At a Glance
Shower leak repair in Sydney ranges from $250 to $4,000 per job. A reseal with new silicone and grout sits at the bottom. A full strip-out with membrane replacement and retiling sits at the top. If your shower has been leaking into the room below, the membrane has likely failed and a reseal alone will not fix it.
What's Included in the Price
For a reseal: removing old silicone and grout, cleaning joints, and applying new sealant. For a membrane repair: removing tiles in the affected area, stripping the failed membrane, repairing substrate damage, applying a new membrane under AS 3740 Waterproofing of Domestic Wet Areas, inspecting the membrane, and retiling. A diagnostic callout fee applies. Leak detection testing (flooding the shower base to confirm whether the membrane has failed) may be offered as a separate line item. Cosmetic repair to ceilings or walls damaged by the leak is not included and needs a separate trade.
What Affects the Cost
- Surface problem vs membrane failure. Cracked grout or peeling silicone is a surface fix. Water staining on the ceiling below means the membrane has failed. Very different costs.
- How long the leak has been going. Weeks of leaking causes surface damage. Months or years of leaking rots timber framing and creates structural problems that must be fixed before re-waterproofing.
- Shower type. Hobless walk-in showers have more membrane area and more complex junctions than step-up designs.
- Timber subfloor condition. Many Sydney terraces and older homes have timber-framed bathroom floors. If the timber has rotted from prolonged leaking, it needs to be replaced before new waterproofing goes on.
- Previous repairs. If regrouting or injection sealing has already been tried and the leak returned, the membrane has failed. The money spent on those repairs is gone.
- Strata and insurance. In apartments, a leaking shower that damages the unit below involves the body corporate. Strata insurance may cover some of the damage, but the waterproofing repair itself is typically the unit owner's responsibility.
A silicone reseal on a standard shower with intact membrane in a post-2000 home sits toward $250. A full strip-out and re-waterproofing in an older terrace with a timber subfloor, rotted framing, and retiling pushes toward $4,000.
Sydney-Specific Considerations
Shower leaks are one of the most common waterproofing issues in Sydney, driven by the city's ageing apartment stock and older inner-city terraces.
Inner-city terraces. Balmain, Newtown, Surry Hills, Marrickville. Timber-framed bathroom floors are standard. When the waterproofing membrane fails, water penetrates the timber, which swells and rots over time. By the time the homeowner notices a stain on the ceiling below, the timber framing may already be compromised. Repair in these homes frequently involves replacing sections of timber framing before the new membrane can go on.
Apartments. Sydney's 1990s and 2000s apartment buildings are now reaching the age where original waterproofing is failing. In a strata building, a shower leak that reaches the unit below creates a dispute about responsibility. Under NSW strata law, waterproofing within your lot boundary is your problem. If it damages common property or another lot, the body corporate and strata insurance get involved. Start with your strata manager.
Injection sealing. Popular in Sydney as a first attempt. Products injected behind tiles can stop a leak temporarily, but if the membrane itself has failed, it is not a permanent fix. If you have had injection sealing done and the leak has returned, the next step is a full strip-out.
Water travels sideways. The stain on your ceiling or wall may not be directly below the leak source. Water follows framing members and gravity, and the visible damage can appear some distance from the actual point of membrane failure. A leak detection test isolates the source before any tiles come off.
Hiring a Licensed Waterproofer in NSW
Shower leak repair involving waterproofing membrane work must be performed by a licensed waterproofer. In NSW, verify licences through NSW Fair Trading. A contractor licence is required for work over $5,000 including GST.
Ask for:
- Current NSW waterproofing licence number
- Leak detection test results before committing to a full strip-out
- Compliance certificate on completion
- Confirmation of pre-tiling inspection if membrane is replaced
Red flags: Recommending a full strip-out without first testing whether the membrane has actually failed. Quoting a reseal when there is obvious staining on the ceiling below (a reseal will not fix a membrane failure). No licence number provided.
How We Calculate
Estimates are based on surveyed rates from licensed waterproofers in the Sydney metropolitan area, adjusted for typical property construction in NSW. All prices include GST. Figures cover standard residential shower leak repairs. Full bathroom waterproofing, cosmetic repairs to adjacent rooms, and commercial work fall outside these ranges.