fast installation |
| TypeRaised floor standing | Best suited toWhere budget matters and floor tiling is incomplete beneath | Worth knowingCheaper to install than wall hung and hides the floor underneath |
| TypeFreestanding with single or double basin | Best suited toStatement pieces in larger rooms | Worth knowingCounter sunk basins are the usual choice for double units |
What to check before you order a new vanity
Five minutes with a tape measure before you order will avoid the two most common problems, which are a unit that does not fit and a unit whose plumbing does not line up.
- Measure the width of the space the existing vanity occupies. Vanities are sold in standard width bands, generally under 599mm, 600 to 749mm, 750 to 899mm, 900 to 1199mm, 1200 to 1499mm and 1500 to 1799mm, and choosing within your existing band is the simplest path.
- Measure the depth as well as the width, particularly in an ensuite, because a deeper unit that fits the wall may leave too little clearance to the opposite wall or to the door swing.
- Note where the mirror, cabinet, lights, switches and power points sit. If you are moving to a wider or taller unit, some of these may need to move as well.
- Check whether the current set up is a single mixer or two taps, and whether you want to change. Converting between them is straightforward for us but it is not a like for like swap.
- If you are moving from floor standing to wall hung, look at whether the floor tiling continues underneath the existing unit. If it stops at the vanity, the exposed floor will need tiling.
- Decide between drawers and cupboards early. It changes the internal construction of the unit and it cannot be changed afterwards.
What our clients say
They undertook their work with care and were keen to make sure everything was done to our satisfaction.
Very neat and tidy too. Overall a great experience and we would definitely use the guys again!
I can’t recommend the team strongly enough, they are professional, tidy, prompt and polite, and above all excellent craftsman.
Rick is very, very responsive and I felt comfortable discussing any concerns that I had with him - he and his team did everything that they could possibly do to keep me happy
You can read our 270+ reviews, which we do not edit or select.
Licensed, insured and local
Nu-Trend has worked on Sydney bathrooms since 2009 and both directors, with 20 years in the trade, are on the tools. We hold NSW contractor licence 217859C, our ABN is 89 478 782 763, we are members of the Housing Industry Association, we carry twenty million dollars of public liability cover, and our plumbing work complies with AS/NZS 3500:2018. The licence and the ABN can be verified through the links at the foot of this page, and we would encourage you to check them for any contractor you are considering, not only for us.
All the plumbing and renovation work carried out by Nu-Trend is AS/NZ3500:2018 compliant.
It is the Australian Standard for Plumbing and Drainage in NSW as set by Standards Australia and the Australian Building Codes Board.
We are bathroom renovation contractors who hold an Australian ABN and have done so for many, many years.
ABN 89 478 782 763
We are fully licensed as per NSW Fair Trading requirements.
License 217859C
Drainer
Gasfitter
Plumber
LP Gasfitter
Kitchen Bathroom Laundry Renovator
We are members of the Housing Industry Association (HIA), Australia's leading residential building, renovation, and development industry association.
We are insured for up to $20,000,000 in coverage in the case of an injury or accident while we work on your site.
A renovation contractor with public liability insurance demonstrates a level of professionalism and foresight
In NSW, residential work over $5,000 (labour and materials) must be done by a contractor licensed for that type of work.
Common questions about vanity replacement
How much does it cost to replace a bathroom vanity in Sydney?
Labour is typically $1,000 to $2,000 excluding GST for a like for like replacement. The vanity itself, the tap and any tiling repair are additional. We give a fixed written price after seeing the room, and our vanity replacement cost guide breaks the figures down by scenario.
Are bathroom vanities expensive?
They span a very wide range. A basic unit from a hardware retailer sits a little under two hundred dollars, a mid range wall hung unit with a ceramic top around seven to eight hundred, and a made to order designer unit several thousand. Most of our clients spend between $500 and $1,500 on the vanity itself depending on size, style and brand, and the basin, plug and waste and tapware commonly add another $500 to $1,000 on top.
Why do people replace a vanity?
The most common reason is simply that the old one looks dated, and the room changes character completely once it goes. The other frequent reasons are water damage where the base has swollen or the laminate has lifted, drawers or doors that no longer run properly, a damaged top, a change from a single basin to a double, and a need for more storage.
Can you replace just the basin and keep the vanity?
Often yes, and it costs less. Whether it is possible depends on whether the basin is a separate item sitting on or in the top or whether the basin and top are a single moulded piece, and on whether a replacement of the same cut out dimensions is available. We will tell you which you have.
Do you replace vanities in apartments?
Yes. Apartment work involves a few extra considerations, including building access and hours, protection of common areas, and in some buildings notification to the owners corporation. We handle those arrangements as part of the job, and our apartment bathroom renovations page covers what changes in a strata building.
Can you see the vanity work you have done?
Yes. Two of our project pages show custom vanities we designed and installed as part of a wider job: a bathroom with a new custom made vanity, and a small bathroom with a custom designed vanity.
Get a fixed price for your vanity replacement
Send us a photograph of your existing vanity and the measurements and we can usually give you an indicative price the same day. For anything involving a size change or moved plumbing we will visit, look at what is behind the old unit, and give you a fixed written quote.
Call Rick on 0401 165 779 or request a quote.