Bathrooms are the smallest rooms in the house, but they pack a lot of utility into every square inch, so they can be complicated — and expensive to remodel. I thought it would be fun haha to compile a list of every element of a bathroom remodel for which you need to plan, budget and spend. I am going to take a first run at the list based on my experience with several bathroom renovations — but welcome your additions, as I may not have been hit with every possible expense. Here goes:
Permits and testing
- Building permit
- Electrical permit
- Plumbing permit
- Lead testing, as required
- Asbestos testing, as required
- NOTE: See our BE SAFE / RENOVATE SAFE page for more information on potential hazards in vintage homes before you dive in! This includes my May 2016 story, Understanding potential lead hazards in old porcelain enamel bathtubs and sinks and ceramic tile of any age
Demolition
- Contractor bags
- Dumpster, if required
- Disposal fees
- Surcharges for lead abatement, if required
- Asbestos abatement, if required
- Wood rot
- Mold
- Old plumbing
- Bad wiring
- Bug infestations (we just found a nest of carpenter ants while the walls were open on my office renovation — $350 exterminator, cha ching)
- Anything that’s not to code that you weren’t anticipating.
- What else?
- Wood for framing
- Insulation
- Vapor barriers
- Energy efficiency sealants
- Window(s), if required
- Door, if required
- Drywall
- Greenboard/concreteboard for under tile
- I always use professionals who give me a bid, who bring the stuff, and give me a bill when it’s all done. Their costs usually include cost of permit and inspections. If you move your plumbing, costs are higher than if you keep your plumbing where it is. Also, if you have an old house, it’s probably wise to bring in a licensed plumbing contractor in any case — now that you have the walls open, have them take a look at everything and if it’s necessary to repair and replace so that the house is good for another… 50 years … well, suck it up and do it.
- I always use professionals who give me a bid, who bring the stuff, and give me a bill when it’s all done. Their costs usually include cost of permit and inspections. If you move your electric, costs are higher than if you keep your electric where it is. Also, in old houses, you may need to do some rewiring or upgrading to the wiring anyway — see plumbing section above regarding doing a complete inspection and any necessary maintenance/repairs now that you have the walls open…. Actual electric thingies to consider include:
- Lighting around sink
- Lighting center of ceiling
- Lighting above tub/shower
- Exhaust fan (In a tiny bathroom I like combo lighting/exhaust fan above tub/shower). See Kate’s research and the fans she bought for her two bathrooms.
- Timer for exhaust fan on its own switch.
- Electrical outlets and switches.
- Sink
- Sink legs or vanity and vanity top
- Different hardware for vanity, if required
- Repaint vanity, if required
- Faucet and associated parts
- Toilet
- Toilet innards
- Toilet seat
- Grab bar by toilet – or at least consider the framing so you can add one later.
- Tub or shower pan
- Tub/shower faucet set
- Grab bar(s) in tub/shower area – or at least consider adding the framing (thanks Stubenville for this suggestion)
- Where else to put grab bars or the framing for them for the future: Consult with pros. Sorry. We’re all getting older every day — and even if it’s not an age thing, grab bars are great if you hurt your back, etc.
- Towel bar in tub/shower, if required
- Shower curtain rod, or shower door
- I always like to add a diverter to a handheld shower head
- Handheld shower head
- Towel bar for bath towels
- Towel bar, ring or hook for wash towels
- Towel bar or hook inside tub/shower for washcloth
- Robe hook for back of bathroom door and maybe also by tub/shower
- Soap dish in tub/shower
- Toilet paper holder
- Medicine cabinet
Tile and finishing
- Floor tile or other flooring material
- Grout for floor tile, or adhesive for a resilient floor.
- Wall tile
- Grout for wall tile
- Caulk to use at tile edges, on tubs, on sinks, etc.
- Shower pan tile (if less slippery surface is desired)
- Grout for shower pan tile
- Mortar to apply tile
- Sealer for floor tile. Some ambition people also seal their wall tile
- Liner strip, if desired
- Bullnose in same or contrasting color
- Tile-in soap dish and/or toothbrush holder for above sink, if required
- Different floor tile for shower pan, if required
- Recessed shelving forms, such as Tile Redi (there are other brands, too) and any unique tile pieces required to edge them
- Marble threshold for shower pan, if required
- Marble or other type threshold for bathroom door, as required
- Wood trim for windows and doors
- Wood trim for floor if wall is not going to be tiled
- Primer for drywall
- Primer for wood trim (if trim is to be painted)
- Conditioner, stain, finish for wood trim (if trim is to be stained)
- New cover for heat and air conditioning vent?
- Paint for walls and trim
- Wallpaper
- Wall size, if wallpaper is used
- Window treatments
- Shower curtain or doors
- Shower curtain rings
- Coordinating towels and rugs
- Soap dish for vanity
- Shelving and artwork for walls, as required
- Wastebasket
- Plunger – After all this time, money and grief, you’ll want a clean start.
Hey, if thi$ checkli$t doe$n’t make you want to Love the Bathroom You’re In, I don’t know what will.
Want to noodle bathrooms more? Check out my three videos about my blue bathroom renovation:
- Video: My blue bathroom, basic design concept.
- Video: My blue bathroom, some design tips that turned out really well
- Video: My blue bathroom, things I’d do differently *the video that went viral*
What potential or for-sure expenses did I miss, dear readers?
Or, what bathroom remodeling expenses caught you by surprise? Do you have a nightmare that you need to process and forewarn? How about ideas that saved you lots of money? Bathrooms as Money Pits: That’s today’s topic.
FortiesFan says
What a timely post…I was just thinking about finally gutting my bathroom next winter. I hate its layout, as well as its 1990s “Home Cheapo” renovation from the previous owners.
I want the new design to look appropriate to my 1940 house, so I will probably just keep it simple with 4″ ceramic tile and classic fixtures. I am torn between a white/black color scheme and a mint green/black color scheme.
Aside from the dreaded loss in potential resale value (sarcasm), is there generally an up-charge when ordering colored tile or fixtures?
Katie says
I’ve found that a way to get very high quality work for a reasonable price is to find a electrician, plumber ect. who has a day job doing commercial work, and makes extra money doing residential work on the side. Ask for references and an estimate upfront, or if you know someone in the building trades, ask them for a name.
Stacy says
I have one that’s not on your list:
Cost of paying first contractor for supplies and then having said contractor get in serious car accident and losing memory after cashing your check. Cost of paying new contractor 2 weeks later for same supplies to finish your gutted (and only) bathroom. I know that you’re supposed to plan for the “unexpected,” but I am always caught by surprise and totally stressed out when it happens. And, yes, the accident really happened. He wasn’t actually trying to rip me off, but I was out and extra $800 I hadn’t planned for, and I don’t think I’m getting it back.
Stacy says
I thought of more advice to add to this. If you have to hire someone in a hurry, don’t panic. I wish I had taken a few more days to hire the right person, instead of the person who could get there first. I now have another expense-hiring a third person to fix the mistakes of the second person who was very available, but not too skilled.
carole says
In regards to something Stacy said about hiring someone, I always remember a comment from This Old House…..Never hire the person/company that can show up immediately.
As for bathroom remodeling, I have nothing to add, yet, but every time we remodel/renovate any room in our 1973 ranch, there are always surprises, followed by stories to tell. I have no doubt the upcoming bathroom remodels will turn out the same.
pam kueber says
Caulk for the tub-to-tile seal.
Caulk for the wood trim to prepare for painting or staining.
Amanda says
A few days ago I emailed you about renovating my bathroom and today this list appears….coincidence? 🙂
Thanks for sharing as this will help me out tremendously in planning and budgeting for my project. After reading all of these comments I’m getting a little nervous about what little surprises I may uncover once we get started……!
Jackie Toye says
Thanks! My tiny bathroom is on my To Do List. Concrete block outerwall … and I’m sure there’s chicken wire and concrete backing for the tile … O Lawd!
Thanks for the Handy Dandy List
pam kueber says
Wood putty.
Sherree says
Something we ran in to with our 1951 ranch: The stand up shower in our 3/4 bath has a poured concrete shower base. I mean they just probably hauled it in in buckets and poured it, sloping it to the center drain. The drain and all it’s parts are cemented in there for good. The base is painted with white floor paint. We have found aqua and red paint under there, so this has been around awhile.
The plumber (here doing other work) said that when we needed to change that drain assembly the whole thing would have to be busted up and taken out! I am sure it will not easy or simple
Has anyone else ever seen that? Was that just a handyman job or was that common practice back then?
Jay says
Yes, in my 57 ranch the master bath has a stall shower instead of a tub, which occupies space between closets for other rooms. The stall shower base was built in place at the time the house was built. It had to be busted up when I remodeled the bath several years ago, the only difference was that my stall shower was tiled.
Linda says
Pam, your list could not have bee posted at a better time as my husband and I are going to remodel our small bathroom very soon! It was “renovated” back in the 80s and we want to make it look 50s again.
I would also second Secret Design Studio’s suggestion of drawing up the room in 3D if possible, I used Google SketchUp and it was so helpful to help visualize the space.
Secret Design Studio says
Thanks Linda, I agree Google Sketch-up is a great product to help visualize a room in three dimensions, but sometimes the fine accuracy you need in a bathroom renovation just isn’t there with Google Sketch-up. The smaller the space the more accurate you need to be with the planning of the job. Fortunately many sanitary ware suppliers allow you to download their products in an AutoCad format which makes my job a lot easier with precision when designing a tight bathroom renovation.
Cynthia says
Good list, thanks. We are about to start minor renovations on two of our bathrooms. One was remodeled by previous owners maybe 10 years ago…it’s pretty icky…don’t think it can be restored to the original charm it probably had back in the day (at least, not with our budget) but we can at least put in a tile floor and tile tub surround, and a toilet that works. 😉 The other one is my kids’ bathroom, and it’s small and we just need to keep it simple, simple, simple. Again, it was remodeled by previous owners somewhere along the line…it’s not as bad as the other one, though. It already has basic white tile on the walls and around the tub, so that just needs some cleanup. The tub is a Kohler Villager which is fine, so that’s staying…just needs new fixtures. The vanity and toilet are horrible. We have a salvage vanity, sink, and medicine cabinet that we got off craigslist; vanity needs to be painted but otherwise they are wonderful, solid items. Tile on the floor and new paint on the walls will go a long way. Kids have already said we need to leave the fish-motif shower curtain. Fine…it’s their bathroom, they get some say. 😉
Thanks again for the list! Have a great day!