The two smallest rooms carry the biggest per-metre price tag.
Kitchens and bathrooms are where waterproofing, plumbing, joinery and tiling collide, and where specialist companies that run the same job every week often beat general builders on price and speed. Guide figures put Wellington bathrooms from around $12,000 and kitchens from around $25,000; the layout you keep, or change, decides the rest.
Is this your stream?
A kitchen replacement, a bathroom renovation, a leaking tiled shower, or a laundry upgrade. Specialists run these on repeatable processes with their own designers, joiners and plumbers.
If the bathroom comes with an extension, a moved wall or a whole-house renovation, you are in renovation territory and a builder like Peaky should run the whole contract, with the wet rooms as one line item.
What it costs in Wellington
Bathroom benchmark
Wellington guide figures put bathroom renovations from around $12,000, NZ-wide roughly $10,000–$30,000. MoneyHub's national guide averages about $10,000, with small-bathroom refreshes at $1,500–$6,000.
Kitchen benchmark
Wellington kitchens start around $25,000 in local guide figures, with the NZ range roughly $20,000–$50,000. Custom joinery, stone benchtops and layout changes push past that quickly.
Layout is the lever
Keeping plumbing on the same walls holds the price; moving it means drainage work and often consent. Every serious operator quotes after a site visit, which is why consultations are free.
Wellington providers, compared
Six operators covering Wellington kitchens and bathrooms, grouped by what they are best at. Hover a row for the detail that matters.
Common mistakes
Moving plumbing without pricing it first: keeping the toilet, shower and sink on the same walls is the single biggest lever on a bathroom budget. Layout changes mean new drainage, and in Wellington villas that often means floor-up work.
Treating waterproofing as a detail: wet-area waterproofing is part of restricted building work and needs an LBP and council inspection when consented. A leaking tiled shower redone twice costs more than a renovation done once.
Choosing cabinetry before the layout and budget are set: kitchen companies design around a number, so bring one. Wellington kitchen guides put renovations from around $25,000, and the design conversation goes faster when the range is honest.
Forgetting ventilation: Wellington's damp climate punishes wet rooms. An undersized extractor is why bathrooms grow mould within a year of a beautiful renovation.
Hiring without a written warranty: Bathroom Renovators offers a 5-year workmanship warranty and Mastercraft a 10-year transferable craftsmanship guarantee. If an operator will not put a warranty in writing, that is information.
Assuming a kitchen company covers bathrooms (or vice versa): the trades overlap but the specialists differ. Mastercraft and Absolute Design are kitchen-led; Bathroom Renovators and The Bathroom Building Company are bathroom-led. Match the specialist to the room.
FAQ
How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Wellington?
Local guide figures put Wellington kitchen renovations starting around $25,000, with the NZ range roughly $20,000–$50,000 depending on size, materials and layout changes. Custom joinery from local manufacturers like Mastercraft sits toward the upper end, and moving plumbing or walls adds more. Final pricing is quote-based.
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Wellington?
Local guides put Wellington bathrooms from around $12,000, with the NZ range roughly $10,000–$30,000. MoneyHub's national guide puts the average bathroom renovation at about $10,000 and a small-bathroom fixture refresh at $1,500–$6,000. One industry player cited by Pzazz suggests putting $25,000–$35,000 aside for a full bathroom renovation. Layout changes and tiling choices drive the spread.
Do I need a building consent for a kitchen or bathroom renovation?
Like-for-like replacements usually do not need a consent, but adding or moving plumbing fixtures, structural changes and new wet areas can trigger one through Wellington City Council. Waterproofing and drainage work tied to restricted building work must be done or supervised by an LBP. Ask your contractor to confirm the consent position in writing.
How long does a kitchen or bathroom renovation take?
A bathroom typically takes three to six weeks on site once fixtures and materials are ready; a kitchen two to six weeks depending on custom joinery lead times. The longer pole is usually manufacturing and consent, not the install, so order early.
Who supplies what on a wet-room renovation?
It varies: kitchen companies like Mastercraft and Absolute Design supply the joinery; bathroom specialists usually supply or source fixtures; and you can sometimes supply your own fittings to save margin. Get the supply split in the written quote so warranty responsibility is clear.
Bathrooms run from about $12,000 and kitchens from about $25,000 in Wellington guide figures, and every real price is quoted after a site visit. Kitchens go to Mastercraft or Absolute Design; bathrooms to Bathroom Renovators (5-year warranty) or The Bathroom Building Company; a wet room inside a bigger scope goes to a renovation builder like Peaky or a managed service like Refresh. Keep plumbing where it is, demand the warranty in writing, and do not skimp on ventilation.