BREAKING DOWN THE COSTS OF A BATHROOM REMODEL PROJECT

How much does a bathroom renovation cost?

This is the question I’ll be answering throughout this article by breaking down the various types of remodels into three categories:

1. Upgrades
2. Basic remodel
3. Full remodel / renovation

I’ll define the basic tasks associated with each category and price range to provide a good idea of what you can expect to pay for the type of renovation you have in mind for your bathroom.

Full Remodel Vs Upgrade

To be very simple there are actually two parts of a bathroom remodel or upgrade that is divided into levels rather than categories. Each remodeling project or bathroom upgrade thus becomes an individual category or subcategory.  For the sake of simplicity we’ll group this article into these three main categories;  minor remodel, major remodel, and upgrade.

Now making a differentiation between what is considered remodeling and upgrading is just a matter of perspective.

We’ll define an upgrade as adding onto an existing bathroom with something new or beneficial, like a new sink or bathtub. A full remodel is replacing everything within a bathroom that is old and needs to be renewed. This aspect goes even further with the addition of a newly configured space or expanding on what is already available.

Costs Of A Bathroom Remodel Vs Upgrade

No matter what size project that’s intended for a bathroom, there are always some things to consider. The very first aspect of any remodel or upgrade is to remember that these projects are and always should be considered an investment. Ultimately, what is spent on materials, plans, and paid labor will differ greatly depending on how complex the job may become. The costs involved will have varied levels that further differ from each other as a result.

As a footnote to this, an average homeowner who is simply looking to make some simple upgrades could see a budget-minded amount that ranges from $500-2000, this is especially true when completing a basic upgrade or remodel on a smaller bathroom. Larger scale projects that include minor to major remodeling plans can see their budgets increase from $10,000 to $30,000 depending on how complex the project has become.

Types Of Bathroom Upgrades, Remodels & Renovations

This section is not specifically dedicated to what the actual costs are. Luckily, we’ve decided to add some projected estimates to give an idea of what level these types of projects will average. Not every category will be an absolute either since everyone has needs that apply to their bathroom décor or the size of the space involved.

About Upgrades

This is not just limited to adding some new shelves or changing out one or two fixtures but will be restricted to small additions and upgrades only. It can also include adding new lighting fixtures, and ventilation, or switching out a showerhead. Perhaps this can include re-glazing a bathtub or replacing an old tub with a new bath spa. Many of the cost-effective minor upgrades include new wallpaper and paint. You can even get away with painting over ceramic tiles instead of replacing them.

Many of the minor additions will usually include new additions that help add space-saving items like shelving, towel racks, or practical bathroom fixtures. Any combination of these small tasks doesn’t require any dramatic change to the square footage of your bathroom either. The budgets involved will often be on the lowest end of upgrade additions starting at $250-500 but could see an increase to nearly $2000 when select items like a sink or bathtub are changed.

About Basic Remodels

When considering a major upgrade or update of bathroom fixtures, this starts to involve more than one item within that space. It can also be multiple elements that aren’t changing the square footage at all but to improve and are meant to modernize a bathroom in general. These elements include changing toilets, tubs, showers, and cabinets. It may also include lighting, ventilation, and even bathroom tiles or flooring.

The cost for these materials will obviously increase since it’s not a matter of changing a faucet or showerhead. Many of these material choices will impact the budget depending on which brands are chosen. The high-end brand names that are made from expensive materials will always cost more and can result in a budget that is as much as a few thousand dollars. This can be carefully planned so pick items that are discounted or are budget-minded selections.

It’s also very important to mention that major updates aren’t limited to limited contracted services such as electrical or plumbing services. Even the highest level of major updates can include bathroom remodeling services that slightly reconfigure or upgrade a bathroom. For these splurges, the average cost of a major bathroom upgrade can range between $2000-5000 per project. Your average cost of labor when hiring a contractor ranges between $50 and $100.

About Complete Remodels Or Renovations

This is much bigger than your average major upgrade’ project and will see the total gutting and rebuilding of a bathroom. This is further split into two sections that are meant to be low-end and high-end renovations but occupy the same category heading for obvious reasons. No matter what the budget involves for complete bathroom renovations, the work that is done always covers the same aspects.

The work that is included in this kind of re-haul is more involved and requires planning and design implementation. Any complete renovation will average $2,000 to 10,000 but could easily see elevated costs depending on the materials or fixtures that are purchased. Whenever design services are added, this cost will be offered as a complete package by contract and include the services that include designs, materials, plumbing, and electrical.

Factors That Affect Cost For A Bathroom Remodeling Project

This is the meat and potatoes of what any remodel or upgrade project will include, so the factors involved are all relevant. What becomes very integral to each bathroom project also extends into specific points that can add costs due to the level of planning that goes into each category.

Materials

Materials are always the immediate cost that is easy to estimate. With so many outlets that allow any homeowner to easily search out bathroom fixtures, this gives an opportunity to ‘price shop’ for the best bargains. This can take longer if you are buying elements and materials piece by piece to save more over some time. If you work with a design service, they may also have regular access to fixtures and materials that are budget-friendly too.

This difference may only cost a few hundred dollars upward to a couple thousand. It really depends on the quality of the materials and how well they will stand up for the next few years. Higher quality materials will always cost more with an added perk that they will further last over the years for their performance.

Labor

When you take on do-it-yourself projects, the labor costs can be cheaper and allow you to spend more on quality products. To be very clear, whenever you hire someone to do the work for you, the cost of any bathroom project will increase significantly. This can apply to any minor/major upgrade or to a complete renovation. The big difference is that upgrade services are usually from labor-related friends who are asked to do favors like electrical or plumbing.

Then again, this may also apply to adding new tiles or flooring for major upgrades which can include local service trade businesses that offer these types of inexpensive services. With the advent of how-to videos that are more common than ever, homeowners looking to make minor upgrades will do the work themselves to save a few bucks.

Electrical And Plumbing Work

These are select trade skills that not everyone is capable of or have experience in tackling. Not to be harsh, but fooling around with electrical wiring is not only dangerous but it’s also best left to professionals with experience! Anyone who has done home plumbing before will also notice that basic garage tools are simply not enough. Not to say that it’s not difficult to replace a tub or toilet, but having the right tools for the job is essential.

In the case of making a major renovation, new wiring or plumbing will be part of the job and is often undertaken by professionals who do the work in hours as opposed to days for do-it-yourself weekend warriors. If you decide to hire professionals, the costs for labor will vary from company to company likewise. Design services will help to provide these professionals with a total package contract for more extensive bathroom projects.

Permits And Regulations

Projects within your home that aren’t part of an addition (aka add-on) to your home can include the need for permits and special regulations. Permits in particular are used when construction includes the word “remodel”. This ultimately means that each city has a different rule about what requires a permit and what doesn’t. Calling your local city hall will often get this answer very quickly so there is no doubt whether a remodel needs official paperwork.

The meaning behind regulations is another tricky topic since this would apply to what electrical codes or plumbing specifications need to follow. If you are doing the work yourself, you need to find out what is allowed and what is required within your city’s regulations. Professionals and design services will already be following these rules, so there is no question if you have a bathroom remodeled using their services.

How Much Does Upgrading A Bathroom Cost?

Minor upgrades are a matter of those who want to do the work for themselves at home. You’ll further need to have basic experience with household tools and home improvement equipment. These costs don’t require professional help and can cost anywhere from $250 to $500 on the low end and a modest $500 to $1000 on the higher end.

Here are the most common minor upgrade projects that you’ll find:

Replacing Basic Amenities

Perhaps you only want to change the handles or pull knobs on a bathroom cabinet or put up new towel rods. There are basic elements like shower curtains, hanging shelves, medicine cabinets, and items that are quick to replace with a simple screwdriver. This is the cheapest minor upgrade that makes an immediate difference which usually costs $100 to $300 for several items that aren’t so hard to replace.

Painting Walls And Cabinets

Most everyone can pick up a paintbrush or roller and repaint a bathroom in a few hours or over a weekend. Most home improvement stores carry household paints that are meant for high-humidity environments and resist moisture. You can even consider painting the entire bathroom — the whole thing — from floor tiles to celling and everything in between. Cabinets that are made from wood are easily repainted similarly. The only difference in paint costs depends on the brand you buy and how well it lasts for resisting moisture-related issues.

You can be sure that repainting is going to cost around $200 for everything you need including paintbrushes, rollers, and even sandpaper to prime these surfaces before painting. This cost of bathroom remodel upgrades is among the cheapest solutions most people choose to do themselves.

Replacing Fixtures

We often think of fixtures to be items like faucets, showerheads, or even bathroom sinks, but this isn’t always the case. These can also include bathtubs, walk-in showers, toilets, and bath spas. Bathroom fixtures are not always cheap items since they are made from ceramic materials or porcelain-like materials. They can be found to include composite plastics, bonded resins, and fiberglass-reinforced materials.

You can even see these items selling anywhere from $1000 to $5000, depending on the kinds of materials they are made from.

Updating Lighting

Lighting equipment is also called a lighting fixture but doesn’t fall within the fixture category. Old fixtures can easily be swapped out for new ones without replacing wiring too unless you need to relocate a light to a new spot. This will need special assistance to get into the walls or ceiling of a bathroom to extend or reposition existing wiring within the areas where they are located.

This can be done with no help involved if you have previous electrical experience and are careful to turn off the electricity to that location so you don’t get electrocuted. The cost for new fixtures also ranges from a couple hundred dollars to over $1000 for more decorative fixtures. You may also pay a local electrician to install them for the time that’s spent.

Re-glazing Or Refinishing A Bathtub

Some older homes may have bathtubs that are made from metal that’s coated with a porcelain coating. These can crack over the years resulting in ugly cracks that show up pretty often without regular cleaning. If you like the style of these types of bathtubs or decide to refinish or re-glaze a tub’s surface, some kits make it easy to pull-off with little effort, see our guide on using epoxy to refinish a tub or shower. There are plenty companies who offer re-glazing services; just google “bathub glazing” to find someone in your area.

Either way, you’re looking at a cost range from $100 to $500 to do it yourself, or as high as $1200 if you choose some high-end professional services. Keep in mind that re-glazing by a professional will yield the best results and last longer in return.

Average Cost For A Basic Bathroom Remodel

Every bathroom will be different for estimating costs for minor upgrades due to its size. You can estimate a budget starting at $250 to $500 but could see an increase to nearly $2000 if you’re doing something a little more significant in scope. The best method for estimating the total cost of minor upgrades starts with a checklist of what you want to replace, revitalize, or upgrade. After this, if you do the work yourself, you’re only looking at the time that’s involved.

How Much Does A Basic Bathroom Remodel Cost?

This kind of bathroom project will obviously be more expensive due to the complexity of what you plan on doing. Major remodel jobs are different than upgrades since you get to start with a totally clean slate. As you can guess, the estimates for these kinds of projects will all have a budget that starts anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 depending on the complexity, size, and amount of changes being done to an existing bathroom.

As this kind of work often involves a design company, the time and effort spent to create plans, and blueprints, the cost for these projects will naturally increase.

Changes To The Layout And Design

Unlike a kitchen layout, bathrooms don’t typically have a “golden triangle” used to increase a workflow design. Bathrooms are subject to comfort and personal needs. But here is where the fun begins and reality needs to compromise. It’s not always easy to relocate plumbing as it is for electrical wiring. This is why changing or swapping the position of a tub or sink will be a new challenge for any professional to solve.

Plumbing services are often pricy anyway and can cost $3,000 up to $10,000 just to relocate new pipes within the walls of your home. It all depends on how complex the project is and how much space a plumber has to work within. The rest of the bathroom layout follows the position of a sink and tub or a design that you are looking to have created. Anything that is installed will also have a further impact on the total price additionally.

Adding Square Footage

A basic bathroom in most homes is not going to be very large averaging 5′ X 8′ feet or approximately 40 square feet. Master bedroom bathrooms are larger averaging 10′ X 12′ feet or so. Unless there is space within the walls that can be removed or expanded into an adjoining room, square footage is not easy to increase. Older homes do offer some space between walls that can increase storage capacity, but not so much for enlarging a bathroom in general.

What some homeowners will do is knock down a neighboring wall into another bedroom to expand their bathroom. It’s a simple trick that reduces the size of an adjoining bedroom so that a bathroom will appear larger and more spacious. These smaller bedrooms are then often repurposed into large walk-in closets to make a bathroom feel fancier.

Installing New Flooring And Tile

It’s an extensive job if there ever was, but sometimes old unsightly, or outdated tile and flooring in a bathroom needs to go. New tile work comes with the quality and labor that goes with installations and is usually the first thing that gets replaced in a gutted bathroom. This can range from $1,000 on the low end to upwards of $5,000 for fancy or expensive tile pieces made from real granite or marble.

It’s also not uncommon that heating is installed underneath flooring to keep selected zones warm to the touch. This will also impact the installation price just so comfort needs are met. Wall tiles are another matter that can be inexpensive or pricy due to the materials involved. The removal of old tiles and flooring is an integral part of this, so you can figure that you can save some money by removing it yourself instead.

Most homeowners will get several quotes to find out the cost of time and flooring installation to get the best price. If you do the removal yourself, you do need to dispose of the old tile at your own cost and labor.

Adding Or Reconfiguring Fixtures And Features

Modern conveniences including spa tubs, walk-in showers, dual sinks, and multi-function toilets are going to be a big expense for any bathroom remodel. These fixtures are expensive but not always because of the materials they are made from. You’ll find that function and built-in comforts will add to the product prices ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per fixture item. These fixtures also need to be carefully selected so they don’t reduce the space within a bathroom.

Other fixtures that include lighting or ventilation aren’t going to be quite as pricy, but do require professional installation. Light fixtures can cost as little as $50 (per unit) and can be swapped if you have electrical experience however an electrician will typically charge by the hour to the tune of $50-100 (per hour). It’s best to consult for an installation package for several electrical fixtures for a set price.

Average Cost Of A Basic Bathroom Remodel

As an overview of a total remodeling estimate, it’s safe to consider that $10,000 to $30,000 is the varied price range. This is depending on the complexity, size, and total amount of changes that are carried out from start to finish. These quotes aren’t always set and can be priced better when getting at least 3 to 4 quotes from various design firms to get the best price. Many design firms will be eager to give you a good quote to use your finished bathroom to advertise further.

How Much Does A Complete Bathroom Remodel Or Renovation Cost?

Here is a good resource guide to get the basic estimates of selected elements of bathroom renovations. It’s not concrete that any of these costs are going to apply to you, but it’s a great reference on what to expect.

Tearing Down And Rebuilding

This isn’t a two-part question but the tear-down part certainly applies to those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Removing and tearing apart bathroom stuff can actually save you some money if you spend the time to do it yourself. It can also speed up a project if a bathroom is cleared of any obstructions before renovations begin. But if you decide to rebuild everything without professional assistance, that’s when problems can arise and create bigger issues later!

This is why consulting or hiring professional bathroom designers can avoid these problems from the start. Even if you’ve cleared out everything you want to remove, the savings from doing this removal yourself can ultimately allow you some flexibility on what goes back in, during the rebuild process. Costs for demolitions and prep work can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000.

Installing High-end Materials And Finishes

All of the various fixtures that are added including sinks, tubs, toilets, floors and tiles, countertops, and cabinetry will range in price due to the quality of the materials. Floors are typical $1,000 to $5,000. Tiles may further cost $1,000 to $5,000 additionally. Now when it comes to sinks, tubs, walk-in showers, and toilets will all range from $1000 to $5,000 for each or any of them depending on the models chosen.

Needless to say, countertops and cabinetry will further cost about the same due to the wide range of high-end materials.

Making Major Changes To The Electrical And Plumbing Systems

Plumbing is always expensive since there will be a variety of changes that could be modified in your bathroom. This will cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 on the amount of extensive work performed. Electrical work is a bit more conservative but still pricy with at least $1,000 to $3,000 for in-depth and complicated wiring jobs. This also will not include the fixtures that go with these installations which can add cost another $500 to $2000 for all new fixtures.

Average Cost Estimates For Complete Renovations

This leaves us with the final thought for the total costs for renovations that will include labor. While a conservative high-end estimate is anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000, you could easily see estimates as high as $10,000 to $30,000 for very extensive bathroom designs. With that being said, a simple bathroom can certainly cost a lot if you decide to go with top-brand names and high-quality materials if you aren’t being too conservative about cutting costs.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to the cost of bathroom remodel projects, it’s not uncommon to see that many homeowners will spend more for comfort. That doesn’t mean those materials that go into your bathroom have to be gold-plated. The quality of bathroom fixture materials these days is more impressive than the materials used nearly half a century ago.  With proper planning and checklist of things to consider before you start your remodel you can avoid costly and disappointing pitfalls. And by having a professional assist you with a bathroom remodel project, you can eliminate some of the frustrating challenges of a DIY remodel.

If you’d like to get some ideas for how your bathroom cabinets can look before you commit, take a look at some of our favorite cabinet design tools. See our design and ideas page for more inspiration related to overall décor and cabinetry.