Realistic Budget for a Bathroom Remodel

Design & Styling by Nancy Lane Interiors | Photo by Ellen Renee Photography

We talked about how to prepare for a bathroom remodel last week, and today we're diving the real numbers behind a full overhaul, design fees included!

Many clients initially come to me with incorrect estimations for the cost of a remodel, having asked a contractor for a bid without having a design plan in place. Since we're currently undergoing this whole process with me as both designer and client, I thought I'd share how each category contributes to our overall investment budget!

Scroll through to see how this sneak peek of our future bathroom correlates with {my own} Realistic Budget for a Bathroom Remodel!

Realistic Budget for a Bathroom Remodel

I have to provide a bit of context here - this breakdown is based upon keeping the same footprint in the bathroom, and that is definitely the biggest culprit for driving up the budget of any bathroom remodel! We also originally planned to complete this project right when COVID started, so I have had the chance to tweak this bathroom design plan off and on for three years. Also, I did have to re-select all of the hard finishes due to availability of my former selections but that's to be expected with a three year gap.

Tile $5,535.00

Plumbing Fixtures $5,082.00

Lighting Fixtures $4,741.00

Hardware $3,088.00

Design Fees $9,600.00

Labor and Materials $45,244.00

Total: $73,290.00

Remember is that these numbers will vary for YOUR project, YOUR desired materials and YOUR location. Pricing for labor varies greatly by region in my experience and of course your specific selections will affect your overall investment outcome.

All of my selections are from vendors with good customer service that I also trust as far as quality and materials. Could I have spent a ton more on any and all of these? Yes! Of course! But each of us has to take into account what's important to us as individuals and how we'll live in the space.

For instance, I could have spent 10+ times more on the new freestanding bathtub than I did but I really only love a bath when I'm training for long distance races and much prefer showers. Therefore we went with a less expensive option for the bathtub itself. It hasn't been installed yet but I take a peek at it now and then and think to myself "maybe I WILL take more baths in this sexy beast." ha!

Another example is the large format tile for the main floor because even though I like the look of some mosaics (think smaller tiles in patterns), I love the look of less grout lines because it's easier to keep clean. We did use a gorgeous marble mosaic on the shower floor...more on that soon.

Bottom line I know this is not our forever home and we have two kids in college. All of my selections are gorgeous and of great quality from vendors I trust and who have great customer service but also in our overall preferred budget. If I've said it once on this blog, I'll say it again: The key to this and every successful renovation is all in the pre-planning!

Do these numbers take you by surprise? Sound off in the comments below - we'd love to hear from you!