Channel Nine / The Block
There is one big question asked about The Block each year – can you really build a whole house for the budget that Scott Cam gives to the teams? And the answer? Well, yes you can, but there are some financial details that might escape the average viewer.
Let’s break it down.
In this article
- How much money do teams get from sponsors above the $250 budget?
- How much do The Block teams pay for trades?
- Block Bucks: an explainer.
- How do teams get extra money?
How much is The Block budget for each house?
Firstly, the budget for each week (which is a total of $250,000 in cash) does not include sponsor money (Block bucks), or the external structure, which is constructed by Nine in Six, the Block builders. Nine in Six do the cladding, roofing, as well as structural elements such as walls and floors. They also do the certifying of work done by the contestants and their trades.
The $250,000 also doesn’t include the $40,000 Bunnings power pass that Scott gives each team at the start of the season and anyone who has ever renovated will know how much you can spend at a hardware store when you are in the midst of it.
And of course, these houses are BIG. Each one sits on about 1000 sqm metres of land and has a significantly larger footprint than a standard Australian home.
Tradies costs: How much do The Block teams pay vs real life?
The biggest costs in any build are labour, which is where most of the weekly room budgets on The Block are spent. For instance, if you are tiling a bathroom, the tiler would cost a minimum of $50 sqm; while the cheapest tiles you can source would be $20 sqm (and usually at least $80sqm). So, even though the contestants will acquire their tiles through Beaumont Tiles for free (as they are a sponsor), they will still have to pay their trades.
Scotty Cam has often warned teams when they have lots of trades on site and what that might do to their budget. In a real-life reno you time the trades, so each comes one at a time and have lots of space in which to work, so they are more efficient. You might also have a plumber or electrician on site doing all bathrooms at once, to save time and money. Professional renovator Cherie Barber recently shared on The Edit podcast how she saves money by keeping trades organised, briefed and moving while she’s on site.
Listen to Cherie Barber on The Edit podcast:
On The Block, you can have half a dozen trades in one room, such as a small ensuite, all trying to complete their tasks. It makes for great television, but it’s not good for the budget.
It’s important to know that The Block pays its tradies award rates, so they are in line with what you would expect to pay for your own reno. For example, according to hipages, electricians in Australia charge a service fee of $80 – $130 and an hourly rate of $80 to $100, depending on your location and the nature of the job. Plumbers are about $120/hour and the average new build costs between $2000 to $4000 per square metre in terms of trades.
This is why that the most cost-effective teams are usually those that have a tradie on them, such as Rick (a builder).
How do Block Bucks work?
Called Block Bucks by host Scotty Cam, these are actually sponsor products used to furnish and fit out the houses – and aren’t included in the weekly budget estimates. It’s not clear how much each sponsor contributes individually, but the total is $500,000 per house, which certainly adds to the budget! Sponsors include Bunnings, Freedom, Reece Bathrooms, Beacon Lighting, art suppliers and various smaller businesses.
It’s not clear how much each sponsor contributes individually, but the total is $500,000 per house, which certainly adds to the budget!
Smart contestants use Block Bucks for big-ticket items such as sofas, beds, wallpaper and their CommBank cash for smaller, decorative pieces to create a point of difference.
How The Block teams budget works for each room
While the budgets vary depending on the room being built that week, most are about $20,000 (including the outdoor terrace and pool). The demands are huge (and high quality is expected), so contestants need to be clever with how they spend their money.
With kitchen week just about to start, the budget for the kitchen, pantry, powder room and lift in kitchen week is a mere $20,000. Most kitchen renovations in Australia cost about $50,000 (and that wouldn’t include a powder room or lift), depending on the finishes, so it’s clearly not a realistic figure.
However, the kitchens on The Block are largely funded by Freedom, who provide the cabinetry and benchtops. Most of the appliances are also supplied by sponsors. The contestants need to pay for installation and any separately acquired items.
How do The Block teams get extra money?
Don’t forget there is a lot of incidental money to be made throughout the season, which helps to supplement the budget. The winner each week picks up $10,000, the best budgeter collects another $10,000. There are also little cash prizes with weekly challenges, as well as $10,000 for any team scoring a perfect 10. We haven’t seen any of those in the 2026 season, but traditionally these come near the end as the teams get up to speed.
In case you missed it…
Week 3: Main bedroom & walk-in wardrobe
Week 5: Living,dining & alfresco terrace
Week 6: Guest suite (bedroom & ensuite)
Week 7: Kitchen, pantry, WC & lift
Week 8: Rumpus & laundry
Week 9: Kids’ bedrooms
Week 10: Outdoor terrace & pool
Week 11: Backyard & garage
Week 12: Front yard & facade
Everything we know about The Block 2026
The Block budget myth: Real cost vs TV magic
The Block 2026 houses: Which Mount Eliza home has the biggest advantage?
Where are they now? We tracked down every single The Block team ever
The Block 2026 contestants revealed: Meet the five renovation teams
A look at The Block 2026 Mt Eliza location
The Block Daylesford homes: Where are they now and what went wrong?
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