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Bathroom Tiling & Waterproofing Cost, Brisbane

Updated 2026-08-14 · Register QBCC

In Brisbane a bathroom tiling job is almost never a single number — it's a stack of line items, and knowing which ones you're paying for is what separates a fair comparison from a nasty surprise. A full bathroom retile including waterproofing typically runs A$3,000–7,000 in Greater Brisbane, but that figure is labour only: your tiles, tapware and any plumbing changes sit on top. Two things drive the rest of this guide. First, waterproofing is the one line you should never cut in this climate. Second, it's not optional or unregulated — in Queensland a tiling job valued over A$3,300 must be done by a QBCC-licensed contractor (QBCC Regulation 2018 sch 1 s 2; wall and floor tiling is a schedule 2 class, pt 59). Read that threshold against the whole job rather than the labour figure above it: QBCC states the A$3,300 as including materials, labour and GST, so a A$3,000 labour quote with A$2,000 of tiles on top is already over the line.

Costs at a glance

Ranges reflect quotes observed locally — not national averages, not advertised "from" prices.

ServiceTypical range (A$)
Full bathroom retile incl. waterproofing — labour, tiles separate
Typical Greater Brisbane quoted range, 2026 — strip-out, screed, waterproofing and tiling of a standard bathroom; tile supply, tapware and any plumbing changes are additional. Large or premium bathrooms run higher. Superior Tiling (QBCC 15207261, serving Brisbane, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and Tweed) publishes $70–$150/m² for bathroom retiling and a total of $2,500–$6,000 for an average bathroom — though its page describes that total as covering tile selection as well as waterproofing and labour, so it is not a labour-only figure. Both ends of its range sit below the range shown here; larger footprints, a full strip-out and premium finishes account for the gap at the top.
A$3,000 — A$7,000
Waterproofing a wet area, licensed (per bathroom)
Typical Greater Brisbane quoted range, 2026 — a code-compliant membrane to a standard bathroom wet area; given local humidity, this is the single most important line item not to cut. Superior Waterproofing (QBCC 15134140, ABN 65 633 595 098, Yatala) publishes $600–$1,000 plus GST for a standard-sized area depending on membrane method and accessories — roughly $660–$1,100 including GST, sitting inside the range shown. Brisbane Tiling Service's waterproofing guide (QBCC 15490008) treats AS 3740 compliance as mandatory under the National Construction Code for Queensland residential work, and puts remediation of a failed membrane at $15,000–$40,000.
A$500 — A$1,200
Floor tiling, lay labour only — supply separate (per m²)
Typical Greater Brisbane quoted range, 2026 — standard-format porcelain on a prepared floor; large-format, small mosaics, patterns or poor substrate push toward the top. Tile supply is additional. Anchored to Brisbane Tiling Service (QBCC 15490008, Zillmere), whose own published floor-tiling guide (updated July 2026) puts Brisbane installation labour at $45–$100/m², with surface preparation adding $10–$30/m² and tile supply running from about $50/m² for basic ceramic to $150+/m² for large-format porcelain or natural stone. Airtasker's 2025 tile-flooring breakdown lists Brisbane at $63/m² against a $44–$101 national spread.
A$45 — A$100
Wall tiling, lay labour only — supply separate (per m²)
Wall tiling runs higher than floor because of cutting around fixtures and working vertically; splashbacks and feature walls sit at the top. Tile supply is additional. NRA Tiling (QBCC 15082177, Brisbane) publishes two rates on its own site: a floor of $30–$50/m² for straightforward indoor wall tiling, which sets the bottom of this range, and $60–$120 plus GST per m² for laying bathroom tiles, which sets the top. Superior Tiling (QBCC 15207261, Brisbane to the Gold Coast) puts kitchen wall tiling at $40–$80/m², inside this range.
A$30 — A$120
Kitchen splashback, supply + lay
Typical Greater Brisbane quoted range, 2026 — subway or standard tile at the low end; mosaic, natural stone or intricate patterns at the top. In line with Canstar's national splashback guide (16 May 2023, drawing on hipages data): tile at $45–$250/m² and $450–$900 for the installation itself — figures that are Australia-wide, not Brisbane-specific. For the local end, Superior Tiling (QBCC 15207261, Brisbane to the Gold Coast) publishes $60–$120/m² for mid-range splashback tile, rising to $100–$200/m² in materials plus $50–$100/m² labour for mosaic, which is what carries a small splashback to the top of this range.
A$400 — A$1,500

What actually makes up a bathroom tiling quote

A full bathroom retile including waterproofing typically runs A$3,000–7,000 in Greater Brisbane for the labour: stripping out the old surfaces, laying a screed to fall, applying a waterproof membrane, and tiling the floor and walls. That figure is labour with tiles supplied separately — tile choice, tapware and plumbing changes are extra, which is why two 'retile' quotes can look wildly different before a single tile is chosen. If you're only re-tiling and the substrate is sound, tilers often price the lay labour by the square metre instead: roughly A$45–100/m² for floor tiling and A$30–120/m² for wall tiling, again with tile supply separate. Wall work sits higher because it means cutting neatly around taps, niches and the shower recess while working vertically. Ask every tiler to split labour from tile supply on the quote so you're comparing like with like.

Waterproofing: the one line you never cut

Brisbane's warm, humid, subtropical climate is exactly the environment that punishes a bathroom tiled over a poor membrane — moisture that can't escape rots substrates, lifts tiles and blooms mould behind the wall where you can't see it until it's expensive. Waterproofing a wet area to code typically costs A$500–1,200 per bathroom in Greater Brisbane, and it is the single worst line item to shave. It's also not optional or unregulated: in Queensland a tiling job valued over A$3,300 — materials, labour and GST together — must be carried out by a QBCC-licensed contractor. Worth knowing before you ask who is doing the membrane: the Wall and floor tiling class already authorises "apply waterproofing for wall and floor tiling" as part of its scope of work (QBCC Regulation 2018 sch 2 pt 59 s 2(3)), so a licensed tiler waterproofing for their own tiling is working inside their own class; a contractor who only waterproofs works under the separate Waterproofing class at sch 2 pt 60. A tiler who offers to 'skip the membrane to keep the price down' is offering you the most expensive false economy in the city — a failed shower can mean ripping out finished tiling and starting again. Treat the waterproofing line as fixed, and treat the licence as non-negotiable.

Why your quote lands high or low in the range

The A$3,000–7,000 spread on a full retile isn't padding — it tracks real cost drivers. Tile format is the biggest: standard-format porcelain lays fastest and sits at the lower labour rates, while large-format tiles (heavy, unforgiving of any dip in the floor), small mosaics, and patterned or herringbone layouts all push labour toward the top of the A$45–100/m² floor and A$30–120/m² wall bands. Substrate condition matters just as much — a floor that needs re-screeding or a wall that needs re-sheeting adds labour before any tile goes down. Access is a genuinely Brisbane factor: bathrooms in high-set Queenslanders and second-storey renovations mean carrying debris out and materials in by hand, and timber-framed floors can need extra preparation to stop flex cracking the grout. Feature walls and a tiled shower niche add cutting and setting-out time. If the same crew is doing your kitchen while on site, a splashback runs A$400–1,500 supplied and laid, depending on whether it's plain subway tile or mosaic and stone.

How to compare quotes without getting caught out

Get at least two or three written quotes and insist each one separates labour from tile supply, lists the waterproofing as its own line, and states who is doing the waterproofing and under what licence. A quote that bundles everything into one lump sum, or that comes in suspiciously low as a cash job, usually does so by thinning the parts you can't see — the membrane, the screed, the prep. In Queensland a bathroom job over A$3,300 — materials, labour and GST together — legally requires a QBCC-licensed contractor, so an unlicensed cash job isn't just cheaper — it's work done outside the licensing system that's meant to stand behind it. Verify the contractor's QBCC licence before you accept, keep the written quote and any variations in writing, and don't let price alone decide a job where the most important work is the part that ends up hidden behind tile.

Common questions

Is waterproofing included in a bathroom tiling quote, or is it a separate cost?

Almost always it's a separate line, even when the same tiler does it. Waterproofing a wet area typically costs A$500–1,200 per bathroom in Greater Brisbane and should appear on the quote on its own, apart from the tiling labour. A full bathroom retile is over the $3,300 threshold, so it needs a QBCC-licensed contractor; make sure the quote states who's doing the waterproofing and to what standard, rather than burying it inside a lump sum.

Why does wall tiling cost more per square metre than floor tiling?

Wall tiling runs about A$30–120/m² in labour versus roughly A$45–100/m² for floors. The gap is the work itself: tiling vertically is slower and less forgiving, and walls involve far more cutting — around taps, the shower recess, niches and edges — plus more careful setting-out so the pattern lines up. Floors are mostly open runs, so they lay faster per square metre.

Does the quoted price include the tiles themselves?

No. The A$3,000–7,000 full-retile range and the per-square-metre rates are labour with tile supply separate. They cover strip-out, screed, waterproofing and laying — but your tiles, tapware and any plumbing changes are on top. It's the single biggest reason two quotes differ: a budget porcelain and a large-format stone can swing the final bill dramatically even when the labour is identical.

Do I legally need a licensed tiler for a bathroom in Brisbane?

If you are engaging someone else, yes. In Queensland tiling work valued over A$3,300 — materials, labour and GST together — must be carried out by a QBCC-licensed contractor, and a full bathroom retile is well over that threshold. Doing it yourself is a different rule: QBCC Regulation 2018 sch 1 s 33(1) takes work performed personally by the owner of the land out of "building work" where its value is not more than A$11,000, and wall and floor tiling is a contractor class rather than an occupational licence, so an owner tiling their own bathroom is not caught. That exemption covers you personally and nobody you pay. Verify the contractor's QBCC licence before you accept the quote, and keep everything in writing.

Sources & when we checked them

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