Cost is the first thing people ask about and the hardest thing to answer in one number. We have done bathrooms in Perth at five thousand dollars and bathrooms at fifty thousand, and both were the right job for the person paying for it. What follows is what actually moves the price, so you can work out roughly where yours is likely to sit before anyone comes out to quote.
What you are paying for
A bathroom is six or seven trades working in a room the size of a parking bay, in a set order, where each one has to wait for the one before. That is why a small room is not a cheap job. The work behind the price is usually:
- Strip out, removal and rubbish disposal
- Plumbing rough in and fit off
- Electrical, lighting, heating and exhaust
- Wall sheeting, screed and floor falls
- Waterproofing to the Australian Standard
- Wall and floor tiling, then grout and silicone
- Vanity, toilet, screen, tapware and accessories
- Painting, final clean and handover
Labour is the larger share of most quotes. Materials are the part you control.
What moves the price most
Moving the plumbing. Leaving the toilet, shower and vanity where they are keeps the plumber’s time down and avoids cutting up walls and floors that would otherwise stay intact. Shifting the layout is often the single biggest line item people add without realising it.
The tiles and how they are laid. A large format porcelain in a simple stack is quicker than a small mosaic or a herringbone. Tiling to the ceiling costs more than tiling to a metre, and it looks better, so it is worth pricing both.
What you choose to put in. Two vanities the same size can be hundreds apart. A frameless screen costs more than a semi frameless. Tapware has an enormous range. None of this changes the labour much, which is why the same room can land anywhere in that five to fifty thousand spread.
What is behind the wall. In older Perth homes we regularly find rotten studs, an old leak or plumbing that was never done properly. It is not common enough to budget a fixed amount for, but it is common enough that you should have something in reserve.
Roughly where the bands sit
At the lower end is a bathroom where the layout stays exactly as it is, the plumbing does not move, and the spend goes into tiling, a new vanity and new fittings. It still gets waterproofed properly, because that part is not optional.
In the middle is most of what we do. The room comes back to frame, the waterproofing and tiling are done from scratch, and the layout gets adjusted rather than reinvented.
At the upper end is a full rebuild with a changed layout, floor to ceiling tiling, custom cabinetry, a freestanding bath and higher end fixtures, sometimes with the laundry or an ensuite done at the same time.
Where people get caught
The cheapest quote is often the one with the most left out. Before you compare two numbers, check that both include waterproofing and a certificate, rubbish removal, making good the paint, and the cost of the fittings rather than an allowance you will blow through at the showroom.
Ask how variations are handled. Ours are simple. The quote covers the scope as written, and if the scope changes or you pick different materials, that gets priced before the work is done rather than appearing at the end.
Getting a number for your own bathroom
There is no way around someone standing in the room. Photos help, but the falls, the existing waterproofing, the age of the plumbing and how much room there is to move all change the answer.
Tell us what you have in mind to spend when you call. It is not so we can spend it. It is so the quote we write is a quote you can actually say yes to.
Thinking about your bathroom? Call Harry on 08 6261 4432 or send through a few details and we will come and look at the room. Quotes are free and there is no obligation.
