What is the Average Cost of a Bathroom Remodel? A Useful Guide

Photo by Jared Rice

Every year, Americans spend more than $300 billion in various renovations to their homes.

One of the rooms in your home that sees the most traffic is your bathroom. With working plumbing and big, expensive fixtures, remodeling your bathroom is not an easy or cheap job.

If you’re considering changing up your bathroom, you should get an idea of the average cost of a bathroom remodel. Beyond that, you should know what affects that price and how you might bring it down.

Keep reading to learn more about how much you’ll pay to upgrade a bathroom.

What Is The Average Cost of a Bathroom Remodel?

A bathroom renovation starts at $5,000 and varies depending on a number of factors, which we’ll discuss later. But that’s just where the cost to upgrade a bathroom starts.

The cost of a remodel on a small bathroom can go as high as $10,000 whereas a master bathroom can cost over $30,000.

According to Remodeling Magazine, a midrange bathroom will run you approximately $19,000. The example they gave was for a 5-by-7-foot bathroom that replaced:

• the toilet
• the vanity with sink
• the medicine cabinet
• the tub and the ceramic tile surrounding it
• the shower control

According to their calculation, a bathroom upgrade costs between $120 and $275 per square foot.

Average Costs of Different Bathrooms

Most homes have a powder room and a master bathroom and some will even have a guest bathroom. Here are the average prices for each of those, along with some of the most common changes made in a renovation:

Powder Room

Renovating a powder room usually involves upgrading the faucet, toilet, and vanity. You might also replace the flooring and the lighting as well as paint the walls or add wallpaper.

For this job, you can expect to pay between $5,000 and $10,000.

Guest Bathroom

A guest bathroom usually has a bathtub or shower, which would be replaced in a reno. You might also update the faucets, the flooring, and the lighting as well as install a new vanity.

If you add a new tile in the tub or shower as well as freshly painted walls or wallpaper, this job would cost about $14,000 to $20,000.

Master Bathroom

A master bathroom reno is a big job. This might involve new cabinets and vanity, replacing fixtures like faucets, and upgrading the floor tile as well as the tile for the shower.

The cost of this job would also include a frameless glass shower or soaking tub, recessed shower caddy, and of course, new lighting and fixtures.

For a job of this size you’re looking at more than $30,000.

What Affects A Bathroom Upgrade Cost?

Of course, the size of the bathroom has a huge impact on how much your reno costs. Another huge cost to consider are your fixtures, including your cabinets, bathtub, sink, toilet, countertops, and shower.

Labor costs influence your price as well, with bigger tasks like replacing a tub costing more. You might also consider whether you’ll need to pay for permits, which are sometimes required in larger bathroom renovations. Last but not least, any water damage will have to be repaired before installing new items.

How to Make Your Remodel Cheaper

There are a few things you can do to make the remodel less expensive. Below, we’ll provide more details on each of these cost-saving tips.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

It will cost you more money in the long run to buy cheap fixtures. If you buy a toilet that leaks, you’ll pay more to pull up the floor and fix the water damage later on down the line.

If you can’t afford the best of the best, then consider waiting for sales. Sales give you a chance to get mid or top-of-the-line products at an affordable price.

Don’t Change the Layout

If you decide to change the position or placement of a sink, tub, or toilet, you’re going to see your costs increase by a large amount. Why? Because changing their placement means relocating plumbing – and that requires a lot of work and likely some permitting.

Step By Step

If there really isn’t any rush to get your bathroom remodeled, then take your time. Replace ventilation and lighting first, then start thinking about new vanities or countertops.

And don’t underestimate the impact of little changes, either. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way. You can learn more about that in this great post.

With that said, there are certain things that should definitely be done together. For example, it’s best to replace the tub and tile the floor at the same time. Doing otherwise might cost you double in expensive labor charges.

Get Quotes

No matter what type of renovation you’re having done, you should always be getting quotes. And one quote doesn’t usually cut it. You need to get at least three quotes to get an idea of what you should be paying.

For a bathroom upgrade, get estimates from at least three different contractors. This helps you ensure that you’re getting a competitive price.

Before calling anybody, make sure you check them out online. Read reviews about their previous work so you know what to expect. You can even check them out on the Better Business Bureau.

Make sure the quote includes any costs for the disposal of materials. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t have to pay extra for the removal of flooring or adding or replacing shower tile.

Why Remodel Your Bathroom?

There is no average cost of a bathroom remodel because there are so many factors involved. The cost of fixtures, the size of your bathroom, and even where you live and the time of year can affect your costs. But there are some sure ways to save on those costs, including doing it in pieces or keeping the layout the same.

And for more great advice and money-saving advice when it comes to your home, keep reading our blog.

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