Waterline What bathrooms cost, and why quotes differ.
Three quotes for the same bathroom can land $15,000 apart, and the difference is almost always under the tiles. Here are our honest bands, the levers that move them, and the itemised proposal format that makes any quote comparable line for line.
Work out your scope, then ballpark your band.
Two free tools: an honest steer on refresh versus renovate versus relocate, then a realistic dollar range. Anonymous, in your browser, no sign-up.
Refresh, renovate or relocate?
Answer two questions for an honest steer. Not a quote, not a design.
Ballpark your bathroom
An honest range in under a minute. Every project is measured and quoted to a fixed price before anything is demolished.
The honest bands, including the one to avoid.
| The bargain "full renovation" (Uncertified waterproofing under new tiles.) | $10,000 to $14,000 |
| Refresh & reglaze (Fixtures, regrout, reseal. Membrane sound.) | $4,000 to $9,000 |
| Walk-in shower conversion (Bath out, screen in, falls rebuilt.) | $8,000 to $18,000 |
| Full renovation, same layout (Strip-out, waterproofing, tiling, fit-off.) | $18,000 to $35,000 |
| Premium or structural renovation (Layout changes, walls or windows moved.) | $35,000 to $70,000+ |
| Ensuite addition (New bathroom where none exists.) | $25,000 to $55,000 |
Six things that decide where your quote lands.
No mystery, no padding: these six levers are where every bathroom quote is really decided.
Six levers. One honest range.
Layout & drainage moves
Keeping the toilet and waste where they are is the single biggest saver. Re-running drainage through a slab or Queenslander floor brings plumbing, possibly approval, and real money.
Waterproofing & substrate
A sound substrate takes a membrane quickly. Rotted framing, water-damaged sheeting or out-of-level floors must be rebuilt first, and we price that honestly at the measure.
Tile choice & coverage
Porcelain to natural stone, and floor-only to floor-to-ceiling, moves thousands. Large-format and stone also change the labour, not just the supply line.
Fixtures & fittings tier
A solid mid-range vanity and tapware package versus designer brassware and a freestanding bath can double the fit-off line. Every item is named, so you choose with open eyes.
Access & building age
Upstairs in a Queenslander, a unit with a lift and body corporate rules, or pre-1990 sheeting that needs an asbestos check, all add handling and compliance time.
Glass, niches & extras
Frameless screens, recessed niches, underfloor heating and smart mirrors are beautiful and entirely optional. Each is a line you can keep or strike.
Seven lines, named brands, no allowances.
Every Waterline proposal itemises the same seven things, so you can hold any competing quote next to it and see what is missing.
Seven lines. Every one in writing.
- 01The measured design
- 02Strip-out & disposal
- 03Waterproofing, certified
- 04Screeds, falls & tiling
- 05Plumbing & electrical
- 06Fixtures & fittings, named
- 07Warranty & certificates
“$4,500 the house” by text → seven lines, priced.
- 1 The measured design. Laser-measured, drawn with every fixture placed, and signed off by you before demolition is booked.
- 2 Strip-out & disposal. Demolition, asbestos check on pre-1990 sheeting, skip and disposal, all on their own line.
- 3 Waterproofing, certified. The licensed waterproofer named, the membrane system named, and the certificate lodged. Never "included".
- 4 Screeds, falls & tiling. Screed with falls to the waste, tile supply by named range, laying pattern and trim profiles, priced exactly.
- 5 Plumbing & electrical. Licensed plumber and electrician, rough-in and fit-off, with compliance certificates itemised, not "allowances".
- 6 Fixtures & fittings, named. Vanity, tapware, screen and toilet by brand and model, so "equivalent" can never be swapped in.
- 7 Warranty & certificates. 10-year waterproofing and workmanship warranty in writing, plus every certificate in your handover pack.
What you get from us
- ✓Waterproofing by a QBCC-licensed waterproofer, certificate lodged
- ✓A fixed, itemised price signed before demo day
- ✓Falls and drainage designed on paper, not improvised on site
- ✓Fixtures named by brand and model in the proposal
- ✓10-year waterproofing warranty in writing
Cowboy tells
- ✕Waterproofing "included", nobody licensed, no certificate
- ✕A round number off two photos, resized mid-job
- ✕Tiles laid flat and a shower that drains to the door
- ✕"Equivalent" fixtures swapped in after you sign
- ✕A warranty that ends when the grout dries
The brands you choose, never "or equivalent".
Every fixture and finish is written into the contract by make and model, so nothing gets quietly swapped for something cheaper once the job is underway.
Composite demo: brand names are illustrative. On a live build each line item carries a make and model code in the contract.
Four scopes, and when each one is the right call.
Refresh & reglaze
New vanity, tapware, toilet and accessories, regrout and reseal, on a bathroom whose membrane and tiles are sound.
Wrong when: Any leak, soft grout or mould. A refresh over a failed membrane is money buried.
Full renovation, same layout
Strip to the frame, new waterproofing, screeds, tiling, fixtures and lighting in the existing footprint. Our bread and butter.
Wrong when: You are moving the toilet, the walls, or adding a window. That is the next option.
Renovate & relocate
Fixtures or walls moved, drainage re-run, sometimes a window or door shifted. Needs licensed trades and, in some cases, building approval, all coordinated by us.
Wrong when: The footprint already works. You would be paying for disruption, not function.
Ensuite addition
A new bathroom where none exists: inside a bedroom, under stairs, in a corner of the deck. Drainage feasibility checked first, always.
Wrong when: The main bathroom is the real problem.
Pricing questions, answered straight.
Why do bathroom quotes for the same room vary so much?
What deposit do you take, and how are payments staged?
Can I supply my own tiles or fixtures?
Is a $12,000 full renovation possible?
Read deeper before you compare quotes
Get the number that will not move: a measured, fixed proposal.
Tell us about your bathroom. We measure, talk budget honestly, and design to a fixed, itemised price before a single tile is lifted.