The three levels of bathroom renovation
As with kitchens, bathroom quotes cluster into three bands, and the difference between them is how far back to the brick you go.
| Level | What it covers | Typical 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic update | Re-tile over sound substrate, new basin, toilet, taps and accessories. Layout and plumbing unchanged. | R25,000 – R50,000 |
| Full remodel | Strip to brick, new waterproofing, new tiling floor and walls, new sanitaryware, new lighting and extraction. | R60,000 – R120,000 |
| Re-plan / high-end | Layout moved, freestanding bath, frameless glass, underfloor heating, stone or large-format tiles. | R130,000+ |
The gap between a cosmetic update and a full remodel is not mainly materials — it is that a full remodel replaces the waterproofing, and a cosmetic update leaves whatever is under the old tiles in place. That single difference is why the two bands are worth thinking about carefully rather than just picking the cheaper one.
Waterproofing: the line item that decides everything
Waterproofing costs roughly R3,000 to R8,000 on a standard bathroom — about 5 to 8 percent of a full remodel. It is invisible the moment the tiles go on, which is precisely why it is the first thing removed from a quote that needs to come down.
A quote that takes waterproofing seriously will name three things: the system (a cementitious slurry, a liquid-applied membrane, or a sheet membrane), the area it covers, and the curing time before tiling. As a minimum the coverage should be the full shower enclosure, the entire floor, and 150mm up the walls beyond the wet area. In a shower, the membrane should run to at least 1.8m up the walls.
Two details separate a proper job from a box-ticked one: the membrane must be dressed into the drain outlet rather than stopping short of it, and internal corners should be reinforced with tape or fillets. Corners and the drain are where failures actually start.
Where the money actually goes
For a full remodel in the R60,000–R120,000 band, the split runs roughly as follows.
| Component | Share of budget | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Labour across all trades | 40–50% | R25,000 – R60,000 |
| Tiles and tiling materials | 15–25% | R9,000 – R30,000 |
| Sanitaryware (toilet, basin, bath or shower) | 15–20% | R9,000 – R25,000 |
| Taps, mixers and fittings | 8–12% | R5,000 – R15,000 |
| Waterproofing | 5–8% | R3,000 – R8,000 |
| Strip-out, rubble removal, making good | 5–10% | R4,000 – R12,000 |
Labour dominates because of sequencing. Demolition, plumbing first fix, waterproofing, tiling, plumbing second fix, electrical and painting each have to wait for the one before, and several involve curing time in between. You are paying for coordination as much as for hours.
Tiles are where budgets flex most easily. A perfectly good ceramic wall tile starts around R150/m²; large-format porcelain runs R400–R900/m². Large formats also cost more to lay, because they need a flatter substrate and more careful setting.
Bath-to-shower conversions
The most requested single change in South African bathrooms, and usually worth doing in a house where a second bath already exists.
| Scenario | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Straight swap — shower sits in the old bath footprint, drain stays put | R20,000 – R30,000 |
| Drain moved, floor built up to create fall, frameless screen | R30,000 – R45,000 |
| Full wet-room conversion with level-entry floor | R45,000 – R80,000 |
The variable that moves the price is the fall to the drain. Water has to run downhill, and a bath's waste sits at a different height from a shower's. If the floor screed has to be built up or cut back to create the fall, the job grows. Ask the contractor to explain how the fall will be achieved before signing — it is the question that separates a R22,000 quote from a R40,000 one.
One practical note if you are considering resale: removing the only bath in a family home is a decision estate agents will comment on. A shower-only house narrows the buyer pool for families with small children.
The costs that catch people out
- What is behind the tiles. Old bathrooms hide rotten substrate, corroded galvanised pipe and damp brickwork. Budget R3,000–R10,000 as a contingency for strip-out day.
- Moving the toilet. The most expensive single change in a bathroom, because the soil pipe needs a specific fall and often runs in the slab.
- Extraction. A bathroom without mechanical extraction grows mould regardless of how good the finishes are. An extractor fan ducted to outside costs R1,500–R4,000 installed.
- Old galvanised pipework. If the house still has it, a renovation is the moment to replace what is exposed — it will fail eventually and it will fail behind your new tiles.
- Electrical zones. Lights, shaver points and heated rails near water have regulated positions. Getting this right is an electrician's job and needs a certificate.
- The second bathroom question. If it is the only bathroom in the house, two to three weeks without it needs a plan.
How long it takes, and why
A full bathroom remodel takes two to three weeks, and the schedule is dictated by curing rather than labour.
| Stage | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Strip-out and rubble removal | 1 – 2 days |
| Plumbing and electrical first fix | 2 – 3 days |
| Screed and waterproofing, including cure | 2 – 4 days |
| Tiling floor and walls | 3 – 5 days |
| Grouting and cure | 1 – 2 days |
| Sanitaryware, second fix, glass, paint, snags | 2 – 4 days |
If a contractor offers to finish a full bathroom in five days, they are compressing the waterproofing and adhesive cures. That is the single most common cause of a bathroom that leaks within two years, and it is invisible on handover day.
What should be in a bathroom quote
- The waterproofing system by name, the area covered, and the curing time allowed
- Tile allowance per square metre, and who supplies the tiles
- Square metres of floor and wall tiling, listed separately
- Sanitaryware make and model, or a clear supply allowance
- Whether the existing plumbing positions are being kept or moved
- Extraction — fan, ducting, and where it discharges
- Electrical work and who issues the certificate of compliance
- Strip-out, rubble removal and making good
- Payment schedule tied to milestones, with a holdback until snags are signed off
Red flags
- Waterproofing not itemised. If it is not a named line with a price, assume it is not happening properly.
- "We tile straight over the old tiles." Sometimes legitimate on a sound wall; never acceptable as a way to avoid replacing failed waterproofing on a shower floor.
- A five-day full remodel. The cures alone take longer than that.
- No mention of the fall in a bath-to-shower conversion quote.
- Tiles "included" with no allowance rate. You will be shown the cheapest tile in the shop, or asked for more later.
Frequently asked questions
Get a bathroom quote with the waterproofing itemised
Tell us what you have and what you want. We will put you in front of contractors who quote the waterproofing system by name — so you can compare two bathroom quotes on what actually matters rather than on the bottom line.