How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Malaysia?

A bathroom renovation is one of the top home improvement projects in Malaysia, and is a great way to give your house a New Year’s makeover.



The process generally involves the following:

Hacking and demolishing the old tiles (floor and/or wall)
Waterproofing the floor
Plumbing and piping
Wetwork such as constructing a raised divider or shower cubby
Wiring for the water heater, lighting and plug points
Tiling on floor and wall
Installing new doors and windows or shower screens
Installing new bathroom fittings and accessories
Painting work

With the average Malaysian home being around 110 sq m, bathrooms are usually in the region of up to 7 sq m. At this size, you can expect a general breakdown of costs as follows, bearing in mind these are just estimates and will vary according to bathroom size, materials and other factors.

Hacking and demolishing: RM2,000
Consider removing cracked, dull and outdated tiles. Depending on your request, the contractor will hack the wall and/or floor tiles, which would include dismantling existing fixtures such as the sink and toilet tank.

Waterproofing: RM1,500
After the old tiles are hacked, the contractor will level and waterproof the whole floor with material that prevents water from penetrating or permeating through. It might take some time to be fully cured before moving on to the next step.

New plumbing and piping: RM1,000
This is an optional step if you intend to change the layout, such as moving the sink to a different location in the bathroom. It might also be needed if you want to relocate water outlets, such as switching from a bathtub to a standing shower.

Wetwork: RM2,000
This is a term for building something using cement, laying bricks, plastering and skim coating. It also refers to the process of building a recessed shelf in the shower area, a new concrete top for the sink, a wall or floor divider to separate wet and dry areas, as well as installing tiles on the floor and wall.

Tiling: RM3,000
Go with the porcelain tiles that are anti-slip and slightly textured for the floor. They are more durable and easy to clean. For the walls, opt for ceramic tiles all the way up to the ceiling or just 2m high to reduce costs. The rest of the wall can be painted.

Bathroom fittings and accessories: RM2,200
The price for bathroom fittings such as the sink, toilet tank and bathtub varies depending on the size, type and brand. The same applies to accessories such as your faucets, showerhead and bidet.

Glass shower screen and door: RM1,800
If you are currently using a shower curtain, consider an upgrade by installing a glass shower screen or door. The tempered glass will be a bit costly as it requires proper mounting and sealing, but it is durable, easy to clean, and will make your bathroom more luxurious.

Cabinetry: RM2,000
Additional storage cabinets can be installed over and under the sink, or above the toilet tank. Some homeowners opt for full-height, narrow cabinets and floating shelves at dry sections of the bathroom to store towels and toilet rolls.

Plaster ceiling: RM1,200
Some bathrooms in old landed houses have very high ceilings with exposed piping or water heaters near the top. Freshen up the look by covering them up with a plaster ceiling.

Lighting: RM400
Install an LED light in a cool daylight tone as the main ambient lighting. You can also add a fancier task light above the sink and mirror, and a hidden LED strip light under cabinets to create a hotel-like mood.

Keeping it affordable

Here are some handy tips to keep costs lower:

Don’t change the layout
Moving the toilet from one corner of the bathroom to another may look good, but it will add significant costs as the piping will need to be moved beforehand, requiring hacking and new waterproofing.

Don’t change the size of the bathroom
Similarly, making major changes to your floor plan will significantly increase your costs.

Repair instead of replacing tiles

Consider repairing damaged tiles if your contractor can find a matching replacement. Alternatively, you may choose to retile just the wall or floor.

Don’t make last-minute changes
As with any major construction project, it’s best to plan well beforehand and stick with it, rather than make changes midway.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...st-in-malaysia/

This post has been edited by mini orchard: Dec 26 2021, 05:41 AM

Good sharing 👍

Approx RM17K++

Wondering how many days needed to do these work?

Renovation of toilet is 17k ++ wow

Hmm...

More like minimum 2 weeks 🤔🧐

Estimate about +/- 1 week.

Sounds about right. I'm doing my own renovation and agree that per sq ft, the washroom is the most expensive part of the house.

You can somewhat bring the cost down by compromising on fittings and cabinetry though.

im doing my toilet now too, got quoted around 19k but that is also because im using 2x4 tiles. which my contractor said its expensive in both tiles & labour.

I did mine last year and cost RM20k. Change the whole tilling.
-new shower screen
- bathroom accessories
-plaster ceiling

Bump

Good share! I’m planning to convert one of the toilets to a store room 😅.. now I have a rough estimate once the construction is done

i am changing mine too....
to be done as the whole package under ID- it will be RM 20k excluding fittings.
size is about 8'x10'

Fitting could be a bomb depending what you choose
trying to make it a "hotel feel"

2 sink RM 500x2, 2 faucet Rm 350x2
show system including rain shower Rm 3000
WC..... now wondering how much to spend for a good hotel feel

thinking to get the Toto come with semi auto bidet.... that would break the bank like 7500 per set.

Hey mini orchard,

Thanks for sharing

For the Cabinetry, May I know what material did you use? I was thinking of aluminium

I am just sharing the article and not involve in the reno.

Hopefully soneone can help you with some ideas

Hi guys, I would like to share the quotation from wet work contractor for 2 old small bathroom renovation. Penang island area

1)master room bathroom（27sqft) wall tiles & floor tiles labour charge(high 8.5ft)=RM5610
1a)inlet x5=RM1100
1b)outlet x2=RM400
1c)install wc =RM250
1d)install basing =RM180
1e)install heater =RM120

2)Living room bathroom (21sqft) wall tiles & floor tiles labour charge (high 8.5ft)=RM4675
2a)inlet x5 =RM1100
2b)outlet x42 =RM400
2c)install wc =RM250
2d)install basing =RM180
2e)install heater =RM120

*Price not included Tiles, WC, Basin & toilet fittings.

If you guys have good contractor with reasonable price please share to me as well. Price above is out of my budget... is that possible both bathroom can done around 10k(not included Tiles, WC, Basin & toilet fittings )with no cut corner?

This post has been edited by lawrencehl: Apr 21 2022, 12:11 PM

Oic no worries

Thanks for sharing!

Hi im a waterproof specialize from Hin Construction Group. We are specialize in renovation and waterproofing. Our waterproofing is using the latest technology which is better and more sufficient than the traditional method. Feel free to look for me if you have any enquiries. Thanks

We also do a lot of toilet renovation.

0176396338

I’m doing two bathrooms now in a condo.

Bathroom much smaller I.e 45 sqft circa 4 sq mt. Wall 480 sq ft. Full wall tiles upto 8 feet.

Hacking, retiling, water proofing,new plumbing, reinstall wc, wash basin and water heater - workmanship including cement, waterproofing material - RM 5k per bathroom.


Tiles and fittings are mine: spending circa RM 3.2k on fittings I.e wc, wash basin, tiles, shower curtain.

Will post pics later

This post has been edited by Thasmita: Jan 7 2023, 11:41 AM

Only laying tiles are also hack old tiles?

I’m doing in KL condo. Bathroom is between 42 sq ft and 45 sq ft. All height 8feet.

RM 5 k per bathroom. Only exclude fittings.

Reasonable price for the scope of work. Local Chinese tilers or Expat?

Tile sizes? For walls, suggest using minimum C1 adhesive for small tiles, and C2 for larger tiles.