Short answer: published 2026 guides put most bathroom renovations in Australia between $8,000 and $35,000. Basic renovations sit around $8,000 to $15,000, standard renovations around $15,000 to $35,000, and premium bathrooms above $35,000 (Canstar, 24 July 2026). Those are published national ranges, not our prices. Where your bathroom lands depends on its size, how much has to come out, whether the layout changes, and the tiles and fittings you choose.
We renovate bathrooms and ensuites across Adelaide's southern suburbs from our base in Woodcroft. This guide explains what drives the cost so you can set a realistic budget before you get quotes.
Published bathroom renovation costs for 2026
| Level | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average overall | $8,000 to $35,000 | hipages, cited by Canstar |
| Basic | $8,000 to $15,000 | Three Birds Renovations, cited by Canstar |
| Standard | $15,000 to $35,000 | Three Birds Renovations, cited by Canstar |
| Premium | $35,000+ | Three Birds Renovations, cited by Canstar |
A national range is a starting point. A small ensuite and a large family bathroom with a bath and a double vanity are very different jobs, even with the same tiles.
What pushes the cost up or down
Size and the amount of tiling
Tiling is priced by area, so a bigger room, floor-to-ceiling wall tiles and feature walls all add materials and labour. Large format tiles need a flat, level base, which can mean screeding the floor first.
Keeping the layout, or moving things
Leaving the shower, toilet and vanity where they are is usually the cheapest path. Moving them means new plumbing and drainage runs, and sometimes cutting into the slab. Swapping a bath for a walk-in shower is a popular change that sits in between.
What is behind the old tiles
Every strip-out has unknowns: water damage, rotten timber, an uneven floor or old pipes. Homes built before 1990 may also contain asbestos, which has to be identified and handled safely before work starts (SafeWork SA). Keep a contingency for what turns up.
Waterproofing
Waterproofing is a small part of the budget and the most expensive part to get wrong. It has to meet the NCC and AS 3740, and it needs proper cure time before tiling. Our guide to shower waterproofing in SA explains what the standard requires.
Tiles, fixtures and fittings
This is where budgets move the most. Tiles, tapware, the vanity, the shower screen, the toilet and any extras like a freestanding bath or heated towel rail can each range from budget to premium. Pick the items you will touch every day first, and save on the rest.
Trades and compliance
A full renovation brings in a plumber and an electrician as well as the tiler. In South Australia, plumbing work is certified with a certificate of compliance (ABLIS, plumbing certificate of compliance), which is part of doing the job properly.
Small bathrooms and ensuites
A smaller room uses fewer tiles, but it does not cost proportionally less. The strip-out, the waterproofing, the plumbing and the fit-off still have to happen, so the fixed costs stay much the same. That is why a small bathroom or ensuite can feel expensive per square metre, even when the total is lower.
How to plan a bathroom budget
- Decide whether you are keeping the layout. It is the biggest single cost decision.
- Set a total budget and keep 10% to 15% aside for what turns up behind the old tiles.
- Choose tiles and fittings early, so they are on site when they are needed.
- Get an itemised quote that shows the strip-out, waterproofing, tiling, plumbing and fittings separately.
- Plan around the time the bathroom is out of action. Our bathroom renovation timeline walks through each stage.
Ways to save without cutting corners
- Keep the existing layout where it works.
- Tile the wet zones to full height and paint the rest of the walls.
- Choose standard-size tiles over large format if the floor would need major levelling.
- If the shower is sound and only the grout is tired, ask whether a regrout and reseal is enough. Our leaking shower guide explains when it is.
Never save on waterproofing. It is the one part of the job you cannot see once the tiles are on.
Getting a quote
We look at the bathroom on site before we quote, so the price reflects your room, not a guess over the phone. See our bathroom renovations page for how a job runs, or browse local work in Woodcroft, Morphett Vale and Hallett Cove.
