Every Wellington renovation has a surprise in the wall. Budget for it.
Renovation is the biggest and least predictable spend in the builder category: extensions, second storeys, reconfigurations and full villa do-ups, almost all quoted after inspection because nobody knows what is inside the wall until it is open. The guide tiers give you a band; the builder who prices the unknowns honestly is the one to hire.
Is this your stream?
Extending the footprint, adding a storey, moving walls, re-roofing, recladding or modernising a whole villa. One builder scopes and prices the job, manages the consent, and sequences the trades.
A kitchen or bathroom on its own is often better served by the specialists in the kitchen and bathroom stream, who run these jobs on repeatable processes. Bring in a renovation builder when the wet room is part of a bigger structural scope.
What it costs in Wellington
Partial renovation tiers
NZ cost guides put essential updates around $30,000–$50,000 and mid-range projects, such as a mid-range kitchen or bathroom overhaul, at $50,000–$120,000. Premium targeted work runs $120,000–$250,000+.
Full-home renovation
A full renovation covering kitchen, bathroom, living spaces and layout changes starts around $80,000 in NZ guides and can pass $300,000 on older homes in central Wellington.
The honest default
Every serious renovation price is quoted after scoping, and often staged with provisional sums. Treat any fixed number given before inspection as a placeholder, not a quote.
Wellington providers, compared
Six builders that take on Wellington renovations, grouped by what they are best at. Hover a row for the detail that matters.
Common mistakes
Quoting a villa renovation off the floor plan: rot, borer, knob-and-tube wiring and undocumented alterations hide in Wellington's older housing stock. The quote that assumes none of that is the one that blows out.
Ignoring weathertightness history on a 1990s-2000s home: monolithic-clad houses from that era are a known leaky-home risk, and Building Inspections Wellington puts full reclads at $160,000–$420,000. Get a weathertightness assessment before scoping cosmetic work.
Starting before the consent position is clear: structural changes, additions and wet-area alterations often need a building consent from Wellington City Council, and restricted building work needs an LBP. Confirm who is managing consent before demo day.
Renovating room by room with separate quotes: staged small contracts usually cost more than one scoped contract, and the builder pricing the whole job can sequence trades properly.
Living in the house through a major renovation without pricing it: it can work on single-room jobs, but on full renovations it slows the programme and the builder prices that friction in. Ask for both scenarios.
Missing the seismic opportunity: when walls are open on an older Wellington home, bracing and foundation work is far cheaper than retrofitting later. Ask your builder what strengthening makes sense while the house is stripped.
FAQ
How much does a renovation cost in Wellington?
NZ cost guides put partial renovations in broad tiers: around $30,000–$50,000 for essential updates, $50,000–$120,000 for a mid-range project such as a kitchen or bathroom overhaul, and $120,000–$250,000+ for premium work. Full-home renovations run $80,000–$300,000+. Wellington kitchens start around $25,000 and bathrooms around $12,000 in local guide figures. Almost all real pricing is quote-based after inspection.
Do I need a building consent to renovate?
It depends on the work. Structural changes, additions, new plumbing fixtures and work affecting weathertightness generally need a building consent from Wellington City Council, while like-for-like replacements often do not. Restricted building work must be done or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner. Check building.govt.nz's consent exemptions or ask your builder to confirm in writing.
What should I watch for on a villa or bungalow renovation?
Assume there are surprises: borer, rot in weatherboards and piles, old wiring, and alterations done without consent. Use a builder who quotes old-house work regularly, and treat wall-open time as the cheapest moment for seismic bracing, insulation and rewiring.
Can I stay in the house during the renovation?
For a single wet room or a small extension, often yes. For a full renovation, most builders will tell you the programme runs faster and cheaper if you move out, because trades can sequence without working around a household. Price both options before deciding.
How do I choose between renovation builders?
Check LBP status on the public register, ask which jobs they can show you locally, and compare how they price: a detailed scoped quote with provisional sums named beats a round number. Membership of NZCB (Peaky Builders) or access to the Master Builders guarantee (Kiwi Built) adds a formal backing to the workmanship promise.
Partial renovations run $30k–$120k in NZ guide tiers, full renovations $80k–$300k+, and every real price is quoted after scoping. On villas, budget for surprises and use wall-open time for bracing and insulation; on 1990s-2000s homes, get the weathertightness assessed first. Check LBP status, compare scoped quotes with named provisional sums, and prefer builders with NZCB or Master Builders backing.