9 min read
For a standard 40 sq. ft. bathroom, costs split roughly into five buckets: tiling and waterproofing, sanitaryware and fittings, plumbing and electrical labour, doors/cabinetry, and paint or finishing touches. As a rough guide, waterproofing and tiling together are usually the single largest line item once labour is included — skimping here is the most common regret homeowners report a year later, because a redo means breaking finished tile.
Sanitaryware (commode, basin, shower set) can range from a straightforward budget two-piece commode and basin combination to a wall-hung concealed-cistern setup with a rain shower — often a 3–4x spread between the cheapest and most premium version of the same room. Decide this budget tier first; it anchors everything else.
Labour — plumber, electrician, tile-layer, painter — is usually quoted as a package for the room rather than itemised by trade, and a realistic Valley bathroom refit runs 7–12 working days depending on whether plumbing lines are being re-run or just refitted onto existing points.
Where budgets typically slip: unexpected pipe corrosion found once old tiling comes off, upgrading electrical points to handle a geyser or exhaust fan that wasn't accounted for, and matching tile if a batch runs out mid-job. Building in a 10–15% contingency above your first quote avoids the renovation stalling halfway through.
Key takeaways
- Don't underspend on waterproofing — it's the most expensive mistake to reverse
- Set your sanitaryware budget tier first; it anchors the rest of the quote
- Budget 10–15% contingency for what a first quote can't see behind old tiling
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