Budgeting for a Bathroom Remodel

When it is time for a fresh bathroom design, you may wonder how much your new room will cost and how to budget for it. In part three of our series on budgeting for a remodel in your Gainesville home, we examine what influences the cost of a bathroom remodel, what key elements make up the costs, and how to get the maximum value out of your new design.

Before you start examining costs, consider what you like and dislike about your existing bathroom. Next, examine your goals and priorities for your bathroom design. If you have your heart set on a large open shower, then prioritize this first.  Finally, look at who will be using the bathroom and how often. Asking yourself these questions will help you figure out what is really important to you in your remodel. Once you’ve identified this, it is time to start figuring out the cost of your planned remodel.

Key Cost Factors for Your Bathroom Remodel

As a general rule in our region, you should spend approximately 10-15% of your home’s value on a bathroom remodel. While this is a useful guideline, it’s important to remember that every remodel is unique and will depend on your personal preferences and the choices you make. Here are some of the key factors that will impact the cost of your remodel.

Is this a partial or complete bath remodel?

If your bathroom just needs a little facelift and you plan to keep the same layout while replacing most fixtures, your costs will differ significantly from a complete change of layout and style.  Likewise, any changes where you must move around plumbing or walls will impact your costs.

According to the Remodeling.net 2019 Cost vs. Value Report, a typical bathroom remodel fits into one of these categories:

• Guest Bath Remodel includes updating an existing 5 x 8-foot bathroom footprint where you replace all fixtures, cabinetry, countertop, and tile, and add a recessed medicine cabinet with a light. The report shows that you typically recoup about 57% of the costs for a guest bath remodel.

• Master Bath Remodel incorporates changing or expanding your existing layout, relocating fixtures, a tiled shower with recessed storage and frameless glass enclosure, multiple showerheads or body sprays, a freestanding tub, vanity with two sinks and stone countertop, underfloor heating, and more. With the master bath remodel, you usually recoup about 54% of the cost in the value of your home.

Other changes such as a universal or accessible design can further affect your costs.

Which bathroom are you remodeling?

Your costs will often vary widely depending on which bathroom you are designing. This is in part due to size — typically a master bath is bigger than a hall bath or powder room. You may also decide to invest more in a master bath design that you plan to use every day as opposed to a guest bathroom that is only used infrequently.

In general, for the Gainesville region, a complete remodel of a typical 5×8 guest bath will cost around $20-30 thousand, while an average master bath design starts around $40-60 thousand. A reputable bathroom design firm will help you understand the breakdown of costs, prioritize your budget spend to get the most out of your dollars and identify where you can make changes to control your remodeling budget.

What size is your space?

Like any space in your home, the size of your room will affect costs. A larger bathroom means more tile, possibly a larger vanity and countertop, two sinks instead of one, and more lighting requirements.

What materials do you plan to choose? 

Vanity cabinets, countertops, tile, and plumbing fixtures are not all made the same, and the choices you make for materials and products for your bath design will impact your final price tag.  Your bathroom design expert will help you navigate the product selections to find materials that fit your style, home, and budget. They can also help you identify where to focus your budget dollars to get the best value and where you can substitute alternative materials and still achieve your design goals.

Breakdown of Costs in a Bathroom Design

Now that you know what you want and how your choices will impact your budget, it’s time to start planning the details and determining the total cost of your project. A bathroom remodel is comprised of a combination of costs made up of materials, labor, and fees, and according to the NKBA can be broken down approximately as follows:

• Installation including all construction-related labor costs makes up about 35-50%, though this can vary somewhat depending on the size of your job.

• Cabinetry and hardware account for about 16% of total costs.

• Bathroom fixtures, including faucets and plumbing, make up about 15% of the typical bathroom remodeling budget.

• Flooring, countertops, walls and ceilings, doors and windows, and the design fee make up the rest of the costs.

• According to the NKBA, you should set aside 20% of your budget for unexpected costs in any remodeling project. Haile Kitchen & Bath follows a proven design process, provides experienced project management, and offers a transparent three-tiered good/better/best budget. These factors mean your unexpected cost allowance is much lower when you work with our team.

Are you ready to start planning your next bathroom remodel? Let our team help you turn your design goals into a plan and a budget that allows you to get the most out of your remodel.