If you’re tired of your bathroom due to its outdated style, faulty plumbing, or because it’s no longer the right lifestyle fit, yearning for a brand new bathroom renovation is only natural.
But of course, as with many lovely things, there’s a cost involved.
There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to renovating your bathroom, the basics being:
- Bathroom Size
- Permits Acquisition
- Replacing fixtures
- Tiling
- Cost of Labour
Now, not all of these will apply to you, which is why we made an itemised list so you can personally calculate the likely price of your own bathroom remodel. Read on to learn about the main costs around bathroom renovation and what you can expect to pay if you wish to do your own.
Square Metreage
The most common way you’ll be quoted on the price of your bathroom renovations will be by the square metre of your bathrooms you wish to renovate. This can span between AUD 2,000 to AUD 4,500.
The range may seem pretty wide, but this is because the cost will vary in response to the amount of changes you plan to make to your bathroom, such as installing fixtures, redoing plumbing, retiling the walls and floor, and water proofing your space.
Permits and Licenses
It’s vital that you research local council regulations and understand what permits are needed for renovations in your home. If you are doing something major like knocking down walls, changing plumbing, or rewiring electricity, you will most likely need a permit to make sure your work is above board and not something you could get in trouble for down the line. You’ll need to speak with your local council about what the process and fees are for home renovations. We recommend starting this process as soon as possible, as it can take a fair amount of time and delay the start of your bathroom renovation.
Hiring a professional builder or a renovator is a good way to help you do all this. They can help you navigate the system due to having experience navigating council laws themselves.
Fixtures
Let’s talk about fixtures. From toilets, showers, bathtubs, and sinks, upgrading any of these will significantly add to your budget, so it’s important to factor them in.
Baths
A bath for some is a highly luxurious fixture, and for others a deeply necessary one to clean small children or family pets. For whatever reason you’re in need for one, a built-in bath tends to cost around AUD 400 while a freestanding bath will cost upwards of AUD 750.
Toilet
Toilets, believe it or not, come in a variety of styles. From AUD 150 for a lo- range toilet to over AUD 1,000 for wall-cistern toilets. The appeal of a concealed cistern toilet is that it allows for a higher feeling of luxury and more floor space in your bathroom. A midrange toilet of between AUD 300 to 460 is a good ballpark figure though.
Vanity
Vanities come in a variety of types, from wall hung to floor standing, some even coming with multiple basins. A vanity can cost around AUD 800, the charge being higher if you’re looking for one with two basins.
Shower
Showers have the widest range of pricing, from around AUD 300 just for a basic shower change, all the way in the thousands of dollars. This is because a lot of work goes into tearing down the old shower, installing a new shower frame, and possibly redoing the whole plumbing system if you’re trying to change your shower’s location within your bathroom.
Tiles
Tiles come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. New tiles can vastly change the look of your bathroom, but they’ll also cost you a pretty penny. This will all be based on the size of your bathroom.
Firstly, midrange porcelain wall tiles can costAUD 60 to 80 per square meter, while mid range ceramic/porcelain tiles can cost AUD 35 to 50.
Then there’s the price of labour. Tiling a space will involve removing the old tile, preparing the surface by levelling the surface, adding new grout, sealing the tiles, and making sure it’s all properly waterproofed. This will cost around AUD 50 to 70 per square metre for your bathroom remodel.
Labour
Even if you want to DIY everything yourself, if your bathroom renovations will involve changing any of the plumbing or electrical work on your bathroom, you’re going to have to hire an electrician and a plumber. This is because it is against the law in Australia for unlicensed individuals to do their own major plumbing and electrical work. In Queensland, it’s perfectly legal to do something minor like changing a shower head, but as soon as you get into moving power points or rejigging the piping, you’re going to have to call a sparkie and a plumber. Definitely shop around and ask multiple tradies for quotes at a good price. The more details you have with regard to your bathroom renovation plans, the better.
You have the cost, but where to begin?
All of this money and time spent on renovating a bathroom also doesn’t account for all of the planning on the layout, researching where to source the materials and fixtures, or where to get the best labour for the job.
If you have any concerns, you have nothing to worry about. Ark Bathrooms has been in the renovation business for over three decades, and has reams of advice on the topic. Whether you only book a consultation with our bathroom designers, or wish to go with us the whole way to renovate your commercial or house bathroom from start to finish, we promise to give you high quality expertise and advice. Contact us today and we’ll help you set sail on your renovation journey.
