No one ever said that remodeling a bathroom would be easy. It can be pretty daunting, especially if you’re on a tight budget! But with the right planning and execution, you can get a new look for your bathroom without spending a fortune.
How Much Does It Cost to Remodel a Bathroom?
Remodeling a bathroom costs between $5,000 and $30,000 on average, depending on a variety of factors. Home Advisor’s data shows that the average cost of a new bathroom for United States homeowners is $11,233.
Bathroom home improvement can also be a great way to increase the resale value of your home. In fact, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2022 Cost vs. Value report, homeowners who remodel their bathrooms can expect to recoup an average of 59% of their costs when they sell their homes.
Factors That Affect The Cost of Bathroom Remodels
The cost of remodeling a bathroom can vary greatly depending on the project’s size and scope. But what are some of the factors that will affect the price? Here are some of the most important ones:
How Much are Bathroom Renovations by Size?
Small Bathroom Cost
Average bathroom renovation cost: $5,000-$10,000
The average size of a small bathroom, commonly known as a powder room, is about 20 square feet with a height of 4 feet and above.
Common powder room upgrades that impact the cost include updating the vanity, faucet, and mirror and replacing the toilet. Installing new flooring or lighting fixtures can add to the expense. For an inexpensive way to update the look and feel of your powder room, you can consider a fresh wall of paint or new wallpaper, with painting being the more affordable option.
Medium Bathroom Cost
Average bathroom renovation cost: $14,000 – $20,000
A medium-sized bathroom often features one simple shower or tub, a toilet, and one sink. 5′ x 8′ or 6′ x 10′ are standard dimensions for guest bathrooms and small master bathrooms.
The biggest part of renovating this size bathroom is upgrading the bathtub or shower. If you avoid renovating the tub or shower and the tile inside them, your cost will be closer to that of a powder room bathroom—you could remodel this size bathroom for as little as $5,000 if you’re selective about the updates you make. Consider updating faucets, flooring, lighting, and replacing the vanity. You can also make simple cosmetic updates with a fresh coat of paint or new wallpaper.
Large Bathroom Cost
Average bathroom renovation cost: $30,000+
Don’t get sticker shock! Remember, you can spread out renovations over time to save money, but a complete master bathroom makeover will cost a pretty penny.
A large master bathroom includes everything your standard bathroom does—toilet, sink, shower, and tub—but generally takes up much more space! The typical size for a master bathroom is between 40 square feet and 100 square feet, but it can go upwards of 200 square feet and beyond.
The features that may be unique to a master bathroom and included in the cost are:
- New cabinets or storage
- Adding a double vanity
- Adding or upgrading double faucets
- Installing a bathtub
- Installing a glass shower
- Upgrading floor and wall tiles
Like the other bathroom types, you will also want to consider new lighting, mirrors, and wall coverings.
Features That Affect Cost
When you’re setting aside money and wondering how much it is to redo a bathroom, you’ll probably want to see how much each item on your remodel list costs to make a strategic plan that works with your budget.
There’s an extensive range of prices for your material options. Below, you’ll find a range displaying simple, budget options on the low end and premium luxury on the high end.
You get what you pay for, and better options cost about 50% more than your most basic available products. Installing your new features is also something to consider—you can expect to pay anywhere between 40% – 60% of the cost of your goods for the installation.
- Bathtub/shower combo: $500 – $4,200
- Shower stall: $575 – $6,000
- Walk-in tubs: $1,500 – $8,400
- Cabinets and vanities: $350 – $4,000
- Countertops: $280 – $3,500
- Faucets: $40 – $1,600
- Sink: $75 – $3,000
- Toilet: $125 – $900
- Wall tile: $12 – $80 per Square Foot
- Floor tile: $8 – $60 per Square Foot
- Lighting: $75 – $2,500
Additional Costs
After researching “how much do bathroom renovations cost?” you’ll realize that you’ll spend most of your money on labor and materials. But it’s also important to make sure you don’t blow your budget by accounting for these common additional costs!
Permits
You don’t need a permit to add a fresh coat of paint to your bathroom, but once you start making electrical or plumbing updates, it’s a different story. A general contractor can help you work out the permitting process, but getting a permit is important since mishandled, unpermitted work can be expensive to fix. Permits range between $175 and $2,000.
Electrical and Plumbing
It’s not uncommon to discover unexpected plumbing or electrical issues once you begin renovations. Maybe you’re planning on adding a new sink, and you uncover a leak in the process. Or perhaps you realize unexpected corrosion has occurred in your electrical system while replacing lighting. Bathrooms are tricky—it’s good to have a buffer in your budget if you need to make more extensive plumbing or electrical system overhauls during the remodeling process.
Floor Plan Changes or Expansion
Floor plan changes are exciting! But they can also be pricey. Depending on what you’re doing, you may need to get an architect or structural engineer involved at an average cost of $5,000. And you’ll need to think about the costs of rerouting electrical wire, insulation, rerouted plumbing, framing costs, drywall, etc. A contractor can help but expect to spend at least $5,000 on restructuring.
Universal Design and Accessibility
Having an ADA-compliant bathroom is non-negotiable for many homeowners who are accommodating aging or disabled family members or guests. You’ll need zero-depth entry showers/tubs, grab bars, lower counter height, and wider door frames. But with the proper planning, this doesn’t have to add too much expense. With careful planning, you can renovate your bathroom on a budget! When redoing your bathroom, there’s truly an option for everyone. Experts like contractors can help with major plumbing or electrical updates, and you hire a Tasker for lighting installs, painting, cabinetry updates, and other minor bathroom upgrades.
Why Remodel My Bathroom?
Bathrooms are often one of the most-used rooms in a home; over time, they can start to look and feel a little dated, and your needs might outgrow what your original bathroom can offer. A bathroom remodel can give your space a new look and make it feel more like your own, and you’ll also be able to upgrade features to accommodate you better. Don’t want to share a sink with your partner? Now you can have a double-sink. Want more privacy for the toilet? A remodel makes it possible.
How Long Will it Take to Remodel a Bathroom?
If finishing your remodel is your primary focus and you plan impeccably, you could expect to remodel a small to medium size bathroom in as little as 4-5 weeks. However, that isn’t the norm for many homeowners. Expect the unexpected and allow at least nine weeks for the complete remodel.
There’s one more option—gradually remodeling parts of your bathroom over time. No one said you have to do everything at once; you can tackle the most critical updates as they come up, or you can do a complete renovation and remodel all at once. It’s entirely up to you, your budget, and your situation.
Get A Tasker To Help Kick Off Your Renovation
Ready to start remodeling? Hire a Tasker today!
