Brisbane is cheaper to renovate than Sydney or Melbourne, and its housing stock offers something neither of those cities has: an enormous supply of timber homes on stumps with a void underneath that can be turned into another storey. Raising a Queenslander and building in underneath is the single most distinctive renovation move in Australian residential property, and it is why Brisbane renovation budgets look different from anywhere else.
A related guide to consider while planning this work is What Does a Building Designer Do in a Renovation?.
This guide sets out what work actually costs in Brisbane in 2026, where the money goes, and which of this city’s particular conditions — the character overlay, the flood mapping, the subtropical climate and the termites — you need to budget for before you start.
Brisbane Renovation Costs at a Glance
Brisbane tracks close to the national average and sits below Sydney and Melbourne on labour rates. Most projects fall into four bands:
- Cosmetic refresh — $12,000 to $35,000. Paint, floor coverings, tapware, light fittings, benchtop replacement, cabinet doors. Nothing moves, nothing structural.
- Mid-range renovation — $35,000 to $100,000. A kitchen and a bathroom, or a whole-house cosmetic upgrade with new flooring throughout and some minor wall removal.
- Major renovation — $100,000 to $350,000. Structural change, a rear extension or a deck, reconfigured plan, restumping, rewiring, new roof, and full compliance.
- Raise and build under, or whole-house — $350,000 to $900,000-plus. Lifting the house, building a new lower level, and renovating the original floor above it.
As a rate check, Brisbane renovation work generally runs $2,000 to $3,800 per square metre for reworking existing fabric, and $2,500 to $4,500 per square metre for new construction and extensions. Building in underneath a raised house sits higher, at $5,000 to $6,500 per square metre, because you are working under an existing building with restricted access.
Room-by-Room Costs in Brisbane
Bathrooms
Brisbane bathroom renovations divide cleanly by tier, with most projects landing between $10,000 and $35,000 and the average mid-range job around $26,000.
- Basic — $10,000 to $20,000. Small footprint, budget fixtures, part-height tiling, framed screen, layout unchanged.
- Mid-range — $20,000 to $35,000. Full-height tiling, semi-frameless or frameless screen, quality vanity and tapware, proper exhaust, certified membrane.
- Premium — $35,000 to $55,000. Services relocated, hobless shower, large-format tiles, custom joinery, specified tapware.
- Luxury — $55,000 to $80,000. Natural stone, concealed cisterns, freestanding bath, bespoke mirror cabinetry.
The line items on a typical mid-range Brisbane bathroom:
- Demolition and disposal — $1,000 to $3,000, typically $1,800
- Plumbing rough-in — $2,000 to $5,000, typically $3,000
- Waterproofing — $1,000 to $3,500, typically $1,800
- Tiling, floor and walls — $2,000 to $6,000, typically $3,500
- Vanity supplied and installed — $500 to $3,500, typically $1,500
- Frameless shower screen — $800 to $2,500, typically $1,500
- Electrical, fit-off, painting and making good — $3,000 to $8,000
Kitchens
A Brisbane kitchen renovation typically runs $18,000 to $45,000, with premium work extending well beyond.
- $15,000 to $24,000 — flat-pack or entry-level custom carcasses, laminate benchtops, mid-tier appliances, existing layout retained
- $24,000 to $40,000 — custom cabinetry, low-silica composite or porcelain benchtops, island, integrated dishwasher, modest layout change
- $40,000 to $70,000 — full custom joinery, butler’s pantry, premium appliances, services relocated
- $70,000-plus — designer kitchens with specialty finishes and integrated appliances
Living areas, bedrooms and laundries
A full cosmetic upgrade of a living room and three bedrooms — flooring, repaint, skirtings, lighting, built-in robes — runs $20,000 to $42,000 across the group. A separate laundry renovation costs $8,000 to $17,000, and bundling it with a bathroom to share the plumber’s mobilisation saves $1,500 to $2,500.
Decks and outdoor rooms
In Brisbane’s climate this is not a luxury item, it is living space. A covered outdoor room with lighting, power and ceiling fans costs $25,000 to $75,000, and it is used more hours per year than most internal rooms. See our guide to Brisbane decks and alfresco areas.
Raise and Build Under: The Brisbane Special
This deserves its own section because nothing else in Australian renovation compares, and because the numbers surprise people.
- Raising the house — from around $100,000, varying with size, access, soil conditions and lift height
- Building the new lower level — $5,000 to $6,500 per square metre, which is the larger part of the budget
- New posts, footings and re-stumping — included in the raise but variable with ground conditions
- Staircase between levels — $8,000 to $25,000
- Reconnecting plumbing and electrical — $15,000 to $40,000
- Weatherproofing the junction between the lifted house and the new level
- Upgrading the original house to current code where triggered — rewiring, smoke alarms, balustrade heights
A typical Brisbane raise-and-build-under adding 100 square metres of habitable lower level runs $450,000 to $750,000 all in. It effectively doubles the house on the existing footprint, which on an inner-Brisbane block is frequently better value than moving.
The two height rules that decide feasibility
Before any of this is worth costing, two numbers govern whether it works:
- 2.4 metres minimum ceiling height for a habitable room under the National Construction Code. Below that, the space can only be storage, laundry or garage.
- 9.5 metres and two storeys is the typical Brisbane City Plan height limit for houses. Other South East Queensland councils range from roughly 8 to 10 metres.
Between those two, you have a fixed envelope. An existing house already sitting high may have no room to be raised further; a low-set house may need a substantial lift. A designer or builder can assess this in an hour, and it should be the first question asked. Our guide to renovating a Queenslander covers the process in detail.
Extension Costs in Brisbane
- Small rear addition, 20 to 30 sqm — $65,000 to $135,000
- Medium ground-floor addition, 30 to 50 sqm — $120,000 to $225,000
- Large ground-floor addition, 50 to 70 sqm — $180,000 to $320,000
- Rear open-plan addition with new kitchen — $140,000 to $290,000
- Second-storey addition on a lowset brick home — $260,000 to $520,000
Note that on a Queenslander, building under is usually cheaper per square metre than adding a second storey on top, and it does not consume the yard the way a ground-level extension does. That calculus is specific to Brisbane’s housing stock.
The Brisbane-Specific Cost Drivers
Termites
South East Queensland has among the highest termite pressure in Australia, and Brisbane’s timber housing stock is the ideal target. Consequences for a renovation budget:
- Active infestation or historic damage in wall frames, bearers and joists — $5,000 to $30,000 to remediate
- Termite management systems required for new work under the National Construction Code — $2,000 to $6,000
- Annual inspections at $250 to $500, which insurers and lenders increasingly expect to see
Termite management is licensed work in Queensland — chemical treatment requires a QBCC licence at any contract value.
The character overlay
Brisbane’s Traditional Building Character Overlay applies to areas where pre-1947 dwellings define the streetscape, and it covers a very large share of the inner suburbs. Where it applies, demolition, raising above specified heights, front extensions and street-visible changes all trigger a development application, adding two to six months and $5,000 to $15,000 in fees and consultants. See our guide to Brisbane character controls.
Flooding
Brisbane’s flood mapping affects a substantial number of properties along the river, creeks and low-lying areas. Where a flood overlay applies, minimum habitable floor levels and flood-resilient material requirements apply, which affects both design and cost. A FloodWise Property Report from the council is free or low cost and should be obtained before purchase, not after.
Storms and roofing
Brisbane’s storm season delivers intense rainfall, hail and damaging wind. Undersized gutters and downpipes fail, and roof and flashing detail matters more here than in southern capitals. Budget for proper stormwater capacity rather than the minimum.
Timber and humidity
Subtropical humidity attacks timber, corrodes fixings and encourages mould. Materials specified for a temperate climate underperform. Our guide to materials for the Brisbane climate covers this in detail.
How Brisbane Suburbs Change the Number
The inner ring
Paddington, New Farm, Bulimba, Ashgrove, West End, Red Hill and Norman Park are dominated by pre-1947 Queenslanders and workers cottages. Character overlay coverage is extensive, blocks are often steep, and access is constrained. Bathroom renovations here run $28,000 to $50,000-plus against $18,000 to $32,000 in outer suburbs — the same work, different conditions.
The middle ring
Chermside, Stafford, Mount Gravatt, Carindale, Holland Park and Wavell Heights mix post-war lowset brick with later Queenslanders. This is the easiest and cheapest stock to renovate — level blocks, straightforward access, and largely free of character overlay.
The outer suburbs and growth corridors
Springfield, Forest Lake, North Lakes and the Redlands are mostly post-2000 slab-on-ground homes. Work is fast and predictable, and renovation uplift is limited because buyers compare against new.
Topography
Brisbane is hilly, and steep blocks in Paddington, Red Hill, Bardon and Kangaroo Point drive up retaining, access, craneage and footing costs substantially. A sloping site can add 15 to 30 per cent to an extension.
Hidden Costs on Almost Every Brisbane Job
- Termite damage — $5,000 to $30,000
- Restumping on older Queenslanders — $12,000 to $30,000
- Rot in bearers, joists and the base of external walls — $4,000 to $20,000
- Electrical upgrades once walls are open — $3,000 to $9,000
- Replumbing where galvanised pipe remains — $6,000 to $15,000
- Asbestos in eaves, wet area sheeting and fencing — $2,500 to $15,000
- Stormwater upgrades to handle Brisbane’s rainfall intensity — $3,000 to $18,000
- Access and craneage on steep or narrow inner-city sites — $2,000 to $12,000
Set a 15 per cent contingency on any Brisbane home built after 1980, and 20 per cent on a pre-1947 Queenslander. Timber houses conceal almost everything until they are opened.
Where the Money Is Well Spent
- Termite management. Non-negotiable in this city, and cheap relative to what it prevents.
- Waterproofing. Never value-engineer the membrane, especially in a timber-framed house.
- Ventilation and airflow. In Brisbane’s humidity, cross-ventilation, ceiling fans and good exhaust do more for comfort than air conditioning.
- Shading. Eaves, verandahs, external blinds and awnings are worth more than any glass specification in a subtropical climate.
- Outdoor living space. The highest-value square metres in Brisbane per dollar spent.
- Stormwater capacity. Cheap at construction, expensive after a storm.
Where restraint pays
- Heating. Brisbane needs very little of it. Do not over-invest.
- Premium appliances. The gap over good mid-tier is rarely visible in use.
- Tile price. Spend on the tiler, not the tile.
- Moving wet areas where the existing layout works.
Licensing, Contracts and Insurance
Queensland’s thresholds are lower than most states, and they catch small jobs.
- A QBCC licence is required for building work valued over $3,300, and for plumbing, drainage, gas fitting, termite chemical treatment, fire protection and several other trades at any value.
- Queensland Home Warranty Scheme cover is compulsory for residential construction work valued over $3,300 including materials, labour and GST. The contractor pays the premium to the QBCC and passes it through in the contract.
- Cover runs 6 years and 6 months from the earliest of contract, premium payment or commencement, with a maximum payout of $200,000 and extensions in some circumstances.
Verify the licence on the QBCC register before paying anything. Unlicensed work can void your access to home warranty cover entirely. See our guide to vetting a Brisbane builder.
Building a Budget That Holds
Allow $10,000 to $30,000 in approvals, certifiers and consultants before construction on a mid-sized Brisbane renovation — private certifier fees, building design, engineering, soil test, survey, and a development application where the character or flood overlay applies.
Then structure the money as roughly 80 per cent scope, 15 per cent contingency and 5 per cent soft costs. On a $200,000 Brisbane renovation that means $30,000 held back untouched.
Finally, do the two free checks first: the property’s overlay status under the Brisbane City Plan, and a FloodWise Property Report. Together they take twenty minutes and they determine whether your project needs a two-month building approval or a nine-month development application. Our guide to Brisbane approvals sets out both pathways.
Comparing Renovation Against the Alternatives
Before committing, it is worth testing renovation against what the same money does elsewhere in Brisbane.
- Moving house. Queensland stamp duty is lower than New South Wales and Victoria, but agent commission, marketing, styling and legal costs on both sides still total $60,000 to $110,000 on a typical transaction — money that buys no improvement at all.
- Raise and build under. $450,000 to $750,000 to roughly double the house on the same footprint while keeping the yard. On a raised Queenslander this frequently beats both a conventional extension and a rebuild. See our guide to renovating a Queenslander.
- Knockdown rebuild. A 240 square metre rebuild runs $530,000 to $1.1 million plus site costs. Competitive with build-under, but it forfeits the character premium and the yard.
- An 80 square metre secondary dwelling. $210,000 to $300,000 for a genuinely rentable second home on the block, at a gross yield around 11 per cent. See our guide to granny flats in Brisbane.
- Doing less, better. A $110,000 renovation concentrated on one bathroom, the kitchen, a covered deck and the thermal envelope frequently delivers more day-to-day improvement than a $280,000 extension adding area the household does not really need.
The Cheap Checks That Change Everything
Five checks, under $3,000 in total, determine most of the cost variance between Brisbane projects.
- Overlay search through Brisbane City Council’s online planning tools — free, and it reveals character, flood, bushfire, landslide and biodiversity status
- FloodWise Property Report — quick and decisive on floor levels and materials
- Construction date — pre-1947 or not, which determines the character controls
- Timber pest inspection — $300 to $600, and non-negotiable in South East Queensland
- Build-under feasibility — the 2.4 metre habitable ceiling minimum against the 9.5 metre height limit, assessable by a building designer in an hour
Run those before you commit to a scope, and the budget you set will be the budget you spend. Skip them and the project will teach you the same information later, at considerably greater expense.