- 0420 266 652
- admin@hewprojects.com.au
- 1/6 Maunder Street Slacks Creek
Affordable bathroom renovations come from spending in the right places, not spending less everywhere. Keep the layout, choose standard sizes and one good field tile, and reuse what is genuinely sound. Never cut waterproofing, licensed plumbing and electrical, ventilation or the shower screen. That mix gives you a bathroom that looks premium, passes inspection and does not leak.
We renovate bathrooms across Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich and the Gold Coast at every budget level, and the best-value bathrooms we hand over are rarely the most expensive ones. Here is where the money actually goes, and how to spend less of it well.
A compliant bathroom renovation by licensed trades has a realistic floor. Realistically, a complete bathroom renovation done by licensed trades starts around $23,500 in South East Queensland, with most projects landing between $23,500 and $45,000. An essential refresh, keeping the layout and sound waterproofing, runs $18,000 to $24,000. Labour, waterproofing and certification cost much the same whether you pick budget or designer tiles. If a quote for a full strip-out and retile comes in far below the others, something on the compliance side is usually being skipped, and it is normally the part you cannot see.
In practice, an affordable renovation means choosing the right scope:
| Option | Price range | What it includes | When it is the honest choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential refresh | $18,000 to $24,000 | Same layout, new vanity, tapware, shower screen, paint and a partial retile | Waterproofing is sound, nothing leaks and the layout works |
| Complete renovation | $23,500 to $45,000 | Full strip-out, new waterproofing to AS 3740, full retile, all new fixtures | Tiles are drummy, the shower leaks or the room is original |
| Staged renovation | Spread across stages | Urgent compliance work now, cosmetic upgrades later | Budget is limited but there is a water problem that cannot wait |
Not sure which applies to you? Start with our checklist of 10 signs it is time for a bathroom renovation, or read whether you can renovate a bathroom in stages.
The toilet, shower and vanity stay where they are. Moving fixtures means new drainage, possibly slab cutting, and days of extra labour. Keeping the layout can save $3,000 to $6,000 on its own, and most older layouts are fine: it was the finishes that dated, not the floor plan.
A quality off-the-shelf vanity in a standard 750, 900 or 1200 mm width costs a fraction of custom cabinetry and looks identical once installed. The same goes for mirrors, shaving cabinets and shower screens in stock sizes.
A structurally sound bathtub can be professionally resurfaced for a fraction of the cost of replacing and re-plumbing it. Quality tapware can sometimes be reused. A good builder will tell you what is worth keeping, so be wary of anyone who wants to replace everything by default.
If you will eventually renovate two bathrooms, doing them together saves real money: one set-up, one waterproofing visit, shared tile orders. The cost per room drops noticeably.
The membrane is the entire point of the renovation. In Queensland it must be installed by a licensed applicator to AS 3740, and it is the difference between a bathroom that lasts decades and one that rots the subfloor in a few years. It is also invisible at handover, which is exactly why bad operators cut it. Ask every quote: who does the waterproofing, and what certificate do I get?
Unlicensed plumbing and electrical work is illegal, uninsurable and a genuine safety risk in a wet room. It also hurts the sale of your house later, because building inspections pick it up.
The cheapest screens have flimsy hardware that fails within a couple of years and glass that never looks clean. Mid-range is the value sweet spot, because you touch it every day.
Saving on the exhaust fan buys you mould on your fresh paint within a year. Queensland humidity does not negotiate.
| Item | Save or protect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Save: keep it | Moving plumbing is one of the most expensive changes you can make |
| Vanity, mirror, cabinet | Save: standard sizes | Looks the same as custom once installed |
| Field tiles | Save: well-priced porcelain | Spend on one small feature zone instead |
| Tapware | Middle: one mid-range brand | Matching finishes and real warranty support |
| Shower screen | Protect: mid-range | Daily wear exposes cheap hardware fast |
| Waterproofing | Protect | Licensed, certified and invisible once tiled |
| Plumbing and electrical | Protect | Licensed work by law in Queensland |
| Exhaust fan | Protect | Stops mould in a humid climate |
| Paint | Do it | One of the cheapest items and half the brand-new impression |
Every bathroom is different, but the cost usually splits the same way. Here is how a $25,000 renovation typically divides, and where there is room to move:
| Cost area | Share of the budget | Room to flex? |
|---|---|---|
| Trades and labour (demolition, plumbing, electrical, tiling) | About 45% | Little: it is skilled, licensed work |
| Fixtures (vanity, toilet, tapware, screen, accessories) | About 20% | The most: this is where a tight budget flexes |
| Tiles and adhesives | About 15% | Some, through tile choice and how high you tile |
| Waterproofing and wall sheeting | About 12% | None |
| Paint, ventilation and finishing | About 8% | Keep it: high impact for little outlay |
If your budget is tight, the fixtures line is where you flex, not the trades or the membrane.
Working with a small room? Our small bathroom renovation ideas for Logan and Brisbane homes and small ensuite ideas show how to make every square metre count.
Keep the layout, keep sound waterproofing and refresh the surfaces: paint, vanity, tapware, screen and a partial retile. That essential-refresh scope runs $18,000 to $24,000 with licensed trades in South East Queensland, and it is the best-value scope available.
Painting, some non-structural demolition and fitting accessories after handover, yes. Waterproofing, plumbing and electrical, no: they are licensed work in Queensland, and building work over $3,300 in total needs a QBCC licence holder.
Not compliantly in 2026. A complete renovation starts around $23,500 with licensed trades. If your budget sits under $24,000, tell your builder the real number: a well-scoped essential refresh, or a staged plan that fixes the urgent problems first, is the honest option. It will look better than a corner-cut full renovation, and it will not leak.
Tell us your real budget and we will tell you the best bathroom it buys, including what to defer and what not to touch. HEW Projects is QBCC licensed (15267396) and a Master Builders Queensland member, based in Slacks Creek. Call 0420 266 652 or request a free on-site quote.
© HEW Projects 2026
