15 Years
Waterproofing guarantee
BP1021390
Licensed Building Practitioner
PSA127420
Producer statement author
30 Years
Renovating Auckland bathrooms
1,200+
Bathrooms completed in Auckland
4.7 ★
From 70+ Google reviews
What we renovate in Howick
Howick Bathroom Renovation Services
We handle six kinds of bathroom work across Howick, from full family bathrooms to a single separate toilet.
Main bathroom
Full Bathroom Renovations
Most Howick calls are for the main family bathroom, and we take that room back to the framing. New linings, a waterproofing membrane under every tiled surface, the shower, vanity, toilet, tiles, lighting and a ducted extractor fan all sit on one written quote. Tell Nick whether the bath stays. Leaving the bath, shower and toilet where they are keeps the drainage under the floor as it is, and the job runs shorter.
Ensuite
Ensuite Renovations
A third of Howick homes have four or more bedrooms, and a house that size usually has an ensuite off the main bedroom. We renovate ensuites on their own or on the same programme as the main bathroom, which means one strip-out and one set of trades. Ensuites are often tight, so a wall-hung vanity, a recessed niche and a single frameless glass panel are how we win back floor space.
Walk-in shower
Walk-In Showers for Easier Access
Almost 15% of people in Howick were 65 or older at the 2023 Census. For those households we swap a step-in bath for a walk-in shower with a low entry, fix grab rails to blocking set into the wall framing, and place a shower seat or a low niche within reach. Blocking goes in while the walls are open. Planning the rails now costs far less than adding them after the tiles are on.
Townhouse and unit
Townhouse and Unit Bathrooms
About one in four Howick homes is a townhouse, unit or apartment. Bathrooms in joined homes share walls, and sometimes floors, with a neighbour, so we plan noise, access and working hours before the strip-out. In a unit title property, check your body corporate rules before you book, because some cover work on common walls and pipes. Nick lines the trades up tightly so the room is out of use for the shortest time.
Rental
Rental Bathroom Renovations
More than a third of Howick households rent, and landlords call us when a rental bathroom is past patching. We fit finishes that stand up to tenants: large-format tiles with fewer grout lines, a shower on a new waterproofing membrane and a wall-hung vanity that is easy to clean under. Every rental bathroom gets an extractor fan ducted outside. Give Nick the tenancy dates and he will fit the work between tenants where he can.
Separate toilet
Separate Toilet Renovations
A separate toilet beside the bathroom is common in family homes, and we renovate it on its own or on the same programme as the bathroom. The small room still gets a new floor, new linings, a new pan and a basin where there is space. If the toilet shares a wall with the bathroom, doing both rooms together means the plumber and the tiler each visit once.
What happens after you call
How a Howick Bathroom Renovation Runs, Step by Step
1. Free site visit in Howick. Nick measures the room, looks at the floor, the window and the pipework he can see, and asks how you use the bathroom each day. Nothing is pulled out before you accept a quote.
2. One written quote. Every trade, fixture and finish sits on a single quote, with the timeframe for your room.
3. Choosing fittings. You pick the tiles, tapware, vanity and shower glass. Nick checks each choice against the room and the budget before anything is ordered.
4. Strip-out and rebuild. The room goes back to the framing. Plumbing, wiring, linings and the waterproofing membrane go in before a single tile is laid. On a consented job, Nick signs the PS3 for the waterproofing as a registered producer statement author (PSA127420).
5. Fit-off and handover. The vanity, toilet, glass, tapware and fan go in last. Nick walks you through the finished room and shows you how the fan and waste outlets come apart for cleaning.
Bathroom renovation prices in Howick
What a Howick Bathroom Renovation Costs
Howick bathrooms sit in the same three price bands as the rest of our Auckland work. Your written quote after the site visit is the figure to plan on.
$15,000 to $28,000
Small bathroom or ensuite in the same layout
$22,000 to $40,000
Complete renovation of a standard bathroom
$40,000 to $65,000+
Luxury bathroom with stone, heated floors or a freestanding bath
A BRANZ study of the 2018/19 Pilot Housing Survey found that 45% of owner-occupied homes and 69% of rented homes needed some bathroom maintenance, and bathrooms cost more to maintain than kitchens or laundries. A full renovation replaces the linings, waterproofing and fittings that a maintenance bill keeps returning to.
What moves the number
What Changes the Price of Bathroom Renovations in Howick
Five things move a Howick quote more than anything else.
Bath or walk-in shower
Swapping a bath for a walk-in shower changes the floor, the waste position and the waterproofing detail.
Timber floor or slab
A timber floor can take a recessed shower tray. A concrete slab has to be cut for any waste that moves.
Tile size and pattern
Large-format tiles cover more wall per hour than mosaics, pebbles or a herringbone lay.
Moving fixtures
Keeping the toilet, shower and basin in place leaves the drainage under the floor as it is.
Access in joined homes
Shared walls, stairs and tight parking add set-up time for every trade on the job.
Recent work next to Howick
A Pebble-Floor Shower in Cockle Bay, Next to Howick
This bathroom in Cockle Bay, just east of Howick Beach, is built around a walk-in shower. The shower floor is a river-pebble mosaic that falls one way to a linear strip drain, and white subway tiles run to the ceiling.
Three recessed niches hold the bottles, and two of them carry the same pebbles as the floor. A wall-hung oak-look vanity and a tall cabinet keep the rest of the room clear.
The Cockle Bay pebble shower project shows each niche up close, with more photos of the finished room.
Walk-through of the Cockle Bay bathroom
Howick homes at the 2023 Census
Damp and Mould Across Howick, West to East
Howick West, Howick Central and Howick East held 11,523 residents in 4,011 occupied homes at the 2023 Census.
22.0%
of Howick West homes were damp, against 15.7% in Howick East
20.3%
of Howick West homes had mould larger than an A4 sheet
36.7%
of Howick households rented their home
Damp in a bathroom starts with steam that has nowhere to go. We duct every extractor fan to the outside and place it close to the shower, where the steam starts.
Landlords have a firm rule to meet. Under the Healthy Homes ventilation standard, a bathroom fan installed after 1 July 2019 needs a diameter of at least 120 mm including ducting, or an exhaust capacity of at least 25 litres per second, and it must vent outside.
Howick also skews older than the city. 14.8% of residents across the three census areas were 65 or older, against 13.3% for Auckland, which is why walk-in showers and grab rails come up at so many of our Howick site visits.
Recent Alchemy bathrooms
Finished Bathrooms From Recent Alchemy Jobs
These rooms come from recent Alchemy jobs across Auckland. Tap a photo to open it full size.
From the Google Business Profile
Shower Room and Two-Bathroom Reviews From Alchemy Clients
Priscilla Allan
Edited 2025
Alchemy were my third quote. Nick had an instant understanding of the situation and could see clearly what needed, and what did not need to be, fixed/replaced/improved. The outcome is a functional, quality, built to last shower room. The team: Nick, Lucas, Steve and the plumbers all took pride in their work. Nick actively managed the project, also doing some building work himself. The attention to detail makes a big difference to the end result. It looks awesome. I have included before photos, and work in progress photos. Sadly the final touches were not up to standard, perhaps because we were doing the painting ourselves.
Adam Gaskill
July 2026
Alchemy Bathrooms managed our bathroom renovation from end to end, making the whole process simple and stress-free. Nick made excellent design suggestions, coordinated all the tradies, and delivered the project on time and within budget. The quality of the finished work is very high, and Nick also took care to minimise mess and disruption throughout. Highly recommended.
Tom Sam
2024
We recently had two bathrooms renovated by Nick and his team at Alchemy Bathrooms.The guys were polite, listened to our wishes and worked well with us.They stuck to budget and time frames.We are happy with the result and would use Alchemy again.
Questions Howick homeowners ask
Bathroom Renovations Howick FAQs
Between $15,000 and $65,000 with Alchemy. A small bathroom or ensuite in the same layout sits at $15,000 to $28,000, a complete standard bathroom at $22,000 to $40,000, and a luxury bathroom from $40,000. Your written quote after the free site visit is the number to plan on.
Book a Howick Bathroom Site Visit
Ring 09 884 6535 to book a free site visit in any part of Howick. Let Nick know if the house is a rental, and how many bathrooms you want done.
Phone
Hours
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm
Address
Suite 7646, 17B Farnham Street, Parnell, Auckland 1052
Service area
All of Auckland: North Shore, West, East, South and Central
Contact Alchemy
Alchemy Bathroom Renovations Auckland
Led by Nick McKelvie, Licensed Building Practitioner BP1021390 and producer statement author PSA127420. Complete bathroom, ensuite, small bathroom, villa, laundry and commercial renovations across Auckland, with a 15-year guarantee on the waterproofing.
Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Free site visits across Auckland.
