A laundry renovation in Australia can cost anywhere from around $3,000 for a simple refresh to $30,000 or more when plumbing is moved, custom joinery is introduced or the room is completely reconfigured. Although it occupies far less space than a kitchen or bathroom, a laundry still brings together cabinetry, plumbing, electrical work, flooring, ventilation and storage within a compact footprint, so the cost is often shaped more by what happens behind the finishes than by the size of the room itself.
The difference between a $5,000 laundry and a $20,000 one usually comes down to how much of the existing space can stay where it is. Replacing a benchtop, sink and cabinet fronts while leaving the plumbing untouched can remain relatively contained, while moving the washing machine to another wall or relocating the room entirely introduces new drainage, services and building work.
These figures are CO-architecture indicative 2026 planning ranges rather than published national medians. Actual costs vary with layout, existing services, specification and location.
Contents
- Laundry renovation costs at a glance
- What does each part of a laundry renovation cost?
- How location affects laundry renovation costs
- What drives the cost of a laundry renovation?
- Hidden plumbing, drainage and strata costs
- Why laundries are becoming more than utility rooms
- How much should you budget?
- Frequently asked questions
Laundry renovation costs at a glance
| Scope | Typical cost | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh | $3,000 to $8,000 | Cosmetic updates, minor fixture changes and the existing layout retained |
| Mid-range renovation | $8,000 to $18,000 | New cabinetry, benchtop, sink, flooring, lighting and selected trade work |
| Full renovation or relocation | $18,000 to $30,000+ | Major layout changes, relocated plumbing or drainage and more extensive custom joinery |
Refresh
Typical cost: $3,000–$8,000
A refresh works with the existing layout and services rather than rebuilding the room from scratch. It might include repainting, a new sink and tap, replacing a benchtop, updating cabinet fronts or adding shelving. Keeping the washing machine, trough and drainage in their current positions is what allows this level of renovation to remain relatively affordable.
Mid-range renovation
Typical cost: $8,000–$18,000
A mid-range renovation generally replaces most of what is already there without fundamentally relocating the room. New cabinetry, a benchtop, sink, tapware, flooring, lighting and improved ventilation can all be included, while the existing plumbing positions are retained where possible.
This is often the point where the laundry starts to feel like a considered part of the home. Full-height cupboards can absorb cleaning equipment, a continuous benchtop can create a useful folding area and front-loading machines can sit beneath joinery, leaving more of the room available for storage.
Full renovation or relocation
Typical cost: $18,000–$30,000+
Once the room is moved or the layout changes significantly, plumbing and drainage may need to be rerouted, walls opened, electrical services changed and floors cut or repaired before the visible part of the renovation can begin.
A full relocation can move beyond $20,000 where services need to cross a concrete slab, significant drainage work is required or extensive custom cabinetry is included. If the laundry forms part of a larger renovation or extension, some efficiencies may be possible because trades are already on site. For a broader look at how additional floor area affects the overall project budget, see our guide to home extension costs.
What does each part of a laundry renovation cost?
The following figures are indicative planning allowances for a typical laundry rather than fixed prices. Several of the same elements also appear in kitchens and bathrooms, but a laundry will usually require fewer linear metres of cabinetry and benchtop and a smaller area of flooring, so its component costs tend to sit below those of the larger wet areas.
Cabinetry
Typical cost: $2,500 to $7,000+
Cabinetry is often the largest visible expense in a laundry. At the lower end, a relatively simple run of modular or flat-pack cabinets can provide under-bench storage and a cupboard for cleaning products, while custom joinery becomes more expensive as full-height cupboards, concealed appliances, pull-out hampers and internal fittings are introduced.
For comparison, our kitchen renovation cost guide places flat-pack kitchen cabinetry at around $2,500 to $5,000 in materials before professional installation, with semi-custom and bespoke joinery increasing considerably from there. A laundry generally has a much shorter cabinetry run, which is why its overall allowance is lower.
Benchtop
Typical cost: $600 to $2,500+
The same principle applies to benchtops. A kitchen may require five to seven linear metres of material, whereas a laundry may only need enough to span a sink and one or two appliances.
Laminate usually sits towards the accessible end of the range, while porcelain, sintered surfaces, stainless steel and natural stone increase the cost depending on the size, material and fabrication involved. Our kitchen renovation cost guide looks more closely at how those benchtop materials compare across a larger space.
Sink and tapware
Typical cost: $300 to $1,500+
A basic stainless-steel trough and mixer can be relatively inexpensive, while inset or undermount sinks, pull-out mixers and more design-led tapware move the budget higher. Installation is usually simpler when the new sink remains close to the existing water and waste points, so the fixture itself is only part of the cost.
Flooring
Typical cost: $700 to $2,500+
A small laundry does not require a large quantity of flooring, but the condition of what sits underneath it can influence the final price. Removing old tiles, repairing the substrate, correcting levels or preparing the floor for a new finish can add labour before the visible flooring is installed.
Tiles remain a common choice because they tolerate moisture and wear, and many of the same wet-area considerations that affect a laundry also apply to bathrooms. Our bathroom renovation cost guide provides a useful comparison for the broader cost of tiling, waterproofing and wet-area construction.
Ventilation
Typical cost: $300 to $800+ for a straightforward installation
A laundry can become humid quickly when dryers, wet clothes and limited natural airflow are concentrated in a small room. A straightforward exhaust fan installation is usually a relatively small part of the overall renovation budget, although ducting to an external wall, difficult access or electrical alterations can push the cost higher.
Ventilation is easy to overlook because it has little visual impact on the finished room, but it plays an important role in managing moisture and making an enclosed laundry more comfortable to use.
Plumbing and drainage
Typical cost: around $1,500 to $5,000 for relocating a plumbing point
Keeping plumbing in place is one of the clearest ways to control a laundry budget. Our kitchen renovation cost guide uses the same $1,500 to $5,000 planning range for moving a plumbing point, and the underlying work is similar when a laundry sink or washing machine connection needs to move.
A simple reconnection in the existing location may cost considerably less, while moving several services or changing the drainage route can quickly exceed this allowance.
How location affects laundry renovation costs
Laundry renovation costs can still vary depending on where you live, even when the scope is similar. Labour rates, trade availability, freight, access and the broader construction market all influence the final price, particularly in areas where skilled trades are in high demand or materials need to travel further.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that house construction prices have continued to move differently across the country, which reinforces why a national renovation range should be treated as a starting point rather than a fixed quote. The condition of the existing room, the amount of plumbing work required and the level of joinery will usually have a greater influence on the final laundry budget than location alone.
For a broader picture of how renovation budgets change by project size, scope and location, see our home renovation cost guide for Australia.
What drives the cost of a laundry renovation?
The existing plumbing layout usually has more influence on cost than the size of the room. Keeping the sink and washing machine where they are allows more of the budget to go towards cabinetry and finishes, while moving them can require walls or floors to be opened so new water and waste lines can reach the proposed positions.
Joinery is the next major variable. A simple run of base cabinets costs very differently from full-height storage with concealed appliances, integrated hampers and custom internal fittings. This becomes particularly relevant in combined laundry-mudrooms and butler's pantries, where the room is expected to store much more than detergent and linen.
The age and condition of the home can matter just as much. Once cabinetry and flooring are removed, old pipework, water damage, poor drainage or uneven substrates may become visible for the first time, absorbing part of the budget before new finishes are installed.
Hidden plumbing, drainage and strata costs
Laundry renovations are often underestimated because much of the expensive work disappears once the room is finished. Pipes sit behind cabinetry and drainage runs below floors, yet changing either can involve more labour than the visible finishes suggest.
Drainage becomes particularly important when relocating a laundry because wastewater still needs a suitable route back into the home's drainage system. On a suspended timber floor there may be room to reroute services underneath, while a concrete slab can be much less forgiving and may need to be cut and repaired to achieve the same change. The further the new laundry moves from suitable existing services, the more carefully those costs need to be investigated before the layout is finalised.
Apartments introduce another layer because a laundry may connect to pipes, floors or walls that form part of common property. Strata and owners corporation requirements vary around Australia and between individual buildings, but changes involving plumbing, drainage, waterproofing, hard flooring or common property may need approval before construction begins.
Building management can also affect how the project is carried out. Working hours may be restricted, lifts may need to be booked and protected, and trades may have specific requirements for access or waste removal. These details do not change the design of the laundry, but they can change what it costs to build it.
Why laundries are becoming more than utility rooms
The traditional Australian laundry was often pushed to the back of the house, with a freestanding trough, washing machine and little consideration given to what else the room could do. In contemporary renovations, these smaller service spaces are often being asked to work harder.
A combined laundry and mudroom can create a useful transition between the outside and the rest of the home, with bench seating, hooks, cupboards and durable flooring providing somewhere for shoes, bags, sports equipment and wet clothing before they reach the living areas.
In other homes, the laundry sits beside or overlaps with a butler's pantry. This can work particularly well where both spaces are close to the kitchen and can make efficient use of nearby services, although food storage, cleaning products and laundry functions still need to be organised carefully. These rooms usually require more joinery than a standard laundry, but they can reduce duplicated storage elsewhere in the floor plan.
If you are also planning changes to the adjoining kitchen, our kitchen renovation cost guide provides a broader breakdown of how cabinetry, benchtops, plumbing and material selections affect the budget.
How much should you budget?
For most homeowners retaining the existing laundry location, $7,000 to $15,000 is a useful starting range for a considered renovation with new cabinetry, benchtop, sink, finishes and basic trade work. A cosmetic refresh can sit below that, while relocating services or creating a heavily customised multi-purpose room can push the project beyond $15,000 relatively quickly.
The most useful budget separates what you can see from what the room needs behind the walls. Spending more on joinery will be obvious in the finished space, but allowing enough for plumbing, electrical work, drainage, floor preparation and ventilation is what allows that joinery to function properly once installed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a basic laundry renovation cost in Australia?
A basic laundry refresh typically costs around $3,000 to $7,000 when the existing layout and plumbing remain unchanged. That budget may cover a new benchtop, sink and tapware, cabinet updates, paint, shelving and selected flooring or lighting changes.
Is $10,000 enough to renovate a laundry?
For many standard laundries, yes. A $10,000 budget sits within the typical mid-range and can cover new cabinetry, a benchtop, sink, tapware, flooring and trade work when plumbing remains largely where it is. Custom joinery or significant plumbing changes can push the total higher.
How much does it cost to move a laundry?
A full laundry relocation generally starts around $15,000 and can exceed $20,000 depending on how far plumbing and drainage need to move, the type of floor construction and the amount of new joinery required. Moving an individual plumbing point can add around $1,500 to $5,000, but several relocated services can compound quickly.
Do I need waterproofing in a laundry?
A laundry is a wet area, but that does not mean every surface is treated in exactly the same way as a shower. The required treatment depends on the floor, fixtures, drainage and the building requirements that apply to the project. If flooring, drainage or the overall wet-area construction is changing, it is worth considering that work alongside the same issues covered in our bathroom renovation cost guide.
Do I need strata approval to renovate an apartment laundry?
Possibly. Requirements vary between states, territories and individual strata schemes, but work involving plumbing, drainage, waterproofing, flooring or common property may require approval before construction begins. Check the building's by-laws and renovation process before the new layout is finalised or trades are booked.
Can I combine a laundry with a mudroom or butler's pantry?
Yes. A laundry-mudroom can provide storage for shoes, bags and wet clothing, while a laundry beside a butler's pantry can make efficient use of nearby services. The success of either arrangement depends on having enough circulation, ventilation and storage, as well as sensible separation between food-related functions and cleaning products.
What adds the most cost to a laundry renovation?
Moving plumbing and drainage is usually one of the fastest ways to increase the budget, followed by custom cabinetry and premium finishes. Existing conditions can also add cost when demolition reveals old pipework, water damage, poor drainage or floors that need repair.
