Ensuite Renovations on the Gold Coast

• Renovating an existing ensuite is usually cheaper than a main bathroom, often $15,000 to $30,000.
• Adding a new ensuite costs more, commonly $28,000 to $45,000.
• Coastal ensuites should use 316 marine-grade stainless or quality brass fittings.
• Apartment ensuites need body corporate approval and have to work within the building’s rules.
• Ensuites are small, so the layout and clearances decide whether the room works.

An ensuite is the smallest bathroom in the house and one of the most popular projects on the Gold Coast, in both freestanding homes and apartments. It is really two jobs: renovating an ensuite you already have, or adding a new one. On the coast, each comes with a couple of extra considerations, the salt air and, for a lot of Gold Coast homes, the body corporate. This guide covers all of it.

An ensuite is smaller than a main bathroom, so renovating an existing one usually costs less, generally around $15,000 to $30,000 on the Gold Coast depending on size and finish. Adding a new ensuite is a bigger job. For context, most Gold Coast bathroom renovations run from about $9,800 to $53,900 across the tiers (per What’s The Damage), and an ensuite sits at the lower end for a renovation and higher for a new build.

The national average bathroom renovation sits near $26,000 (per Canstar), and the two things that push a Gold Coast ensuite higher are the coastal-grade fittings and, in an apartment, the building coordination.

The two jobs share the same trades but not the same scope.

• Renovating an existing ensuite. Replacing finishes and fixtures in a room that is already a bathroom. Keep the layout and it is the best-value bathroom in the house to update.
• Adding a new ensuite. Converting part of a bedroom or robe into a new bathroom, with new walls, a new plumbing connection, ventilation, waterproofing, and building approval. It adds value, but it is a build.

A large share of Gold Coast ensuites are in apartments, and that adds a layer of rules on top of the build. If you are in a unit or a tower, expect the following.

• Body corporate approval. In most buildings you need body corporate approval before a significant renovation like an ensuite refit. We help you prepare what they ask for.
• Building rules on noise, hours, and access. Work is sequenced around set working hours, noise limits, and booked lift times.
• Shared plumbing stacks. Apartment ensuites connect to shared plumbing running through the building, so moving fixtures is more constrained than in a house.
• Waterproofing and common property. The membrane and slab can be common property, so the work has to be done carefully and certified, to protect your unit and the ones below.

Near the water, the salt air corrodes standard chrome tapware, which can pit within a couple of years. In a coastal ensuite, choose 316 marine-grade stainless steel or quality brass fittings, and sealed, moisture-resistant cabinetry. It costs a little more up front and saves replacing rusted fittings down the track. This applies whether the ensuite is in a beachfront apartment or a home a few streets back from the water.

Ensuites are tight, so the clearances are what make the room comfortable rather than cramped. The National Construction Code sets clearances for new homes that are a good benchmark even in a renovation (per the Kitchen and Bathroom Designers Institute):

In a small ensuite, a wall-hung vanity, a frameless glass shower, an in-wall cistern, and a sliding door do the most to make the room feel open. Trying to fit a full main bathroom into an ensuite footprint is the most common way one ends up cramped.

A like-for-like ensuite refresh that does not move plumbing or change the structure generally does not need building approval. Adding a new ensuite is different, and the Gold Coast handles approvals through the City and a private certifier.

• Building approval for a new ensuite is usually issued by a private building certifier, with the City of Gold Coast on planning and siting.
• Plumbing work goes through the City’s plumbing and drainage process and must be done by a licensed plumber.
• Apartment ensuites also need body corporate approval before significant work.
• Waterproofing must comply with AS 3740 and be certified (see the Housing Industry Association).
• Any building work over $3,300 must be carried out by a QBCC licensed contractor.

We handle the approvals, the certifier, and the licensed trades as part of the job. For the record, our QBCC licence number is 15482767.

Renovating an existing ensuite is a little quicker than a main bathroom, so allow around four weeks including curing time for waterproofing and screed. Adding a new ensuite takes longer, often five to seven weeks. Apartment jobs can take a little longer again because of building access and the body corporate process, and we factor that in from the start.

Simon Pintilie is a co-founder of xBathrooms, a QBCC licensed bathroom renovation company (licence 15482767) and Master Builders member working across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Simon and the team have completed more than 50 bathroom renovations, designing, supplying, and installing each one under one roof.