How Much Does A Bathroom Remodel Cost?

For most people, the bathrooms in their home are either a major source of happiness, or frustration. Even though it’s one of the smallest rooms in the home, having a nice bathroom does wonders for the soul.  If you are wondering how much a shiny, new bathroom will cost you, Mosby is here to help educate and guide you in your remodeling process.  While it’s difficult to give exact cost without seeing your bathroom in person, here are some ranges to give you a better idea of what your dream bathroom may cost. All of these prices are based on a typical 5 ’x 8’ bathroom.

At Mosby Building Arts, we like to break our bathroom remodels into three categories “cosmetic” bathroom remodels, semi-custom bathroom remodels, and custom bathroom remodels. Read on to see the various types and consider where your project may fall.

“Cosmetic” Bathroom Remodeling Costs

Generally speaking, cosmetic bathroom remodeling means giving your space a facelift without doing any structural work.  You may be making just one, or numerous, simple updates to give the bathroom a new look.  Typically, the work will not require any drywall work or building permits.  This level of bathroom remodeling tends to be on the lower end of the investment level and can be completed in a short timeframe.

Some items that could fall under cosmetic bathroom remodeling:

• New vanity countertops
• Cabinet hardware
• Replace lighting fixtures
• Painting
• Replace toilet
• Replace vanity faucet

Smaller updates like these are great to make when your home is newer and you simply want to change your bathroom style, or if you are going to sell within a year or two.  The cost of these updates vary, running as low as a few hundred dollars for a new vanity, and up to $10,000 or more if you are tackling multiple areas.  When trying to guess how much a new bathroom will cost, keep in mind that prices will vary depending on the labor and products.  A more involved bathroom project will have increased labor costs. And just because a project seems simple, doesn’t mean it necessarily will be cheaper. One example is that a simple faucet replacement could easily turn into a full plumbing job if the plumbing lines are old or a leak is found.

Product selections can also cause a large swing in investment level. A stocked faucet from a big box store ($50-$300) will undoubtedly cost less than a special order designer faucet ($200-$1000). So take stock of your price constraints and style wishes and make selections accordingly.

(Side note: when comparing the price of a fixture from a big box store and direct from the distributor, like Kohler, not all things are created equal. Although they may appear to look the same and have the same SKU number, that does not necessarily mean it’s the exact same product. Usually the direct fixture is higher quality than the same one sold at the big box store.)

“Semi-Custom” Bathroom Remodeling Costs

Semi-custom bathroom remodeling, or “pull and replace” bathroom remodeling, is the second type of bathroom project.  If you are happy with the footprint of your bathroom, but wish to pull out everything old, and replace with everything new, then yours is probably a semi-custom project. Here at Mosby Building Arts, we call that a Right Bath. The caveat is that all items must generally stay in the same location. If walls are moving or space is being reconfigured, then fully custom is most likely where your project will land.

Semi-custom bathroom remodeling is more involved than cosmetic remodeling so the time and cost will be higher.  This project requires demolition, possible structural repairs, and electrical and plumbing. The vanity, toilet, flooring, and tub/shower are all removed, along with some or all of the drywall.  After prep work and selections, all new items will go back in the same (or close to same) location. Pending the age of the home, a bathroom cost usually starts out around $27,000 for a Hall/Guest Bathroom (approx. size: 5×8) and a master bathroom usually starts out around $40,000 (approx. size: 10×12).

Items that can have an impact on the cost of a semi-custom kitchen remodel:

• Age of home
• Size of room
• Plumbing stack
• Electrical panel
• Building codes
• Converting tub to shower
• Adding additional sink
• Fixture selections
• Flooring material

These variances can add an additional $1,000 – $5,000+.  For example, converting a tub to a shower requires a drain adjustment which adds about $1,000.  If you are in a two-story home and the plumbing stack is old and needs to be replaced, that could add $5,000+ on to the price of the project. 

Even though the bathroom is a generally small space, there is a lot of plumbing (more than kitchen or laundry) and electrical work that needs to be done.  When the home is older, the majority of the overall cost goes into necessary plumbing and electrical updates.

Your bathroom finish choices can also cause the cost to vary greatly.  Hardware, tile, and vanity selections will be reflected in the final investment level.

“Custom” Bathroom Remodeling Costs

A fully custom remodeled bathroom is the highest level of a bathroom remodel with the highest cost. Custom bathroom remodels take renovation one step further than pull and replace. Your project is a custom bathroom remodel if you want to completely rework the layout, or add on to the house, or if there will be highly custom design features. Custom remodeling of a bathroom likely includes removing the existing tub, shower, toilet, and moving these fixtures around, especially in a larger bathroom, to improve the space’s functionality and feel.  There is more planning on the construction side that needs to be done regarding where we re-route the plumbing, how the floor joist run, how the electrical work is completed, and what walls are load bearing. All of these are important things to figure out from the start because they can add to the cost of bathroom.  And just like your kitchen, you should remodel this room to work for you, so you get the highest return on your investment.

Custom bathroom remodels sometimes require architectural and design work, which is a specialized (yet necessary) part of the process. Outside architects and designers usually charge 5-10% of the project.  Mosby charges 2-3%.  

Items that can have an impact on the cost of a custom bathroom remodel:

• Age of house
• Size of the space
• Type and location of walls being removed
• Building codes
• Selection of materials
• Custom cabinetry
• Show/tub conversion
• Selection of floors
• Electrical panel installation or upgrades
• Plumbing installation or upgrades

So how much does a custom bathroom remodel cost?  Pending the age of the home, bathroom costs usually start around $40,000 for an average bath (5’ x 8’ – 6’ x 12’), and for a master bathroom, custom remodels usually start around $75,000. 

As with a semi-custom and cosmetic remodel, the finishes selected for the bathroom and the intricacy of the work involved will also determine how much the remodel costs.  Finally, when remodeling your bathroom, you should definitely consider how long you’ll live in your home and how you can make it more accessible.  Staying in your home as long as possible has become more of a priority these days, and Mosby has ADA and CAPS certified expert designers to assist you.

No matter which category your bathroom falls in, the good news is that you are in the driver’s seat and have control over the end result. Take all things into consideration and move forward accordingly, to create a new space that matches your style, needs, and budget.