How Much Does It Cost To Remodel A Bathroom?

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Bathrooms might not be the heart of the home, but they are heavily used and essential to a home’s function. Bathrooms can start to look dated, fall into disrepair, or lack the storage and functionality that your family needs. Remodeling a bathroom is a great way to modernize the space. However, the cost to remodel a bathroom can make this an intimidating task. It is important to understand the distinction between home renovation and home remodel before deciding what to do with your bathroom.

You will need to decide if you need to renovate your bathroom entirely or if you can just remodel it. Renovating a room involves changing the form, footprint or functionality of the space. In bathrooms, this could mean moving around the toilet or shower, adding a tub, or completely changing the layout.

Remodeling, however, mostly leaves fixtures in place but modernizes their fit and finish. If you like your bathroom’s layout, for example, you could re-tile, add a new vanity, paint, and add light fixtures. Remodeling is going to be much cheaper in general compared to a full renovation due to using less materials and time. Oftentimes remodeling can be done by the homeowner as well, making it more cost-efficient.

The average bathroom remodel cost ranges from $6,000 to $16,000 depending on a number of factors, including the size of the room and whether there are planned changes to the existing layout. On average, bathroom remodels cost about $10,000. The most budget-friendly remodel can be done for $2,500, while high-end projects can be upwards of $30,000. The cost will vary depending on the details of your project.

Homeowners can expect to pay more for premium materials, large bathrooms, and quicker turnarounds. The cost of a bathroom remodel can be brought down by being flexible with materials and timelines as well as doing as much of the labor as possible yourself.

There are various factors that impact the cost of remodeling a bathroom. Here are some of the most common factors that have a major impact on the budget for a bathroom remodel.

Bathroom Size

The size of your bathroom will be one of the biggest factors in the remodeling costs. Larger, full bathrooms will cost more to remodel compared to smaller, half bathrooms. This is purely due to the amount of materials and labor needed to update larger spaces. For instance, if you have a bathroom that is 20 square feet and you are retiling the floor, it will cost significantly less than the same project in a bathroom that is 100 square feet.

If you have a large bathroom and a small budget, consider breaking it into sections – such as the shower area, the toilet area, the vanity, and the closet – and updating one space at a time, as budget allows. You can still keep things in line with each other, but spread out the costs. However, this is really only more cost-efficient if you are doing the work yourself. Having a contractor come out multiple times will increase the cost compared to one project.

Layout

One way to significantly run up your bathroom remodel budget is to reconfigure your bathroom layout. Moving plumbing and electrical can get expensive quickly. You can save a lot of money by keeping the major things - shower, toilet, sink, windows - in the same place and simply upgrade and update them without reconfiguring the space. Any time you move walls and move pipes, you are going to be racking up quite the bill. Plus, keeping the existing layout makes much of a bathroom renovation DIY-able, compared to moving plumbing, walls, or electrical.

Labor Costs

Labor costs can significantly impact the cost of remodeling. Labor averages 50% the total project price for a bathroom renovation. One way to cut down on labor costs is to do as much of the project yourself as possible. But, don’t take on tasks, especially those like plumbing and electrical, if you don’t know what you’re doing. You would be better off DIYing easier tasks, like paint or tile, and hiring out the tasks that are more complex. You don’t want to end up in an emergency situation because you did something wrong that you thought you could do yourself.

Materials Used 

The materials used in a bathroom project will significantly affect the cost of remodeling. Higher end fixtures and products are going to drive up the cost of your remodel. Consider sticking to budget-friendly materials as much as possible. For example, if you love a super expensive tile, just use it for an accent wall or strip and pair it with a less expensive tile for a majority of the square footage.

Also consider shopping wholesale or scratch and dent sales for discounts on larger items like vanities, showerheads, and bathtubs. Finally, consider reusing or shopping second-hand. This is an environmentally friendly and budget-friendly option that will usually result in products that are good quality and have no significant issues!

Cabinets

Cabinets can impact the cost of remodeling a bathroom. If you choose to replace your cabinets, that will be a lot more expensive compared to the money you can save by refinishing existing cabinets. Cabinets can easily be painted with a mini foam roller or a paint sprayer for a professional quality finish. Or you can swap out the doors for something more modern if they are old fashioned.

Even within new cabinets, there is a big variance in cost between buying a prefabricated vanity cabinet versus having a cabinet and countertop custom made. If a standard cabinet feels too boring to you, you can always personalize it with custom knobs or faucet hardware.

Countertops

Countertops can greatly impact the cost of remodeling a bathroom. If you choose to replace your counters, you will quickly see the cost variance in different countertop materials. Stones such as marble, quartz, or granite are going to cost a lot more than plastic countertops.

If you are replacing the cabinets and countertops and need to keep cost in mind, consider looking for a prefabricated vanity with built in sink and counter, which is often cheaper than piecing it together yourself. Custom vanities with high end countertops come with a higher price tag.

Plumbing And Electrical Installation 

The plumbing and electrical installation can impact the cost of remodeling. Plumbing costs include both materials and labor from a plumber. Simple tasks – like replacing a toilet or faucet – are easy enough to DIY. However, if you want to move plumbing around, you are going to have to fork out the extra cash for a professional. Do keep in mind that if you want to move different fixtures around, try to swap them for where existing plumbing is. For instance, showers and toilets both need water and drains, so if the areas can be swapped, that’s a lot less expensive than putting a shower where the closet is now.

Flooring

The flooring can impact the cost of remodeling. Flooring materials vary greatly in cost and if you have a large bathroom, it is a lot of square footage to cover. Additional upgrades like heated floors will run the price up even more. Choose something that is cost-effective for larger spaces and only go higher end if you are doing a smaller space.

Location

Regional costs can significantly impact bathroom remodeling costs. Your local cost of living will directly impact the cost of labor and materials in your area. Different areas will also have different permitting requirements. Permits can be costly to obtain and might add expensive requirements to your project.

If you are planning to sell your home in the next 5 years, you should think long and hard before doing a big bathroom renovation. On average, bathroom remodels only recoup 50 to 70 percent of their cost when reselling the house. So, if you spent $10,000 on a bathroom remodel, it might only add $5,000 to $7,000 to your home’s resale value.

Of course, if the bathroom is in horrific shape, bad enough to scare off potential buyers, then you will want to at least update it to meet the standard for homes in your price point in your area. Consider doing updates that won’t increase the value of the home, but will make it more marketable.

However, if you have no plans to sell your home anytime soon, don’t worry too much about resale value. Trends come and go, and your long-term enjoyment of your home has a value, as well.

Remodeling a bathroom can increase its utility, add more storage, improve ventilation, help attract buyers, and give you increased enjoyment of your space.

Update The Look

Trends for finishes change every few years. This includes tile size and material, colors, and metal finishes. If your bathroom feels dated, you might want to remodel. If the layout is still fine, you can do this on a tighter budget by simply swapping existing fixtures and paint for something that feels more fresh. This is especially useful if you didn’t choose the existing fixtures. Updating will give you a sense of accomplishment and pride in your choices.

Improve Utility

If your bathroom doesn’t flow or function well, you might want to do a full renovation. Remember that moving walls and plumbing around gets expensive quickly, so try to focus on the most important problems to keep the budget under control. If your bathroom is really unfunctional, then this can be worth the cost.

Add More Storage

Bathrooms need plenty of storage for towels, toiletries, and more. If your bathroom is lacking, you could remodel to add a linen closet, a vanity with drawers, or additional cabinetry. Additional storage can also be achieved with furniture and hooks, so think hard about whether your storage need is enough to justify a full remodel.

Improve Ventilation

Ventilation problems can lead to moldy bathrooms, which can turn into health horror stories. If your bathroom is constantly moist, consult with a professional with experience in mold remediation and improving ventilation. Due to the nature of this project, it’s not likely one you can take on yourself, but is worth it for your health.

Help Attract Buyers

Almost all home buyers love a beautiful, freshly renovated bathroom. If you are planning to sell, remodeling your space could be a great idea. However, remember that you often do not recoup all of your spending in a home sale, and consult with a realtor in your area to get their suggestions on what would make financial sense to update.

Updating your bathroom doesn’t have to be very expensive. There are different ways that a homeowner can save money on your bathroom remodel. If you are hoping to renovate your bathroom, connect with a contractor to get a quote on HomeAdvisor.

Retain The Bathroom Layout

Keeping the bathroom layout the same can help save on costs when remodeling a bathroom. This avoids costly plumbing and wall layout changes and instead focuses on refreshing finishes and fixtures, instead of sinking money where you can’t see it. The finishes are going to make the visual difference in a new space, so make that the top concern.

Find Used Materials And Reuse Existing Objects

Using leftover materials and reusing objects can help homeowners save on costs when remodeling your bathroom. You can reuse nearly any piece in a bathroom including bathtubs, toilets, sinks, and vanities. This could mean buying second hand or buying slightly damaged, unused goods. You can find these materials from another construction project or through online sites such as Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Reuse your own items if at all possible for the maximum savings.

Avoid Moving Plumbing And Electrical Objects

Moving objects that aren't easily movable can be expensive, such as plumbing and electrical. Craftspeople usually charge hourly for their labor, so long jobs are going to cost you more in labor. Additionally, moving objects may require more building permits, leading to more fees and bureaucracy.

Preserve The Drywall

Building materials are all expensive, but drywall can be very expensive, especially if you need a lot of it. Preserving the drywall is a good way to save money on remodeling a bathroom. However, if your bathroom has had weather damage or moisture issues, replacing the drywall is worth the cost.

Keep Load-Bearing Walls In Place

While it is tempting to open up spaces and adjust wall placement, that is where things really start getting pricey. Bumping a wall back a few inches will end up costing you thousands and is unlikely to recoup that cost monetarily or in your satisfaction. As much as possible, keep walls – especially load-bearing walls – in place.

Avoid Tile Or Use Less Of It

Tile is the centerpiece of many bathrooms. However, tile and tile installation are expensive. If you need to cut your budget, cut the amount of space that you are tiling. You can also consider using a larger tile which will require less cuts and be a faster installation compared to smaller, more intricate tile work.

Refinish Bathroom Elements

Refinishing bathroom elements instead of replacing them is an excellent way of saving money on remodeling a bathroom. An example of this would be painting a vanity instead of replacing it, or switching out the knobs for a more modern look. Old mirrors can be updated with a new frame for a completely new look. Glass shades on vanity lights are easy and inexpensive to swap out - no rewiring required. Small changes are an easy and inexpensive way to give your bathroom a more modern look, without a full remodel.

Cost is one of the top factors to consider when planning a bathroom remodel. Here are some things to keep in mind.

How much does a bathroom remodel cost by feature?

You can start to figure the cost of a bathroom remodel based on the features that you want to include. Here are some typical cost ranges for bathroom remodel materials, including the labor cost for hiring the project out.

What will it cost to complete a DIY bathroom remodel?

DIY bathroom makeovers save you labor costs, but you still have to pay for materials. You also have to take into consideration your actual skill set and the amount of time that you realistically have to work on your remodel. You don’t want to get halfway into a remodel with a demolished bathroom and then decide you need to hire help!

What costs the most in a bathroom remodel?

Labor is usually the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel – accounting for about 50% of the total budget. To save money, cut down on labor by choosing simpler options that your contractors feel comfortable with installing or by doing some of the work yourself.

How often should you remodel your bathroom?

If you want your bathroom to stay on top of the trends, refreshing it every 4 d –d 5 years is a great way to do that. Focus on a timeless design – white is always safe – and then every few years you can change the paint color, knobs, art, and textiles for the colors and textures that are currently on trend.

Bathroom remodels can be very expensive, but homeowners can save money on a bathroom remodeling project by refurbishing items and leftover materials and doing some of the work yourself. Be sure to check out our 15 bathroom remodel ideas.