Budget Advice: Hidden Master Bathroom Remodel Costs

If you are looking to sell your home, or simply add a few upgrades for a more modern look, a great return on your investment will come from a master bathroom remodel. Not only will a high-end bathroom renovation update your space, but it even has the capacity to increase your home value. If you do choose to endeavor in a bathroom remodel however, you want to be extremely careful that you are make smart choices in your materials, fixtures, and labor costs to ensure the amount of money you invest per square foot is adequate for the size/age of your home. It is also helpful to compare any bathroom remodel costs to the average costs of other homes on the market.

Potential Costs in a Bathroom Remodel

Whether it is a large or small bathroom remodel, there are a number of things that you will need to keep in mind.

Fixtures: How many items do you plan to replace? Are you going to add in a walk-in shower or a low-flow toilet? Do you want a separate tub or a custom-built double vanity. There is an almost endless array of each type of fixture, meaning you can choose the best aesthetic and cost for your budget.

Materials: Do you want to retile the floors? Are you looking for a marble countertops? Use our site as a cost guide to give you a general idea of what the average cost of each material is per square foot.

Labor: Even if you plan to do most of the remodeling yourself, there are some jobs that you will need a professional for. The cost of labor is often an unexpected expense that will add to your bathroom remodel cost.

Updates: Should you open up your bathroom walls and find outdated electrical wiring, poor plumbing, or even something unexpected like mold, you will need to factor in the cost to correct these issues as the bathroom remodel will not be able to continue without them being updated.

The cost of a bathroom remodel is one that relies on many factors - from the size of the bathroom, to the fixtures you choose, along with any demos or moving of plumbing and electrical. Even with a set budget, there are many unexpected bathroom remodel costs that may come up during the process.

The Bathroom Remodel Process

When our sample homeowners decided to do a bathroom remodel, they were faced with a few challenges. The first challenge they encountered in their bathroom remodel was with the layout of the master bathroom. The design was extremely choppy and awkward with no natural flow. Additionally, there was a large amount of wasted space, along with an usual feature of two water closets. Essentially there were two toilets in one master bathroom, a design choice that made no sense in any full or half-bath.

Once the first-draft layout of the space was completed, the homeowners were ready to begin their bathroom remodel. They opted to eliminate the toilet room on the right as is was located adjacent to a small, narrow shower. Their plan was to remove the wall separating the toilet and the shower in order to double the size and in its place, install a larger and more high-end shower.
However, once the first round of tear-out was completed, they realized that the major plumbing and venting for the house were located in the wall that connected the old shower to the toilet room.
This left the couple with a dilemma: If they kept the initial layout, they would have to move all of the major plumbing to another area of the bathroom, which would double the bathroom remodel cost. When budgeting for the plumbing of this bathroom remodel, these homeowners anticipated a cost of $5,000. If they had chosen to move the placement of the major venting system, the total cost would increase to just under $10,000.

This is the perfect example of one of the hidden costs that could pop up during your own bathroom remodel. There is always a possibility that you could open the walls and find plumbing or wiring damage, mold, or other catastrophes that could derail your bathroom renovation project. That’s why breaking your demolition into two rounds and having a contingency plan/fund is critical to keeping your bathroom remodel timeline and budget intact.

While these homeowners were fortunate that this bathroom did not have any mold or damaged plumbing lines, a newly revised layout had to be developed in order to allow them to keep the main plumbing lines where they were and avoid added labor costs.
To finish the expensive part of the bathroom remodel, they opted to keep the toilet wall where it was and instead swapped the placement of the tub. They also reconfigured the area where the other toilet and original tub were located so that a larger shower could be placed on that side of the room.
This new configuration actually worked out for the best, because it allowed them to create a spacious and luxurious master bathroom.

Essentially, when it comes to bathroom remodel costs, the hidden costs really are hidden until you start to deconstruct the space and get down to the studs. Only then will you know exactly what you are dealing with, so be prepared to have a plan or a contingency fund to keep your project timeline on track!

Award-winning, Baton Rouge-based interior designer and content creator Arianne Bellizaire has been named a High Point Market Authority Style Spotter (2015), Perlick Ambassador of Cool (2017), Villeroy & Boch Color Challenge Winner (2017), Modenus Blog Tour invitee (2016 & 2019), and Modenus DesignHound (Spain and London 2016, Surfaces 2018). She was also selected as an Ambassador for NYDC 2020 What's New What's Next. Her work and expertise have been featured in Forbes, Rue Daily, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Business Of Home, and USA Today.