Modern interior bathroom with two sinks. Large wall panels. 3d rendering.
The average bathroom remodel cost for your area can serve as a guideline to ensure you get the most ROI from your remodeling project. Whether you’re making the decision to buy a home that needs some renovations, you’re considering upgrading a rental unit, or you simply want to add a new bathroom in your primary residence, understanding all of the costs ahead of time is essential for making a solid financial decision.
Because there are so many options available when it comes to remodeling – from simple fixture upgrades and paint refreshes to adding a brand new bathroom to a property, it’s important to understand the range of prices, as well as how they relate to the overall value of the property itself. This post will take a look at bathroom remodeling costs from the simple to luxurious, as well as the high and low prices for typical upgrades.
Setting a Budget Based on the Value of Your Property: 5-10%
One way to determine how much you should budget for a bathroom remodel is to consider the cost in relation to the overall value of the property. This will increase the odds that you get a return on the investment if you decide to sell the property down the road.
A bathroom done on the cheap could actually bring down the value of a property because prospective buyers will view it negatively in relation to the rest of the property. Similarly, putting a lot of money into a luxury bathroom in a non-luxury home could be a selling factor, but it could also be something that prospective buyers are not willing to pay a premium for, so you end up not recouping your costs. In other words, the value of the bathroom should be in line with the overall value of the home.
In general, real estate experts say that the cost of a master bedroom remodel should run at about 5-10 percent of the overall value of the property. So, if the home is valued at $1,000,000, expect to pay in the $50,000 – $100,000 range for a major upgrade. While this cost may seem on the high side, it’s important to keep in mind that materials are the majority of the cost. So, a million dollar home would command high quality materials and fixtures. It will also likely have a larger master bathroom.
This figure is also important to consider if you’re looking at a $1,000,000 property that needs upgrades, notably in the bathroom. Just the bathroom remodel alone could add 5-10 percent to your purchase price.
Bathroom Remodel Costs Based on Square Footage
Another way to determine the budget for a bathroom remodel is to make a pricing decision based on square footage. According to the site HomeGuide, you can expect to pay from $120 – $275 per square foot on a bathroom remodel. So, a smaller 5×7 foot bathroom would run in the $4,200 – $9,625 range. However, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) puts that figure as a much higher number: $635 per square foot. So, the same 5×7 foot bathroom would cost $22,225 to remodel.
https://homeguide.com/costs/bathroom-remodel-cost
https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/265052/docs/How_Much_Does_a_Bathroom_Remodel_Cost16.pdf
While these figures vary widely, they can help to guide you in your decision making if you see that your estimates, or those of contractors and designers, are in line or out of whack with what is typical. Also, you can consider the cost per square foot data point along with the rule of 5-10 percent of the value of the property, to give you a clearer picture of whether your costs make sense.
Bathroom Remodel Costs Based on Project Scope
Of course, the scope of the bathroom remodel factors into your overall costs. Here are some examples of remodel costs based on the type of project:
The website RemodelingCosts.org shares some typical pricing on simple, one-off projects in a minor bathroom remodel.
Simple Bathroom Remodel Costs:
Bathroom countertops: $900 – $2,000
Cabinets: $1,200 – $3,500
Flooring: $800 – $2,000
Paint: $100 – $150
Lighting: $450 – $900
Shower: $450 – $2,000
Bathtub: $400 – $1,500
Sink: $190 – $900
Toilet: $130 – $250
Fixtures: $50 – $100
Square footage does play a role in bathroom remodel costs. For example, smaller bathrooms require less flooring, less paint, and often simpler plumbing. This is especially true if you keep the bathroom layout close to the original design because moving plumbing and electrical setups can add to your costs significantly.
Mid-range Bathroom Remodel Costs
Mid-range bathroom remodel costs can be double the cost of those in smaller, simpler bathrooms. For example:
Bathroom countertops: $2,800 – $4,100
Cabinets: $4,700 – $7,000
Flooring: $2,500 – $3,600
Paint: $200 – $300
Lighting: $1,100 – $1,700
Shower: $3,000 – $4,800
Bathtub: $2,600 – $4,100
Sink: $1,400 – $2,300
Toilet: $340 – $480
Fixtures: $100 – $250
Luxury Bathroom Remodel Costs
Just as the more expensive a home gets, the harder it is to find comparables, so it is with higher-end bathrooms. The sky’s the limit on costs. However, here are some typical costs for luxury bathrooms:
Bathroom counter-tops: $5,000 – $6,500
Cabinets: $8,000 – $13,000
Flooring: $5,000 – $7,000
Paint: $400 – $500
Lighting: $2,500 – $4,000
Shower: $6,000 – $10,000
Bathtub: $6,000 – $8,000
Sink: $3,500 – $6,500
Toilet: $550 – $780
Fixtures: $200 – $500
It’s also important to consider market expectations when it comes to luxury bathrooms. These could include double vanities, a spa tub, a separate room for the toilet, a steam room, walk-in shower with double shower heads, heated floors, and more.
Bathroom Remodel Cost Breakdowns with Labor
While materials and fixtures account for about 80 percent of the bathroom remodel cost, the cost of labor factors in at about 20 percent of the overall cost. Obviously, this number will vary too based on whether it’s a DIY remodel or you’re hiring professionals, such as designers and contractors, in addition to sub-contractors.
According to the NKBA, here’s an approximate breakdown of how your remodel costs should be earmarked:
Labor and installation: 20%
Design: 4%
Countertops: 7%
Cabinets and hardware: 16%
Flooring: 9%
Lighting and ventilation: 5%
Doors and windows: 4%
Walls and ceilings: 5%
Faucets and plumbing: 14%
Fixtures: 15%
Misc.: 1%
Bathroom Remodel Labor Costs
Labor rates for professionals will vary depending on your geographical area, but as one-fifth of your overall expense, it’s important to have a clear sense of what your labor costs will be.
It can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to four months to remodel a bathroom, so depending on the size of the project, labor rates can start to add up.
According to the NKBA, the average construction worker makes $20 per hour. So, if you have two full-time construction workers at 40 hours per week working on your bathroom, that’s $1,600 in labor costs per week for the construction workers alone. General contractors, electricians, carpenters, and cabinet makers, and other specialists will typically charge much more than that.
Permits
Another cost to consider when doing a bathroom remodel is permitting. The benefit of working with a local general contractor is that they’ll be familiar with the types of permits required for a bathroom remodel in your city, and remodeling permits will vary city by city. Even if you are working with a general contractor, or you’re doing the bathroom renovations on your own, it’s up to you as the property owner to make sure proper permits are filed and paid for.
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