What a renovation costs in Australia
The honest answer to 'what will this cost' is a range, not a number, and the range is set by decisions you control. This is how to think about renovation cost, what pushes it up, and how to build a budget you can actually hold.
- Cost is driven by scope, finishes, structural change, and site conditions, not floor area alone
- Get three itemised quotes on the same written scope so you compare like for like
- Add a 'contingency' of 10 to 20% for what you cannot see until walls come off
- Watch 'provisional sums', they are estimates that can move after you sign
How to think about the number
Cost is a range you shape
Two identical-looking kitchens can differ by tens of thousands depending on the joinery, the appliances, the benchtop, and whether you move the plumbing. Before you chase a figure, define the scope: what stays, what goes, and what moves. A clear scope is what turns a vague guess into a real quote.
Indicative ranges, treat as a starting point only
Costs vary widely by state, by the age and condition of the home, and by your finish level, so use these only to sense-check, not to budget.
The single biggest swing is almost always the finishes and whether services move.
What Australians are actually paying
Indicative national figures for 2026, by scope. Use them to sense-check a quote, not to set your budget.
Sydney and Melbourne typically run 10 to 25 percent above the national average, and regional areas 10 to 15 percent below.
Remember
What drives the number up
The expensive decisions
Relocating plumbing, the kitchen, or a bathroom is far dearer than keeping them where they are.
Removing walls, adding openings, or changing the roofline brings in engineering and approvals.
Stone over laminate, custom over flat-pack, imported over local, it all compounds.
Difficult access, asbestos, poor drainage, or an old home hiding surprises behind the walls.
Approvals, certificates, and bringing old work up to current standards.
Build a budget you can hold
Every budget needs a buffer
The contingency is held back for what you cannot see until the walls come off. If you do not spend it, that is a good problem to have.
Work from the bottom up
Rather than starting with a total and hoping, build the budget up in four steps.
List every element, room by room
Price each against a quote or a documented allowance
Add a 'contingency' of 10 to 20% for what you cannot see yet
Track every cost through quoted, ordered, invoiced, and paid
Common mistakes
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