How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost? A Budget Breakdown

So this bathroom remodel was completed almost a year ago, and here I am still talking about it haha! I decided to discuss cost. When someone is considering any remodel, cost is often the main question! The budget is part of what guides each of the decisions made along the way. However, it can be really hard to come up with what the cost will be of such a large project when deciding if you are ready to take it on. So even though there are a lot of varying factors, I decided to break down and share what it cost us. That way others can see what it might cost them as a whole. It also can help you decide where to save and where to splurge. So let’s answer the question, “How much does a bathroom remodel cost?”

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You can read all about this bathroom remodel here, but in summary this full bathroom was completely gutted and made over. Tim did everything himself except for the plumbing, and I designed it and helped him out here and there. So we saved money by not hiring a contractor or an interior designer.

Here are some before and after photos:

Before

After

How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost?

Some of these are slight approximations, but we tried to be as accurate as possible. This is from 2022 in NY state, and this bathroom is 55 square feet. I broke it down into “bathroom components” including the main parts like the drywall, tile, vanity, tub, etc. and the “final touches” like decorative items, shower curtain, hooks, etc. Then you can see the grand total below!

How much does a bathroom remodel cost?

The Bathroom Components

Item	Cost
Drywall	$230
Plywood Subflooring	$180
Concrete Backer Board	$300
Screws	$110
2x4s and 2x8s	$150
Trim and Nails	$175
Waterproofing Membrane and Brushes	$205
Paint (primer, wall and trim paint, sand and ceiling paint)	$205
Shower Niche	$200
Bullnose Tile	$50
Square Tile	$215
Penny Tile	$775
Threshold	$40
Grout (floor and wall)	$250
Vanity	$2,500
Counter Replacement (original arrived cracked)	$1,000
Faucets	$1,500
Mirrors	$140
Light Fixtures	$300
Exhaust Fan/Ceiling Light	$200
Toilet	$250
Bathtub	$400
Shower Fixtures	$850
Electrical	$90
Plumber	$2,000
BATHROOM COMPONENTS TOTAL	$12,315

The Final Touches

(You can find links under “Shop this Post” at the end of this post. Note that some of these items listed were purchased at sale prices and prices change over time so may vary.)

Item	Cost
Wall Art	$140
Shower Curtain	$80
Shower Curtain Rings and Rod	$35
Bath Mat	$50
Toilet Paper Holder	$40
Towel Ring	$40
Wall Hooks	$45
Canisters	$30
Bamboo Shade	$50
Hanging Baskets	$40
Hamper	$30
First Aid Kit	$30
Updated Door Knobs	$30
Soap Pumps	$20
Shampoo and Conditioner Pumps	$30
FINAL TOUCHES TOTAL	$690

GRAND TOTAL: $13,005

Save vs Splurge

In any remodel there’s going to be a little give and take as far as the budget is concerned. You’re of course going to want to try to save money where you can and get the biggest bang for your buck. In the end, you’re going to want it to look like a million bucks without spending a million bucks, right? So where do you save and where do you splurge?

Saving on Floor Tile

In this bathroom remodel, we saved on the tiles. What’s funny is, I love the tiles that we ended up going with so much!

When picking out the floor tile, at first I kept falling in love with tiles that always ended up being expensive. I had to decide if the big price would be worth it. When seeing the bathroom finished as a whole, did I want the floor to be the center of attention? Will the floor make my heart skip a beat every time I saw it?

It’s also important to keep in mind that the floor would be hard to change, so maybe I wanted a more classic and simple floor that would stand the test of time. Maybe I wanted to splurge on some other finishes that the eye would go to instead of the floor.

In looking at photos of completed bathrooms, I realized I loved the look of small hexagons or penny tile and ended up going with penny tile. They are classic and timeless, and I wanted the vanity to be more of what “took center stage.” Bonus, they are very affordable!

You can read “12 Tips for Installing a Penny Tile Floor” from this project here.

The following is a screenshot of one of the tile choices I was considering for the floor. I still love it so much that I would consider using it in another bathroom where the floor would be the focal point and the splurge. In this bathroom remodel this tile would have cost about $1850. The penny tile we went with cost $775!

Saving on Wall and Shower Tile

The wall and shower tile was also super affordable, and I love the classic look especially with the darker grout. When you walk into a tile store, you would walk right by a square white tile. You have to picture the grand finished product!

The low cost of this tile also made it more affordable to tile partly up the walls around the whole room as well. I love this look. All of the wall tile including the shower came to only $215!

Splurging on the Vanity

By saving on the tile, it didn’t feel so hard to splurge somewhat on this vanity. However as far as vanities go, this one was more middle of the road cost wise comparatively. I wanted good quality, real wood, drawers, lots of storage and a marble countertop. We were also limited by the size of double vanity that could fit in this space. We went with this one from West Elm.

You can read about the design plans and the bathroom progress in the beginning here.

Splurging on the Faucets

These faucets were actually my Valentine’s Day gift from Tim last year haha! Instead of jewelry, he splurged on these gorgeous faucets for me. I think they add so much to this bathroom. They’re like the cherry on top. A splurge, but worth it here because they really catch your eye and make a statement in this space. They are also great quality.

Saving on the Mirrors

I found these mirrors at Target, and I love the arch on them. Originally I found rectangular ones for around $100 each, but I like these so much more and for only $70 each.

Save vs Splurge on Final Touches

As with the rest of the bathroom, the final touches are a mix of saves and splurges. By doing so, as a whole everything blends together so well that you can’t tell which is a save and which is a splurge sometimes. The splurges often elevate the look of everything else. Bottom line is you don’t need to splurge on everything!

Saving and Splurging on Art

I found this save framed art at Hobby Lobby for around $10.

This save flower art is $20 from Target, and the splurge bunny art was custom made at artfullywalls.com for around $100.

This cute framed art from Target was a save at $10.

Splurging on Anthropologie Gold Accents

The star hook on the door, the towel ring and the toilet paper holder were splurges somewhat (but you can catch them on sale!), but add a lot to the space!

Saving on Canisters

These canisters look like glass but are actually acrylic! This Amazon find was a save at $30 for the set of 3.

Splurging on the Shower Curtain

I was going to go with a simple white shower curtain from Target for around $30, but I fell in love with this patterned one from Schoolhouse for around $80 on sale. The price I feel is worth it for the impact that it makes in here. I do get asked where it’s from often!

How much does a bathroom remodel cost? In summary, this bathroom that was completely gutted and then remodeled cost us right around $13,000, including the finishing touches.

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