Cost guide
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in NZ?
Most New Zealand bathroom renovations land between $18,000 and $55,000. A small bathroom where the plumbing stays put sits at the low end. Moving the shower, merging a separate toilet, or building a full spec ensuite with custom joinery and large format tiling sits at the top. The rest of this guide breaks down exactly where that money goes.
Key takeaways
- Same layout, everything new starts from $18,000. Moving fixtures or walls pushes most Waikato jobs into the $28,000 to $38,000 range.
- Tiling and plumbing relocation are the two biggest swing factors in any quote, not fixtures or paint.
- Waterproofing is the wrong place to save money. It is invisible once finished and expensive to fix once it fails.
- Get quotes scoped line by line. A lower number often means a provisional sum hiding somewhere, not a better price.
Cost by component
A bathroom renovation is really eight smaller jobs stacked on top of each other. Here is what each one typically costs in the Waikato market, and what pushes it to either end of the range.
| Line item | Typical NZ range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Strip out and disposal | $1,500 - $3,500 | Removing tiles, fixtures, old linings and getting a skip on site. Costs climb if there is asbestos-era sheet flooring or tiling to test and remove safely. |
| Plumbing and drainage | $2,000 - $8,000+ | Reconnecting fixtures in the same spot sits at the low end. Moving a shower, merging a separate toilet, or re-running drainage under a slab pushes this well past $5,000. |
| Waterproofing | $1,200 - $2,800 | Membrane and flashings to Building Code clause E3 and NZS 3604 falls. This is the line item nobody sees again once tiling goes down, and the one you should never cut. |
| Tiling, supply and labour | $4,000 - $14,000+ | Driven by area, format and height. A budget 300x600 tile to half height costs a fraction of large format porcelain run floor to ceiling on every wall. |
| Fixtures and tapware | $3,000 - $10,000+ | Vanity, toilet, shower and tapware. Mid-range tapware brands hold up in Waikato's harder bore-fed water; the cheapest imports often do not. |
| Joinery and storage | $1,000 - $6,000+ | Off the shelf vanity versus a custom stone-top unit built to the wall. Niche storage and heated towel rails sit in this line too. |
| Electrical and ventilation | $1,000 - $2,500 | Rewiring for new fixture positions, an extractor fan tied to the switch, and lighting. Underpowered extraction is the single biggest cause of mould callbacks in NZ bathrooms. |
| Gib, stopping, paint and finishing | $1,200 - $3,000 | Making good the ceiling and any wall not being tiled, plus the final coat. Small line item, but it is what makes the room look finished rather than patched. |
Ranges are indicative NZ market figures for a residential bathroom, current as of 2026. They are not a quote. Every job is priced after a measure up.
Cost by bathroom size
Floor area matters less than most homeowners expect. A tiny bathroom with a moved shower can cost more than a bigger one where everything stays put. As a general guide though, size still sets the bracket.
Small (under 4m2)
$18,000 - $26,000
Common in 1950s to 1970s Waikato housing. Separate toilet, small footprint, usually no layout change needed.
Standard (4 to 6m2)
$25,000 - $38,000
The most common Hamilton and Cambridge bathroom. Room to move the shower or merge a separate toilet without extending walls.
Large or ensuite (6m2+)
$36,000 - $55,000+
Master ensuites and full spec bathrooms. Freestanding tubs, double vanities and full height feature tiling live in this bracket.
Cost by scope tier
Rather than quote a single average figure that fits nobody, we price against three tiers. Here is what each one buys and who it suits.
The Refresh
Same layout, everything new.
from $18,000
Best for: Bathrooms where the plumbing is in the right place and the look is just tired.
The Renovation
New layout, better use of the space.
from $28,000
Best for: Most Waikato bathrooms. Removing the tub, merging a separate toilet, or moving the shower.
The Premium
Ensuite and main bathroom, or a full spec build.
from $42,000
Best for: New builds, major renovations, and homeowners who want the tiling and joinery done to showroom standard.
Full inclusions for each tier are on the packages and prices page.
What pushes the price up
- Moving the shower, vanity or toilet from its current spot.
- Merging a separate toilet into the main bathroom.
- Removing a wall, especially one doing structural work.
- Full height tiling on every wall instead of half height.
- Large format or feature tile that takes longer to set out.
- Underfloor heating and custom stone-top joinery.
- Discovering rot, old copper pipe or unlined walls once the strip out starts, common in pre-1970s Waikato housing.
What brings the price down
- Keeping plumbing and drainage exactly where it is.
- One tile format used consistently, not several mixed.
- An off the shelf vanity instead of custom joinery.
- Half height tiling with a painted finish above.
- Booking with a specialist whose trades already work together back to back, so less time is lost between stages.
- A clear written scope from the start, so there is nothing left to negotiate mid job.
Where people waste money
Cutting the waterproofing spec. It is the one part of the job you never see again once the tiles go down, which makes it the easiest thing to shave a quote on and the most expensive thing to fix later. A leak through a wall lining or subfloor can cost more to remediate than the entire waterproofing line item would have.
Buying fixtures yourself to save the trade margin. It looks like a saving on paper. In practice you carry the risk of a wrong size, a discontinued line, or a fitting that does not match the waterproofing detail the plumber is working to, and any delay becomes your problem to solve, not a variation the renovator absorbs.
Under-speccing extraction to save a few hundred dollars. An underpowered extractor fan is the most common cause of mould callbacks in NZ bathrooms. It is a small line item relative to the whole job and one of the worst places to economise.
Accepting a quote with provisional sums for tiling or fixtures. A "P.C. sum" or allowance figure is not a fixed price, it is a placeholder. Ask what tile or fixture the allowance is actually based on, and get the real number confirmed before you sign.
Chasing the lowest quote without comparing scope. The cheapest number on paper is often the one missing waterproofing detail, consent costs, or a full trade list. Once those get added back in during the job, the gap between quotes usually closes or reverses entirely.
FAQs
Cost questions, answered straight
Yes, for a smaller bathroom where the plumbing stays where it is and you are replacing rather than relocating fixtures. That is the entry point of our Refresh package. Once you start moving the shower, removing a tub, or merging a separate toilet, the layout change adds plumbing, drainage and often electrical work that pushes the number up.
Want a real number for your bathroom?
Ranges are useful for planning. A fixed price in writing is better. We measure up free and confirm the exact number before anyone picks up a tool.