You Need to Know About Labor in Your Bathroom Renovation

Bathroom Remodeling Tips for homeowners Jan 3

Bathrooms are one of the first things prospective homeowners will look at when considering a purchase; they’re also one of the best renovations to transform your home while you live there. Per square inch, it’s one of the costliest remodels in a home – but it’s also one of the most trafficked rooms in the house.

From intricate plumbing and complex electricity to luxe décor and materials, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to your bathroom renovation. Here’s what you need to know.

What to Consider When It Comes to a Bathroom Remodel

One of the guiding factors in any renovation is costs. Bathrooms have significant costs in terms of finished products like flooring, tile, and appliances – but compared to a kitchen, bathrooms tend to be more labor intensive. Tearing out old appliances, updating the wiring and plumbing, and installing new pipes and tile can be a tedious and lengthy process.

Additionally, you can’t really know what’s behind the walls for a remodel.

When you are planning your renovation, expect the unexpected, and build it into your timeline, especially if you have an older home.

Plumbing and Your Bathroom

One of the biggest considerations in your bathroom remodel lies in the plumbing design and the layout you want for your new bathroom. If you want to move a toilet, bathtub, or sink, it requires significantly more plumbing labor.

This could mean a larger budget and a longer timeline.

Some designers recommend a contingency budget because of these unforeseen hiccups that happen once the walls are torn out.

Tiling Your Bathroom

In spite of their small size, bathrooms are full of labor-intensive features. In fact, it’s the size that sometimes causes a bathroom remodel to be pricier than a kitchen revamp (of course, this is depending on your home). Shower tiles and bathroom floors can cost more to install than kitchen tiles because their small size means they take longer to mount in place.

What a Renovation Will Run

Generally, labor costs twice as much as materials, though there are a lot of variables. If you’re looking for a traditional revamp it would include:

• A standard toilet installation
• Moisture-resistant wallpaper/latex paint
• A 60-inch porcelain/steel tub and shower combo installation
• A ceramic tile around tub with a basic 4-inch square tile installation
• An integrated sink with a solid-surface counter
• Lighted mirror/medicine cabinet combo
• Laying ceramic tile floor

It will generally cost between $16,000 to $17,500 at a minimum.

Keep in mind that your wiring may need to be reworked. Electrical wiring is a delicate art in any room in the house, but especially in your bathroom, where it shares wall space with plumbing fixtures. Depending on the scope of your project, you may need to bring your electrical wiring up to date or reroute it to accommodate new bathroom features.

Making It Work for Your Budget

If you want to reduce your bathroom remodeling costs, don’t skimp on the labor, and one sure way to save on labor is to do the demo yourself. Finished product features vary widely from economical to luxury models – an economy shower door can run around few hundred dollars on the low end to a few thousand on the high end.

Bathtub prices will vary,  but that’s if a bathtub is essential.

Simply choosing a shower over a tub is a great way to save some change.

Installing larger tiles can also help reduce your remodeling costs and keep you within budget.

The Bottom Line

Your bathroom is arguably the most labor-intensive room in your house, despite its small size. Remodeling it will provide day-to-day benefits as well as improve your home’s value.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to an investment like this, but, at the end of the day, it’s one of the most worthwhile projects for your home.

If you are ready to embark on your bathroom remodel, contact a Kurtis Kitchen & Bath Designer today or give us a call at 1.888.KURTIS.1.