Bathroom: does it need approval
Stripping a bathroom back and rebuilding it inside the same walls: waterproofing, tiling, fixtures and the plumbing behind them.
State by state
The position on an ordinary residential lot with no overlay. An overlay on your own lot can change it.
| State | Where it lands | Building approval | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | No approval | Not required | Codes SEPP 2008 cl 2.51-2.52read 2026-09-15 |
| VIC | No approval | Not required | VPP cl 62.02-2; Building Regulations 2018 (Vic) Sch 3 items 3 and 4read 2026-09-15 |
| QLD | No approval | Not required | Building Regulation 2021 (Qld) Sch 1 s 7read 2026-09-15 |
| WA | No approval | Depends | LPS Regulations 2015 (WA) Sch 2 cl 61(1) item 5; Building Regulations 2012 (WA) Sch 4 cl 2 item 2(e)read 2026-09-15 |
| SA | Needs checking | Not settled | No published clause |
| TAS | No approval | Depends | Tasmanian Planning Scheme SPP cl 4.3.2; Directors Determination cl 2.0.2 and cl 3.0.1read 2026-09-15 |
| ACT | No approval | Not required | Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.20; Building (General) Regulation 2008 sch 1 pt 1.3 item 15read 2026-09-15 |
| NT | Building approval only | Required | NT Planning Scheme 2020 cl 1.8(1)(a); Building Act 1993 (NT) s 55read 2026-09-15 |
Each row is read from the instrument named against it, on the date shown. Council controls sit on top of all of them.
What the job usually involves
Demolition, waterproofing the wet area, screed and falls, tiling, shower screen, vanity, toilet and tapware, exhaust and lighting. Waterproofing is the part that has to be certified, and it is the part that causes the expensive failures two years later.
What it costs
Read off published projects that carry a price. There is no estimator on this page.
Median
A$32,000Middle half
A$30,000 - A$45,000
From 17 published projects in Kitchen and bathroom. Not a quote.
Published projects in Kitchen and bathroom, most recent first.
Kitchen and bathroomCollingwood VICCollingwood Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation
A$65,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 5 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomRichmond VICRichmond Modern Bathroom Renovation
A$30,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomPrahran VICPrahran Main Bathroom Renovation
A$25,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomPrahran VICPrahran Bathroom Renovation
A$25,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomElsternwick VICElsternwick Bathroom Renovation
A$35,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 3 weeks
Kitchen and bathroomArmadale VICArmadale Bathroom and Ensuite Renovation
A$70,000 · From public sourcesGST not included · 5 weeks
Check your own address
The overlays on your lot are what decide whether the row above actually applies to you.