Timber restoration in Melbourne typically costs between $30 and $100+ per square metre, depending on the job. Deck strip-and-refinish work runs $50 to $100+ per square metre, while floor sanding and refinishing sits at $30 to $80 per square metre. Board replacement, window repairs, and weatherboard work are priced as separate line items on top of that.
Those figures are a starting point, not a quote. No two heritage homes carry the same damage, timber species, or access challenges, so a fixed price only comes from an on-site inspection.
- Deck strip and refinish: $1,500–$4,500 for a 20–25m² deck
- Floor sanding and refinish: $350–$1,800 depending on room size
- Board replacement: $80–$200 per linear metre
- Full rebuild: $6,000–$18,000+
Coastal and bushfire premiums: properties in Bayside suburbs often need 316 stainless steel fixings to resist salt corrosion, and homes in Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) zones require bushfire-rated timber and detailing. Both push the quote higher than a standard inner-suburb job.
Key Takeaways
Timber restoration cost in Melbourne depends on job type, timber condition, and specification, with an on-site inspection the only reliable way to get a fixed price.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Deck restoration pricing | Strip and refinish typically costs $50–$100+ per square metre, or $1,500–$4,500 for a 20–25m² deck. |
| Floor restoration pricing | Sanding and refinishing runs $30–$80 per square metre, with small rooms from $350–$800. |
| Coastal and bushfire premiums | Bayside properties often need 316 stainless fixings, and BAL zones require bushfire-rated timber, both raising cost. |
| Inspection comes first | Structural assessments cost around $250–$600 and are essential before any fixed quote is issued. |
| Sol Shine’s approach | Sol Shine provides on-site inspections and itemised quotes for timber restoration alongside painting and heritage work across Melbourne’s inner east and bayside suburbs. |
Table of Contents
- What does timber restoration cost in Melbourne by job type?
- What makes a timber restoration quote go up or down?
- How do I get and compare quotes for timber restoration?
- How often should timber restoration be maintained?
- Should you restore or replace ageing timber?
- What Melbourne homeowners consistently get wrong about timber restoration
- How Sol Shine handles timber restoration across Melbourne
- Frequently asked questions about timber restoration costs
- Sources
What does timber restoration cost in Melbourne by job type?
Every timber restoration job carries its own pricing logic, and lumping them together is where a lot of homeowner budgeting goes wrong. Here’s how the major categories typically break down.
Timber decks. A standard strip-and-refinish on a 20–25m² deck in reasonable condition commonly totals $1,500 to $4,500, with lighter jobs sitting closer to $50–$75 per square metre and more involved work reaching $70–$100+ per square metre. If the boards themselves have failed rather than just the coating, expect a different number entirely: full board renewal on a 20m² deck runs $1,800 to $5,500, and a genuine rebuild, where joists and bearers also need replacing, can climb to $6,000–$18,000 or more.
Timber floors. Sanding and refinishing is priced per square metre and by room size. A small room of 10–20m² typically costs $350 to $800, while a medium room of 20–40m² lands around $1,000–$1,800. Spot repairs are cheaper again: minor scratch repair runs $25–$50 per square metre, individual board replacement is roughly $120–$150 per board, and a quick refresh service (a light buff and recoat rather than a full sand) often has a minimum charge near $700.
Timber windows and external joinery. Repairing a sash, sill, or frame section on a period window is almost always cheaper than replacement, and it preserves the original joinery detail that gives a Victorian or Edwardian façade its character. Straightforward repairs to rot or paint failure sit at the lower end of the scale; full sash or frame replacement, particularly where matching original profiles, costs considerably more once custom milling is involved.
Weatherboards. Individual board replacement follows a similar per-linear-metre logic to deck boards, with total cost depending on how many boards are affected, whether the timber is a standard profile or a heritage-matched one, and how much surrounding paintwork needs feathering in once the new boards are fitted.
| Job type | Typical cost range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deck strip and refinish (20–25m²) | $1,500–$4,500 | Condition and coating type drive the range |
| Deck board renewal (20m²) | $1,800–$5,500 | Structure sound, boards replaced |
| Deck full rebuild | $6,000–$18,000+ | Joists and bearers also replaced |
| Floor sanding and refinish (small room) | $350–$800 | 10–20m² room |
| Floor sanding and refinish (medium room) | $1,000–$1,800 | 20–40m² room |
| Board replacement (floor or deck) | $80–$200 per linear metre | Priced per board or per metre |
None of these figures include structural repairs, pest treatment, or heritage-matched joinery, which are quoted separately once an assessor has seen the timber in person.
What makes a timber restoration quote go up or down?
Two decks the same size can land on wildly different invoices, and it usually comes down to five variables.
- Structural scope. If joists, bearers, or posts need replacing rather than just the visible boards, that’s a separate line item and often the biggest single cost driver in the whole job.
- Species and specification. Coastal Bayside properties generally need 316 stainless steel fixings rather than standard galvanised ones, because salt air corrodes cheaper fixings within a few years and forces an early, costly callback. Homes in BAL-rated fringe suburbs may also need bushfire-resisting timber and detailing that adds to both material and labour cost.
- Access and complexity. A single-storey deck with clear access is straightforward. A multi-storey Victorian terrace with narrow side access, steep stairs, or scaffolding requirements adds labour hours before any actual timber work begins.
- Coating removal. Stripping old film-forming paints or varnishes back to bare timber is slow, careful work, and it’s often underestimated in cheaper quotes that skip proper preparation.
- Labour, lead times, waste removal, permits, and GST. All get added to the base material and labour figure, and inner-east and inner-city suburbs typically carry higher trade rates than outer or regional Victorian areas.
Pro Tip: If a quote looks unusually low, ask what fixings and timber species it specifies. A cheaper quote using standard galvanised fixings on a Bayside property will likely need redoing within a few years, costing more overall than paying for 316 stainless the first time.
How do I get and compare quotes for timber restoration?
An accurate quote starts with someone standing on your deck or crouching under your floorboards, not a phone estimate based on square metreage alone. Structural assessments in Victoria often carry their own inspection fee, typically $250–$600, which is money well spent before committing to major repair or rebuild work.
A credible, itemised quote should show:
- Inspection findings and photos of the affected timber
- Repairs listed individually, not bundled into one number
- Materials specified by species and fixing type
- Coating system and number of coats
- Labour hours and any access or scaffolding charges
- GST shown separately from the subtotal
When comparing quotes, ask each contractor the same questions:
- What timber species and fixing specification are you using?
- Does this property need 316 stainless fixings or BAL-compliant materials?
- What warranty applies to workmanship and materials?
- Are you insured for a project of this scale?
- What’s the realistic lead time from booking to completion?
Treat a quote that skips the inspection, or that won’t break down materials versus labour, as a red flag rather than a bargain.
How often should timber restoration be maintained?
Recoating and reinspection every few years is the general benchmark for exposed timber in Melbourne, with coastal and full-sun exposure requiring more frequent attention. Regular debris removal and moisture control between coats prevent the early rot that turns a simple recoat into a full board replacement further down the track.
Your choice of finish shapes that maintenance cycle. Penetrating oils are easier to spot-recoat but need more frequent attention, while film-forming finishes last longer between coats but require full stripping once they fail. Our guide on timber sealing and our homeowner’s guide to restoring timber windows both walk through these trade-offs in more detail.
- Inspect exposed timber every 12 months, sooner near the coast
- Clear leaf litter and debris from decks and window sills regularly
- Recoat before the existing finish fails completely, not after
Should you restore or replace ageing timber?
Restoration is almost always the cheaper path when the substructure is sound: joists and bearers show no significant rot, timber flexes but doesn’t crumble under pressure, and damage is limited to the surface or a handful of boards. Extensive rot, structural movement, or a pattern of repeated repairs on the same section are signs the full assessment will likely point toward replacement instead.
A useful rule of thumb: once board renewal plus structural repairs starts approaching rebuild pricing, a full rebuild often makes more sense long-term. For period homes, factor in council heritage overlays too. Our exterior restoration best practices guide covers what heritage controls typically require before you commit either way.
What Melbourne homeowners consistently get wrong about timber restoration
The biggest budgeting mistake we see is homeowners requesting a flat per-square-metre price over the phone, then feeling blindsided when the on-site inspection reveals structural work. Timber hides its problems well until someone’s actually testing the joists.
Sol Shine handles heritage restoration projects generally from $20,000 upward, and the pattern holds across nearly every one: prioritise safety and structural soundness first, then move to finish and presentation. A beautifully coated deck sitting on a compromised bearer isn’t a good outcome for anyone.
How Sol Shine handles timber restoration across Melbourne
Sol Shine is a painting and heritage restoration specialist working across Kew, Hawthorn, Camberwell, Brighton, Malvern, Richmond, Fitzroy, Doncaster, Thornbury, Northcote, and Essendon, with timber restoration handled under the same roof as painting, render repair, brickwork, and custom joinery. Rather than juggling separate trades for a deck repair, a window restoration, and a repaint, you get one team that understands how heritage timber, coatings, and structure fit together.
Every project starts with a genuine on-site inspection, not a phone estimate. We assess timber condition, specify the right fixings for your suburb (316 stainless for Bayside properties, BAL-compliant timber where required), and provide an itemised quote before any work begins. Browse examples of completed exterior painting and timber restoration projects or our heritage restoration work to see the standard of finish on comparable period homes. If you’re weighing up moving furniture or fixtures during a larger restoration, Onyx Removals’ Melbourne moving cost guide is a useful reference for that side of the budget.
If your deck, floors, windows, or weatherboards need attention, book a no-obligation inspection with Sol Shine and get a proper itemised quote instead of a guess.
Frequently asked questions about timber restoration costs
How much is timber restoration in Melbourne, on average?
Most jobs fall between $30 and $100+ per square metre depending on the element being restored, with decks and floors at the lower end and full rebuilds or heritage joinery costing considerably more.
How much does timber floor restoration cost in a typical Melbourne home?
A small room (10–20m²) typically costs $350 to $800, while a medium-sized room (20–40m²) usually runs $1,000–$1,800 for sanding and refinishing.
Why do coastal Melbourne properties cost more to restore?
Bayside and coastal suburbs need 316 stainless steel fixings to resist salt corrosion. Standard galvanised fixings fail faster in that environment, leading to earlier repairs and higher lifetime cost.
Do I need council permits for timber restoration on a heritage home?
It depends on the scope and whether your property sits under a heritage overlay. Structural rebuilds and visible façade changes are more likely to need council sign-off than like-for-like repairs, so it’s worth checking with your local council before major work begins.
What’s included in a typical timber restoration quote?
A proper quote itemises the inspection, individual repairs, materials and fixing specification, coating system, labour hours, and GST, rather than bundling everything into one flat figure.
Sources
For deeper pricing detail, see the Melbourne deck restoration pricing guide and timber floor restoration cost breakdown. For maintenance planning, read Sol Shine’s guides on timber sealing and the signs your home needs timber repair.
- Cost to Restore a Deck in Melbourne: 2026 Price Guide – Deck Rejuvenation Pty Ltd
- How Much Does Timber Floor Restoration Cost in Melbourne? A Complete Guide – CB Timber Floors
- Timber Deck Repair and Restoration Carpentry VIC 2026 – Pricing Guide | The Quote Yard
