If you’re planning on remodeling your bathroom, an essential part of the planning process will be finding out how much everything will cost. Remodeling isn’t cheap; even though bathrooms are typically the smallest rooms in the house, they still contain a ton of fixtures, accessories, and plumbing that could have to be replaced. Of course, there are many different levels of remodels. You could just replace a few major fixtures, like the sink, toilet, and shower. Or you could go all-out, giving each surface a new lease on life, replacing the plumbing, and so on.
Regardless of how deep your remodel will go, you’re probably planning on replacing the smaller fixtures. These won’t be nearly as expensive compared to something like a shower or bathtub, but they can still have just as much of an impact on the final look of the bathroom. For instance, you could opt for a faucet with a custom finish, or dual shower heads for a more luxurious look. Whatever you end up doing, though, it’s nice to know how much it could cost beforehand. Want to know more? Just keep reading!
Average cost to remodel a bathroom
If you look at data from across the US, the average bathroom remodel costs around $10,000 (this includes both labor and materials). A really budget-friendly remodel could cost as low as $2,500, with no-holds-barred remodels costing $30,000 or more.
Another way to calculate the cost is per square foot. On the lower end, you might pay around $70 per square foot; on the higher end, this cost would rise to $250 or more.
What if you decided to take the DIY route? Looking at it purely in terms of cost, this would represent a huge savings. However, unless you already knew what you were doing, it would take considerably more time, and would probably involve plenty of frustration along the way.
Whatever you decide to do, experts recommend budgeting between 5% and 10% of your home’s total value for a bathroom remodel. How much you actually spend is up to you, but if you were looking for a ballpark estimate, that’s what to aim for.
Breaking down the cost of a bathroom remodel
It’s all well and good to know how much people spend to remodel their bathrooms, but what are they actually spending money on? Here’s how it breaks down.
Cost of materials:
- Plumbing – $250 to $1,500
- Paint – $30 to $60
- Flooring – $45 to $200
- Vanity – $100 to $2,800
- Toilet – $80 to $5,000
- Cabinets – $270 to $400
- Countertops – $200 to $1,000
- Shower – $500 to $5,000
Cost of labor:
- Plumbing – $750 to $16,000
- Paint – $350 to $750
- Flooring – $800 to $7,000
- Vanity – $300 to $4,000
- Toilet – $150 to $800
- Cabinets – $1,200 to $13,000
- Countertops – $900 to $13,000
- Shower – $450 to $10,000
Factors that will affect the cost of your bathroom remodel
As you can see, the prices listed above have a very wide range. This might make it hard to estimate your own remodel costs, but there are just too many variables to get more accurate numbers. They can be moderately useful on their own, but it’s helpful to put them into context by considering certain factors.
What style and finish will you choose?
Whether you’re looking at tiles for the shower walls or standalone sinks, there are tons of options to choose from. The list grows even longer when you add things like faucets, shower heads, and cabinet handles to the mix. While you could definitely choose budget-friendly options and still have a great-looking bathroom, the sky’s the limit if you want to get higher-end products. You could decide on a style, such as minimalist, Victorian, or rustic; or focus on a certain finish for metallic accents, such as matte black, copper, or brushed steel. The more unique something is, the more it will probably cost.
How big is your bathroom?
This is just common sense: the more bathroom there is to remodel, the more it’ll cost. This won’t affect the cost of fixtures like the toilet, sink, or shower, but it will affect the cost of flooring, painting, drywall work, plumbing work, etc. However, if the remodel is purely focused on replacing the fixtures rather than the actual floor, walls, and plumbing, the size of the bathroom won’t have as much of an impact.
What type of bathroom do you have?
Not all bathrooms are created equal, and neither are the costs of remodeling them. You may be remodeling a primary bathroom, or just a modest powder room. Here are the average costs of remodeling different types of bathrooms:
- Primary bathroom – $10,000 to $30,000
- Full bathroom – $6,000 to $15,000
- Powder room or half-bath – $2,000 to $5,000
How much will the contractors charge?
Some contractors are cheap, while others are expensive – this is usually a matter of skill, experience, and quality of work provided. Even if you’re on a modest budget, this is one area where you shouldn’t go for the least expensive option; you’ll almost certainly end up with a headache and a poorly remodeled bathroom. On average, you can expect to pay between $50 and $75 per hour for labor, totaling between 40% and 65% of the total budget.
How much will the materials cost?
This can be hard to predict, but you can hopefully avoid unpleasant surprises by doing a lot of research beforehand. Whether you’re considering towel holders or artisanal tiles, get a feel for price ranges, and write stuff down. This will help you determine whether you’ll be able to stay within budget, if you need to cut a couple of vanity purchases out, or if you have room for some upgrades.
The takeaway
Remodeling a bathroom can be an exciting project to take on, but it’s important to know what you’re committing to in terms of cost. It certainly isn’t cheap, but a well-remodeled bathroom is an investment that you can enjoy for years.
