Turn floor area and an illustrative per-square-metre band into a low and high budget range for your renovation.
Use this estimator to build a first budget range before you ask builders to quote, or to sanity-check a quote you already have. Pick the project type that is closest to yours, enter the floor area the work covers, and add fixed costs that do not scale with size: design or drafting, structural engineering, council or private certifier fees, home warranty insurance where the builder passes it on, and any long service levy.
Formula. Low estimate = floor area x low rate + fixed costs. High estimate = floor area x high rate + fixed costs.
Worked example (illustrative). A 6 m² bathroom with a mid-range finish at $4,500 to $7,500 per m² gives 6 x $4,500 = $27,000 to 6 x $7,500 = $45,000. Add $3,000 of fixed costs and the range is $30,000 to $48,000, including GST.
How the bands were built. The per-m² bands are illustrative assumptions for a metropolitan job using licensed trades, including GST and the builder's margin. They are not market data, a survey or a quote. Wet areas carry far more trades per square metre than living areas, so a bathroom rate is several times a cosmetic refresh rate. Regional areas, difficult access, heritage controls, asbestos removal, structural changes and premium fittings can push real prices well outside these bands.
Limits. The tool does not add a contingency (use the contingency calculator), separate GST (use the GST calculator), finance costs or temporary accommodation. A written, itemised quote from a licensed builder is the only figure you can contract on.
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