You've been inspired to consider a few bathroom designs by thumbing through a remodeling magazine. Now you are wondering "how much will this all cost?" There are four basic drivers that impact the budget for a bathroom remodel - size, scope, material and labor. There are projects that cost a few hundred dollars and others that top $50,000. In New York, the average bathroom remodel falls somewhere between $8,900 to $28,700. Another metric that's sometimes quoted is to expect costs of $120 to $275 per square foot. Let's break down some of the components.
SIZE MATTERS
The average powder room, featuring only a toilet and a sink, is 20 square feet. The International Residential Building Code allows a powder room as little as 11 square feet. With faucet, toilet and vanity upgrades paired with new flooring and lighting, figure on a $7,000 budget. Add a shower to create a guest bathroom, and the minimum size increases to 32 square feet and the budget roughly doubles to $14,000.
The most common, smallest full-size bathroom in the typical American home includes a bathtub and measures 5 feet wide by 8 feet deep or 40 square feet. Anticipate your budget topping $20,000.
A medium bathroom ranges up to 10 feet by 10 feet or 100 square feet and will likely require a $30,000+ budget. A large bathroom might span to 15 by 15 or over 200 square feet. With top of the line upgrades, costs north of $50,000 is not out of the question. It should not be hard to appreciate that the more space you have to work with - the more material needed, the more fixtures that can be fitted, and the more labor needed to install them.
LET'S SCOPE IT OUT
The simplest renovation might involve changing the cabinet hardware, the toilet seat, laying down a new bath rug set, and painting the walls. If you provide the labor (and possibly re-purpose a mirror found at a yard sale) you could spend less than a thousand dollars. A gut renovation where the walls, electricity and plumbing are ripped out and "everything" is replaced with top-of-the-line material would command much higher total costs. So, what is "everything"?
MATERIAL WORLD
Starting with the floor and going up the walls we isolate these elements:
1. Flooring
2. Paint
3. Mirror
4. Shelving
5. Sink(s)
6. Toilet
7. Tile
8. Window
9. Door
10. Vanity
11. Cabinets
12. Countertop
13. Shower
14. Tub
15. Lights
16. Plumbing Fixtures
17. Exhaust Fan
On the low end, any individual item could be under $100. For a few items, material costs could be as high as $2,000. As an example, a laminate countertop included with a vanity would be considerably less expensive than custom cabinetry with a stone countertop with special cut-outs. The inclusion of one item might obviate another - such as a shelving, hooks and mirrors might be used instead of a vanity and a medicine cabinet. We are able to install an integrated option, such as Schluter System. A reasonable budget place-holder for material alone would range from $2,000 to $20,000.
LABOR
If the basic layout changes such that pipes need to be rerouted, plumbing costs will he higher. Licensed tradesmen, such as plumbers or electricians, command a higher hourly wage implying higher labor costs compared to using a handyman. Trained or artistic professionals, such as architects or designers, add value and can help avoid mistakes - but they do not work for free. Adding an adjoining room or closet adds to the amount of time needed for demolition and construction. The simplest jobs might require 50 labor hours and more complex ones could top 250 hours. Be sure to ask the professional(s) who you work with about their insurance, license, references, and prior jobs.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
The cost of a bathroom remodel has many components. Reach out to Acosta Home & Air Pro for a free estimate and expert installation. We are high-quality general contractors with extensive experience in ceramic tile, cabinetry, stone, and HVAC. We'll help you sort through multiple options. We believe that making informed trade-offs in the planning stage compared to the building stage avoids mistakes and saves money on material costs, design and functionality.