How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost?

“How much does it cost for a bathroom remodel?” is a question we hear a lot at Valley Home Builders. Often, our customers spend years thinking about updating a bathroom. And before working with us, many thought they couldn’t afford a remodel with beautiful results.

Depending on what you need, you can spend anywhere between $25,000 and $60,000 on a bathroom remodel. A lot depends on the size of the space, the style you’re going for, the quality of the materials you choose, repairs to plumbing and electrical components and required permit expenses.Before breaking ground on your bathroom remodeling project, consider the questions below.

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How Big Is the Bathroom You Are Planning to Remodel?

The size of your bathroom will be the first determining factor in remodeling costs. A larger space will require more generously sized vanities and possibly a separate shower and bathtub. A smaller bathroom where you’re replacing the existing elements will cost much less. If you’re expanding into a space that involves new framing, such as reconfiguring a closet to become part of the bath, this will add extra cost.

On average, you can expect to pay around $800 per square foot of your bathroom remodel. However, the materials you choose to use can make that price higher or lower. Opting for luxury appliances and finishes can quickly increase your overall bathroom remodel cost.

In general, here’s how much it would cost to remodel a bathroom based on size.

• Powder room: A powder room is typically a half-bath, making its standard remodeling cost around $15,000. Most powder rooms require new flooring and lighting, fresh features like a faucet, toilet and vanity upgrade and a new paint job or wallpaper.
• Guest bathroom: For a typical guest bathroom, the remodel price can range from about $30,000 to $50,000. Most of the cost for remodeling a guest bathroom comes from upgrading the shower or bathtub — including new tile — and updating the faucets, flooring and lighting. Installing new features like a vanity and painting the walls will also add to the remodel price.
• Master bathroom: A complete bathroom remodel for a master bathroom can cost $50,000 or more. This cost covers installing new cabinets, replacing the faucets, redoing the entire shower or bathtub area, upgrading the floor tile, getting new lighting, mirrors and fixtures and potentially adding a double vanity.

What Style of Bathroom Are You Looking For?

The aesthetic you’re trying to achieve for your remodeled bathroom can affect its cost. Consider these common styles and their prices when deciding how to remodel your bathroom.

• Modern: Modern bathrooms are contemporary and clean, with minimalistic features. Though some of the staples of a modern bathroom, such as marble and brass finishes, can be pricey, you can save overall by following the straightforward format.
• Traditional: A traditional bathroom remodel will include classic elements with clean lines and a touch of elegance. A traditional bathroom design is timeless, which means you’ll be able to enjoy your remodel for years to come.
• Craftsman: The Craftsman style prioritizes artisanal and handcrafted wooden pieces with lots of detail and accents. A Craftsman bathroom focuses on the quality and durability of its materials. While this style may cost you more for cabinetry and countertops, you can save on other fixtures.
• Farmhouse: A farmhouse-style bathroom usually includes rustic features like wood finishes, high ceilings, sliding barn doors and an earthy color scheme. Typically, a farmhouse bathroom’s simplistic charm bathroom is easy to pull off without spending too much.
• Luxury: If you want stepping into your bathroom to feel like you’re going to the spa, you may need to prepare to spend a little extra. Luxury features like a jacuzzi, heated tiles and natural materials may cost you more, but they will create the bathroom of your dreams.
• Eclectic: Can’t choose just one bathroom style? An eclectic design unites various aspects of different styles in a single space, so you don’t have to limit your creative vision. An eclectic bathroom allows you to incorporate elements from contrasting eras, decorating styles and design movements. This approach may help you keep costs in check by splurging in some areas and refraining in others.

What Features Do You Want in Your Bathroom?

Consider what features you want to update or replace when remodeling your bathroom. Check out the following breakdown of typical bathroom upgrades and how they can affect the final cost.

• Bathtub: A new tub’s size and style will impact how much it costs. For instance, getting a free-standing bathtub installed may come with additional plumbing costs.
• Shower: Like a bathtub, installing a new shower can significantly add to your remodel’s cost. However, adding a shower head to an existing bathtub should not be overly pricey.
• Tile: Wall and floor tile often go well with a new shower. Your tile selection will affect the sticker price and the cost to install it.
• Counters: Renovating your bathroom’s countertops can be a significant factor in your final price. Ultimately, the materials you choose will determine how much gets tacked onto your total.
• Cabinets and vanities: When choosing new cabinets and vanities, the size, cabinetry, top style and material used will all impact the cost. While stock options will be the most affordable, it tends to be worth the extra cost to get custom cabinetry for small spaces and luxury master bathrooms.
• Toilet: Fortunately, replacing an outdated toilet is a simple and relatively inexpensive upgrade. While different models can vary in price, the installation cost for a toilet is generally low.
• Sinks: A new sink’s cost will differ depending on whether you choose a pedestal sink, drop-in sink or a designer style. Drop-in sinks tend to be affordable and available in a range of chic styles.
• Faucets: You can find the perfect faucet to complete your sink with a price that suits your budget by choosing the right style, material and manufacturer.
• Lighting: A bathroom remodel is incomplete without updated lighting. Think about whether you want to enhance your bathroom’s overall ambient lighting, accent lighting or task lighting around the vanity.
• Mirrors: Mirrors can vary significantly in price. From full-length mirrors to smaller decorative mirrors, look for one that fits into your budget.
• Paint: Painting supplies are generally inexpensive, so most of your costs for a fresh coat of paint will come from labor.
• Wall decor: Factor any wallpaper, shelves or artwork you want to include into your bathroom remodeling budget. These are excellent, relatively affordable ways to make your new bathroom more attractive.

Material Costs

The final cost of your bathroom remodel largely depends on the types of materials and appliances you choose for the project. Specifically, tiles, fixtures, lighting, countertops and cabinetry are the five primary material factors in determining overall costs for a bathroom remodel. Below, you’ll find out how these factors can affect your price.

1. Tiles: The most popular picks for bathroom tiles include natural stone, ceramic and porcelain. Though each material can vary in cost, natural stone usually costs the most to install because it can be challenging to cut and place. If you like the look of stone, you can find more cost-effective materials that mimic the appearance of natural materials.
2. Fixtures: From showers and bathtubs to faucets and toilets, the bathroom fixtures you choose can significantly impact your overall costs. For faucets, chrome is typically a less expensive alternative to finishes like brushed nickel or antique bronze. You can also keep the price of other bathroom fixtures down by limiting the number of unique features you get, like grab bars, jacuzzi jets or a bidet.
3. Lighting: You can keep your remodeling costs down with a simple lighting fixture, or truly transform your bathroom with a stunning chandelier or skylights. Of course, the material costs for changing lightbulbs or setting up accent lighting will be less than installing a new ceiling fixture or cutting out a skylight.
4. Countertops: Prefabricated countertops are most likely your best option for creating a stylish space while keeping costs down. But, remember that you often get what you pay for when it comes to purchasing materials. Stone or granite countertops can be worth the investment because they are highly durable, low-maintenance and visually appealing.
5. Cabinetry: If you select premade cabinets instead of custom ones, you may save money. However, you can get affordable custom cabinets for your bathroom if you work with the right contractor.

These days, many contractors — including Valley Home Builders — prefer custom cabinets and can offer them at a low cost to you. Tile and stone manufacturers offer products from low-end fabricated tiles and countertops to high-end travertine and granite. The same is true for fixtures, where there is a wide selection of low-cost/high-value products and very high-cost “designer” products.

The broad selection and combinations for products make an average bathroom remodel “ballpark” price nearly impossible to give. Even so, if you’re planning on using mid-range tiles, custom cabinets and basic replacement of fixtures and lighting elements in a standard 8’ x 5’ bathroom, you can usually stay in the $13,000 to $15,000 range.

What Upgrades Does Your Bathroom Need?

Older bathrooms might need some extra plumbing or electrical work to bring them up to code. These repairs will add to the final remodeling cost. If you need to upgrade your bathroom’s plumbing or electrical system, check out the sections below about the average prices for these projects.

Plumbing Repair

Plumbing repair as part of your bathroom remodel can bring your costs higher. Many times, when we open up the walls of homes, we find water damage and wood rot to the floors below the bathtub or sink. This kind of damage requires placement of the plumbing lines themselves. We must fix these elements before installing new fixtures. These costs are unavoidable.

If you want to move a toilet to a new location, or add a double sink where there used to be only one, you’ll need to move existing water or drain lines or add new ones. The driver for plumbing costs is labor. The work involved in re-routing supply lines, vents and drains can run between $1,350 and $1,400 per fixture. Most contractors will include the installation of the finish elements, such as sinks, toilets, faucets, etc., into their pricing.

Electrical Repair

As with plumbing, electrical work is often necessary to bring a bathroom remodel up to code. Each county or municipality has regulations that contractors must meet to pass inspection. These items are typically ground fault circuit interrupter upgrades, wiring updates within the walls and service panels to support new or more AC devices. Due to the wide range of local permit and planning costs, we cannot realistically estimate these expenses without a visual review of the bathroom.

Consider Permits When Remodeling

Depending on the state and city where you live, you might need a special permit for remodeling your bathroom. These permits are usually affordable and easy to obtain. Before starting your remodeling project in the South Bay area, check out the California Building Standards Code requirements that apply to you.

Find Professional Home Remodeling Services in the South Bay Area

Ready to give your bathroom a complete remodel? Contact Valley Home Builders today for professional home remodeling services in the South Bay area. At Valley Home Builders, we’re experts in major home renovations. With our experience and expertise, we’ll bring your vision to life while staying within budget.

If you’d like to get a solid quote on your bathroom remodel, feel free to give us a call. We’ll be glad to discuss your bathroom remodel project. We can answer all your nagging questions so you can move from planning to doing!