What does building & renovation cost in Australia?
Building & Renovation work typically costs between $30 and $400,000 in Australia in 2026, across 15 common kinds of job. Below: the price of each, how it changes by state, and the licence, wage and compliance rules that set the floor.
Reviewed September 2026 by the Blue Collar News Services editorial team. 7 sources are linked on this page, all government, standards or industry bodies. Indicative prices, not quotes, and not legal advice. How we research prices
Building & Renovation prices by job
Typical GST-inclusive ranges for a standard residential job. Each link opens the full guide for that job.
| Job | Typical range | Priced |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos Removal | $1,000–$15,000 | per job |
| Bathroom Renovation | $15,000–$35,000 | per job |
| Demolition | $3,000–$40,000 | per job |
| Granny Flat Construction | $90,000–$250,000 | per job |
| Gyprock & Plasterboard Installation | $30–$80 | per m² |
| Home Extension & Addition | $50,000–$400,000 | per job |
| Kitchen Renovation | $15,000–$45,000 | per job |
| Laundry Renovation | $5,000–$15,000 | per job |
| Leaking Shower Repair | $400–$2,500 | per job |
| Plastering | $300–$3,000 | per job |
| Regrouting & Tile Sealing | $300–$1,500 | per job |
| Rendering | $30–$90 | per m² |
| Splashback Installation | $300–$2,500 | per job |
| Wall & Floor Tiling | $45–$120 | per m² |
| Waterproofing | $500–$3,000 | per job |
What sets building & renovation prices in Australia
The rules and figures behind the numbers, each with its source. Checked September 2026; rules and award rates change, so confirm with the authority before relying on one.
In NSW a contractor licence is needed for kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovation work worth more than $5,000 in labour and materials including GST. The class excludes load-bearing structural work, and plumbing or electrical must go to separately licensed specialists.
Source: nsw.gov.au
In NSW a deck or patio can be built as exempt development without council approval only if it is no more than 25 m2, its floor is no more than 1 m above ground, it is no higher than 3 m, and it sits at least 900 mm from the boundary in most residential zones.
Source: planningportal.nsw.gov.au
In NSW residential building work over $5,000 needs a written contract, work over $20,000 needs the full home building contract with a five business day cooling-off period, the deposit is capped at 10 per cent, and jobs over $20,000 must carry home building compensation cover.
Source: nsw.gov.au
In Queensland the maximum deposit is 20 per cent for work valued at $3,300 or less, 10 per cent for $3,301 to $19,999 (level 1 contracts) and 5 per cent for work over $20,000 (level 2), unless more than half the contract is off-site prefabrication.
Source: qbcc.qld.gov.au
In Victoria work involving more than one trade and worth more than $10,000 must have a major domestic building contract before it starts, and domestic building insurance is required for work over $16,000 to cover the builder dying, disappearing or becoming insolvent.
Source: consumer.vic.gov.au
Under the Building and Construction General On-site Award (MA000020), from 1 July 2026 the minimum daily hire rate on residential work is $28.98 an hour for a Level 1 (CW/ECW 1 level a) labourer and $32.96 for a Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) carpenter, including industry, follow-the-job and tool allowances.
Source: calculate.fairwork.gov.au
The ABS Producer Price Indexes show output prices for house construction rose 2.0 per cent in the June quarter 2026 and 5.9 per cent over the year, the highest annual rise since the June quarter 2023; input prices to house construction rose 3.8 per cent over the same year.
Source: abs.gov.au
Building & Renovation cost by state
The trade’s cheapest and dearest job, adjusted for each capital city. Regional prices can sit outside these.
| State | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | $35–$460,000 |
| Victoria | $35–$448,000 |
| Queensland | $30–$420,000 |
| Western Australia | $35–$440,000 |
| South Australia | $30–$392,000 |
| Tasmania | $30–$408,000 |
| Northern Territory | $35–$448,000 |
| Australian Capital Territory | $30–$432,000 |
How we work these prices out
The ranges are indicative, not quotes. They reflect the spread of prices Australian businesses typically quote for each job in capital cities, reviewed September 2026, GST-inclusive, for a standard residential job with reasonable access. The state table applies a cost index for each capital to the national range. Where a rule or rate is stated above, it comes from the source shown; we do not copy figures from other quote websites.
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FAQs
Why do building & renovation prices vary so much between jobs?
The range on this page covers 15 different kinds of building & renovation work, from small repairs to large installations, so the spread is wide. Within one job the price moves with size, access, materials and urgency. A tradie who has seen the job can quote it; a page cannot.
Do these prices include GST?
Yes. Every figure here is GST-inclusive and assumes a standard residential job with reasonable access. A written quote from a licensed business must also show whether GST is included.
Why is building & renovation dearer in some states?
Labour rates, licence requirements, insurance thresholds and the cost of getting materials to site all differ by state, and metro rates run above regional ones. The state table applies a cost index for each capital city to the national range; regional prices can sit outside it.
How do I get an exact price?
Get two or three written quotes from licensed local businesses and compare them like for like. You can do that here for free: tell us the job and independent building & renovation businesses covering your area come back to you with quotes.
Sources
Every rule and rate on this page comes from one of these. Checked September 2026. We link the page we read, not a homepage, so you can see the figure yourself.
- nsw.gov.au/business-and-economy/licences-and-credentials/building-and-trade-licences-and-registrations/kitchen-bathroom-and-laundry-renovation-work
- planningportal.nsw.gov.au/development-and-assessment/planning-approval-pathways/exempt-development/balconies-decks-and-patios
- nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/building-or-renovating-a-home/preparing/contracts
- qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/build-renovate/contracts-payments/deposits-progress-payments
- consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/building-and-renovating/plan-and-manage-your-building-project/contracts
- calculate.fairwork.gov.au/Download/AwardSummary?awardCode=ma000020&fileType=pdf
- abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/producer-price-indexes-australia/latest-release