Estimating Bathroom Remodeling Costs

One of the most popular home renovation initiatives is a completely renovated bathroom, which can also increase the value of your house the most. According to some calculations, increasing real estate value equal to about 60% of the cost of upgrading can virtually make a new bathroom pay for itself. A home with a luxurious bathroom may spark bidding wars among potential buyers, yet the same home with an outdated bathroom may sit empty on the market for months or even years.

Because there are so many factors at play and a large range of materials available, bathroom remodels are also among the most difficult renovation jobs for cost estimation. Is it surprising that renovation costs can vary so widely when you can spend as little as $100 on a new toilet or as much as $10,000?

Industry Cost Surveys

According to a poll conducted in 2021 by Home Advisor, a digital marketplace that enables customers to research home repair costs and connect with prescreened contractors, a bathroom remodel would typically cost between $6,155 and $15,440. For a small or medium-sized bathroom, updating all necessary surfaces and fixtures can cost between $3,500 and $7,000, while huge master bathrooms can cost well over $13,000 or more. However, it should be emphasized that these numbers are the averages of a sizable sample that includes both contractor and do-it-yourself installations. While contractor jobs can go much, much higher, especially when a bathroom is being torn down to the studs and structurally extended, skilled homeowners who are prepared to budget shop can frequently beat these expenses by performing the work themselves.

Another source, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, a bathroom remodel cost an average of $11.364 in 2016. Cost projections for various bathroom fixtures:

• Cabinets and hardware: $1,818 (16 percent)
• Vanity countertops: $795 (7 percent)
• Faucets and plumbing: $1,591 (15 percent)
• Lighting and ventilation: $568 (5 percent)
• Walls and ceilings: $568 (5 percent)
• Doors and windows: $455 (4 percent)
• Fixtures: $1.705 (15 percent)
• Flooring: $1,023 (9 percent)
• Installation labor: $2,273 (20 percent)
• Design fees: $455 (4 percent)
• Other: $114 (1 percent)

According to an NKBA poll, half of households spent between $10,000 and $29,999 on bathroom renovations, while 31% said they spent more than $30,000.

Levels of Remodeling

The numerous levels of work that are involved might be categorized as a useful technique to examine bathroom renovation prices. When a project is a facelift, it’s usually done to save money, and the materials utilized are typically picked for cost effectiveness. However, homeowners who go over and above to employ a general contractor are typically willing to spend a lot of money and select more upscale fixtures and materials. This means that a “remodeled” bathroom can cost as little as $1,000 for a do-it-yourself homeowner updating surface materials and possibly one or two fixtures, or as much as $50,000 or more for a bathroom that is expanded and gutted and filled with high-end materials and fixtures. And if you think it’s ridiculous to assume that someone would ever spend $100,000 on a new bathroom, you’d be dead wrong—these bathrooms are more common than you might think.

DIY Facelift

At this level of remodeling, homeowners take on the project themselves and may replace the toilet and sink as well as the decorative surfaces. The plumbing, electrical, ventilation, and wall structures, however, are being left alone. At this level, the shower and bathtub are also unaffected. Remodeling of this kind could involve:

• Replacing the flooring with luxury vinyl
• Replacing the old vanity and sink with a new RTA (ready-to-assemble) vanity and sink
• Installing a new toilet and mirror
• Painting the walls

The range of costs here is determined by the quality of the materials chosen: Do you prefer to shop at designer shops or the big-box home improvement stores for the best deals?

DIY Facelift Cost: $1,000 to $5,000

DIY Complete Makeover

Here, you are still performing the work yourself, but you will be replacing nearly all of the surfaces and fixtures entirely. Although minor modifications or additions to plumbing lines may be required, such a job often doesn’t call for brand-new circuits or significant rerouting of plumbing lines. Remodeling of this kind could involve:

• Replacing floors and wall surfaces with ceramic tile
• Replacing old vanity and sink with new special-order vanity with quartz or granite countertop with an integrated sink.
• Adding linen closet cabinet
• Replacing old bathtub with new bathtub with tiled wall surrounds and premium shower valve and glass door
• Installing a new toilet
• Replacing vent van

DIY Complete Makeover Cost: $5,000 to $15,000

DIY Expansion Bathroom

Sometimes amateurs attempt fairly extensive bathroom renovations. At this stage, a homeowner with strong carpentry and demolition abilities might take on demolishing walls and rearranging the bathroom’s design to take up more room in the house. After that, everything is completely redone. Surprisingly, the cost difference is not that significant when compared to a DIY renovation because the main expenditure is in additional homeowner labor time and the cost of the additional timber, drywall, and plumbing pipes is minimal. However, a homeowner taking on this kind of restoration should also have the ability to make the frequently required wiring and plumbing improvements. Everything included in a whole makeover is included in a gut-and-rebuild bathroom, as well as:

• Demolition of wall and ceiling surfaces
• Framing new walls
• Installing a new window and door
• Hanging and finishing drywall

Homeowners need to think carefully about their degree of expertise and the amount of time needed for the project. Make sure you have access to at least one additional bathroom in your home for the duration of the project since a structural extension can take a long time. This large of a bathroom remodel has been undertaken by more than one homeowner over the course of a full year.

DIY Expansion Bathroom Cost: $7,500 to $20,000

Contractor Complete Makeover

This kind of project involves replacing all of the surfaces and fixtures in a bathroom, much like the DIY version, but the work is carried out in this case by one or more professional contractors you employ. An owner/builder contractor is a wise choice at this level. An competent carpenter working as an owner/builder construction contractor generally performs the majority of the manual labor themselves but also hires subcontractors to complete the job that they are unable to complete alone.

For instance, the owner/builder contractor might engage a licensed plumber to complete any necessary plumbing work while handling the rest of the job on their own. Additionally, this person may also staff a small group of additional carpenters who work alongside.

All of the elements listed in the DIY Complete Makeover (above) will typically be present in a bathroom remodel of this size, possibly with more expensive materials and fixtures.

Cost: $15,000 to $30,000

Contractor Expansion Bathroom

At this point, the renovated bathroom is essentially a brand-new bathroom because it involves an actual room enlargement. To make room for a larger bathroom, it requires taking out walls, framing new walls, and stripping the bathroom down to the studs. It’s possible that all of the plumbing lines will be completely rerouted, and new electrical circuits will be installed. There are very few, if any, ancient bathroom fixtures still in use. Rarely, a project of this nature may involve a structural bump-out or a modest room addition that alters the general footprint of the home itself and necessitates additional foundation work.

This kind of project is typically handled by a general contractor (GC), who performs little to no work on their own. Instead, a number of subcontractors—including painters, tile setters, plumbers, and carpenters—will enter and exit your home to complete the work. When a project reaches this stage, the upper-cost limit can get quite high indeed, as luxury bathrooms costing $100,000 are not rare.