How much does it cost to renovate a bathroom in 2024?

The Cost of renovating a bathroom.

Are you considering remodelling your bathroom but are concerned about the cost? The price of a bathroom renovation can range from R30,000 to R300,000+, depending on the size of your bathroom, what needs to be rebuilt, the type of fittings/finishings, and the labour required.

A small bathroom refurbishment in South Africa with modern but basic fixtures costs, will on average cost about, R60000.00.

How much does a bathroom renovation cost?

We have broken bathroom renovations down into 3 price brackets below to help you estimate how much your bathroom renovation might cost

R30,000 – R60,000 for a budget renovation of a small, mid-sized bathroom with budget-friendly fittings and finishings
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

With a budget of about R30,000, it is feasible to renovate a bathroom, but the changes would mostly be aesthetic. The tradeoffs that come with spending up to R60,000 include keeping all of your plumbing and electrical systems in the same location. Additionally, to stay within budget, you will also need to select common ceramic tiles in the R150 per square metre area. These tiles are durable and come in a variety of colours. If you are installing a new shower, you will have to use a framed shower screen in addition to a back-to-wall toilet and a floor-mounted sink.

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

If you budget between R60,00 and R120,000 for your project it will allow you to purchase nicer fixtures and materials. You can select from a much larger range of tiles costing up to R300 per square metre and you might even be able to stretch your budget to include labour intensive mosaic tiles in the shower cubicle. You might also choose to upgrade to a frameless or semi-frameless shower screen, a larger or more luxurious freestanding bathtub, and a vanity with a built-in sink. You can make some modifications to plumbing and electricity but not significant ones.

Premium or luxury bathroom renovation cost: R120,000+

If you have a budget of R120,000 or more, you probably want to totally remodel your bathroom and make significant layout, electrical, and plumbing installation changes. You will be able to add a lavish freestanding stone bathtub, an in-wall cistern, a wall-hung vanity with his and hers sinks, and a frameless shower screen. You will also be able to select the highest quality porcelain tiles.

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

Typical Budget 6m2 bathroom renovation that includes:

Removal and installation of new floor and wall tiles
Removal and installation of a new toilet
Removal and installation of a new basin & vanity cabinet
Removal and installation of a new shower door
Removal and installation of a new basin mixer, shower mixer and showerhead
Installation of a new suspended mirror cabinet (Miami cabinet, Tile Africa)
Laying mosaic tiles on the shower floor
Installation of toilet roll holder, double towel rail, soap dish.
Painting of ceilings and doors to fit design

This type of remodelling typically takes fewer than 10 working days to complete depending on the bathroom size availability of material complexity of the remodel.

It will typically cost about R50,000 – R70,000 for this kind of remodelling.

Planning your bathroom remodeling budget and costs

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

Bathroom plumbing costs

The call-out cost for a plumber is from R500 to R1000, and their hourly charges might range from R350 to R700. The price your plumber charges will depend on where you reside and could change based on their level of expertise. Ask a plumber for an itemised quote that lists all the components they are billing for if they are providing a quote for a significant project, like remodelling your bathroom.

Bathroom tiling costs

The size of your bathroom will play a significant role in the cost of your remodelling. Being that so much of a bathroom is tiled, you need to be aware of how much you might have to spend. It might cost anywhere between R150 and R500 per square metre for laying bathroom tiles, with an average price of about R200m2. This does not include the materials.

Expect to pay between R120 and R200 per square metre for ordinary ceramic wall tiles (600mm x 300mm) and up to R400 per square metre for steel grey polished porcelain wall tiles for wall coverings (150mm x 600mm). For handcrafted Spanish white gloss ceramic subway tiles (150mm x 75mm), expect to pay about R860 per square metre, and for artisan-made ceramic wall tiles, expect to pay about R1590 per square metre (200mm x 200mm).

Expect to pay between R100 and R250 per square metre for ceramic or porcelain floor tiles, between R250 and R500 for high-quality porcelain, and between R400 and R1300 for high-quality natural stone tiles.

Bathroom bathtub costs

.Baths prices can range anywhere from R2000.00 to R20000.00 depending on what type of material you select. For instance, a free-standing stone bath will cost between R15,000 – R25,000 and prices for a building fibre glass tub can start as low as R2000

The cost for installation can range from R3500 to about R5000 depending on what needs to be done

Shower screen costs

Shower screens can be more expensive or less expensive depending on their size and whether they are framed, semi-framed, or frameless, with frameless being the most expensive. For the supply and installation of a straightforward, framed shower screen, budget around R4000. Due to the thicker glass used in frameless shower screens, the price can easily exceed R6000 depending on the size and quantity of panels.

Toilet cost

Toilet prices can range from R1500 to R7500. With floor-mounted models being the most affordable and hidden cistern wall-hung toilets being at the high end of the spectrum.

Vanity costs

Bathroom vanities range in price from:

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

These Prices do not include the labour cost to install it or the cost of the fittings and taps.

Waterproofing costs

If you have a wood frame or similar type of house you will need to do waterproofing. Expect waterproofing to cost anywhere from R3000 to R5000 for an average sized bathroom.