Last reviewed: 24 September 2026
AusRenoGuides is an independent Australian operation focused on practical, no-fluff renovation cost guides, calculators, and planning tools. We're based in Australia, write for Australian homeowners, and maintain editorial independence from tradie marketplaces, suppliers, and trade networks.
What we cover
Renovation cost guides
Bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, house painting, home extensions, and pools — cost ranges, material comparisons, layout considerations, and realistic budget planning at current Australian rates.
Trade rate guides
Metro and regional hourly rates plus typical job pricing for six licensed trades: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters, tilers, and landscapers. All rates reviewed against state licensing authority benchmarks.
Energy and systems
Solar payback and battery payback (including STC, state rebates, and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program), hot water system replacement across gas, electric, heat pump, and solar, and ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning install and running costs by climate zone.
Planning and compliance
Materials calculator (paint, flooring, and tile quantities including waste), renovation budget tracker, council approval checker for NSW, VIC, and QLD exempt-development thresholds, and a quote comparator that flags red flags across 2-3 written quotes.
How we build our cost ranges
Our numbers are informed by publicly available Australian sources and legislation:
- Industry data — HIA, ABS, Master Builders Australia, and published cost guides from licensed renovators.
- State licensing authorities — VBA Victoria, Fair Trading NSW, and QBCC Queensland for trade rate benchmarks.
- State and federal legislation — NSW SEPP (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008, Victorian Building Regulations 2018, and Queensland Building Regulation 2021 for our compliance tool. Clean Energy Regulator STC values and state energy authority schemes for our solar, battery, and hot water calculators.
- Regional multipliers reflecting typical metro-versus-regional labour rate differences.
- Rolling review cycle — each calculator carries a ‘last reviewed’ date and is revisited as Australian market conditions shift, currently on approximately a 90-day cadence.
We deliberately publish indicative ranges, not single-point prices, because real-world costs vary substantially with site condition, finish level, plumbing or structural changes, permits, and trade availability.
Independence and disclosure
Our editorial content and calculator data are not paid for by any tradesperson, supplier, or brand. If we mention a product or brand in an article, it is because it is commonly used in Australian renovations and relevant to the topic.
Advertising
We do not currently sell advertising or sponsorship, and we have no featured partners. Any advertising that appears on the site in future, including display ads, will be clearly labelled “Advertisement” and visually separated from editorial content. Advertising revenue will not influence the numbers in our calculators, the recommendations in our guides, or which tools we build.
Get in touch
For corrections, pricing feedback, or suggestions on what guides would help most, email editor@ausrenoguides.com. We read everything that comes in.