A bathroom is one of the smallest rooms in the house, so plenty of people are surprised at what it costs to redo. That reaction is fair. Metre for metre, a bathroom is usually the most expensive room you'll renovate, because so much is packed into a tight space and most of it sits hidden behind the tiles. Here is a straight look at what to budget in 2026, and why the same job can come back with very different numbers.
Rough ranges: small refresh to full rebuild
Every bathroom is different, but these are sensible Illawarra ballparks to plan around:
- A basic refresh, where you keep the existing layout, replace fixtures, retile and re-waterproof: roughly $15,000 to $25,000.
- A full mid-range renovation, stripped back to the frame with a similar layout and good-quality fittings: roughly $25,000 to $35,000.
- A larger or high-end bathroom, with moved walls or plumbing, premium tiles and tapware, custom joinery or a freestanding bath: $35,000 to $50,000 and up.
Treat those as a starting point, not a quote. Your real number depends on the size of the room, its condition once we open it up, and the choices you make on finishes. A small ensuite and a big family bathroom can sit worlds apart even with the same brief.
What actually drives the bathroom renovation cost
Most of the money goes into a handful of things:
- Waterproofing. Non-negotiable, and done properly it protects everything behind it for years.
- Tiling. Labour-heavy, and small-format or feature tiles take longer to lay than large plain ones.
- Fixtures and tapware. The gap between a builder's range and premium here is large, and it's entirely your call.
- Plumbing and electrical. Especially if anything moves from where it is now.
- The existing room. Older homes around Wollongong and the Southern Highlands often hide surprises once the walls come off.
The finishes are the part you control. The structure and services are the part that's mostly fixed by the house you already have.
Waterproofing and tiling, the part you never see
This is where a cheap bathroom and a lasting one part ways. Waterproofing is a regulated step in NSW for good reason. If it's rushed or skipped to save a few hundred dollars, you can be pulling the whole room apart in a couple of years. It should always be done by the right trade and to standard, then given time to cure before tiling starts.
Tiling cost follows the tile and the layout. Large-format tiles on straight walls go quickly. Herringbone, mosaics, floor-to-ceiling coverage and niche shelves all add hours, and hours are most of the tiling bill.
Why moving plumbing is the big one
If your new layout keeps the toilet, shower and vanity roughly where they are, you save a lot. The moment you move them, you're into the floor and the wall to relocate drains and water lines, and on a concrete slab that can mean cutting and re-pouring.
It's often worth it for a layout that actually works. Just know that "let's shift the shower over there" is one of the quickest ways a budget climbs. If you're weighing it up, ask early so it's priced in from the start rather than turning up as a surprise partway through.
Two quotes for the same bathroom, thousands apart
You can hand the same room to two builders and get numbers thousands apart. Usually it comes down to what's actually inside the price:
- Fixture allowances. One quote assumes budget tapware, another assumes the tiles and tapware you were eyeing.
- What's included. Waterproofing, plumbing, electrical, rubbish removal and making good can be in the price or quietly left out.
- Quality and time. Proper prep, curing and finishing take longer, and that shows up in the figure.
- Room for the unknown. Honest quotes carry a little allowance for what turns up behind old walls.
The lowest number isn't always the cheapest once the variations land. A clear, fixed-price proposal that spells out inclusions and finishes is easier to trust, and easier to compare.
Getting a number you can trust
The best way to budget is to get specific about your room and your finishes, rather than working off an internet average. A quick look at your bathroom tells us far more than a floor plan alone. From there we can put honest ranges around the real choices in front of you, and confirm what's fixed and what's flexible before anything is committed.
Want a hand with this at your place? Get a free quote or call 0434 037 851.