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A bathroom is a busy place where everything’s done in tight quarters. Making an old one better can cost a lot of money and take a lot of time. The key to success is good planning:

Check with your local building department to see what permits are required.
Outfit another bath to handle the extra traffic during remodeling.
Buy all your fixtures and finish materials before you start.

Bathroom Remodeling Basics

The bathroom has long been one of most commonly remodeled rooms in the house (the other is the kitchen). In fact, recent statistics released by the nonprofit National Kitchen and Bath Association revealed that more than 15 million bathrooms in the United States are remodeled each year. Because this demand, the market for surface materials, fixtures, and other options for upgrading bathrooms is ever evolving.

A bathroom remodel is often worth it from not only a lifestyle perspective but also a financial one. New bathroom fixtures—from whirlpool tubs to massaging showerheads—can transform your bath into a spalike retreat, and a new bathroom will increase the resale value of your home.

But be prepared for the realities of a bathroom remodel. It can take several weeks to several months, depending on the scope of the job. Expect a lot of dust and debris in your house during this time, and anticipate the inconvenience of having to arrange to use another bathroom for the duration of the project. (Note: Before conducting a bathroom remodel, get a permit from your local municipal planning department if necessary, and arrange for any inspections required.)

Types of Bathrooms

Many houses contain multiple bathrooms and often more than one type of bathroom. The three types of residential bathrooms are master baths, full baths, and half baths.

Master Bath

A master bath is designed to be luxurious, right down to its square footage—typically more than twice that of a full bath. A master bath often has double sinks, a separate tub and shower, and a toilet housed in a private alcove. Many new houses can fit these rooms effortlessly, but most old houses require major remodeling to accommodate a true master bath. Two common approaches for retrofitting master baths into smaller houses are to steal space from an adjacent room (often a bedroom closet) or to add on to the house’s footprint.

In addition to roomy layouts, master baths feature high-end materials, such as marble and granite, and luxurious fixtures, including multicomponent shower systems—all of which can get pricey. Some master baths even house exercise equipment and saunas. Most are designed as part of a larger master bedroom suite that contains dressing rooms in addition to sitting and sleeping areas.

Full Bath

A full bath is the default residential bathroom. It has a toilet, sink, and (usually) a combination tub/shower enclosure. The tub, typically a standard 60" long, is often located against the exterior-facing wall. The toilet and sink share a common wall. Because a full bath requires storage space for personal care items for the entire household, there is often an undersink vanity, a wall-mounted medicine cabinet, and towel bars with top-mounted storage shelving located on the wall where the door lands when open.

Durable, waterproof surfaces—such as steel, vitreous china, and ceramic tile—are a must, as this room gets heavy use. So is waterproof flooring, such as vinyl sheeting.

Many older bathrooms have a small window in the shower wall to let in light and provide ventilation. But these windows can pose an ongoing maintenance problem because they’re exposed to so much water. If you have such a window, consider replacing it with a window made of solid vinyl, which is impervious to water, or relocating it as part of your remodel (see “Windows” in Bathroom Remodeling Materials).

Half Bath

Often called a powder room, a half bath is often located on the first floor and intended as a public room. Since it contains just a toilet and sink, a half bath needs only enough room for the fixtures to work properly and for a door to swing into the room and allow comfortable access. A good general layout places the sink and toilet against one wall and the door against the opposite wall. The minimum acceptable door width is 24".

A half bath doesn’t need typical bathroom storage fixtures, such as a medicine cabinet or vanity. A couple of hand towel bars or hooks should suffice. However, just because half baths are small doesn’t mean that they’re easier to remodel than full baths. The tight space can actually make the process more difficult.

Estimated Cost of a Bathroom Remodel

It’s difficult to predetermine the exact cost of a bathroom remodel, but you can (and should) calculate an estimate. Usually, the biggest controllable expense is labor: the more work you do yourself, the more money you’ll save. If you do it all, you can save up to half of what you’d pay if you were to hire professionals. To create the best estimate:

Choose all your materials in advance: Price the materials you’ve chosen with your suppliers and mix and match materials and fixtures to fit your budget. Add to this a contingency fund of 10% to cover anything you may forget.
Price your paperwork: Ask your local building department which permits and inspections you need and how much they cost.
Get your financing: Many people pay for remodeling jobs with a home equity loan, which is usually the easiest and cheapest money to get. (Keep in mind, though, that there’s no guarantee that your home—and the equity in it—will always increase in value year after year.) Each bathroom remodeling job is different, but here are some ballpark figures:
1. For less than $3,000: You can replace (but not relocate) your fixtures with moderately priced new ones, as well as paint and install new flooring.
2. For $10,000: You can upgrade all the fixtures, including adding a basic whirlpool tub, replacing a window, and installing radiant under-floor heating.
3. For $15,000–20,000: You can get high-end fixtures and finish materials and afford reasonable (but not extreme) structural remodeling, including stealing space from an adjacent bedroom and moving the locations of all the fixtures.

Safety Precautions

It’s easy, especially for young children and the elderly, to get hurt in a bathroom. When planning your remodeling job, consider potential dangers and take steps to reduce or eliminate them. Consider the following safety products:

GFCI devices: Make sure all electrical outlets are protected with GFCI devices (a type of surge protector), either in the outlet itself or at the circuit-breaker panel.
Anti-scald faucet: Install this faucet in the shower to maintain a constant water temperature. A sudden change in temperature can not only cause burns but also lead to quick movements that cause falls.
Grab bars: If you have elderly family members, install sturdy grab bars on the outside and inside of every tub/shower stall to provide secure support. Be aware that there’s a big difference between a grab bar that can support a couple hundred pounds and a towel bar that’s designed to hold just a few pounds.

Protective Gear

Practice caution by stocking up on the following safety gear, available at home centers and hardware stores.

Dust mask: This protects your lungs from particles and fumes suspended in the air.
Goggles: These safety glasses will keep dust and debris from getting in your eyes.
Gloves: A pair of work gloves will prevent damage to your hands. Also be sure to wear long sleeves to protect your arms.

How to Address Lead Paint Concerns

If your home was built prior to 1979, it may contain lead paint, which is a notorious health hazard when breathed or swallowed. Remodeling jobs are likely to send lead paint particles into the air and produce waste that can contaminate the environment, so practice these safety measures:

Keep the bathroom sealed off from the rest of the home during a remodeling project. After a day's work, shower and change into clean clothes before returning to other parts of the house.
Wash all surfaces—both hard and soft—in the home immediately after a remodeling job is completed. Be sure to wash stuffed animals, bedding, and other fabrics that may trap dust.
Put all debris—paint chips, dust, rubble—in industrial strength garbage bags (available at your local home center) or large, airtight containers, then contact your local solid waste authorities to find out how to properly dispose of them.

For more information, consult the government’s official guidelines for contractors performing lead-based paint activities at www.hud.gov/offices/lead.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer

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