How to Price and Plan Your Bathroom Renovation Project

So you’ve decided it’s time to finally get around to that bathroom renovation project you’ve been contemplating. After endlessly scrolling through YouTube DIY videos and carefully curating the perfect Pinterest mood board, you’re ready to take action and make your dream bathroom a reality. While the dream will be so, so worth it, it's important to know exactly what you’re getting into before starting the process. In fact, having clear preparation and planning for your next bathroom remodel will be crucial to set you up for success. Fortunately, the team here at NAK Cabinetry and Tile has seen our fair share of bathroom renovations, including the good, the bad, and the gutted. In this blog, we’ll go over what you need to consider when it comes to pricing and planning your next bathroom renovation project.

Determine the Level of Improvements

If you take anything from this article, this may be the most important. Before starting any project, it's critical to look at the big picture and determine the level of the renovation. Bathroom remodels can be grouped into four basic levels: surface remodelling, a more extensive gut and replace remodel, or changing the bathroom's layout. The fourth level of bathroom remodelling entirely changes the room – which may not even be located in the previous space.

Surface remodels are easiest and involve simply replacing things on the surface, such as the vanity, shower, tub, or toilet. If you’re happy with the layout, this is a good option.

Gutting and replacing allow you to keep the same layout and fixture locations of your old bathroom, but you gut the space down to the bare walls and flooring. After that, you install all new plumbing fixtures, vanity, flooring, and lighting.

Changing the layout requires a lot more work and time. This process involves knocking down the walls, wiring alterations, plumbing changes, and full fixture replacement.

For changing the bathroom entirely, the goal is typically to make the bathroom bigger or to convert a common bathroom into a primary bathroom. Sometimes, a small bathroom is expanded into a bedroom to create a large bathroom.

Cost Estimate

The cost of bathroom renovations varies widely depending on a number of factors. A simple makeover of the surfaces and accessories can easily cost several thousand dollars, while a typical mid-level remodel with full fixture replacement ranges from $15,000 to $18,000. Extensive renovations can run to $30,000 and up. It should be noted that the majority of these costs go to labour as well as new fixtures. Doing it yourself could significantly reduce these costs.

Hire a Contractor or DIY?

Speaking of DIY, this is another important decision you’ll want to make during the planning stage. If you are motivated and are merely performing surface alterations, you should be able to remodel the bathroom yourself. Still, not all tasks are the same. Installing a new toilet is simple, but building a new tiled shower you may want to leave to the pros. Assess which projects to do yourself and which to leave to the professionals.

If you hire a contractor, ensure the contractor is properly licensed. You'll also want to be aware of permit requirements for electrical, plumbing, and general construction work.

At NAK Cabinetry & Tile, we don’t just supply the entire Orangeville area with top-of-the-line bathroom building materials - we also match our clients with experienced bathroom contractors for the bathroom remodelling project you’ve always dreamed of. Contact us today for a free estimate!