A rough guide, not a price list
We do not publish a price list, and you should be sceptical of anyone who does. What follows is a broad planning guide for 2026, for a bathroom in a Blue Mountains home, taken back to the frame or slab and rebuilt — demolition, structural repairs, plumbing, electrical, insulation, waterproofing, tiling, fit-off and rubbish removal.
These are bands to help you decide what sort of project you are contemplating. They are not quotes, and no figure here is a rate.
| Tier | What it usually looks like | As a rough guide |
|---|---|---|
| Smaller or partial work | A cottage bathroom, a powder room, a laundry, or a sound room refreshed without a strip-out | Under $20,000 |
| A standard full renovation | Ensuite, small bathroom or main bathroom rebuilt from the frame, layout largely kept, sensible mid-range finishes | $20,000 to $45,000 |
| Larger or complicated work | Main bathroom and ensuite together, layout changes, significant framing or floor repairs, asbestos removal, period detailing or premium selections | $45,000 and up |
Every band is wide on purpose. The difference between the bottom and the top of a band is usually the house, not the bathroom.
What moves the price up here
The floor you are building on. A timber floor over a subfloor makes layout changes affordable but often needs stiffening, repairs or new sheeting first. A slab is stable but turns a moved waste into concrete cutting.
What the strip-out finds. Old mountains bathrooms have usually leaked at some point. Soft bottom plates, decayed joists near the waste, borer, and framing that was never sized for a tiled floor are all common, and all priced as written variations before any extra work happens.
Asbestos in a pre-1990 home. Testing is a modest cost. If asbestos is found, licensed removal is priced separately according to the material and quantity, and it is confirmed at the measure, before you sign anything.
Access. A long, steep or unsealed driveway, no turning space for a delivery truck, a bathroom up internal stairs, or a street where a skip cannot legally sit. This is the mountains-specific line item, and it is real.
Travel. A job at Mount Victoria and a job at Lapstone are an hour apart. Trade attendance costs more at the ends of the line than in the middle.
Size, layout and tiling height. More floor and wall means more membrane, more tile and more labour. Tiling to the ceiling costs more than stopping partway, and a herringbone or mosaic lay costs more to set than a straight lay.
The cold-climate package. Ceiling insulation, a properly ducted fan, underfloor heating and a heated towel rail. Individually modest, collectively worth budgeting for deliberately rather than treating as extras.
Period detailing. Matching architraves and skirting, protecting pressed metal, traditional tapware and patterned floors all take more time than their modern equivalents.
Selections. Tiles, tapware, vanity, screen and bath can double between a sensible mid-range choice and a premium one. This is the part you control most.
Long-lead items. Imported tiles or a custom vanity that holds up the program after demolition has already happened.
Where to save, and where not to
Save on the things you can change in ten years without touching the structure: tile price, tapware finish, the mirror, accessories, and a built-in bath rather than a freestanding one. Doing the bathroom and laundry together also spreads the set-up across two rooms.
Do not save on the layer you never see again. Whole-floor waterproofing with a certificate, correct falls to the waste, floor stiffening, quality mixer cartridges, a ducted exhaust fan and insulation above the ceiling. In this climate that layer is the entire difference between a bathroom that lasts and one that quietly rots.
Partial upgrades are a real option
Not every bathroom needs a strip-out. A sound, newer room that is simply dated can often be refreshed — new vanity, tapware, screen, mirror, lighting, a proper fan, a heated towel rail, regrouting and resealing — for far less than a full renovation. If that is what your room needs, we will say so at the measure rather than quoting you a rebuild.
Comparing quotes properly
When two quotes are far apart, check that both include:
- Asbestos testing for a pre-1990 home
- Whole-floor waterproofing and a certificate
- Floor preparation and any framing repairs, or a stated allowance for them
- Tiles to a stated height, with a stated tile allowance
- An exhaust fan ducted outside, not into the roof
- Ceiling insulation where the ceiling is open
- Rubbish removal and the skip
- Named fittings rather than "mid-range tapware"
- A program in working days, and how variations are priced
Deposits and compensation cover
In NSW the deposit on residential building work is capped at 10 per cent of the contract price. For work over $20,000, home building compensation cover must be in place before a deposit is requested. Progress payments should follow completed stages, not a calendar.
Renovation work is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group, a licensed NSW builder; licence and insurance details are provided on request.
Every job is different — get a proper quote
The bands above are a starting point for planning and nothing more. Two bathrooms of identical size, one in a 1915 Katoomba cottage and one in a 1985 Blaxland brick home, are not the same job and will not be the same price.
A proper on-site quote is the only way to get a customised price for your bathroom. The measure is free, takes about forty minutes, and confirms the dimensions, the floor construction, the plumbing positions, the access and whether asbestos testing is needed. A fixed, written, itemised quote follows.
See how a renovation runs for the program, or the questions page for the rest.
Call 02 4705 3295 or book your free measure.