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
North Shore bathroom services
North Shore Bathroom Renovations for Villas, Family Homes and Townhouses
Each card below matches a kind of North Shore house and the bathroom it usually comes with.
Full Bathroom Renovations
Our full renovations on the North Shore take the room back to the framing, with every lining, pipe and fitting replaced.
You get a new waterproofing membrane under the tiles, a shower floor that falls to the waste and an extractor ducted to open air.
Keep the layout and the plumber reuses the existing drain positions. Say at the site visit if the toilet or shower should move.
Villa and Bungalow Bathrooms
We renovate villa bathrooms in Devonport, Stanley Point and Northcote Point, where the floor and framing decide much of the job.
Once the linings are off, Nick checks the timber framing and subfloor, then the floor is levelled and re-sheeted before waterproofing.
On a Special Character house, a new or moved window is an exterior alteration under the overlay, so raise it with your designer before we quote.
Ensuites and Second Bathrooms
We add ensuites and second bathrooms to North Shore family homes that were built with a single bathroom.
An ensuite needs a drain run, a vent and a waterproofed floor, so Nick checks the floor type and the route to the sewer first.
Doing the main bathroom in the same job shares the plumber, electrician and tiler across both rooms.
Tiled Walk-In Showers
Our tiled walk-in showers go where an old bath with a shower over it used to sit.
The floor is graded to a linear or centre waste, and a frameless screen replaces the curtain and the step.
Auckland Council requires a building consent for a tiled wet-area shower. You or your designer apply, and Nick signs the PS3 covering the waterproofing.
Apartment and Townhouse Bathrooms
We plan apartment and townhouse bathrooms in Takapuna, Albany and Hobsonville around the building as much as the room.
A body corporate can set work hours, lift bookings and approval steps, so send its rules to us before the site visit.
Compact rooms get wall-hung vanities and frameless glass to keep the floor clear and easy to clean.
Accessible and Age-Friendly Bathrooms
Accessible bathrooms we build suit North Shore owners planning to stay put, with a level-entry shower, a comfort-height toilet and grab-rail backing.
At the 2023 Census, 18.6% of Hibiscus and Bays residents were aged 65 or over.
Backing goes into the wall during the renovation, so rails can be fixed later without lifting tiles.
What happens when you call
From Site Visit to Handover on the North Shore
Five steps, from the first phone call to handover.
Free Visit, Body Corporate Rules Checked
Nick measures the room, looks at the plumbing he can see and asks about access, parking and any body corporate rules. No charge and no obligation.
Written Quote Before Booking
The quote lists every trade, every fixture and the build order, with a start date that suits you.
Strip-Out and Framing Check
Strip-out takes the room down to bare studs. Damp or rotten timber found behind old linings is priced and approved before it is replaced.
Waterproofing Membrane, Then Tiles
Once the waterproofing membrane has cured, the tiler, plumber and electrician fit the tiles, vanity, shower, toilet and extractor.
Walk-Through and PS3
You walk the finished room with Nick. On a consented job he issues the PS3, and the waterproofing carries a 15-year guarantee.
Free, no-obligation site visit
Ask for a Written North Shore Quote
Tell Nick your suburb and the bathroom you want changed. He books a time that suits you, Monday to Friday, and quotes the whole job in writing.
North Shore bathroom prices
North Shore Bathroom Renovation Prices, Villa to Townhouse
$15,000 to $65,000+
Most North Shore bathrooms land between $15,000 and $40,000. Villa bathrooms with floor framing work, and large master bathrooms, sit higher.
A compact ensuite still needs a plumber, an electrician, a tiler and a waterproofing membrane, so it does not cost half of a main bathroom.
Use the table to plan. Nick confirms your figure in writing after the site visit.
| North Shore bathroom | Range | What sits in it |
|---|---|---|
| Ensuite or small bathroom, same layout | $15,000 to $28,000 | Strip-out, linings, waterproofing membrane, tiles, vanity, shower, toilet and ducted fan. Typical of Albany and Hobsonville townhouse rooms |
| Full renovation of a family bathroom | $22,000 to $40,000 | A 1960s or 1970s Glenfield or Beach Haven bathroom, including a bath swap or a new tiled walk-in shower |
| Villa bathroom with floor work, or a high-spec master bathroom | $40,000 to $65,000+ | Framing and levelling under a Devonport villa bathroom, or stone, underfloor heating and a freestanding bath |
| Apartment bathroom in Takapuna or Albany | Quoted per job | Priced on lift access, parking and body corporate working hours |
What moves a North Shore price
Five Price Drivers on North Shore Jobs
Each of these comes from the age or type of the house, and Nick tells you at the site visit which ones apply.
Villa floor framing
Old timber under a Devonport or Northcote Point bathroom can need replacing and levelling before the waterproofing membrane goes down.
Pre-2000 linings
Bath panels and wet-area linings in older homes can contain asbestos. Testing, and removal where it is found, adds cost and time.
Adding an ensuite
A new ensuite in a 1960s house needs a new drain run, a vent and a framed wall, so it costs more than a room renovated in place.
Apartment access
Lift bookings, limited parking and body corporate hours add time to apartment work in Takapuna and Albany.
Consent for a tiled shower
A tiled wet-area shower needs a building consent in Auckland, which brings council fees and inspections.
Why North Shore homeowners call Alchemy
What North Shore Clients Get From Alchemy
Six reasons that come up in North Shore conversations and reviews.
Nick's LBP licence on every job
Nick McKelvie holds LBP number BP1021390. Restricted building work is done or supervised by him.
Producer statement for the shower
Nick is a registered producer statement author, PSA127420, and issues the PS3 for the waterproofing on a consented job.
15-year waterproofing membrane guarantee
Each North Shore bathroom has its waterproofing membrane guaranteed for 15 years from the handover date.
Fans ducted outside, not into the roof
Every extractor Alchemy fits is ducted outside, so the steam leaves the house.
One written quote for every trade
One written quote covers the plumber, electrician, tiler and every fixture. Hidden damage is priced and approved first.
Reviewed in Hillcrest and across the Shore
Neelam in Hillcrest and Dawn on the North Shore both reviewed their renovated bathrooms on Google.
North Shore housing
Bathrooms in North Shore Homes, Era by Era
The age of a North Shore house tells Nick most of what the strip-out will find. These four eras cover most of the Shore's streets, and each one changes the bathroom work.
Villas on the Devonport and Northcote Peninsulas
Villa bathrooms on the Devonport and Northcote peninsulas start with the floor. The back of a villa was usually its service area, often built as a lean-to. When an old bathroom there comes out, Nick checks the floor framing for water damage before the floor is levelled and a new waterproofing membrane goes down, guaranteed for 15 years from handover.
Auckland Council's special character findings date Devonport's villas to the 1880s to 1910s, and Northcote Point and Birkenhead Point keep groups of villas, bungalows and state houses. All of these areas sit in the Special Character Areas overlay.
Bungalows and Cottages Around Stanley Point
In a 1920s or 1930s bungalow, opening the wall between a small bathroom and a separate toilet makes room for a walk-in shower and a full-size vanity, planned around the existing waste.
Stanley Point has bungalows and English Cottage homes from those decades, built after the villa years.
Post-Bridge Family Homes in Glenfield and Beach Haven
Bathrooms in 1960s and 1970s North Shore homes often pair a bath and over-bath shower with a fan venting into the roof space. We swap the bath for a walk-in shower, duct the fan outside and can add an ensuite in the same job.
The Shore grew fast after the Auckland Harbour Bridge opened in 1959. Te Ara records cheap housing subdivisions in Birkdale and Beach Haven, and Glenfield developing in the 1960s as coastal land ran out. WorkSafe NZ says a building from before 2000 probably contains some asbestos, so suspect linings get checked before the strip-out.
Newer Homes in Albany and Hobsonville
Bathrooms in Albany and Hobsonville homes are younger and often upstairs. Homes built between the late 1980s and mid-2000s with monolithic cladding carry a leaky-building risk, so Nick looks for staining or soft linings near the shower before the rebuild is priced.
Albany and Hobsonville were planned growth areas from the 1990s, and Hobsonville Point was a defence base until 2011. Upper Harbour grew 22.5% between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses.
Era dates come from Auckland Council's special character area findings for the North Shore, Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, and the Real Estate Authority's settled.govt.nz guidance on leaky buildings.
24.7%
Damp homes, Kaipātiki
11.6%
Damp homes, Upper Harbour
What the census says about North Shore homes
Damp Homes, Big Houses and Bathroom Consent on the North Shore
Damp on the Shore varies a lot by area. At the 2023 Census, 24.7% of occupied homes in Kaipātiki, which takes in Birkenhead, Glenfield and Northcote, were damp always or sometimes, against 11.6% in newer Upper Harbour. An older bathroom with no ducted fan pushes that moisture into the ceiling, so every Alchemy quote includes an extractor ducted to open air.
Houses here are big. About 39% of North Shore homes had four or more bedrooms at the 2023 Census, and a four-bedroom house with one bathroom is the usual starting point for an ensuite.
Auckland Council's renovation guidance says a tiled wet-area shower needs a building consent, while swapping fixtures in their existing positions usually does not. Devonport, Stanley Point, Northcote Point and Birkenhead Point also sit in the Special Character Areas overlay, which covers exterior changes. Alchemy does not apply for consents. You or your designer lodge the application, and Nick provides the PS3 for the waterproofing.
North Shore jobs
Finished Bathrooms on the North Shore
Two finished North Shore jobs. Each one has its own project page with more photos and the work done.
Family Bathroom and Ensuite, Bayview
A freestanding bath sits under the sloped ceiling of the family bathroom, and the ensuite has a walk-in shower under a skylight. See our bathroom renovations in Bayview.
Main Bathroom, Albany
A white bath with a matte black wall spout, white subway tiles and a frameless shower door with a black pull handle. View the Albany bathroom renovation.
Planning a bathroom in Devonport? The page on Devonport bathroom renovations covers costs, price factors and 2023 Census figures for the suburb.
From the Google Business Profile
What North Shore Clients Say on Google
Neelam Sharma
Edited June 2026
We have been using our bathroom for over 4 years now which was renovated by Nick and his team in Hillcrest, North Shore. They did an amazing job. Nick gave us a reasonable quote. The whole team was professional and polite. … Nick also helped us with any decision making about the tiles, fixtures and fittings.
Dawn Allen
August 2026
Nick and his subbie team of electricians, plumbers, tilers etc came through to fully renovate our North Shore 1980’s master and ensuite bathrooms. They finished it all within 6 weeks. … Very thankful to Nick and his team for doing such a great job at a reasonable cost.
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.
Before you book the site visit
Questions From North Shore Homeowners
Most North Shore bathrooms cost $15,000 to $40,000, and villa or high-spec master bathrooms run to $65,000 and above. Nick prices yours in writing after a free site visit.
Book Nick for a North Shore Site Visit
Send the form below or call to book the free site visit anywhere on the North Shore. Nick sends a written quote that lists every trade and every fixture.
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.
All of Auckland
North Shore, West, East, South and Central Auckland.
Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Free site visits across Auckland.
