How much does it cost to renovate a bathroom?

Considering a bathroom remodel? You’re probably curious about how much it will cost. While this type of renovation project can often be one of the most expensive in terms of construction, you’ll get as much out of it as you put in.

You’re in the right place. This guide will detail factors, budgeting tips, and best financing options for a bathroom remodeling project.

A bathroom upgrade isn’t only a smart way to make one of the most utilized spaces in your home more functional and luxurious, but it can also result in a return on investment of around 64%.

That being said, you’re probably wondering how much it costs to renovate a bathroom.

Well, you’ve come to the right place. Our Renovation Advisors created this helpful Bathroom Remodel guide to answer all your questions. We’ve broken down the cost of your bathroom remodel depending on size, materials, and type of project, so you can better understand how to budget for all the upgrades on your wishlist.

To start, what’s the average cost of a bathroom remodel?

2023 Average Bathroom Remodel Costs

The average cost of remodeling your bathroom can differ significantly based upon the overall scope of your project (ie., whether a Master bathroom or a half bath), but according to the Remodeling Cost vs Value Report 2023, here’s the average cost you can expect to pay for the following renovations:

• Midrange Bathroom Remodel: $24,606
• Upscale Bathroom Remodel: $76,827
• Midrange Bathroom Addition: $57,090
• Upscale Bathroom Addition: $104,733

A study by House Method Reports that the average full bathroom remodel costs were $26,574 in 2022, with a return upon resale of roughly 60%, or $15, 944.

But keep in mind that these averages change by location, with the cost of contractors and materials differing across the country.

To give an example, the average cost to renovate a bathroom for Philadelphia, PA homeowners is on average $7,600 - $24,300, whereas the same project would cost $6,500 - $20,700 for homeowners in Dallas, TX. 

We can’t emphasize enough the importance of taking the time to properly cost out your dream bathroom based on estimates for materials and labor in your local area to know exactly how much you’re going to need to borrow. Once you do, add on another 5% to cover any unexpected costs that come up during construction. This is known as your emergency fund, and every homeowner renovating their home needs one!

Key Factors Affecting the Cost of Bathroom Renovation

Before you actually get estimates from contractors - you might want to have a good idea of the ranges of costs for your project.

There are a few factors that will determine the price:

• Room size: This will determine the cost for flooring and painting.
• Quality of materials: We don’t recommend low-quality materials for your bathroom, especially if you’re planning on staying awhile. But higher quality will be more expensive.
• Changing the floor plan: If you’re moving sinks, toilets, shower, or walls - you’re changing the floor plan, which will most certainly up your budget.
• Types of materials (fixtures, appliances, counters, etc): If your Pinterest board is full of natural stone, mosaic tiling, concrete, and marble countertops - you might be in for a surprise when you look up the costs.

Best Ways To Pay for a Bathroom Renovation

Don’t have the savings to pay upfront for a bathroom remodel? More and more homeowners are using loans with low-interest rates to get all of their renovation projects done at once.

Check out a few of the different options you have to finance a bathroom remodel, from RenoFi Loans to cash-out refinancing to personal loans.

Personal Savings

Using your personal savings to pay for a bathroom revocation is probably the most ideal situation, but that’s not always possible. While it’s your safest option, if you don’t have enough saved up to cover everything on your wishlist, you’ll either end up continually putting off your project until you do, or get stuck having to pick and choose which upgrades you want to do first and dragging out the others. 

Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)

While most loans will provide funding in a large lump sum, a HELOC gives you access to a revolving line of credit, similar to a credit card. Flexibility is the biggest advantage of a HELOC as you can access more funds during your renovation on an as-needed basis You’ll also have a longer window to start repayment than most renovation product alternatives. 

If you’re not exactly sure how much money you’ll end up needing, or want to keep your options open to expand your project, a HELOC is a good way to go. And if your home improvement project will have fluctuating costs or you may need access to funds over a longer period of time, then a HELOC can offer those benefits. 

Home Equity Loans

Home equity loans also allow homeowners to borrow against the equity they have built up in their homes, but unlike a HELOC, the funds are typically given as a lump sum. They also have lower interest rates than personal loans, but that’s because they are more secure as they require you to use your home as collateral.

Expert Tip: Home equity loans are the most common renovation loan because they are secured by your home. This makes them less risky for lenders than unsecured personal loans. As a result, home equity loans typically have lower interest rates than unsecured personal loans.

RenoFi HELOC and Home Equity Loans are the perfect way for most homeowners to borrow the money they need to tackle their whole renovation wishlist in one go. That’s because these loans combine the best features of a construction loan with the simplicity of a traditional home equity loan or HELOC. 

These loans allow you to borrow against the future value of your home — once your bathroom remodel is complete — versus the current value of your home. This gives you the ability to borrow up to 9x more than most other renovation loans.

2023 Cost of Materials for a Bathroom Renovation

Before we dive in, let’s make one thing clear; the cost of materials can vary massively depending on the choices you make, hence why the percentages here are split into such wide bands.

Here’s how the cost of materials commonly breaks down in a new bathroom:

• Bathroom vanity (10% - 30%)
• Showers (5% - 25%)
• Fixtures (10% - 20%)
• Faucets and plumbing (12% - 16%)
• Flooring (10% - 15%)
• Entry doors and windows (8% - 10%)
• Countertops (5% - 10%)
• Lighting (5% - 7%)
• Painting (5% - 6%)
• Bathroom fan (2% - 5%)

2023 Labor Costs for a Bathroom Remodel

Labor costs often account for between 40% and 65% of the total cost of a bathroom remodel, split between general contractors, plumbers, interior designers, electricians and drywall installation contractors.

You can also expect to pay anywhere between $1,000 and $2,300, on average, for the demolition of your existing bathroom, quickly increasing beyond this if there’s a requirement to remove load-bearing walls or where there’s a need to break water pipes or electrical lines.

Of course, the larger your bathroom and the more complex it is, the more you should expect to pay out on labor costs.

What are the typical costs for the types of contractors?

• General contractor: If your bathroom project is complex, when you hire a general contractor, they may also bring in subcontractors for each of the below specialties. However, you’ll be paying the general contractor (GC) the full fee and they will then pay their sub-contractors.

• Plumber: Plumbing is probably the most expensive specialty for a sub-contractor because it requires such a specific skill-set and can go very badly if it’s done wrong. Their rate is generally $50-$200 per hour.

• Designers: While some contractors are particularly skilled at giving you good design ideas for your bathroom, many folks also choose to hire a designer to create plans for the space or an interior designer to pick out the finishes and decor after.

  On average, an interior designer will cost $2,000 to $5,000, but there are many online services today that are a lot cheaper.

• Electricians: Electricians also require many hours of formal training and are a high-priced specialty. There are a lot of risks involved with electrical work, so it’s important to find someone experienced. Their rate is generally cost $50-100 per hour.

• Tiling: While tiling doesn’t require as much specific training as plumbing and electrical work, it’s still crucial that you have someone experienced. When tiling is done wrong it can cause severe water damage. The rate for tiling is generally cost $40-$65 per hour.

Average Cost to Demo a Bathroom

If you’re completely gutting your entire bathroom for the remodel, you’ll need to factor in demolition costs. According to HomeAdvisor, a complete demo for a bathroom can cost anywhere from $500 to $2,300. This includes waste removal, labor, and equipment.

Additional Bathroom Remodel Costs to Consider

Permit Costs

Another cost to factor in is building permits, which you may very well need for a complete bathroom remodel. Most likely your contractor will take care of this, but you still need to be involved and aware of the process, especially the cost.

Here are the situations where you’d need to pay for a permit, according to Miller Construction & Design:

• Moving a sink or your bath and a new plumbing supply and drain lines are needed.
• Demolishing a shower wall or dividing wall within your bathroom. The same goes for adding a dividing wall or building a shower structure.
• Adding windows in the bathroom.
• Changing the roofline of your bathroom such as adding skylights.
• Adding an electrical point in a vanity area of your bathroom.

Read more on whether or not you’ll need a permit and how to get one.

The average cost for permitting ranges from $175 to $2,000, depending on how many of these bullet points are part of your renovation and where you live.

Not sure if you’re willing to pay? Check out some of the consequences of renovating without a permit.

Unexpected Issues

As much as we want to hope that our project will go flawlessly, that’s rarely the case — especially if you’re opening up floors or moving walls. No matter what issues may arise, you have to be sure you’re covered in your budget. Set aside a contingency fund that is only in the case of emergencies and unplanned expenses, so you can better prevent going over budget. 

Average Cost of Bathroom Remodel by Room Size

If you’re looking to get a better understand of your bathroom renovations cost based on the size of your space, provides data on this exact topic, HomeGuide provides these averages:

Cost of Bathroom Renovation by Room Type

The type of bathroom remodel will also impact the cost. For example, a half-bathroom will most always be cheaper than a master bathroom or full bathroom upgrade.

Here are some averages, provided by Kukun:

Powder Room Remodel Cost

Average Cost: $3,000 to $10,000

What’s Typically included?

• Fixture upgrades
• Fresh paint
• New lighting and flooring

Guest Bathroom Remodel Cost

Average Cost: $6,000 to $21,000

What’s Typically included?

• Shower, Sink and fixture upgrades
• New tile
• New vanity
• Fresh paint
• New lighting and flooring

Master Bathroom Remodel Cost

Average Cost: $10,000 to $40,000

What’s Typically included?

• Shower, Sink and fixture upgrades
• Replacing faucets
• New tile
• New vanity
• Fresh paint
• New lighting and flooring

Expert Tips on Budgeting for a Bathroom Remodel

Since more than two-thirds of renovation projects go over budget. With so many different factors playing a role in your overall bathroom remodel costs, there are several ways you can try and make your project as affordable as possible. Here are a few helpful tips:

1. Shop around for material alternatives. Do your due diligence — get a couple of different quotes for more costly materials and products. Your contractor may be able to help you get discounts at various home stores as well. 
2. Don’t move plumbing or walls. Changing your bathroom’s size and layout will always make your project much more expensive. 
3. Remember “custom” doesn’t always mean “expensive.” Not all “standard” products will end up being cheaper when additional changes/fees have to be made to make it fit. 
4. Spruce up cabinets and splurge on hardware. These cheaper upgrades can make a huge difference visually. 
5. Don’t buy as you go. A lack of planning and buying early on will leave you with a lot less options and flexibility when you’re on a ticking clock. 
6. Plan for the long run. You don’t want to be stuck making updates again in a couple of years as the result of fad trends or low-quality choices. Invest in smarter choices that will last you longer, functionally and aesthetically.
7. Consider financing. If you cant afford to pay for bathroom remodel financing maybe a wise option as it will allow you get the job done without straining you financing. Consider lender options that a renovation friendly like RenoFi.