It’s the first question almost everyone asks, and the honest answer is: it depends. A bathroom is one of the most trade-heavy rooms in the home, so the cost is driven less by the size of the room and more by what happens inside the walls and under the floor. Here’s what you’re really paying for, and how to budget without getting caught out.
What drives the cost
- Size and layout: Whether you’re keeping the existing layout or moving fixtures.
- Waterproofing: The work you never see and can’t afford to get wrong.
- Tiling: Floor-to-ceiling costs more than a partial tile, and detailing takes time.
- Fixtures and tapware: The single biggest lever you control on the final figure.
- Plumbing and electrical changes: Relocating services adds cost quickly.
- Structural work: Removing or moving a wall, or repairing hidden damage.
- Access and the age of the home: Older homes often hide surprises.
A rough guide
As a broad guide, a straightforward refresh that keeps the existing layout tends to start in the low tens of thousands, a full renovation with new waterproofing, tiling and quality fixtures typically sits in the mid tens of thousands, and a larger bathroom with layout or structural changes and a premium finish moves higher again. Your selections, particularly tiles and tapware, will move the figure as much as anything.
Why the cheapest quote can cost more later
A low quote usually hides thin allowances, a tight scope, or corners cut where you can’t see them. The most expensive mistake in any bathroom is waterproofing that fails a year later, because putting it right means pulling out the finished room. When you compare quotes, look at what’s actually included, not just the number at the bottom.
Where the money is well spent
Waterproofing, done and certified properly, and the coordination of the trades that depend on it. Those are the things that decide whether a bathroom lasts a decade or starts causing problems in its first year. It’s the part we never cut a corner on.
Doing it as part of a bigger renovation
If your bathroom is one piece of a larger project, folding it into the wider works under a single contract usually reduces both cost and disruption compared with staging it separately later.
FAQ
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
Most run a few weeks on site, with waterproofing and drying times built into the schedule. You’ll have a realistic timeline before we begin.
Do you handle the waterproofing?
Yes. It’s coordinated in-house and certified. It’s the foundation everything else sits on.
Can I change the layout?
Yes. Relocating fixtures or reconfiguring the room is work we do as a licensed builder, not just a re-tile of what’s there.
What’s your minimum project size?
Our minimum project value is $20,000.
Planning a bathroom as part of a bigger renovation?
Tell us about the full project and we’ll scope it properly.
