Choosing a renovation package should feel like ordering off a set menu, not decoding a wine list. Yet most people comparing bathroom renovation packages Gold Coast companies advertise end up staring at three columns of product names, quietly wondering what actually changes between them. At Capital Bathrooms the answer is simpler than it looks. Essentials, Plus+ and Premier all include the same core build: design, demolition, waterproofing, tiling, plumbing, electrical and a 6-year workmanship warranty. What changes is the finish level, how far the tiles travel up the wall, and how considered the room feels when you walk in. Here is how the three compare, and how to work out which one suits your space and your budget.
What Every Capital Bathrooms Package Includes
Before the differences, the common ground. Whichever collection you choose, the scope of works is the same:
- Bathroom planning and design, including a floor plan and tile layout adapted to your room
- Full strip out of existing tiles and fixtures
- Waterproofing to Australian Standards
- Wall and floor tiling
- Vanity, mirror, toilet, bath, shower fixtures and screen
- All trades: plumbing, electrical and painting
- A 6-year workmanship warranty, plus a 6-year waterproofing guarantee
That last point matters more than the tapware. Waterproofing is the one part of a bathroom you will never see and can never inspect once the tiles go on, which is exactly why the National Construction Code sets out where and how wet areas must be protected. In Queensland the work must be carried out by a licensed contractor, and it is always worth running any renovator through the QBCC licensed contractor search before you sign. Capital Bathrooms holds QBCC licence 15117078.
All three packages also draw tiles from the same allowance, so the tile budget is not what separates them. The difference is coverage.
Essentials: The Efficient Starting Point
The Essentials Collection is built for small apartments, bungalows and rental properties that need a clean, durable refresh rather than a showpiece. Every inclusion is chosen for reliability and value.
You get chrome tapware, an all directional shower head, an acrylic inset bath, a floor mounted vanity with a moulded top, a close coupled dual flush toilet, a fully framed shower screen and a polished edge mirror. Accessories cover a double towel rail and toilet roll holder.
Tiling is where Essentials shows its budget focus. You get a tile skirt around the perimeter of the room, half wall tiling behind the bath to 1200mm, shower walls tiled to 2100mm, and floor tiles. Everything else is painted wall.
For investment property bathrooms, this is often the smartest money. The toilet alone earns its keep: the Australian Government’s Water Rating scheme calculates that swapping an old 12 litre single flush toilet for a 4-star model saves a family of four around 50,000 litres and $148 a year. Tenants notice a bathroom that works. They rarely notice a feature wall.
Plus+: The Most Popular Middle Ground
The Plus+ Package is the one most Gold Coast homeowners land on, and it is easy to see why. It takes the Essentials scope and upgrades the pieces you touch and look at every day.
The framed shower screen becomes semi frameless. The all directional shower head becomes a multifunction shower rail. The vanity gains a ceramic top with a moulded basin, the toilet becomes a rimless back to wall suite, and the accessory set expands to include a hand towel rail and robe hook.
The bigger visual shift is tiling. Instead of a skirt, half wall tiling wraps the entire bathroom perimeter to 1200mm, shower walls still run to 2100mm, and a feature tile goes into the shower niche. That wrap around band is what makes a Plus+ bathroom read as renovated rather than repaired.
If you are renovating to sell, this is usually the sweet spot. It photographs well, it inspects well, and it avoids overcapitalising on a room buyers expect to be clean and current rather than custom.
Premier: Maximum Impact
The Premier Package is for owners staying put, or lifting a property into a higher bracket. It changes the shape of the room, not just the fittings.
A freestanding bath replaces the inset. The vanity becomes wall hung with a 20mm solid surface top and an above counter ceramic basin. The shower screen is frameless toughened glass. A mirrored shaving cabinet replaces the flat mirror, and the tapware steps up to a higher WELS rated range.
Tiling is the headline. Premier tiles the full height of the bathroom perimeter, adds a feature tile to one wall and another to the shower niche. No painted wall, no visible tile line. It is the difference between a bathroom that looks tidy and one that looks designed.
Bathroom Renovation Packages Gold Coast Homeowners Compare: Side by Side
| Feature | Essentials | Plus+ | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Apartments, rentals, budget refresh | Family homes, pre-sale, most renovations | Forever homes, value uplift |
| Shower screen | Fully framed | Semi frameless | Frameless toughened glass |
| Bath | Acrylic inset | Acrylic inset | Freestanding (1500 or 1700) |
| Vanity | Floor mount, moulded top | Floor mount, ceramic top | Wall hung, solid surface top, above counter basin |
| Toilet | Close coupled dual flush | Rimless back to wall | Rimless back to wall |
| Mirror | Polished edge | Polished edge | Mirrored shaving cabinet |
| Shower fitting | All directional head | Multifunction rail | Multifunction rail |
| Wall tiling | Perimeter skirt, half wall behind bath | Half wall to full perimeter | Full height to perimeter |
| Feature tiling | None | Shower niche | Feature wall and shower niche |
| Warranty | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years |
Which Package Fits Your Budget?
Budget is rarely the only question. Work through these three instead.
How long are you keeping the property? Under three years, Essentials or Plus+ will almost always return more than they cost. Longer than five, Premier stops being an indulgence and starts being amortised.
Who uses the room? A main family bathroom takes a beating and benefits from the wrap around tiling in Plus+, which protects more wall surface. A rarely used guest bathroom does not need it.
What is the rest of the house like? A Premier bathroom in an otherwise original home can look stranded. Match the room to the property, not to the brochure.
For realistic figures on where Gold Coast renovation budgets are currently sitting, our guide to bathroom renovation costs in Australia breaks down the tiers in detail. Package pricing is quoted after an onsite measure, because the size of your room and the condition behind the tiles change the number more than the fittings do. If timing matters more than lump sum, Renovate Now, Pay Later options are available.
What Sits Outside the Package Price
All inclusive means the scope is fixed, not that nothing can be added. The common extras worth knowing about before you plan:
- Non standard tile sizes or laying patterns: herringbone, hexagon and brick bond patterns take more labour and more cutting, so they carry an additional cost.
- Tiles above the included allowance: upgrade freely, just budget for the difference.
- Asbestos removal: if testing confirms asbestos, removal must be done by a licensed contractor and is quoted separately.
- Colour consultation: an optional personalised session at the supplier showroom, credited back off your contract if you proceed.
Full detail on inclusions and exclusions sits on the Capital Bathrooms FAQ page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a bathroom renovation package cost on the Gold Coast?
Package pricing depends on the size of your bathroom, the condition of the existing room and your selections, so quotes are provided after a complimentary onsite inspection. A standard mid range Gold Coast bathroom renovation currently sits above $28,000, though smaller rooms and simpler scopes come in lower.
Can I mix inclusions between packages?
Yes. Plenty of clients start with Plus+ and upgrade a single element, such as the shower screen or the bath. Your renovation specialist can price individual upgrades, and if none of the collections suit, a fully custom selection is also available.
How long does a package bathroom renovation take?
A standard full bathroom renovation usually takes four to five weeks. Much of that is non negotiable drying time for waterproofing to comply with Australian Standards, plus lead times on any custom ordered products. Your fixed price proposal includes an estimated timeline.
Do the packages include waterproofing and electrical work?
Yes. Waterproofing to Australian Standards, plumbing and electrical are included, carried out by licensed in house trades. Capital Bathrooms holds QBCC licence 15117078 and is fully insured for all work undertaken.
Which package is best for an investment property?
Essentials is the usual choice for rentals and short hold investments, because it delivers a fully compliant, durable bathroom without spending on finishes tenants will not pay a premium for. If the property sits in a higher rental bracket, Plus+ often justifies the step up.
The Verdict
Essentials if the bathroom needs to work properly and the budget needs to behave. Plus+ if you want the room to feel genuinely renovated and you are open to a modest step up, which is why it remains the most popular of the three. Premier if you are staying, entertaining, or lifting the property into a different category.
None of the three cuts corners on the parts you cannot see. The waterproofing, the licensed trades and the 6-year warranty are identical across all of them. What you are choosing is how far the finish goes.
Browse the full bathroom renovation packages Gold Coast collection, take a look through the before and after gallery to see each level in real homes, then book your consultation and we will measure up, talk through the options and put a fixed price in front of you.
