How can I save money by keeping existing plumbing locations? (Bathroom | Cost & Budget)

If you’re planning a bathroom renovation in Sydney and you want to keep your budget from exploding like a burst pipe, here’s one of the simplest, smartest, most cost-saving strategies ever invented: keep the existing plumbing where it is. Seriously. It’s the renovation equivalent of “don’t move the sofa if the room already looks good.”

Most homeowners don’t realise how much renovating costs are driven by what happens behind the walls and under the floor. Moving a toilet or shifting a shower might look like a small design tweak on paper, but in real life it can send your budget spinning faster than a Marrickville hipster ordering cold brew.

Let’s break down the real reasons keeping plumbing in place saves money — in clear language, with relatable examples, and with insider commentary that only people who renovate homes in Sydney every day truly see.

1. What does “existing plumbing locations” actually mean?

It simply means leaving the major plumbing fixtures — toilet, vanity, shower, bath — exactly where they already are.

Because when you move them, the following happens:

• Drains have to be rerun

• Pipes behind walls need rearranging

• The floor substrate may need to be opened and rebuilt

• Waterproofing requires redoing

• More trades are involved

• More time is required

• More approvals may be triggered

In other words, relocating plumbing is the renovation equivalent of opening a can of worms… except these worms charge hourly labour rates.

2. Why is plumbing relocation so expensive in Sydney?

A few key reasons:

Labour costs are higher
Qualified Sydney plumbers aren’t cheap, and honestly, you wouldn’t want the cheap ones.

Older homes are unpredictable
Terraces in Newtown, semis in Ashfield, apartments in Burwood… you never know what’s hiding under the bathroom tiles until demolition starts. Sometimes pipes are old. Sometimes they’re in weird places. Sometimes the house was plumbed by someone who really “believed in creativity.”

Concrete slabs cost more to cut
Many Sydney homes (especially apartments) have reinforced concrete floors. Moving drains means jackhammering the slab, patching it, levelling it, waterproofing, and retiling.

This alone can cost more than your vanity.

Strata rules aren’t always friendly
In a strata building, moving plumbing may require engineer reports, waterproofing sign-offs, neighbour notifications, or approval from the committee. Nothing increases cost like three new layers of paperwork.

3. Keeping plumbing in place = instant savings

How much savings?
Let’s keep it real.

In Sydney, moving plumbing fixtures can cost:

• Toilet relocation: $1,200–$3,500

• Shower relocation: $1,500–$4,500

• Vanity relocation: $800–$2,500

• Bath relocation: $1,000–$3,000

Add them up and suddenly you’re $5k–$10k deeper than you planned. For many homeowners, that’s the entire budget for tiles, tapware, or a new vanity.

Keeping plumbing in the same spot avoids all of this in one glorious sweep.

4. You can still make the bathroom look completely different

Some people assume keeping plumbing locations means the bathroom will look exactly the same.
Not true.

You can still dramatically change:

• Tile colour

• Tile pattern

• Vanity style

• Tapware finish

• Mirror shape

• Lighting design

• Shower screen type

• Wall niches

• Storage layout

Even the toilet can look new without moving a single pipe.

It’s like giving your bathroom a new outfit without forcing it to change shoes sizes.

5. Keep the layout, upgrade the experience

Here’s a trick renovation designers use all the time:
match new fixtures to existing plumbing, but upgrade their look and function.

For example:

• Keep the shower head in the same spot but switch to a rainfall design

• Keep the vanity waste location but upgrade to a floating vanity

• Keep the toilet position but use a rimless soft-close modern suite

• Keep the bath where it is but change the tile surround

You get a fresh, modern bathroom with high-end features… without paying high-end relocation fees.

6. It speeds up the renovation timeline

Less plumbing work = fewer days of trades on site = less labour.

A bathroom renovation where plumbing stays in place can be noticeably faster because:

• No concrete cutting

• No rerunning drainage

• No relocating taps or mixers

• No extra waterproofing layers

• No additional inspections

Time saved is money saved — and you also get your bathroom back quicker. Anyone who has lived without a functioning bathroom for weeks knows the true value of a working toilet.

7. Less demolition = fewer surprises

Renovations always come with surprises, but moving plumbing multiplies them.

By keeping plumbing in its original location, you avoid:

• Discovering rotten joists under the subfloor

• Discovering illegal old plumbing

• Discovering asbestos linings in unexpected places

• Needing structural adjustments

• Needing extra drainage falls

The more you open walls and floors, the higher the chance of finding “fun things” that cost money. Keeping plumbing in place avoids many of these adventures.

8. It reduces the risk of waterproofing complications

Waterproofing is one of the most important — and expensive — parts of a Sydney bathroom renovation.
Guess what causes the most waterproofing damage?

Floor penetration.
And every relocated drain requires:

• Cutting

• Boring

• Levelling

• Re-waterproofing

• New membranes

• More time for curing

Keep plumbing where it is and the waterproofing job becomes simpler, faster, and cheaper.

9. Makes budgeting far more predictable

When plumbing stays put, renovation quotes become more accurate because:

• The builder knows exactly what needs to be done

• Fewer unknowns are involved

• Less demolition means fewer discoveries

• No engineering surprises

• Fewer delays

This is why designers always say:
“If you want a predictable bathroom budget in Sydney, don’t move the plumbing.”

10. Still want a layout change? There are clever ways to fake it

Sometimes homeowners dream of a bigger shower or a different flow.

Good news — you can cheat the layout with design tricks:

• Use a frameless shower screen to create a more open feel

• Install a wall-to-wall vanity that creates a sense of luxury

• Use vertical tiles to elongate walls

• Use mirrors to brighten and widen the space

• Position lighting creatively to “reshape” the room visually

Your bathroom layout may stay the same, but your experience of it completely changes.

11. Sydney renovators love this method because it minimises risk

Professionals know that the best way to keep clients happy — and avoid cost blowouts — is to avoid unnecessary plumbing changes.

It’s not about being lazy.
It’s about being smart.

The structure stays stable.
The waterproofing is simpler.
The project is smoother.
And the final bill doesn’t cause heart palpitations.

12. In summary: keeping plumbing in place is the #1 cost-saving strategy

If your goal is to renovate your bathroom without blowing the budget, nothing beats keeping your plumbing fixtures in the same positions.

You save money through:

• Less labour

• Less demolition

• Less plumbing work

• Simpler waterproofing

• Fewer surprises

• Fewer approvals

• Faster completion

• More predictable budgeting

It’s the easiest win in the renovation playbook.

If you’re planning a renovation and want to explore ways to save money, improve design, or upgrade your bathroom without unnecessary costs, visit www.mb9.com.au to learn more about kitchen, bathroom and home renovation services provided across Sydney by MB9 Australia Pty Ltd.