What a Bathroom Renovation Costs in Kiama in 2026

A guide, not a quote

These are deliberately broad tiers. They exist so you can tell whether you are planning a refresh, a full renovation or something bigger before you start looking at tiles. They are not a price for your bathroom.

The tiers overlap on purpose. A small bathroom in a Bombo cottage can cost more than a larger one in a Kiama Downs brick veneer house, purely because of what appears once the old room is opened.

What moves a Kiama bathroom within a tier

What is behind the linings. Fibro that needs sampling and, if positive, licensed removal. Soft floor framing under an old shower. Original galvanised pipe. These are common in cottages around Kiama, Bombo and Gerringong and they are the single biggest source of variation down here.

Whether anything moves. Leaving the toilet, shower and vanity where they are is always the cheapest path. On a timber floor with subfloor access, moving a waste is usually manageable. On a slab it means cutting concrete, and that is the biggest swing factor in brick veneer and townhouses.

Finish level. Tile size and pattern matter more than tile price: large-format tiles need flatter walls, and herringbone, mosaics and mitred corners are labour. Tapware, screens and vanities span an enormous range.

Coastal specification. Better base metals in tapware, stainless fixings, screen hardware chosen for salt, and marine-grade or fully sealed cabinetry all add a little. Compared with replacing the lot in five years, they are cheap.

Water and wastewater. On tank-supplied properties around Jamberoo and the valley roads, a new shower can mean revisiting the pressure pump. Properties on an onsite wastewater system may need advice before adding a fixture, because the system is sized for a set load.

Access and travel. Long driveways on acreage, steps down to a cottage, a narrow street in central Kiama where a skip needs a permit, and the distance trades travel down the highway all show up in the labour line.

Ventilation and extras. A fan ducted outside, a shower niche, underfloor heating, a second light at the mirror, an outdoor shower off the back wall — small amounts each, worth naming in the quote.

What barely adds anything

Tiling to the ceiling in the shower. A little more tile and time, and no more paint peeling above the screen.

A properly sized, externally ducted fan. Small money, and the most effective mould control there is.

Solid backing in the walls for grab rails. Nearly nothing while the frame is open, and it saves reopening a finished wall later.

A fixed glass panel instead of a framed door. Often similar money, far less hardware to corrode, and much easier to clean.

When a refresh is the smarter call

If the room dates from the nineties or later, the shower is not leaking, the floor is firm and the tiles ring solid, you may not need a full renovation at all. New tapware, a vanity and mirror cabinet, better lighting, a regrout and a decent fan can transform it. An honest measure should raise that option when it fits, and ours does.

The payment rules in NSW

• Deposit capped at 10 per cent for residential building work
• Home building compensation cover must be in place before a deposit is requested on work over $20,000
• A written contract is required above the statutory threshold
• Progress payments tied to completed stages, not to dates on a calendar

If someone wants a large sum upfront, or will not put the scope in writing, that is your answer.

Questions to ask every quote

• Is asbestos testing included, and how would removal be priced if it comes back positive?
• What is the allowance for rot or structural repair, and how are variations handled?
• Which pipes are being replaced, and how far back?
• Fittings by brand and model, and the tile allowance per square metre
• Waterproofing method, standard and cure time
• Fan model, duct size and where it discharges
• Access, skip placement and waste removal
• The program in working days, and what happens if a booking or a wet week interferes

Every job is different

Two rooms the same size in the same street can land in different tiers. The only way to get a customised price for your bathroom is a proper on-site measure: someone looks at the floor, the linings, the pipework, the access and what you actually want, then writes a fixed quote with fittings named and allowances stated.

Renovation work is carried out in partnership with Coastal Renovation Group, a licensed NSW builder. Licence and insurance details are provided on request.

See how the job runs for timing, or the questions and answers page for everything else.

Book the measure: call 02 4214 4021 or send the room details through.