Tradie battle between WA and Qld: what it means for costs
Perth and Queensland builders are chasing skilled trades as NSW and Victoria soften. Here is what we think that means for renovation quotes.
Competition for skilled tradies is shifting between the states, and it is more likely to firm up renovation prices in Western Australia and Queensland than to bring them down anywhere. That is our reading of a story in the Australian Financial Review, and it is a judgement, not a forecast of exact prices.
What happened
According to AFR, Australia's shortage of skilled workers has not gone away, but weakness in NSW and Victoria over the next 12 months could give the resource-rich states of WA and Queensland a boost.
The report describes how Perth-based Summit Homes moved quickly after hearing that tradies from the collapsed developer Bathla were looking for work. Its managers flew to Sydney, interviewed bricklayers, carpenters and painters, and offered contracts within the week. The company hired 12 tradies and, according to AFR, already employs 100 Filipino skilled workers.
That is all the article text we have to go on, so we are not drawing conclusions about wages or specific trades beyond what it says.
Why it matters for your quote
Labour is the biggest part of most renovation jobs. When we build an estimate, we multiply labour hours by local rates, then add materials, and check the result against market prices and real quotes. If tradies are in short supply in your state, the rate side of that sum is the one under pressure.
In practical terms:
- WA and Queensland: builders competing for staff may mean tighter availability and firmer rates, particularly for trades involved in building work such as carpentry, brickwork and painting.
- NSW and Victoria: softer activity could free up some capacity, which may help with getting a start date. It does not guarantee lower prices, because the shortage is national.
- Everywhere: the shortage has not gone away, so expect good tradies to stay busy.
Projects most exposed to trade labour
Jobs that rely on several trades over many weeks are the most sensitive to labour costs. Our current typical figures, including GST, are:
| Project | Typical (mid tier) | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom renovation | $21,900 | $17,100 – $28,500 |
| Kitchen renovation | $20,000 | $15,600 – $26,000 |
| Interior painting | $6,500 | $5,050 – $8,450 |
| Decking | $12,100 | $9,400 – $15,700 |
| Fencing | $3,800 | $2,950 – $4,950 |
See our full [bathroom cost guide](Bathroom renovation) for what drives the spread, and the [kitchen guide](Kitchen renovation) if that is your project. Painting is a good example of a trade-heavy job: our [interior painting guide](Interior painting) shows how scope changes the price.
Licensed work is less flexible. Electrical and plumbing must be done by licensed tradespeople under state licensing, so you cannot simply widen the pool to find a cheaper option on those parts of a job.
What to do if you are planning work
- Get at least three quotes, and make sure each covers the same scope so you can compare them fairly.
- Ask about start dates as well as price. In a tight market, a firm start date is worth something.
- Be wary of quotes that are well below the rest. Check licences and what is excluded.
- Lock in details early. Late changes to a job usually cost more in labour than the materials themselves.
- Check your quote against ours. Our quote checker ("is my quote fair") lets you compare a figure you have been given with the live cost model for your region.
Our view
One news story about one builder hiring 12 tradies does not move the national price of a bathroom. What it does show is that firms in WA and Queensland are actively recruiting, and that is the kind of pressure that tends to keep labour rates firm. We will keep our cost model under review and update the figures above as market prices and the quotes we see change.
If you are budgeting for a renovation, treat the typical figure as a midpoint and allow room within the range, especially in states where builders are competing for staff.