Renovation Cost in Australia (2026): Tables and Calculator

Renovating to sell rarely pays back: this guide puts a mid-range kitchen at 0.6× to 1.2× its cost recovered at sale, against 3× to 10× for a cosmetic refresh. If a sale is coming, spend where buyers will notice and budget the rest honestly.

Renovation costs at a glance

Every room at three finish levels, as at 30 September 2026. Where this guide has no figure for a finish level, the cell uses a dated published source and names it. Where nobody publishes one, it says "no published range". Each room section below sets this guide’s range beside every source that publishes one.

As at 30 September 2026. "This guide" figures are metro Australia including GST. A cell reads "no published range" where neither this guide nor a dated published source gives a figure for that finish level; nothing is interpolated. CKA figures use Sydney prices as the base and exclude GST. The knock-down rebuild rows are demolition and new-build rates, not renovation rates.

Renovation cost calculator

Pick the rooms, the finish level and your state. The calculator adds the ranges from the table above, applies the CKA indicator’s capital-city adjustment (and its 5 to 15% regional premium if you tick regional), then adds this guide’s design and approvals (8 to 15%) and contingency (10 to 15%). It is an estimate built from the tables on this page, not a quote.

Renovation cost per square metre by scope

The rate per square metre depends first on scope: how much of the work is cosmetic, how much replaces services, and how much is structural. This guide’s three tiers sit against the three published sources that quote a rate for renovation work.

The published ranges sit below this guide’s at the bottom end because Archicentre and Canstar quote standard materials on a sound house and CKA quotes the shell without fees or GST; this guide’s ranges include the trades, fit-out and GST a metro quote carries. The ABS reports house construction output prices up 5.9% in the year to June 2026 (ABS PPI, Jun 2026), so a 2025 range needs that added.

Renovation cost by state and capital city

No published source gives a renovation rate per square metre for each state. What is published: the CKA indicator’s capital-city adjustments for renovation work, Rider Levett Bucknall’s rates for custom-built houses in each capital, the ABS average cost of new houses by state, and the ABS house construction price index by capital. The calculator uses the CKA adjustments.

House construction prices rose fastest in Hobart (11.5%), Perth (8.8%) and Adelaide (8.5%) in the year to June 2026, and slowest in Melbourne (3.7%), according to the ABS (31 July 2026). Demand is strongest in New South Wales: HIA expects renovation investment there to outpace Victoria by nearly 50% in 2026 (21 October 2025).

Column sources: renovation cost against Sydney and the regional premium from the CKA, Jun 2026 (six capitals; none published for Canberra or Darwin); custom-built single and double storey house per m² of gross floor area from RLB Riders Digest 2026 (no Hobart column); average new house cost per m² for 2024-25 from ABS Building Activity as analysed by Landmark Valuations (Landmark, Jul 2026 (ABS); no Tasmania, ACT or NT figure); house construction output prices from ABS PPI, Jun 2026 (six capitals). The house-building columns are new-build rates, shown because they set the labour and materials prices a renovation pays. No source publishes a renovation cost per square metre by state; the state table on the co-architecture page that ranks for this query cites none.

Why costs rose, and where they are now

Renovation costs in Australia rose sharply between 2021 and 2024, driven by COVID-era supply chain disruption, materials inflation, and a building trades shortage that pushed labour rates up 25–40%. They have not come back down. ABS house construction output prices rose 2.0% in the June quarter 2026, the largest quarterly rise since September 2022, and 5.9% over the year (31 July 2026). Master Builders Australia puts the cost of building a home at more than 50% above pre-pandemic (26 August 2026). Don’t budget against pre-2021 numbers. The renovation market has reset.

What’s happened since:

• Materials inflation has picked up again. Master Builders Australia reported building materials inflation at a three-year high on 2 September 2026, though the 2022–23 timber and steel shortages are behind us.
• Labour remains the binding constraint. Construction trades shortages haven’t eased: apprenticeships dropped in the late 2010s and the pipeline is still thin. Expect 6 to 12 week waits to engage a quality builder for anything substantial.
• Energy efficiency requirements from NCC 2022 (the 7-star housing standard) raise insulation, glazing and air-tightness requirements on new and substantially renovated work. They commenced between 1 October 2023 and 1 May 2025 depending on the state; Tasmania did not adopt them and the NT kept 5 stars (ABCB). NCC 2025 was released on 1 May 2026 and each state sets its own start date; New South Wales adopts it on 1 May 2027. This guide’s estimate of the real cost: 3–8% added to most renovation budgets, partially offset by lower energy bills.
• Builder failures in 2023–24 (multiple high-profile insolvencies, especially in NSW and VIC) have driven up insurance costs and made owner-builders and small renovators more cautious. Always check builder solvency and home warranty insurance before signing.

Kitchen renovation costs

As at September 2026, a kitchen renovation in metro Australia costs $12,000 to $18,000 for a budget refresh, $25,000 to $45,000 mid-range and $60,000 or more premium; Archicentre Australia's Cost Guide 2026 puts a standard kitchen fit-out at $23,000 to $49,000 including GST and excluding white goods.

Kitchens are the most popular single-room renovation in Australia and the most variable on price. Three realistic tiers in 2026:

Budget kitchen: $12,000 to $18,000

• Flat-pack cabinetry (kaboodle, IKEA, Bunnings-tier) in the existing layout.
• Laminate benchtop.
• Basic-tier appliances (cooktop, oven, rangehood, dishwasher).
• Existing plumbing and electrical reused.
• Labour for installation, basic tiling splashback, and minor electrical.

Mid-range kitchen: $25,000 to $45,000

• Custom-built or premium flat-pack cabinetry (laminex, polytec, two-pack on doors).
• 20mm or 40mm engineered stone or porcelain benchtop ($400–$900/m² installed).
• Quality appliances (Bosch, AEG, Miele entry).
• Possible minor layout change: moving the dishwasher, repositioning the rangehood.
• New tiled splashback or premium glass.
• Improved lighting (LED downlights, pendant over island).

Premium kitchen: $60,000+

• Designer-spec custom cabinetry, often two-pack with handle-less drawers.
• Premium benchtop: natural stone, sintered stone, or thick porcelain ($1,200–$2,500/m² installed).
• Integrated high-end appliances (Miele, Gaggenau, Liebherr).
• Full layout reconfiguration with new plumbing, electrical, gas.
• Specialty joinery: butler’s pantry, integrated bins, charging stations.

How the published sources compare

The published kitchen ranges sit close to this guide’s mid-range. The CKA figures exclude GST, so add 10% before comparing.

Bathroom renovation costs

As at September 2026, a bathroom renovation costs $15,000 to $22,000 for a standard in-place refresh and $25,000 to $40,000 or more premium in metro Australia, with Three Birds Renovations (January 2026) putting a budget cosmetic refresh at $8,000 to $15,000 and Archicentre Australia's Cost Guide 2026 a bathroom or ensuite fit-out at $17,500 to $35,000.

Bathrooms are smaller in scope but punch above their weight on cost because of waterproofing, tiling, plumbing and the dense regulatory environment around wet areas.

Standard bathroom: $15,000 to $22,000

• In-place refresh, same fixture positions, no layout change.
• New tiles (floor and partial walls).
• New vanity, toilet, shower screen.
• Quality but not premium tapware ($300–$700 per outlet).
• Waterproofing redone to AS 3740.

Premium bathroom: $25,000 to $40,000+

• Premium tiles, full-height wall tiling.
• Frameless glass screen, freestanding bath, niche shelving.
• Designer tapware (brushed brass, matte black, $700–$1,500 per outlet).
• Possible layout change with new plumbing rough-in.
• Underfloor heating, heated towel rail.
• Custom vanity with stone top.

Tiling labour alone is $60–$120/m² for floors and walls, with materials on top. A bathroom with 25m² of tiling can absorb $1,500–$3,000 in tiling labour. Waterproofing is not the place to cut corners. It’s legally required, it’s the most common source of subsequent insurance claims, and remediation when it fails costs many multiples of doing it right the first time.

How the published sources compare

CKA prices an ensuite separately from a main bathroom; Archicentre gives one range for both. CKA figures exclude GST.

Laundry, living areas and bedrooms

As at September 2026, a laundry fit-out costs $10,000 to $19,000 (Archicentre Australia Cost Guide 2026, standard materials), a living-area refresh $7,000 to $15,000 or more (Canstar, January 2025) and a basic bedroom refresh $1,000 to $2,000 per room (Canstar, January 2025).

These rooms are rarely renovated on their own. They are usually part of a wider refresh, so the published figures are mostly per room or per square metre of a single trade: painting, flooring, rewiring and re-plumbing. Use the per-square-metre rows to price a whole-house paint or floor.

Full house renovation

As at September 2026, a full renovation of a three-bedroom house in metro Australia costs $2,000/m² to $2,500/m² for cosmetic work, $2,800/m² to $4,500/m² mid-range and $5,000/m² to $7,500/m² or more premium, or $200,000 to $500,000 for a mid-range project; Archicentre Australia's Cost Guide 2026 puts renovation inside an existing building at $1,600/m² to $3,900/m².

For a standard three-bedroom house being renovated room-by-room or as a whole-house project, 2026 budgets break down as follows:

• Cosmetic only (paint, flooring, tapware, lighting, minor): $2,000–$2,500/m². Total $80,000–$150,000 for a 50–60m² affected area.
• Mid-range (cosmetic plus kitchen, one bathroom, some replanning): $2,800–$4,500/m². Total $200,000–$400,000.
• Premium (architect-designed, structural work, full re-stack of services, designer finishes): $5,000–$7,500/m²+. Total $400,000–$800,000.

Regional work generally costs more, not less. The CKA indicator (June 2026) adds 5 to 15% outside the capital cities depending on distance, and Archicentre Australia’s Cost Guide 2026 notes that regional areas may attract a premium: land is cheaper in the regions, building is not. Among the capitals, CKA puts Perth 5% and Brisbane 4% above Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart level with it, and Melbourne 1% below. The state table has the detail.

Extensions and second storeys

As at September 2026, a ground-floor extension costs $3,500/m² to $5,500/m² and a second-storey addition $4,500/m² to $7,000/m² for the shell in metro Australia; Archicentre Australia's Cost Guide 2026 prices new construction and extensions at $2,700/m² to $5,100/m² with first-floor additions extra.

Adding floor area is the most common way to step up a property without selling. Two main approaches:

Ground-floor extension: $3,500–$5,500/m²

Easier and cheaper than going up. New slab or raised floor, new external walls, roof, and tying the extension into the existing services. A 25m² ground-floor extension lands at $90,000–$140,000 for the build, plus design, certification, and any fit-out for the new space (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom).

Second-storey addition: $4,500–$7,000/m²

Considerably more complex. Adds load to the existing structure, usually requires structural reinforcement of the ground floor, scaffold and access costs, and you’ll need to lift the existing roof off. A 60m² second storey (typically two bedrooms and a bathroom) lands at $270,000–$420,000. Some builders won’t take on second-storey adds because of structural risk; specialists are the better approach.

How the published sources compare

Every source prices the shell only. Kitchens, bathrooms and laundries in the new space are priced from the room tables.

Granny flat: $130,000–$220,000

A separate dwelling on your existing block. State-by-state planning rules vary significantly, so read our granny flat guides for the full per-state breakdown. Granny flats often have the best ROI of any renovation because they add rental income (or accommodate ageing parents / adult children without buying a second property), and they appeal to the investor buyer pool at sale.

Knock-down rebuild

As at September 2026, demolishing a typical detached house costs $20,000 to $45,000 and a new house $1,800 to $2,800/m² from a volume builder or $3,500 to $6,000/m² custom; the ABS-derived average for every new house built in 2024-25 is $1,967/m² (Landmark Valuations, July 2026) and Rider Levett Bucknall's Riders Digest 2026 prices a Sydney custom-built house at $2,500 to $7,600/m².

At some point, renovation becomes worse value than starting fresh. Rough rule: if your projected renovation budget exceeds 70–80% of the cost of a new build, look at knock-down rebuild instead.

• Demolition: $20,000–$45,000 for a typical detached house, more for asbestos remediation or difficult access.
• New build (volume builder): $1,800–$2,800/m² for a project home. A 220m² home lands at $400,000–$600,000.
• New build (custom architect-designed): $3,500–$6,000/m². A 220m² home lands at $750,000–$1.3M.
• Renting elsewhere during the build: 8–14 months of rent, factor it in.

How the published sources compare

Pre-construction costs

Easy to forget, easy to underestimate. Before any builder turns up, you’ll typically pay:

• Architect or building designer: 8–12% of construction cost for a full service (concept through to documentation and contract admin). Building designers are typically 50–70% of an architect’s fee.
• Structural engineer: $3,000–$8,000 for most projects.
• Soil test: $400–$900.
• Surveyor (boundary, contour): $1,000–$3,000.
• Council application fees: $1,500–$5,000+, escalating with complexity.
• Private certifier: $2,000–$5,000.
• Bushfire / flood reports where applicable: $1,500–$5,000 each.
• Heritage / planning reports where applicable: $2,000–$10,000.

Total pre-construction costs typically run 8–15% of project value. On a $400,000 renovation that’s $32,000–$60,000 spent before any tools come out.

Fixed-price vs cost-plus contracts

The two main contract structures.

Fixed-price (lump sum)

Builder quotes a single total. You pay that, regardless of what it actually costs them to build. Pros: certainty of cost, easier to finance, simpler invoice cycle. Cons: builder bakes in a contingency margin (typically 8–15% on top of expected cost), variations are expensive because each one is a contract amendment, and quality builders may decline if scope is too uncertain.

Cost-plus

You pay the actual cost of materials and trades, plus a fixed builder’s margin (typically 15–20%) and a fixed management fee. Pros: transparency on actual costs, often cheaper if well-managed, better fit for complex jobs and heritage properties. Cons: you carry the cost-overrun risk, harder to finance, requires more active management from the homeowner.

For straightforward renovations under $300K, fixed-price is usually the right call. For complex jobs, heritage properties, or projects where scope will evolve, cost-plus often delivers better value if you trust the builder. Read our fixed vs variable guide (the same principle applies to contract types).

How to finance the work

Four common options:

• Cash / savings. The cheapest financing, no interest cost. Suits cosmetic and small structural work.
• Equity release / top-up loan. Refinance your existing home loan to release equity and use it for renovation. Best for smaller-to-mid renovations where the timeline is short.
• Renovation loan (drawdown loan). A purpose-built product that releases funds in progress payments tied to construction milestones. Better for larger structural work but harder to qualify for, with stricter LVR limits during the build phase.
• Construction loan. Used for knock-down rebuilds and substantial extensions. Interest is charged on progressive drawdowns, principal-and-interest payments don’t start until the build is complete. Most lenders cap LVR at 80% during the build phase, sometimes 90% with LMI.

For anything over $100K, talk to a broker. Most lenders price renovation and construction lending very differently, and a broker with construction experience will know which lenders to approach for your specific scope. See our how to choose a mortgage broker guide.

What actually adds value at sale

If your motivation is selling later for more, the ROI is consistently disappointing. Approximate "recover at sale" ratios in 2026 metro markets:

• Cosmetic refresh (paint, flooring, tapware, garden, deep clean): 3× to 10× cost recovered at sale.
• Kitchen renovation (mid-range): 0.6× to 1.2× cost recovered.
• Bathroom renovation: 0.5× to 1.0× cost recovered.
• Granny flat (suburb dependent): 0.8× to 1.4× cost recovered, plus rental income before sale.
• Second storey or extension: 0.7× to 1.0× cost recovered in most suburbs; can exceed 1.0× in high-end suburbs where per-m² value is high.
• Pool: 0.4× to 0.8× cost recovered.

Renovation pays off when it’s for you to live in. Renovating purely to flip is usually a worse trade than buying a better property in the first place.

How to budget honestly

A defensible renovation budget has five parts:

1. Builder quote (or your trades-by-trade quotes if managing yourself).
2. Pre-construction costs: design, engineering, council, surveys.
3. Contingency: 10–15% baseline, 15–20% for older homes or structural work.
4. Scope creep: 3–7% for the changes of mind you haven’t had yet but will.
5. Holding costs: somewhere to live during the build, storage, double mortgage if relevant.

Add them up. If your quoted price is $300,000, your defensible total budget is closer to $370,000–$410,000. If you can’t fund the upper end of that range without stress, narrow the scope before signing. The calculator adds the first three for you.