Bathrooms are small rooms with a long list of things that need to go right: waterproofing, drainage falls, tiling, plumbing and electrical, all in a space you can barely swing a tile saw in. This guide covers what a full bathroom renovation on the Gold Coast costs in 2026, how long it takes, and the parts of the job that separate a bathroom that lasts twenty years from one that leaks into the ceiling below within five.
A full bathroom renovation on the Gold Coast typically costs between $20,000 and $60,000 in 2026, and takes 7 to 21 days on site. Straightforward refreshes that keep the existing layout sit at the lower end, while renovations that move the toilet or shower, add a second vanity or use premium tapware and stone sit higher.
What Gold Coast bathrooms actually cost in 2026
Prices vary a lot between sources because the word bathroom renovation covers everything from a tile-and-tapware refresh to a full structural rebuild. Local guides put a standard refresh at roughly $18,000 to $28,000 and a premium refit with a freestanding bath or walk-in shower at $28,000 to $48,000, with full luxury jobs running past $50,000. Other Gold Coast pricing research lands in a similar band, with mid-range bathrooms averaging around $25,000 to $27,000 and premium jobs reaching $34,000 to $54,000. Treat any number you read, including ours, as a starting point for a conversation rather than a fixed quote.
| Scope | Typical cost | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard refresh, same layout | $20,000 to $30,000 | Full strip-out, new waterproofing, new tiles, vanity, toilet, tapware and shower screen, fixtures stay roughly where they are |
| Mid-range renovation | $30,000 to $45,000 | Better tiling and tapware, a niche or feature wall, minor plumbing moves, possibly a walk-in shower |
| Premium or full layout change | $45,000 to $60,000+ | Toilet or shower relocated, double vanity, freestanding bath, premium brassware, sometimes a small wall reconfiguration |
What Orange Projects includes in a full bathroom job
We manage the whole renovation as a fixed-price project, coordinating our own carpentry with licensed plumbing and electrical trades so nothing falls between two contractors. That includes demolition, waterproofing to the relevant Australian Standard, tiling, plumbing rough-in and fit-off, electrical work, and the final fit of the vanity, toilet, shower screen and tapware.
- Full strip-out of the existing bathroom, including old tiles and waterproofing membrane
- Waterproofing to the shower, floor and wall junctions, carried out by a licensed applicator
- Drainage falls set correctly so water actually runs to the waste, not the door
- Tiling, including any feature tile, niche or hob work
- Licensed plumbing for water supply, drainage and gas if needed
- Licensed electrical work for lighting, exhaust fan and any heated towel rail
- Fit-off of vanity, toilet, shower screen and tapware, and a final walk-through
Why waterproofing is the part that matters most
A bathroom is the one room in the house that is designed to hold water against timber framing, gyprock and, in a lot of Gold Coast homes, a concrete slab that sits above a garage or another room. Waterproofing failures are rarely visible until months or years later, when a stain appears on a ceiling below or timber starts to soften near a shower hob. Getting it right the first time means using licensed waterproofers, following the membrane manufacturer's specifications at every junction, and not rushing the curing time before tiling starts.
Ask any builder quoting your bathroom for a compliance certificate for the waterproofing, separate from the general plumbing paperwork. It should be issued by the person who actually applied the membrane.
How long a bathroom renovation takes
Most bathroom renovations on the Gold Coast run 7 to 21 days on site once demolition starts, depending on size and whether the layout changes. The bigger swing is what happens before that: ordering tiles, vanities and tapware, and waiting on waterproofing to cure properly between coats before tiling can begin. We generally quote around four weeks of lead time from signed contract to the first day of demolition, which gives selections time to be confirmed and ordered.
- Site measure, layout discussion and fixed-price quote.
- Selections locked in: tiles, vanity, tapware, shower screen.
- Demolition and strip-out of the old bathroom.
- Plumbing and electrical rough-in, plus any minor framing changes.
- Waterproofing and curing time.
- Tiling, then fixture and fitting installation.
- Final plumbing and electrical fit-off, silicone, and handover.
Layout changes and what they add
Keeping the toilet, shower and vanity roughly where they already are is the single biggest cost lever in a bathroom renovation. Moving a toilet across the room means new drainage under the slab or through the floor, which is more invasive and more expensive than most homeowners expect. If a layout change genuinely improves how the room works, such as fitting a shower where a bath used to be, it is often worth it, but go in expecting an additional $3,000 to $6,000 or more for the plumbing and any structural work involved.
Some Gold Coast bathrooms sit next to a hallway or bedroom wall that a homeowner wants opened up or reshaped to gain space. If that wall is structural, it needs an engineer's involvement, similar to a kitchen wall removal project.
Comparing quotes properly
What a complete bathroom quote should spell out
- Full demolition and waste removal, including tile and membrane disposal
- Waterproofing scope and the standard it is being carried out to
- Tile allowance per square metre, and who supplies versus installs
- Named vanity, toilet, tapware and shower screen, or a clear dollar allowance
- Plumbing and electrical inclusions, and who holds the licence for each
- Expected days on site and the lead time before demolition starts
If you are comparing more than one builder, our questions to ask a renovation builder guide covers the exact things worth pressing on before you sign anything.
Planning a bathroom renovation on the Gold Coast? We handle the design, the licensed trades and the fixed price, all under one QBCC licence.
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