Main bathroom renovation, 1970s brick home

Is your budget realistic?

You're planning a full renovation of a single main bathroom in an older double-brick home: strip it back to the brick and refit completely, with a freestanding bath, walk-in shower, wall-hung vanity and full floor-to-ceiling tiling.

For a mid-range bathroom of this size and scope in 2026, a realistic all-in figure sits in the range below. If your number is well under this, the quote is probably missing something. If it's well over, you may be paying for finishes above mid-range, or for access and structural issues specific to your home.

This example is priced off a real completed Perth bathroom of this size and scope, not a generic market average. Labour and trade rates vary by city, so the same scope in Sydney or Melbourne can sit higher. Doing parts yourself, such as demolition, painting or fittings, reduces it further. Your own plan is priced for your area and for how much of the job you want to take on.

Where the money goes

These are the real final costs from a completed Perth bathroom of this size, using licensed trades for everything. This particular job ran without major surprises. Budget 10 to 15% on top as contingency when pricing your own job from a quote, more for a pre-1990 home where walls can hide problems.

The right order, so nothing gets redone

1. Asbestos check first. In a 1970s home, test before any demolition. This gates everything else.
2. Strip-out and disposal. Remove fixtures, tiles and old waterproofing back to a sound substrate.
3. Rough-in trades. Plumber and electrician set pipes and cabling for the new layout while walls are open.
4. Plaster and make good. Patch and prepare wall surfaces.
5. Screed and set falls. Floor graded to the drain before waterproofing.
6. Waterproofing and cure. Applied to AS 3740, then left to cure fully. Do not rush this.
7. Tiling. Floor and walls, only once waterproofing has cured.
8. Cabinetry and benchtop. Vanity installed, benchtop templated and fitted after.
9. Fit-off trades. Tapware, toilet, shower screen, lights, exhaust and heated rail.
10. Paint, seal and clean. Final coats, silicone, detail and handover.

Order these early (long lead times): freestanding bath, tapware set, vanity and any special-order tiles. A late tile order is a common cause of a stalled bathroom.

What has to be done by the book

What tends to appear once the walls are open

• Old copper or galvanised pipework that needs replacing once exposed, common in 1970s homes.
• Rotten or damaged subfloor / substrate under the old waterproofing.
• Out-of-square walls and floors that slow tiling and add labour.
• Undersized or non-compliant wiring for modern heated rails and downlights.
• Asbestos in sheeting, which changes the demolition method and cost.

Each of these is why the 15% contingency is not optional on a home of this age.

The line items that blow budgets

Skip bin hire and disposal fees, temporary access to a second bathroom during the works, delivery charges on bath and tiles, protection of hallways and flooring, final builder's clean, and the price of tapware and tiles you fall in love with that sit above the allowance in a quote. Budget for these now, not as a nasty surprise later.

Is one quote actually cheaper, or just missing things?

• Is waterproofing listed as a separate, certified line, or buried and vague?
• Are tiles and tapware a real allowance, or a low placeholder you'll blow past?
• Is rubbish removal and skip hire included, or extra?
• Does it name the licensed plumber and electrician?
• Is there a contingency, or does the quote pretend nothing will go wrong?
• Are start and finish dates, and a payment schedule, written down?

A quote that is $3,000 cheaper but silent on three of these is usually not cheaper. It's incomplete.