by Do you ever step into your bathroom and wonder why it’s not as nice as those in luxury hotels?
It might be time to consider renovating a bathroom. But of all the aspects of home improvements, this is what frightens the average homeowner. With the cost of housing increasing, we often don’t have enough cash to cover a bathroom remodel cost.
But before you dismiss renovating a bathroom, you want to know how much it’ll actually cost. You might end up having the budget after all.
Here’s the cost to remodel a bathroom:
Average Cost to Remodel a Bathroom
Let’s first look at how much you’ll pay, on average, for a bathroom remodel. In most cases, you can expect to pay around $10K for renovating a bathroom. This is the case for a standard-size bathroom that’s just made for one person.
For larger bathrooms, such as the Master Bathroom, expect to pay an extra $5K on top of the base price.
You’ll have to pay for the following when renovating a bathroom:
- Labor costs
- Cost of changing materials (i.e., plastic countertop to granite)
- Cost of updating fixtures
- Cost of repairing potential hazards
Once you get an estimate for the job, make sure you sign an agreement. This ensures that the contractor can’t raise prices at the last minute.
Renovation and Remodeling
We’ve used renovating and remodeling liberally in this guide so far. But you must understand the differences to help you figure out your estimated costs.
Renovating requires less construction and focuses more on the cosmetic aspect. For example, this might include changing the floor from Mexican tiles to marble tiles.
Remodeling will require more construction. An example would be removing your toilet from the ground and installing a new one. It might mean changing the type of showerhead you have. This is a much longer process and costs a lot more.
Take your time to decide what you need. Remodeling is only needed if there are a few issues with your bathroom’s infrastructure.
Adding Cabinets
When remodeling or renovating a bathroom, you might want to make new additions. You might wish to add a new cabinet to store bathroom items.
So, what’s the cost of adding cabinets? It all depends on how big of a cabinet you need. Let’s suppose you live in a small studio apartment. You’ll likely only need a small cabinet in your bathroom.
A small cabinet is sufficient to pack your basic toiletries. This type of cabinet would cost around $300 to $500 to install. Larger cabinets can put bath supplies and these can cost at least $1K.
Additional costs include the materials you use for the cabinets. Wooden cabinets, for example, will cost more than plastic cabinets. Metal and glass cabinets will also cost a lot more.
If you want to install a mirror on the front of your cabinet, that’ll cost at least an extra $200.
You can also install shelves in your cabinets which can cost an extra $50 per shelf. If you’re on a budget, you might have to put off adding cabinets at a later stage.
Fixing Plumbing Issues
A big aspect of remodeling or renovating a bathroom is fixing plumbing issues. Depending on the severity of the problem, it can cost as little as $100 to a few thousand dollars.
For example, a clogged toilet will only cost $100 or less. But if you have issues with your septic tank, expect to pay at least $200 to $300. If you’re having draining issues, it might be a simple job that won’t cost a lot.
Or, you might have to hire a plumber to repair the infrastructure of the draining system. This can cost several thousand dollars and might take several days or weeks.
You might also have to hire contractors for regular maintenance of your bathroom. This might cost a few hundred dollars every month or every other month.
Enclosures
Now, let’s look at the enclosures for the bathroom. This includes the walls, ceiling, doors, and windows.
Remodeling the walls can take several weeks and cost several hundred dollars. Depending on the height and width of your walls, you might have to pay at least $1,000.
You’ll also have to hire contractors for regular maintenance of your walls. This includes checking for mold, asbestos, and cracks. You can expect to pay $100 to $200 every few months for this regular maintenance.
Next, let’s look at the ceiling. This is something we often neglect but if you’re not careful, can come crashing down. You must hire a contractor to check the ceiling for potential mold or asbestos.
If you have high ceilings, you need to get them cleaned regularly. Often, it’s best to hire a contractor or plumber to clean these. Get your ceiling checked at least twice per year to fix any potential cracks or weak infrastructure.
The same goes for the door. You want to pay to get it oiled on occasion. This ensures that you can easily open and close it. If you want to replace a door, you’ll have to pay for the cost of the door and installation. Often, this only costs a few hundred dollars.
Windows are the cheapest fixture in the bathroom. Windows can often be bought for less than $100. Often, the labor costs will also be around $100 to $200. Make sure you invest in high-quality windows that’ll last you for several years.
Using the estimates in this guide, you’ll have an idea of how much you’ll pay for remodeling or renovating a bathroom. You can also negotiate as you wish when you hire a contractor.
Now You Can Improve Your Bathroom
Now you know the cost to remodel a bathroom and can decide if it’s for you.
On average, you can expect to pay a total of at least $10K for services rendered. Make sure you understand the difference between renovation and remodeling.
There are additional costs for adding cabinets and other fixtures to your bathroom. Maintenance costs are infrequent but can be costly depending on the intensity of the problem.
If you’re looking for more home tips, you’ll find many more relevant articles on our website.
