Key takeaways
- -Almost every outdoor bathroom budget breaks into structure, services and finishes. Structure is the platform, framing and screening. Services are the hot and cold water, the was...
- -The single biggest lever is usually how far the water and waste have to travel. If the bathroom can sit within a few metres of an existing wet area, you save real money.
- -Spend on the substructure and drainage. They are invisible and they decide whether the space is still good in fifteen years.
01
Three things set the number
Almost every outdoor bathroom budget breaks into structure, services and finishes. Structure is the platform, framing and screening. Services are the hot and cold water, the waste and any electrical. Finishes are the floor, the fixtures and the joinery.
A simple screened cold shower off an existing wall sits at the bottom of the range. A freestanding bathhouse with a bath, hot water, lighting and stone sits at the top. Most projects land somewhere in the middle.
02
Distance from existing services
The single biggest lever is usually how far the water and waste have to travel. If the bathroom can sit within a few metres of an existing wet area, you save real money.
Every extra metre of trenching, every rock shelf and every root zone your plumber has to negotiate adds hours. Before you settle on a spot at the bottom of the garden, walk the run back to the house and ask what is between the two points.
03
Where it is worth spending
Spend on the substructure and drainage. They are invisible and they decide whether the space is still good in fifteen years.
Spend on the tapware you touch every day. Save on decorative elements that can be added later - the timber bench, the mirror, the planting.
04
Getting a number you can trust
Ask for a written scope that itemises inclusions, exclusions and allowances rather than a single figure. A quote that names the timber, the fixings and the waterproofing approach is a quote you can compare.
For a considered estimate on your block, get in touch and we will walk the site with you.
Thinking about your own project?
We build across Belgrave and the Dandenong Ranges. Send through photos of what you have and we will tell you what the site allows.