How much does a bathroom renovation cost?
A bathroom renovation in Bankstown costs between $15,000 and $34,000 for most homes in 2026. A small bathroom kept in its existing layout runs $15,000–$24,000. A standard main bathroom taken back to frame and refitted runs $22,000–$34,000. A job that moves the plumbing, or combines the bathroom with the separate toilet, starts around $34,000. An ensuite is $14,000–$25,000 and a powder room $7,000–$14,000.
Two things drive nearly all the variation: whether the drainage moves, and what is behind the tiles. On a post-war house here, the second one is not a formality.
2026 bands, and what moves each
| Room and scope | 2026 range | What pushes it to the top |
|---|---|---|
| Powder room | $7,000 – $14,000 | New drainage run; tight set-out |
| Laundry | $7,000 – $18,000 | Custom joinery; moving the room |
| Ensuite, built into existing space | $14,000 – $25,000 | Distance to the nearest stack |
| Small bathroom, like-for-like | $15,000 – $24,000 | Asbestos; framing repairs |
| Standard main bathroom, back to frame | $22,000 – $34,000 | Finish level; wall removal |
| Combined bathroom + toilet, or large room | $34,000 – $55,000+ | Structural wall; full re-plumb |
Asbestos removal sits outside every band above. It is priced separately by a licensed removalist from a survey.
The five variables
1. Does the drainage move? The big one. Keeping the wastes where they are means connecting to existing pipework. The good news locally is that most post-war housing here sits on suspended timber floors, so when drainage does need to move, a plumber works from underneath rather than cutting concrete. That makes a layout change genuinely affordable — unlike in a slab-floor apartment.
2. Asbestos. Canterbury-Bankstown was built through the decades when asbestos cement was standard, and wet areas were a common application. Assume it on anything pre-1990 until a survey says otherwise. It adds cost and, more importantly, it adds weeks.
3. What the framing has absorbed. A shower that has been leaking quietly into the studs since the 1980s means carpentry before tiling. You cannot know until the tiles come off, which is why the variation clause matters.
4. Finish level. Tapware at $300 or $1,800. Tiles at $35 a square metre or $180. This is the variable you fully control and the easiest place to manage a budget up or down.
5. Access. Less of a factor here than in the tighter inner suburbs — most blocks have driveways. It becomes real on the narrow lots through Punchbowl and on the sloping blocks toward the river in Padstow Heights.
What a complete quote names
- Fittings and tapware by brand and model
- The tile allowance per square metre, and who buys them
- Waterproofing scope and cure time, shown in the program
- Skip hire and disposal
- Making good — paint, cornice, architraves where new meets old
- An explicit position on asbestos
- The variation method, in writing
- A program in working days
Where the money actually goes
Labour is 55 to 70 per cent of a typical bathroom quote. Four trades attend across three to four weeks, most more than once, and the sequencing means nobody works continuously.
The consequence is that moving the finishes moves the total less than people expect in both directions. Upgrading tapware from mid-range to premium might add four per cent to a $28,000 job. Choosing a cheaper tiler could cost you the room.
The second room is disproportionately cheap
If a second bathroom, an ensuite or the laundry is on the list, price it at the same time. Trade attendance, the skip, the waterproofer's set-up and the tile delivery are largely fixed and do not double for the second room.
In a large household that is usually the best-value decision available.
Next
Read how a renovation runs for the sequence, or the FAQ. For a real number, call 02 4404 0504 or send the room details through.
These figures are general information dated 2026, not a quote.
From first call to hand-back
- Measure — half an hour at your place, no cost, evenings and weekends included.
- Survey where the age warrants it, before the price is finalised rather than after.
- Written quote — fittings named, tile allowance stated, variation method set out.
- Build — 15 to 20 working days, with the waterproofing cure time shown.
Questions people ask before they commit
How much is a bathroom renovation in Bankstown?
Between $15,000 and $34,000 for most homes in 2026. A small bathroom kept in its existing layout runs $15,000–$24,000; a standard main bathroom taken back to frame runs $22,000–$34,000; and a job that moves the plumbing or combines two rooms starts around $34,000.
Why is it cheaper here than on the North Shore?
Mostly access and room size. Blocks here generally have driveways, which keeps delivery and skip labour down, and post-war bathrooms are smaller than the rooms in older or larger housing. The trades and the standards are the same; the logistics and the square metres are not.
What does asbestos add?
It is quoted separately by a licensed asbestos removalist from a survey, because the cost depends on quantity, material and condition. It adds real money and typically a week or more of program once survey, removal and clearance are sequenced. Any figure quoted before testing is a guess.
Should I take the cheapest quote?
Only after checking the scopes match. In this trade the cheapest number is usually cheapest because something is missing — the skip, the making good, the waterproofing cure time, or a variation clause that leaves all the discovery risk with you.
How much deposit should I pay?
Less than most people expect. Deposit limits for residential building work in NSW are capped under home building legislation — check the current figure with NSW Fair Trading before paying anything. Beyond that, progress payments tied to completed stages are the normal structure.