Planning a bathroom renovation but worried about how much it is going to cost? A bathroom renovation can cost anywhere from R30,000 to R300,000+, depending on the size of your bathroom, what needs to be renovated, the type of fittings/finishings and the labour involved.

R60000.00 is the average cost of a small bathroom renovation in South Africa with modern but standard finishing and fittings.

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This article will help you work out:

  • How much does a bathroom reno cost?
  • Planning your bathroom renovation budget
  • Alternatives to a complete bathroom renovation
  • How long will my bathroom renovation take?
  • Bathroom renovation: Step-by-step guide
  • Hiring a bathroom renovator

A bathroom renovation can cost anywhere from R30,000 to R300,000 or more, depending on the size of your bathroom, and how much your materials, fittings and labour costs are.

Most people spend somewhere in the middle of this range – in fact, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) found R80,000 to be the average cost of a bathroom renovation in South Africa. As you can expect there are a lot of variables that impact how much your bathroom renovation will cost. Factors that will affect the cost of your project include:

  • The size of your bathroom
  • The materials you choose
  • The fittings you select
  • Labour costs
  • Permits costs, if these are required for your job

Let’s take a more detailed look at costs, which we have broken down into three price brackets.

minimalist luxury bathroom

How much does a bathroom renovation cost?

You can break down the cost of a bathroom renovation into three price brackets:

  • Budget renovation cost: R30,000 – R60,000
  • Standard renovation cost: R60,000 – R120,000
  • Premium renovation cost: R120,000+

As a guideline, expect to spend in the region of:

  • R30,000 – R60,000 for a budget renovation of a smaller bathroom using budget materials and fittings.
  • R60,000 – R120,000 for an average-sized mid-range bathroom renovation using mid-range materials and fittings.
  • R120,000+ for a high-end, premium or luxury bathroom renovation using top-of-the-range materials and fittings.

Let’s take a look at this in more detail, and what you get for your money.

Budget bathroom renovation cost: R30,000 – R60,000

It is possible to do a bathroom renovation on a budget of around R30,000, but this will largely be cosmetic only swapping out a few items. Spending up to R60,000 will also involve some compromises, such as keeping all your plumbing and electrics in the same place. To stay in this budget you will also need to choose average ceramic tiles in the R150 per square metre range – which are durable and available in a wide range of colours. If you are installing a new shower you will need to stick to a framed shower screen, as well as a standard back-to-wall toilet and floor-mounted basin.

Standard bathroom renovation cost: R60,000 – R120,000

Budget R60,00 to R120,000 for your project – which is what most people spend, for this price you can get better materials and fittings. You will have a larger range of tiles to choose from in the R300 per square metre range, and could even stretch your budget to incorporate labour-intensive mosaic tiles in the shower cubicle. You could also upgrade to a semi-frameless or frameless shower screen, and choose a larger or fancier freestanding bathtub, and bathroom vanity with an incorporated basin. In terms of moving plumbing and electricity, you can make some changes but not major alterations.

Premium or luxury bathroom renovation cost: R120,000+

Budget R120,000 and more and you are likely to want to completely overhaul your bathroom and make major changes to the layout and electrical and plumbing installation. You may want to install a frameless shower screen, in-wall cistern and wall-hung vanity with him and her basins, as well as a luxurious freestanding bathtub. If you want the best tiles for your walls or floors then look at ranges of porcelain tiles in the R400 per square metre range.

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Example of a standard small bathroom renovation with all the materials and labour included:

Bathroom, floor size 2 m X 3 m (6 square metres), ceiling height 2.7m:

  • Remove and install the new floor and wall tiles
  • Remove and install a new toilet
  • Remove and install new basin & vanity cabinet
  • Remove and install a new shower door
  • Remove and install a new basin mixer, shower mixer and showerhead
  • Install suspended mirror cabinet (Miami cabinet, Tile Africa)
  • Install mosaic on the shower floor
  • Supply & install toilet roll holder, double towel rail, soap holder and towel ring
  • Paint the ceiling white and fit 70mm cove profile polystyrene cornices

The average time for completion of this type of renovation is normally less than 10 working days. With the average cost of this type of renovation is approximately R60,000.

Planning your bathroom renovation budget and costs

Some of the major costs to plan for in a bathroom renovation include:

  • Plumbing, especially if you are moving the plumbing or installing new elements
  • Tiling, which could include floor and wall tiles
  • Frameless shower screen, semi-frameless shower screen or standard shower screen
  • Bath, which could be integrated or freestanding
  • Toilet, which could be a standard version or have an in-wall cistern
  • Vanity, standard or wall mounted which looks cleaner and gives you more floor space
  • Lighting, standard lighting or intricate lighting with downlighters and dimming ability
  • Waterproofing, to ensure your bathroom doesn’t rot or that you have damp problems

Now let’s take a look at some of these aspects and what they may cost:

Bathroom plumbing costs

Plumbers charge a call-out fee of R500 to R1000, with hourly rates anywhere from R350 – R700 depending on the plumber. The fee your plumber charges will depend on where you live and may vary according to the plumber’s skill level. If a plumber is quoting for a large project such as your bathroom renovation project, ask for an itemised quote which details all the elements they are charging for. For the top level service, we recommend the plumbers network team

Bathroom tiling costs

The size of your bathroom will be a major factor in the cost of your renovation, and since so much of a bathroom is tiled, you need to know how much you may have to spend. Expect to be quoted a per square metre rate from tilingpros. This could range from R150 per square metre to R500 per square metre. R200 per square metre is the average for laying bathroom tiles. This does not include the price of the tiles – you need to budget for that separately.

For wall tiles expect to pay from R120 to R200 per square meter for standard white ceramic wall tiles (600mm x 300mm) to R400 per square metre for steel grey polished porcelain wall tiles (150mm x 600mm). Moving up in price expect to pay around R860 per square metre for handmade Spanish white gloss ceramic subway tiles (150mm x 75mm) and R1590 per square metre for artisan-manufactured ceramic wall tiles (200mm x 200mm).

For floor tiles expect to pay R100 to R250 per square meter for ceramic or porcelain tiles, R250 to R500per square meter for high-quality porcelain and R400 to R1300 per square meter for high-quality natural stone tiles.

Bathroom bathtub costs

Baths range in price from affordable and versatile acrylic to durable cast iron and flexible fibreglass to high-end natural stone. Expect to pay anywhere from R3500 for a plumber to replace and fit a bath. New baths can range from as little as R2000 to R20000, with stone freestanding versions at the upper end of the scale.

Shower screen costs

Shower screens vary in price according to their size and if they are framed, semi-frameless or frameless, with the latter being the most costly. Expect to pay in the region of R4000 to have a basic framed shower screen installed. Frameless shower screens use thicker glass and are consequently more expensive – expect to pay in excess of R6000 depending on the size and number of panels.

Toilet cost

Depending on the toilet you choose, these can cost from R1500 to R7500 or more for a floor-mounted hidden cistern or wall-hung toilet. On average, a good quality floor-mounted toilet costs between R1500 and R4500.

Vanity costs

Bathroom vanities range in price from:

  • R2000 – R4000 for a 900 mm wall-hung vanity with hidden handles
  • R3000 – R6000 for a 750 mm floor-standing console vanity
  • R6000 – R20000 for a 1500 mm double bowl vanity
  • R7000 – R20000 for a 1200 mm wall-hung vanity with an integrated ceramic basin

This does not include the taps and fittings or installation cost.

Waterproofing costs: Expect waterproofing to cost anywhere from R3000 to R5000 for an average-sized bathroom.

Alternatives to a complete bathroom renovation

By the time you’ve calculated the cost of your complete dream bathroom renovation, you might find it’s way over budget. Luckily there are ways to modernise your bathroom costs without breaking the bank. Some alternatives to a complete bathroom renovation include:

  • Installing a new shower screen
  • Swapping out your old vanity for a new one
  • Resurfacing your wall tiles, bath and basin
  • Painting bathroom tiles

No matter if you are planning a complete renovation or partial renovation a Local Pros partner in your area can get the job done quickly and affordably.

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How long will my bathroom renovation take?

In terms of the research, planning and design, with no major structural changes, allow around 4 to 8 weeks for this phase. This includes:

  • Time to develop the design
  • Selecting materials and fittings
  • Getting quotes from a range of businesses

Depending on the scale of your project, allow anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks for the renovation. Factors that can affect this timeframe, and the cost, can include:

  • Any structural changes take more time
  • Moving plumbing and/or electrical elements
  • Having large amounts of tiles to install
  • Unforeseen events, like discovering asbestos in your wall or floor cavity

Bathroom renovation: Step-by-step guide

It’s good to know what to expect when such a large project is happening in your home. Having a bathroom renovation checklist to carefully plan the project will be a great starting point. This can also help you keep track of your costs. Here is a step-by-step guide so you have a better idea of what jobs happen and when.

1. Design your bathroom: The first step is to work out how your new bathroom will look and work. It needs to be laid out practically if you are going to enjoy using it and spending time in it. There needs to be a logical flow to all the major elements, including the bathtub, vanity, toilet and shower. This can be done on paper, or there are some really nifty apps or 3D modelling tools that can help you nail your bathroom design. Your bathroom builder can help design your bathroom for maximum convenience.

2. Strip out your old bathroom: When your builders arrive on site the first time it will be for strip out your old bathroom. This is a noisy and often messy job, especially if you are removing the existing wall and floor tiles. They will have to be jackhammered off, which can take a few days depending on how large the tiled area is.

3. Plan your plumbing: If you are making changes to your plumbing this is when the plumber and/or electrician will relocate all the services. They will mark up all the locations for your new plumbing and make sure all the dimensions are right. You will have to have chosen all your fittings by this stage so they can ensure everything fits and goes in the right place. Moving the plumbing can add quite a bit to your overall cost, so think about it before you go ahead with your job.

4. Render those walls: Once the services – plumbing pipework and electrical conduits – are installed, the walls will be prepared. This gives your walls a smooth finish ready for tiling or painting. You will generally need to prepare a wall after old tiles are removed as jackhammering normally takes big chunks out of the wall.

5. Prep for tiling: Your tiler will then lay the cement bedding for your tiles. This is crucial if your water is to drain to the waste, and an expensive fix if they get this wrong.

6. Tiling: Your tiler can now lay bathroom floor and wall tiling. If you are thinking of laying mosaic tiles, just be aware that tilers will charge more for these as they are fiddly and take longer to install.

7. Final fittings: Once tiling is done you will begin to see a lot of changes as your bathroom begins to take shape. Your toilet, bathtub, vanity, basin, & tapware will all now be installed by the plumber. An electrician will then install the lighting, exhaust fans and any other electrical fixtures.

 

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Hiring a bathroom renovator

When it comes time to hire a contractor here are some questions to ask then to help ensure that you choose the right contractor for the job:

  • Are you licensed?
  • Are you insured to work in my home?
  • How long will my job take?
  • Can you provide me with a detailed written quote?
  • Do you have references I can follow up on?
  • Can I see examples of your work?

The best way to get an idea of how much your dream bathroom renovation will cost is to complete our online form.

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