How Much Does a Bathroom Renovation Cost in Brisbane and the Gold Coast?

• Most full bathroom renovations in Brisbane and the Gold Coast cost $25,000 to $40,000.
• That price covers every trade, from demolition through to waterproofing, tiling, and a final clean.
• Layout changes and finish level are the two biggest things that move the price.
• Never save money by cutting waterproofing, plumbing, or certification. That is where leaks and legal problems start.
• A quote that looks much cheaper usually has scope left out, which comes back as a variation.

If you are planning a bathroom renovation in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast, the first question is almost always the same: what is this going to cost me? It is a fair question, and a hard one to answer with a single number, because no two bathrooms are the same. What we can do is give you honest ranges, explain what changes the price, and show you how to read a quote so you know what you are actually paying for.

Based on our own completed projects, a full bathroom renovation in Brisbane and the Gold Coast usually costs between $25,000 and $40,000. A smaller bathroom with a simple layout and standard finishes sits at the lower end. A larger bathroom, a full layout change, or premium finishes pushes you toward the top, and beyond it if you choose high-end stone or custom joinery.

That fits the national picture. The average Australian bathroom renovation sat at around $26,000 as of mid 2023 (per Youi and Canstar). As a guide, a basic renovation runs about $8,000 to $15,000, a standard one $15,000 to $35,000, and a premium one $35,000 or more.

Locally, independent cost guides put most Gold Coast renovations between about $9,800 for a basic job and $53,900 for a premium one, with the mid range around $25,000 (per What's The Damage), and Brisbane sits in a similar band. Our $25,000 to $40,000 range is for a complete renovation by a licensed team, which lands in the mid to upper part of those guides, not a quick cosmetic refresh.

A full renovation is not one job. It is around ten trades working in sequence. When you see a complete quote, you are paying for all of this:

• Demolition and waste removal, including the skip bin
• Plumbing rough-in and fit-off
• Carpentry, including any new wall framing and sheeting
• An electrical package for lighting, power, and exhaust
• Waterproofing to Australian Standard AS 3740, certified
• Floor screeding and floor and wall tiling
• Plastering and painting
• A new shower screen
• Silicon sealing and a full builder's clean

If a quote is far below $25,000, the honest question to ask is which of these is missing. For a full line-by-line view, see our bathroom renovation cost breakdown.

Want a real number for your bathroom?
We give you a fixed, itemised quote after a free site visit, so you can see exactly what is included. Book yours at xbathrooms.com.au/contact.

Two bathrooms the same size can be thousands of dollars apart. These are the choices and conditions that move the number, taken straight from the checklist our estimator works through on site:

• Moving fixtures. Relocating the toilet, shower, or vanity means new waste points and water lines, which is real plumbing cost.
• Tiling height and pattern. Floor to ceiling tiling, feature walls, mosaics, and herringbone patterns cost more in both tiles and labour than a standard tile height.
• Premium materials. Natural stone, large-format tiles, and high-end tapware add up quickly.
• Building new walls and niches. Framing a new wall, adding niches, a shelf wall, or a hob all add labour.
• Electrical extras. Heated towel rails, LED niche lighting, in-mirror lighting, and a 3-in-1 heat fan are popular upgrades that add cost.
• Shower screen choice. A frameless or custom-cut screen costs more than a standard panel.
• Hidden repairs. Water damage, rotten framing, or non-compliant plumbing found during demolition has to be fixed properly.

There is a smart way to bring a bathroom budget down, and a dangerous way. The smart way protects the things that keep water out and keep you legal.

Sensible ways to save

• Keep the existing layout where you can, so plumbing stays put.
• Choose mid-range tiles laid to a standard height instead of full floor to ceiling.
• Pick quality but standard tapware and fixtures rather than designer ranges.
• Skip the optional extras like heated rails if the budget is tight.

Never cut these

• Waterproofing and certification. Waterproofing tops the list of the most common building defects in Australia, so this is the last place to cut. It is what prevents leaks, mould, and a failed bathroom in a few years.
• Licensed plumbing and electrical. It is a legal requirement and protects your insurance.
• Using a QBCC licensed builder for the work.

A quote that is thousands below everyone else is usually not a bargain, it is a different scope. The cheap number often leaves out waterproofing detail, assumes the simplest tiling, or quietly excludes things that turn into variations once the job starts. It can also mean the work is not being done by a QBCC licensed contractor, which is a legal requirement for any building work over $3,300 in Queensland.

The way to compare quotes fairly is to compare scope, not just the total. A good builder gives you a detailed written scope so you can see line by line what is and is not included. For the record, our QBCC licence number is 15482767.

Sometimes, once the walls and ceiling are open, we find things that could not be seen at quote time, like asbestos, rotten framing, or hidden plumbing problems. When that happens we stop, show you what we have found, and give you the cost in writing before doing any extra work. You approve it first. That written variation process is what keeps the final invoice honest, with no surprise charges added at the end.

As a guide to where the money goes, independent Gold Coast cost data puts waterproofing at roughly $980 to $3,425, tiling at about $390 to $1,175 per square metre, demolition at $980 to $2,950, and plumbing rough-in at $1,950 to $4,900, with labour usually around 40 to 50 percent of the total (per What's The Damage).

Here is a real example. The figures below are the builder's cost breakdown from a recent main bathroom renovation we completed at Ormeau, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Tiles and fixtures were supplied by the client on this job, so they are not included.

Every project is different, so your quote will not match this line for line, but it shows where the money goes on a real, fully itemised job.

A look at some of our recent bathroom transformations across Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Simon Pintilie is a co-founder of xBathrooms, a QBCC licensed bathroom renovation company (licence 15482767) and Master Builders member working across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Simon and the team have completed more than 50 bathroom renovations across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Logan, designing, supplying, and installing each one under one roof.