Is your shower in need of a renovation? If so, you’re probably wondering how much it’s going to cost you. If your budget is tight, you want to have many options on the table. Because let’s face it, times are hard, but at the same time, you want to turn your shower into something you can brag to your friends about.
If you want to renovate a stand-alone shower, you must be prepared that it will cost you around $800. Much of the expense is for the shower stall itself, which costs around $500, with the rest covering labor costs.
If you want to install a tub to go along with your shower (a shower and tub combination), you’re likely to spend between $1,500 to $1,700. This is because adding a tub will require additional plumbing work, aside from the cost involved in installing new fixtures and the cost of materials.
Here’s the thing with most shower remodel projects: you’ll end up remodeling other bathroom fixtures as well. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself remodeling the entire bathroom.
But before you do, you must take the time to ask the following questions:
What are my priorities for this remodeling project?
What do I want to achieve in this renovation project?
How much do I have to pay?
To find out the answers, let’s go over your options and discuss their respective merits. This way, you can arrive at a more accurate approximation of the total costs involved after all is said and done.
Small Bathroom Remodel Ideas
If you’re going to remodel your shower, you might as well remodel your bathroom too. If your bathroom is small, here are remodeling ideas that can make it look less cramped and more spacious.
1. Install a new shower curtain
On top of its utilitarian benefits, a new shower curtain can add some flair to your bathroom’s overall look. Unlike a glass door, a retractable shower curtain since it saves you a lot of space. If you have a tub and shower combination, installing a shower curtain is needed to provide a convenient barrier between the two.
2. Install the towel bar on the door
After a good shower, you want your towel to be within reach. Instead of putting your towel in a nearby bathroom closet, why not just hang it on a towel bar nearby? If you opted for a shower curtain instead of a glass door, you can mount your towel bar on an adjacent wall.
3. Mix and match your tub and shower
Having a tub and a shower in the same room may cause design clashes, and you’d do well to do some mix and match to ensure cohesiveness in design. You can even choose a specific theme to save time. If you’re not a design expert, the bathtub and shower combo designs from this link should give you ideas.
4. Install wall niches to add more storage space
Storage space is a common issue with most bathrooms, and installing shelves will only make your bathroom feel more cramped. So why not build wall niche instead? Do this and you’ll have more available shelf space for your bottles and bathroom implements. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make a wall niche in your bathroom.
5. Remodel your bathroom tiles
If you really want to spruce up your shower, remodeling your bathroom tile can make a big difference. There’s a wide range of selections to choose from, but always choose a tile that’s durable and waterproof. And pick a pattern or design that will complement the rest of your bathroom. Make sure to consult with a tile repair contractor near you who can remodel your bathroom tiles and offer design suggestions.
6. Let natural light in
Most showers are dark, but they don’t have to be. A warm shower or a hot soak after a day’s hard work is like experiencing a little slice of heaven, especially if the bathroom’s interior is illuminated by natural light.
To allow light into the bathroom, simply install frameless glass walls in an adjacent wall. If possible, use thick tempered glass for its durability and its UV-resistant properties.
7. Round up your shower in the corner
If you feel that your bathroom is cramped for space, putting a rounded shower in the corner can save you more space. This type of shower comes with sliding doors, which means no more outward swinging doors that restrict space and movement. To see samples of rounded corner showers, see Lowes’s corner shower catalog here.
Master Bathroom Ideas
Master bathrooms are a haven for luxury and comfort, and it’s for this reason why they get remodeled often. They are considered an extension of the master bedroom, and homeowners want to install the best amenities available because it’s like having your own spa in the comfort of your home.
That said, everyone has their own ideas on how to spruce up their master bathroom. If you’re clueless on how to proceed, here are some ideas you might find interesting:
1. Install an inground tub
If you want to escape from the outside world and enjoy a good soak, an inground tub can provide the perfect environment for doing so. Inground tubs are durable, stylish, and leaves a lot of free space. If you want a tub that can provide you maximum comfort after a long day at work, an inground tub is just the thing.
2. Sculptural sink
You can liven up your vanities by installing counter basins and vessels, which can add a touch of elegance to the interior of your master bathroom. You can also add wall-mounted faucets to break the monotony while ramping up your master bathroom’s functionality.
3. Do a plumbing upgrade
Want to add more amenities that will indulge your senses? Upgrading your plumbing offers many opportunities. Pulsating back jets, power showers, and whirlpool tubs—the sky’s the limit. Luxury showers will often require modified plumbing to ensure that you can enjoy all amenities with optimal comfort. You might want to install a water heater as well to help get you through during the cold seasons.
4. Incorporate inclusive design
Remodeling the master bathroom so that all amenities are always within reach can improve your living conditions in more ways than one, giving you more room to maneuver and opening up floor space. To pull this off, install shower seats, handheld showerheads with accessible controls, automatic easy-glide drawers, and grab bars, just to name a few.
5. Install large-scale tiles
If you want to make your master bathroom appear bigger, installing large-scale patterned tiles is all it takes. A bit of pattern play won’t hurt. You can mix it up with small-scale or mid-scale tiles as long as you can find a thread of commonality in terms of design.
6. Improve lighting
Layered lighting adds a dash of elegance and sophistication to your master bathroom. For general illumination, installing recessed or ceiling-mounted lighting devices can serve as a good base for the lighting combo. Installing task lighting devices along the vanity area also provides a good balance. Make sure that you position your lights in a way where illumination is moderate and symmetrical.
7. Make your master bathroom water-efficient
Most of the water we’re using at home runs through the bathroom. As such, you’ll be doing yourself (and the ecosystem) a big favor by making your bathroom water-efficient. A water-saving bathtub, for example, has a tilt function that lets you save a significant amount of water every time you indulge yourself with a good soak. Low-flow showerheads, water-efficient toilets can save you a significant amount of water (and money) as well.
8. Add some ventilation
Installing fans in your master bathroom is essential because it prevents mold and mildew buildup, not to mention prevents potential water damage on bathroom surfaces such as broken tiles, walls, subfloor, and more. For a more efficient ventilation system, install anti-fog vanity mirrors and fans with built-in timers and humidity detectors.
9. Remodel your bathroom for dual-use
If you’re sharing the master bathroom with a spouse, things can be contentious when you have to take turns using the bathroom. So, how about this for a solution: remodel your bathroom for dual-use! The idea here is to remodel the master bathroom so that two people can use it at once. Installing double sinks and double showers can improve efficiency when you and your partner are both in a hurry to prepare for work in the morning.
Factors that affect the cost of bathroom remodel jobs
Now that you have at least a rough estimate as to how much you need to spend on bathroom remodeling projects, it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty. It’s tough to decide on a budget if there are still too many unknowns. So let’s go over essential factors that would affect the cost of bathroom remodels.
1. The layout
The tricky thing with remodeling jobs is that, most of the time, changing or modifying one thing might require you to make changes in another. Before you know it, you have no choice but to change the entire layout. And that could lead to other jobs, such as the need to reinstall electrical circuits or modify your bathroom’s plumbing (more on these later).
Make sure to talk it over with your contractor. What other changes are needed to carry out the remodeling job’s objectives? What needs to be replaced? And so on.
2. Plumbing
If your remodeling project requires you to move any of the plumbing fixtures, there might be plumbing work involved, which will add up to the total costs. Before going through with the project, check first if your bathroom pipes are getting in the way so that you can work out a proper budget. Will the project require reinstallation, replacements, or both? If you’re not sure, you can consult with your contractor.
3. Electrical
As with plumbing work, you have to take into account any electrical work involved with the bathroom remodeling project. Are any of the electrical fixtures in the way? Will rewiring be required? Do you need to replace or reinstall electrical fittings or outlets?
4. Flooring work
Bathroom floors get a lot of beating daily, that’s why it’s almost always a good idea to repair or replace your flooring if you’re carrying out a bathroom remodeling project. Your flooring design is also a major part of your bathroom’s overall interior design, and even the smallest changes can make the entire tableau look off, in which case it’s probably a good idea to replace your flooring with a design that will complement the changes.
5. Amenities
It’s always nice to have plenty of amenities inside the bathroom. Towel warmers, dual sinks, whirlpool tubs, thermostatic valves—the sky’s the limit! However, having these can be a real head-scratcher if you have to remodel your bathroom. Moving or reinstalling some of these amenities may add to the overall costs, so make sure to mention them to your contractor before proceeding with the remodeling project.
6. Your budget
Chances are you at least have a vague idea of what you want to achieve in your bathroom remodeling project. Unfortunately, we have to put our budget under consideration when deciding on the project’s scope because, well, money doesn’t grow on trees. You need to discuss with your contractor about the scope of the project and what options are available to you so you can determine beforehand where your priorities lie. It’s always good to have a Plan B when an initial plan is suddenly not feasible because of budget issues.
7. Picking between a tub and a shower
Are you going with a tub, a shower, or both? This choice matters so much because it dramatically impacts the overall costs, space, and functionality. A hot tub would be nice, but can you afford to include that in your budget? Before you decide, make sure to discuss your options with your family members. Ideally, you can install both to get the best of both worlds, but then again, the work involved, as well as the costs, will prove to be an issue. Make sure to reassess your options and priorities so that you’ll be happy with your choices in the end.
How much would it cost to remodel a bathroom?
A full bathroom remodel will cost you around $19,000, at least according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2018 Cost vs. Value Report. This figure applies to midrange bathrooms.
According to the report, a midrange bathroom is a 5×7 bathroom, consisting of:
- A standard white toilet
- A 30×60-inch porcelain-on-steel tub with 4×4-inch ceramic tile surround
- New single-lever temperature and pressure-balanced shower control
- A solid-surface vanity counter with integral sink
- Recessed medicine cabinet with light
- Ceramic tile floor
- Vinyl wallpaper
For upscale bathroom remodels, the average cost is $61,662, as stated in the same report.
For the materials, expect to spend between $2,000 to $10,000. Here’s a breakdown:
Bathroom Remodel Material Price
- Showers $400-$3,000
- Bathroom vanity $400-$4,000
- Flooring $300-$1,500
- Painting $200-$600
- Plumbing $300-$1,500
- Fixtures $150-$1,850
- Windows and doors $300-$2,000
For labor costs, expect to pay between $40 and $80 an hour. Depending on the needs of your remodeling project, you may need to hire a plumber, an electrician, a mobile home contractor (if you have a mobile home), or a general contractor—aside from hiring a bathroom contractor—so consider those before you finalize your budget.
How much would it cost to remodel a small bathroom?
Obviously, the smaller the bathroom, the lower the overall costs of the remodeling job. But then again, that depends on the scope of the project. Before we dig deeper, let’s have a consensus on how small a “small bathroom” is. Most small bathrooms fall between 35 to 45 sq. feet, so let’s use 40 sq. feet as a baseline as we make rough estimates.
First, let’s go over the bathroom fixtures. Installing a bathtub may cost you between $500 and $1,000 in materials, and around $600 in labor costs. The removal and disposal of fixtures, which may cost between $50 to $350, need to be taken into account as well. Other installation costs involve the toilet ($300), the shower itself ($400), the flooring ($100), lighting fixtures ($100), and the sink ($150).
Factor in the labor costs for each project, then a full remodel may cost you around $7000. Costs can vary, so feel free to work out your own estimates based on the costs provided above.
How much does it cost to add a bathroom?
Sometimes, an additional bathroom is all you need to address the bathroom needs of the entire household. It’s not going to be cheap, however. And you will need to assess your budget before proceeding to avoid problems down the line.
So, how much does it cost to add a bathroom?
That depends on your needs and your priorities. As such, it’s just a matter of working both out so you can come up with a plan and a budget you’ll be happy with, all things considering.
In general, adding a new bathroom to an already existing space will cost you around $8,000. If you already have an existing space, a new bathroom will cost you at least $3,000, and around $25,000 if you’re thinking about adding a new one. If you’re required to add more floor space to accommodate the new bathroom, expect to spend between $25,000 and $55,000. As usual, expenses will vary depending on the requirements of the project as well as the labor costs. If you’re on a tight budget and need only an additional toilet and sink, a half-bath should suffice.
To give you something to work with, here’s a breakdown of the individual costs involved:
Fixture Average Price
Toilet $350
Tiles $5 per sq. foot
Shower $400
Tub $2,500
Sink and Vanity $350
Flooring $6 per sq. foot
Electrical $500
Plumbing $700
What is Re-Bath? And How Much Does it Cost?
If you don’t have the time and the patience to work out the specifics of your bathroom remodeling project, you might want to consider using Re-Bath.
For those who are not familiar with Re-Bath, it is one of the leading bathroom remodeling companies in the world, with operations in more than 100 cities in the U.S. Re-Bath’s offerings include design consultations, free design services, removals, installations. As a company, its key mission is to offer homeowners an “effortless remodeling experience.”
So, how much does Re-Bath cost? If you want a full bath remodel, then it would cost you at least $5,000 (inclusive of labor).
What is a Bath Fitter? And How Much Does It Cost?
Bath-Fitter is another company that offers innovative bathtub solutions to customers across the U.S. and Canada. This Tennessee-based company offers remodels that can be done in one day with no demolition work involved.
One of Bath-Fitter’s best product offerings includes a one-piece seamless and watertight wall system that you can install directly over any bathroom wall. The company also offers a myriad of bathtub and shower styles and colors as well as a wide range of bathroom accessories. To top it off, the company offers a limited lifetime warranty for their products.
Get quotes from competing contractors!
If you need help with your bathroom or shower remodeling project, the best course of action is to hire a bathroom contractor or remodeler who can carry it out for you.
There’s plenty of qualified contractors out there, but it can be a challenge to find the right one.
Getting as many quotes as you can will help because having a lot of options increases your chances of finding the bathroom remodeler who can address your specific needs for a fair rate.
That said, looking for contractors can eat a lot of your time, and you have to spend a little money since some contractors charge for quotes.
But thanks to our robust database of contractors, you can receive up to 4 quotes from competing contractors without lifting a finger and at no cost. All you need to do is fill out our form and you’re done!
Want to have a bathroom you can be proud of? Fill out the form now!