Bathroom remodeling costs can be divided into five categories:
- Labor costs
- Material costs
- Building permit costs
- Renovation insurance costs
- Unexpected expenses
Today, we will discuss each category and share some tips that can help you save money!
Labor Costs
Labor costs will likely be the largest expense category and may eat up the bulk of your bathroom remodel budget.
First of all, you will need to hire a general contractor who will be responsible for overseeing the entire project from start to finish.
This general contractor will then find, hire, and manage subcontractors, which may include:
- A tiler
- A painter
- A plumber
- A carpenter
- An electrician
They will also subcontract someone to handle the demolition, waste disposal, and cleanup.
We recommend finding a reputable bathroom remodeling company in your area, as that is the most straightforward way to source labor!
Tips:
- Make a plan and stick to it. Discuss your vision with your general contractor, agree on the project scope, deliverables, and timeline, and ask them to create an itemized budget for it. You want to have everything planned out before you commence the remodel. Don’t deviate from that plan unless it’s absolutely necessary.
- Do as much as you can yourself. Consider doing simple tasks like repainting the walls, repainting the cabinetry, and cleaning up yourself so that you wouldn’t have to pay someone else to do it for you.
- Hire certified tradespeople to do tiling, plumbing, and electrical work. Taking a DIY approach here is unwise because mistakes can have expensive consequences. For example, if you mess up waterproofing while tiling your bathroom, it can lead to water damage and mold growth. Then, you’ll not only have to hire a tiler to redo your work but will also need to pay for water damage restoration and mold remediation. That’s why it’s best to just leave these tasks to the experts.
- Do not change the layout of your bathroom. Relocating fixtures requires gutting the entire bathroom and rearranging its plumbing. That’s a labor-intensive task that can only be completed by a plumber. It can substantially increase the total cost of your remodel.
- Do not expand your bathroom. Expanding a bathroom requires moving one or more of its walls. It’s another labor-intensive task and you will need to hire a builder or a carpenter to do it, which can be quite expensive.
Material Costs
Material costs are an expense category that encompasses everything from tiles to cabinetry to fixtures.
It’s going to be impacted by several factors, including the scope of your remodel, the quality of the materials that you choose, and whether you want to prioritize accessibility.
Here are some tips that can help you save money on materials:
Tips:
- Hire professional cleaners to clean your bathroom. They know how to remove persistent limescale, water stains, and soap scum with specialized, industrial-grade chemicals. It might turn out that your bathroom tiles, cabinetry, and fixtures simply needed a good scrub!
- Reuse what you have whenever possible. Consider repainting, refinishing, or refacing the cabinetry instead of throwing it away. Also, refinishing the existing fixtures is more affordable than buying new ones.
- Be intentional about the materials that you choose. Material costs add up quickly so think about what matters the most to you, prioritize that and look for less expensive options when it comes to everything else.
- Don’t tile the entire bathroom. Go with a half-tiled bathroom design instead.
- Look for clearance tiles. Tile stores sometimes hold clearances where you can purchase tiles at a steep discount.
- Buy secondhand. You can find used fixtures, cabinetry, and mirrors on Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace, as well as in brick-and-mortar secondhand stores.
- Wait for sales. Stores like Home Depot have seasonal sales. Consider waiting until the next one instead of paying the full price now.
Building Permit Costs
Check local regulations to see if you will need to get a permit for your bathroom remodel.
Typically, permits are required for remodels that include making changes to the structure of the house, its plumbing system, or its electrical system.
Home Renovation Insurance
If you intend to do some of the work yourself, it might be a good idea to get home renovation insurance just in case.
In addition to that, make sure that whoever you hire to help with your bathroom remodel has proper business insurance that will cover any damage that they might cause.
Unexpected Expenses
Don’t be surprised if unforeseen issues start popping up once you commence your bathroom remodel.
For example, once you remove the old cabinetry, you might discover water damage behind it, in which case you’ll need to pay for water damage restoration.
It’s impossible to predict things like that in advance, which is why it’s wise to set aside 10-20% of your budget for unexpected expenses.
Bathrooms by Genie: Oklahoma’s Top-Rated Bathroom Remodeler!
Bathrooms by Genie provides customized bathroom remodeling solutions for Oklahoma residents.
We have a 5/5 star rating on Google Reviews, an A+ rating from Better Business Bureau, and a top rating from Home Advisor.
In addition to that, we have received multiple awards, including the Angie’s List “Super Service Award”.
Whether you want to replace a bathtub or a shower, install accessibility features, or completely remodel your bathroom, we can help you with your project!
Book a FREE Consultation!
P.S. Our tubs, showers, and other bath remodeling products come with lifetime product warranties to protect your investment!
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