Price your bathroom renovation
Tiling scales with floor area; fittings, plumbing and waterproofing are priced as scope.
How this calculator works
- Tiled area = floor area × 5.3. Floor plus dado to about 2.1 m on a typical Mumbai bathroom's perimeter-to-area ratio. Tiling cost is that area × (your tile supply rate + ₹215 fixing), the fixing rate covering chemical adhesive, laying and grout.
- Waterproofing = floor area × the waterproofing rate. The rate already accounts for the wall height going up, which is why it rises steeply between the three options.
- Demolition is per sq ft of tiled area — ₹42 to strip tile and skirting, ₹85 to take plaster and the sunken fill out too — plus ₹4,575 for each debris run. Sanitaryware, plumbing, vanity, glass and ceiling are flat sums, because a 32 sq ft and a 48 sq ft bathroom need the same WC, the same basin and the same day of a plumber's time.
- Range = −8% to +10%, and 18% GST is shown separately.
| Waterproofing spec | Rate used | Where it belongs | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor + 300 mm skirting | ₹265 / sq ft of floor | A powder room with no shower | Two-coat acrylic polymer |
| Floor + 1.2 m walls | ₹575 / sq ft of floor | Standard family bathroom | Cementitious two-component + fillet at junctions |
| Full tanking + 1.8 m shower zone | ₹785 / sq ft of floor | Sunken slabs, top-floor and old buildings | PU or cementitious tanking, corner tapes, ponding test |
All three assume a 48-hour ponding test before tiling. If your contractor will not put that in writing, that is the finding, not the price.
| Fittings pack | Budget used | What it typically buys |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | ₹32,000 | Indian-brand WC, basin, health faucet, single-lever mixer, overhead shower |
| Premium | ₹68,000 | Jaquar or Hindware wall-hung WC with concealed cistern, counter basin, diverter |
| Luxury | ₹1,45,000 | Kohler or Grohe, thermostatic mixer, rain shower, soft-close seat |
| Designer / imported | ₹2,60,000 | Duravit, Villeroy or equivalent, concealed body mixers, custom basin |
Design and build under one accountable roof
The Mumbai-specific realities
- Sunken slabs. Most older Mumbai flats have a sunken bathroom floor filled with brickbat coba. When you strip it out you frequently find it saturated. Replacing the fill with lightweight aggregate adds ₹12,000–20,000 and is worth every rupee.
- Salt air. Within two kilometres of the sea, specify SS 304 minimum for exposed screws, hinges and shower frames, and SS 316 for anything on a west-facing wall. Chrome-plated brass survives; chrome-plated zinc does not.
- Society rules. Bathroom work means jackhammers and debris. Expect a 10am–6pm weekday window, a refundable deposit of ₹10,000–50,000, and a service-lift booking for every debris run.
- Monsoon. Waterproofing membranes need a dry substrate and a cure window. June to September work is possible but adds drying days, and any exposed external wall repair should simply wait for October.
- The flat below. Get a written acknowledgement from the downstairs neighbour before you start and after the ponding test. It costs nothing and it has settled more disputes than any warranty clause we have written.
Tiles are what people choose for three weeks. Waterproofing is what they live with for fifteen years. The budget split usually runs the other way round, and that is the whole problem.
Greenbox principal designer
Worked example: a 40 sq ft Bandra bathroom
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tiling — 212 sq ft × (₹145 supply + ₹215 fixing) | ₹76,320 |
| Waterproofing — 40 × ₹575 | ₹23,000 |
| Premium sanitaryware pack | ₹68,000 |
| Strip fittings and tiles — 212 × ₹42 + one debris run | ₹13,479 |
| Fixture swap plumbing | ₹26,000 |
| Vanity unit and mirror | ₹48,000 |
| Fixed glass panel | ₹28,000 |
| PVC ceiling | ₹9,500 |
| Sub-total ex-GST | ₹2,92,299 |
| GST @18% | ₹52,614 |
| All-in | ₹3,44,913 |
The work rates above — tile fixing, waterproofing, breaking and debris — are Greenbox’s own, taken off bathrooms we have built and billed and restated at October 2026. The sanitaryware, tile and glass figures are supply allowances at current market prices, not our rates, and they are the lines you can move most by shopping. Treat the output as a planning figure: accurate enough to brief a landlord, a bank or a spouse, and not accurate enough to sign a contract against.
What this tool does not cover
- Geyser, exhaust fan and any electrical beyond the ceiling allowance — budget ₹14,000–28,000.
- Door replacement. A swollen flush door is the most common bathroom casualty; a WPC or marine-ply door runs ₹9,000–18,000 fitted.
- Window and grille work, and louvre replacement on ventilator openings.
- Repair to the flat below if a pre-existing leak is discovered — this is a negotiation between owners, not a line in a contractor's quote.
- Society deposits, NOC fees and debris carting charges levied by the building.
- Structural changes to the sunken slab depth, which need an RCC consultant's opinion.
- For whole-flat work, use the renovation cost calculator instead of adding bathrooms one at a time.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to renovate a bathroom in Mumbai?+
₹1.3–1.6 lakh for a basic refit with ceramic tiles and Indian-brand fittings, ₹2.7–3.2 lakh for a premium 40 sq ft bathroom with proper waterproofing and a glass panel, and ₹4.7–7.2 lakh at luxury or imported specification. Add 18% GST and society deposits.
How much should waterproofing cost?+
₹265 per sq ft of floor area for a skirting detail, ₹575 for floor plus 1.2 m walls, and ₹785 for full tanking with a 1.8 m shower zone. On a 40 sq ft bathroom that is ₹10,600 to ₹31,400 — between 4% and 11% of a typical renovation, and the last line to cut.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?+
Three to four weeks for a standard refit: two days of demolition, two days of plumbing, waterproofing plus a 48-hour ponding test, four to five days of tiling and curing, then fittings and glass. Relocating the WC adds seven to ten days. Society working-hour limits typically add another 20%.
Can I renovate a bathroom without breaking the floor?+
Yes, if the existing waterproofing is sound and you are only changing fittings and wall tiles. Tiling over an existing floor raises the level by 12–15 mm, which can foul the door and reverse the drainage slope — check both before committing. If the floor has ever leaked, break it.
What is a ponding test and why does it matter?+
After waterproofing, the bathroom is plugged and flooded to about 50 mm for 48 hours while the ceiling below is watched for damp. It is the only honest proof the membrane works, it costs nothing but time, and its absence is the most common reason a Mumbai bathroom leaks within two monsoons.