Whether you are dreaming, planning, or ready to get quotes, this free tool gives you a realistic cost estimate for your renovation — adjusted for your city and built from current Australian industry data.
Free planning tool. No login required. Designed to help homeowners sense-check budgets before requesting formal quotes.
HIA, hipages and other Australian cost references help anchor estimates across all five renovation types.
Costs change by location, room type, finish level and project complexity. Each estimate is calibrated for your city.
A faster way to sense-check your budget before requesting formal quotes from licensed contractors.
Multipliers derived from HIA Trades Cost Indices and Master Builders Association State Reports, Q4 2025. National base is 1.0×.
Pick your rooms. Adjust size, finish level and city. Your estimate updates instantly. Add multiple rooms to build a complete project budget.
HIA 2025 national median: $30,000–$35,000 · hipages mid-range: $25,000–$45,000 · Sydney 1.28×
| Cost component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base project cost (cabinetry, trades, appliance allowance) Linear metres × per-LM rate for your selected tier. Covers cabinetry supply, bench, basic appliances, plumbing and electrical rough-in labour. | |
| Regional labour & supply multiplier Applied to reflect city-specific trades labour costs and material supply premiums. Source: HIA Trades Cost Indices + MBA State Reports Q4 2025. | |
| Copper materials loading (~16.5% est.) Estimated loading on copper plumbing and electrical components. Based on LME copper spot price of $13,057/t vs ~$6,000/t in 2020. This is an estimate, not an industry-published rate. | |
| Lead-free fittings differential (est.) AS/NZS 4020 lead-free plumbing fittings. Installation sell-through period extended to 1 May 2028. Estimated material cost differential for compliant brass fittings in a standard kitchen rough-in. | $420 |
| Total estimate (inc. GST) |
HIA 2025 national average: $26,747 · hipages: $2,300–$4,600/m² · Sydney est: $28,000–$32,000
| Cost component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fixed base costs (demolition, plumbing, electrical) | |
| Variable costs (tiles, fixtures, labour / m²) | |
| Regional multiplier | |
| Copper materials loading (~16.5% est.) | |
| Waterproofing to AS 3740:2021 Licensed waterproofer, membrane, inspection and Waterproofing Certificate. Required before tiling can commence under NCC 2022 / AS 3740:2021. | |
| Total estimate (inc. GST) |
Industry range: $200–$600/m² depending on material, site complexity and BAL rating.
| Cost component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Material + labour base cost | |
| Regional multiplier | |
| BAL compliance surcharge | |
| Total estimate (inc. GST) |
⚠ Planning estimate only. Final pricing varies by builder, site access, design complexity and finishes. Always get at least 3 written quotes from licensed contractors.
Renovation pricing in Australia is not uniform. Trades labour markets, state licensing regimes, supply chain conditions and local demand all create real cost differences between cities.
Typical mid-range kitchen (5LM) · Bathroom: $28k–$32k
Sydney carries one of the higher regional multipliers nationally, driven by trades demand and infrastructure competition. HBCF insurance is mandatory for all NSW contracts over $20,000. Rates were restructured in November 2025 — confirm your project-specific premium at icare.nsw.gov.au before signing anything.
Typical mid-range kitchen (5LM) · Bathroom: $24k–$30k
Melbourne's 7-Star NatHERS standard (active May 2024) applies when the building envelope is altered. Standard internal renovations are generally exempt. Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) is mandatory for contracts over $16,000. Confirm with your building surveyor and check the VBA website for current requirements.
Typical mid-range kitchen (5LM) · Highest multiplier in this calculator
Brisbane carries the highest regional cost multiplier of any major city in this calculator. Post-flood rebuilding, 2032 Olympics infrastructure and population growth are all competing for the same trades. Get quotes early and allow more contingency than you think you need.
Typical mid-range kitchen (5LM)
Perth's multiplier has been revised to 1.18× for 2026. FIFO workforce demand continues to pull licensed trades toward the resources sector, and materials freight from eastern states adds a further 8–15% on top of national benchmarks. Book contractors earlier than you think you need to.
Typical mid-range kitchen (5LM)
Adelaide offers the best renovation value of any Australian capital. Lower labour costs, shorter waitlists and better access to licensed trades mean your budget goes further here. Tender activity is rising as population grows, but for now Adelaide homeowners are in a strong position.
Core benchmarks in this calculator are cross-referenced against multiple Australian industry sources, then adjusted for city, scope and finish level. Every source is documented: what it covers, when it was published, and where its limits are.
We start with HIA and hipages national median costs for each renovation type — the kind of figures commonly used for ballpark renovation planning.
Trades cost differently depending on where you are. Sydney runs about 28% above the national average; Perth 18% above; Adelaide about 8% above. We apply a calibrated city multiplier to reflect real local labour rates.
Size, finish tier, material choices and complexity all adjust the estimate up or down. Budget, mid-range and premium tiers use real per-unit rates, not just a percentage uplift.
These are illustrative planning estimates based on typical mid-range projects. Use the calculator above to adjust for your specific city, size and finish level.
The Housing Industry Association publishes annual renovation benchmarks based on thousands of completed Australian projects. The HIA Kitchens & Bathrooms Report cites the 2025 national kitchen renovation median at $30,000–$35,000 and the bathroom average at $26,747 (up from $21,484 in 2021). These are the primary anchors for our base rate calibration.
hipages publishes cost ranges drawn from millions of real job quotes across Australia. Their 2025 data confirms bathroom renovation costs of $2,300–$4,600 per sqm. These per-sqm figures are used to validate our fixed + variable bathroom model. Our results for a 6sqm mid-range Sydney bathroom (~$31,000) sit within the hipages confirmed range.
The Australian Construction Handbook 2025 provides verified city-by-city building permit fees and contract works insurance rates. Sydney Class 1a residential: $676–$1,896+ by contract value · Brisbane domestic extension: $1,370 · Melbourne: 0.128% of works value · Perth dwellings: 0.19% minimum $110.
The LME 3-month copper price is published daily. Copper reached above $13,000/t in early 2026. Our ~16.5% copper loading is an industry estimate of the cost uplift on plumbing and electrical materials relative to the 2020 baseline of ~$6,000/t. It is not a published industry rate.
The current Australian Building Code is NCC 2022. Under NCC 2022 Volume Two and AS 3740:2021, wet area renovations require full-floor membrane, 150mm upturns, 1800mm shower wall height, and a licensed Waterproofing Certificate before tiling. Waterproofing cost range: $1,500–$5,000 (hipages 2025).
Deck installed rates (supply + labour + subframe) are cross-referenced across four independent 2025 Australian sources. Treated pine: $200–$250/m². Merbau/hardwood: $300–$350/m². Composite mid-range: $350–$460/m². Premium capped composite: $500–$600/m². Our calculator uses the mid-point of each verified range.
If your question is not covered here, submit your project brief and we'll help guide you to the next step. Where suitable, we may connect you with a licensed contractor in your area.
City-specific cost breakdowns and practical renovation advice, built from the same benchmarks that power the calculator.
Submit your project brief and we'll review the details with you. Where suitable, we'll help connect you with local licensed builders so you can move from planning estimate to formal quote.
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We'll review your brief and follow up with suitable next steps and, where available, local licensed contractors.
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Pulled from your calculator above. Planning estimate only. Final pricing will come from a builder's formal quote.
My name is Matt. I have spent most of my working life in labour and trades across Australia. When I started looking at getting into the housing market myself, I ran straight into the same wall every homeowner hits: renovation costs that are vague, inconsistent, and hard to compare.
Builders quote differently. Online estimates are all over the place. And with current housing prices and economic pressures making every dollar count, I wanted a tool that gave straight, well-sourced answers rather than rough guesses or sales pitches.
So I built one. RenovationCalculator.AU is the tool I wished existed when I started planning. Every estimate is anchored to real Australian industry data, adjusted for your city, and transparent about where the numbers come from. It is free, it requires no login, and it does not sell your details.
Based in Perth, WA · Independent · Not affiliated with any builder or contractor
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