Renovation quotes in Australia vary so wildly that most homeowners have no idea whether the number in front of them is fair or fantasy. The same job can differ by a factor of three between two quotes, depending on scope, materials, site, and how busy the trade is that month.
This guide gives you a number to start from for the jobs people ask about most, what drives the price, and how to hire someone who turns up. Every figure is a hedged range, last checked June 2026, and the only number that ever really counts is a written quote for your job.
Kitchens and bathrooms
The two rooms that cost the most per square metre, because they pack in plumbing, tiling, waterproofing, and cabinetry. See what a kitchen renovation costs and what a bathroom renovation costs.
Outside the house
Driveways, decks, walls, and gardens. The ranges: concrete driveways, decks, retaining walls, and landscaping.
The bigger projects
Building, extending, or adding a second dwelling. Start with the cost to build a house, what a house extension costs, and what a granny flat costs.
Painting
One of the highest-value cosmetic upgrades, and the one where preparation, not paint, sets the price. See what it costs to paint a house.
Trades by the hour
For smaller jobs and repairs, the two most-called trades: how much an electrician costs and how much a plumber costs.
Always get three written, itemised quotes. One quote is a guess, two is a coin toss, three is a market price.
Finding the right tradie
The cheapest quote is not a saving if the work is unlicensed or the trade vanishes mid-job. Our guide to finding a good tradie covers the checks that matter, and you can get matched with verified local tradies to gather those three quotes quickly.
The bottom line
Know the rough range before you call, get three itemised quotes, check the licence, and put the scope in writing. For any of the jobs above, the fastest way to a real number is to get quotes from local tradies and compare them against the ranges in the guides here.