COST OF BATHROOM RENOVATION

Posted by Jeffrey Chen

The kitchen and bathroom are the most complex and expensive rooms to remodel. A well-renovated bathroom can increase the comfort level of the home. Thus, many homeowners make the bathroom a priority in home renovation. Of course, there are many remodeling plans for a spacious bathroom. But what should you do with a limited-spaced bathroom to get the maximum benefits?

A full bathroom becomes one of the most popular home improvement projects and can add the highest resale value to your home. Some estimations show that a new bathroom can pay itself by adding the resale value at least the same amount as the remodeling cost. A luxurious bathroom will attract potential buyers, while an out-fashioned bathroom can delay the sale.

However, bathroom renovation is also one of the most difficult projects to estimate the cost as there are many variables and the quality of materials varies significantly. So how much difference are we talking about in remodeling different types of bathroom?

Cost Survey in the Industry

HomeAdvisers’s survey in 2018 created a digital marketplace that allows homeowners to explore home improvement costs and contact prescreened professionals, showed the average cost of bathroom remodeling is $10,246 in 2018, with the majority falling between $5,943 and $14,771. It ranges from $3,500 to $7,000 to update all essential fixtures and surfaces for a small or medium-sized bathroom, while large master bathrooms may go beyond $13,000. However, these numbers are averages of a large sample including both DIY and installations by contractors. Skilled homeowners who shop on a budget can often save costs by doing the work on them own, while contractor may charge much, much higher, especially when a bathroom is being demolished to the studs and structurally expanded.

Another source, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, reported that the average amount spent on a bathroom remodel in 2016 was $11,369. Estimated costs of various bathroom components:

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

A survey by NKBA showed that half of homeowners paid between $10,000 and $29,999 for a bathroom remodel, while 31% paid more than $30,000.