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Bathroom Remodel

How Much Does it Cost to Add a Bathroom?

Average cost range:

$5,000 - $30,000

The cost to add a bathroom to your home falls between $5,000 and $30,000 on average in 2024. Generally, it costs less to add a bathroom to your home that fits within its existing footprint. It will cost more to build a new bathroom addition onto your home. A bathroom addition that increases your home’s square footage can cost as much as $90,000 depending on the size. It is important to talk to a professional, licensed bathroom contractor about your project plans and get an exact estimate based on your plans.

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Few spaces in your home are used as often as the bathrooms. Having to wait to use one or listening to siblings bicker over bathroom time can quickly grow tiresome. Adding a bathroom to your home can completely change family dynamics and daily bathroom routines. A mid-range bathroom addition also can increase the resale value of your home by more than $30,000, while an upscale addition could fetch almost twice that amount. Adding a new bathroom could also bring more potential buyers to your door during resale, since bathroom space is almost always desirable among homeowners, especially those with larger families.

On this page, you can learn more about the ins-and-outs of adding a bathroom to your home. Review the benefits and costs of adding a new bathroom, costs for converting half baths to full bathrooms, and the cost to convert other spaces in the home into a bathroom. Read through this guide to gather all the information you’ll need to make an informed decision. When you are ready to begin your bathroom addition, we can help you find a reliable, licensed bathroom remodel contractor in your area.

Benefits of Adding a Bathroom to a Home

Wood double vanity in a bathroom

Renovation projects both large and small often bring increased homeowner satisfaction with their residences. Installing a bathroom has some specific benefits as well. These can include:

  • Making room for an expanding family. If additional kids are on the way, or you have a large blended family, installing a bathroom can alleviate many time and usage issues.
  • Increased privacy. Adding a bathroom creates additional space for homeowners and family members to take care of bathroom business in peace without worrying about who needs to use the space next.
  • Increased resale value. A new bathroom can boost the overall price of your home during resale. According to the National Association of Home Builders, adding a half bath to your home can increase your home’s resale value by 10%, while adding a full bath can add 20% or more to your home value.
  • Improved guest accommodations. Adding a bathroom can transform a single bedroom into a comfortable guest retreat. For example, consider adding a bathroom to your basement or upper floor to create a private guest area of the home.

How Much Does it Cost to Add a Bathroom to a Home?

There are many factors that affect the total cost of adding a bathroom to your home. On average, the cost to add a bathroom to an existing space within your home’s footprint ranges from $5,000 to $30,000. Completely new bathroom additions, meanwhile, can cost between $20,000 and $90,000.

Calculating the square footage of your new bathroom is another way of estimating the total cost of a bathroom addition. Expect to pay around $200 to $300 per square foot for a modest bathroom addition, and between $450 to $600 a square foot for a more luxurious bathroom addition.

Bathroom Remodel Cost Calculator

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Factors that also affect the cost to add a bathroom include demolition costs, total size of the new room, difficulty of buildout, and the quality of furnishing and fixtures you want to purchase. For example, bathroom components such as lighting, countertops, sinks, flooring, and shower tile can vary drastically in cost, depending on their quality and quantity.

Additionally, homeowners will pay much more to install a completely new master bathroom versus a smaller half-bathroom. The type of shower or bathtub you choose will impact the project’s total cost. A full bathroom with shower or shower/tub combo also will cost more than a simple half-bathroom. Consider these factors carefully when calculating your bathroom remodel budget.

Following are some baseline costs homeowners can use to map out the cost to add a bathroom. It’s important to note that these costs can vary greatly by region and from contractor to contractor. Modernize created this handy bathroom remodel cost calculator to help homeowners better estimate their projected bathroom remodel costs.

Adding New Bathroom Cost
Bathroom remodel componentAverage cost
Room addition$125 - $250 per sq. ft.
Demolition$50 per fixture
Labor and installation costs$70 per hour
Shower or tub installation$452 - $2,928
Cabinet or vanity installation$450 - $1,652
Countertops$46 - $331 per sq. ft.
Light fixtures$46 - $126 per fixture
Sink installation$460 - $1,475
Flooring installation$1,500 - $4,500
Plumbing $1,000 - $10,000
Electrical$600 - $2,200
Tile installation$1,800 - $4,000
Permittingup tp $2,000

How Much Does it Cost to Add Space to Existing Bathrooms?

In some instances, homeowners may be able to increase the square footage of an existing bathroom without increasing the total footprint of their homes. This path would likely prove much less expensive, since your bathroom remodel contractor would not have to build a foundation for a completely new bathroom addition.

On average, homeowners can expect to pay around $15,000 to add space to existing bathrooms. Another way to calculate rough costs is to figure around $125 to $250 per square foot. Factors that will greatly impact overall project costs include the extent of demolition and new construction, total size, adding new plumbing and electrical, and the quality and type of fixtures you choose for your bathroom extension project.

Converting an Existing Room into a Bathroom

Homeowners with unused or additional space in their homes may be able to convert some of that existing space into a bathroom. There can be many benefits of following this course of action. Buildout is likely to be much less expensive than expanding on your home’s footprint, and it could maximize the space already under roof.

bathroom conversion

A baseline cost is around $15,000, but homeowners could pay much less or more depending on various factors, such as the location of the bathroom within the home and complexity of turning the existing space into a functioning bathroom. Another way of looking at the job is to calculate square footage – in this case, the work will cost around $125 to $250 per square foot.

Here are some more specific costs for bathroom conversions by area of the home.

Attic

An unfinished attic that is bare framing will cost more than an attic that has been properly finished with sheetrock and other interior fixtures. Costs could run between $8,000 and $35,000 for an unfinished space, and $8,000 to $15,000 for finished attic spaces. Much of the cost will depend on how difficult it will be to bring plumbing up to the space.

Basement

A basement bathroom is admirable for many reasons, but especially if the room is finished and livable. Just like the attic, costs for adding a bathroom to your basement are largely determined by how the space is being used. If your basement is fully finished, expect to pay between $8,000 and $15,000. You could potentially save a lot on infrastructure, however, since plumbing and electrical are usually in close proximity to basement spaces.

Garage

If you have an oversized garage and have room to spare to add a bathroom, this may be a good route to go. It can cost around $8,000 to $25,000 to install a full bathroom in a garage.

Closet

Some homeowners may choose to convert a large closet into a half or small bathroom. This type of conversion really depends on the size of the closet and the availability of plumbing and electrical nearby. Costs could run anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on difficulty and whether you want a full or half bathroom.

Upstairs bedroom

Adding bathrooms to upstairs spaces can be expensive if it requires new water, power and waste infrastructure. Expect to pay around $8,000 to $35,000

One way to cut costs here is to install a half-bath (just a sink and toilet) rather than a full bath with a shower and tub, especially for smaller or less-used spaces in the home.

Converting a Half Bath into a Full Bath

Full bathrooms are often more desirable for larger families than half baths. They can alleviate congestion for the shower during morning prep time or after a long weekend away at the beach. Costs to add a shower or tub to convert a half bathroom into a full bathroom could run anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 depending on the quality of finishes and availability of plumbing drain lines. Although it’s a costly venture, you could potentially reap additional returns during resale.

Hidden and Extra Costs to Look Out For

Few construction jobs are ever completed without a change order or an unexpected situation that arises during buildout. Installing a bathroom addition could bring some hidden expenses that could quickly escalate the overall cost to add a bathroom.

A few issues that could crop up during the bathroom remodel and construction processes include:

  • Rerouting or replacing plumbing and electrical systems, especially if they are outdated
  • Hidden water damage
  • Mold
  • Ongoing material supply issues that can lead to higher materials prices
  • Additional labor
  • Structural issues within the existing framing

Another issue homeowners might not consider when determining the cost of a new bathroom is the availability of hot water for the bathroom addition. Your current hot water tank may prove undersized and inadequate to meet the additional demand created by the new bathroom.

It’s crucial for homeowners to plan ahead for unforeseen issues when they are calculating the cost to add a bathroom.

As a rough rule of thumb, once you’ve figured out baseline costs for your new bathroom addition, set aside an additional 15 percent to cover any hidden costs or changes you might want to make as the job progresses.

Lastly, the more you discuss the details of your bathroom addition with a licensed bathroom remodel contractor, the more you can strategize and hedge against any unforeseen costs. Think of your contractor as your remodel partner, and lean into his or her expertise to get a better understanding of the full scope of the project.

Finding a Bathroom Remodel Contractor

Depending on where you live, finding a contractor with the availability to handle your job may prove difficult. Although you might be tempted to go with the first company that can quickly schedule your job, it’s very important to vet prospective bathroom remodel contractors to ensure you hire a reliable and trustworthy company.

Modernize created this bathroom remodel contractor’s checklist to help homeowners find dependable bathroom remodel contractors in their area. We include helpful tips for screening prospective contractors, documentation you should request, and other key factors you’ll want to go over when setting up initial meetings to screen and vet contractors.

Establishing a budget and figuring out how to pay for a bathroom remodel is another crucial piece of the puzzle. Homeowners can use our bathroom remodel financing checklist to determine their financing options and create a budget that meets the demands of their bathroom addition project. Common methods of financing larger renovation projects include a cash-out refinance, home equity line of credit, or even credit cards for smaller jobs.

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