Renovation Cost Calculator For Sydney
This is an indicative budget tool, not a quote. It is designed to help you separate a cosmetic refresh from a more complex structural renovation before the builder conversation starts.
Renovation Sydney budget range estimator
How this is calculated
The calculator starts with a base cost per square metre for the chosen finish tier (budget refresh, standard renovation or premium), then applies a project-type factor because a kitchen or bathroom costs more per square metre than open living space, and a granny flat or extension behaves differently again. It then adjusts the range upward for structural change, heritage or strata constraints, a second storey or new dwelling, and premium fittings, because those choices change labour intensity, engineering and sequencing.
Assumptions: base rates of about $1,800/sqm (refresh), $3,000/sqm (standard) and $5,200/sqm (premium); project factors of roughly 1.0 (whole-home) up to 1.4 (bathroom); and complexity loadings of 10 to 15 per cent each. The displayed range is the adjusted subtotal at -15% to +20%. These are indicative Sydney figures, not a quote.
For the regulatory baseline, residential building work in NSW is governed by the Home Building Act 1989: a written contract is required once the price is more than $5,000 (including GST), and Home Building Compensation cover applies over $20,000. Check current requirements and verify any builder's licence with NSW Fair Trading before treating the range as a buildable scope.
Indicative only. The builder still provides the written quote, because site conditions, product choices and hidden defects can materially change the real figure.