When considering a home renovation project for your home, kitchens and bathrooms are the two rooms where you are going to see the biggest return on your investment. Adding a bathroom means you are going to attract buyers, if you sell, that you may not otherwise have attracted. The cost of building a new bathroom can vary greatly but the good news is there are normally many different bathrooms that can be built on virtually any budget.
Now that you have decided to add a bathroom to your home you need to decide if you want to add a half bath or a full bath. The difference between these two is a half bath does not contain a bath tub or shower and the full bath does. You should take into consideration that a full bathroom adds more value to your home than a half bathroom does. In addition you are going to want to add a bathroom that fits in with the style of your home. For instance, you really don’t want to add a bathroom with a lot of contemporary fixtures if the remainder of your home is not styled in the same manner.
Another thing to consider is your personal budget. You may not be able to afford the additional cost of adding a full bath. When adding a bath tub and shower you need to remember you not only have to purchase the fixtures but the surround or tiles as well as the additional hardware and plumbing supplies. When you are thinking about materials to outfit your bathroom with you should think about the cost of different materials if you are on a budget. Bigger bathroom additions will also mean bigger costs.
Adding a bathroom to your home can very easily get you a bigger return than it costs to build the addition. Take the time to visit the website for the National Association of Home Builders. On this site you can enter the information about your home and the addition and you will get an estimate on the added value the bathroom addition will give you.
In 2009 the cost of adding a bathroom into an existing floor plan would normally cost between $3,000 and $6,000 for the average do-it-yourselfer. If you enlist the assistance of a professional they will make sure your space meets code and will add labor charges to your renovation bill. More current figures give a median cost of bathroom additions a $15,000 bill.
To give you a better idea of what your specific bathroom addition is going to cost, here is a rough pricing estimate on various materials that you are going to need for a bathroom add-on:
Drywall
The cheapest drywall that is acceptable for a wall, which you are going to need in order to separate the bathroom from the rest of the house, is about $10 per square foot. Thicker drywall will increase in cost as you go. Remember to consider things like mud, tape and screws when you figure the cost of drywall as these will add up quickly if you don’t budget for them.
Tile
Depending on the type of tile you want, tile can eat away your bathroom budget rather quickly. Tiles range in price from under $1 per square to high-end tiles that can cost approximately $100 per square. Remember to use a type of tile that fits the rest of your home. Another thing to take into consideration is whether or not the tiles have a synthetic waterproof cover. They are going in a bathroom so you want tiles that are going to resist water and save you on costly repairs. When thinking about the tile budget remember to add the grout and mud in the total cost.
Shower Pan
Acceptable quality shower pans will normally cost between $100 and $300 but can go as high as $500. Do your homework and find one that you are agreeable with.
Toilet
There are literally dozens of toilets on the market. You can get a very efficient toilet for around $100. The fancy toilets may run you as much as $1,000. Remember, fancy is not always the best if it doesn’t go with the rest of your home décor.
Bathtub
If you are installing a tub you can expect to spend around $500. There are additional fixtures and plumbing supplies that you will need so the entire cost you should expect to spend for the tub is somewhere around $1,000. If you want a big tub like the garden Jacuzzi tub you are going to double that cost easily.
Remember this is just a rough estimate to help you with creating your new bathroom budget. There are additional costs such as a sink and all of the lighting and other supplies that aren’t talked about here. Keep money in your budget for the unexpected so you aren’t stalled somewhere in the middle of your project.
