Why Is Bathroom Remodelling So Expensive?

You've finally decided to do something about your old, dingy bathroom. You're all set to say goodbye to your rusty tub, water damaged vanity, and avocado-green toilet. You're looking to upgrade to a new space that feels like a luxurious spa while still being bright and charming. But what is the price tag going to be?

Getting an estimate for the cost of a bathroom remodel is something that has caught many people off guard. Because of the complexity and size of the space, the costs associated with a bathroom redesign can quickly escalate to eye-popping levels.

When trying to cut costs on a bathroom remodel, knowing what not to do can be just as helpful as knowing what to do. Don't make these common mistakes while remodelling your bathroom, since they'll add extra costs, delay completion, and necessitate more upkeep in the future. Check out Hitch Property Constructions for a huge range of Melbourne property maintenance services. 

All The Trades Are Involved.

Most general contractors will use separate trades contractors who are licenced, bonded, and insured to handle specific components of a construction project. These experts are well-versed in their disciplines and always deliver superior results. Although bathrooms are often smaller than other rooms, almost all of the craftsmen who would be engaged in a more substantial remodel will still be a part of your project. Here is a list of some of the professional tradespeople that could be working on your bathroom remodel:

• Tiler
• Plumber
• Painter
• Carpenter
• Electrician
• Cabinet Maker
• Drywall Installer
• Flooring Installer
• Demolition Crew
• Countertop Installer

No Scale Economy

A bathroom in a typical Melbourne home is five by eight feet in size. Because you'll be working with a mere 40 square feet of space, your material costs will be manageable. In contrast, it will require expert labour to instal, which will drive up the price of your project significantly. Simply submitting a bid, travelling to your home, setting up their equipment, performing the work, and maybe returning one or more times to finish the job will all add money.

Coordination Required

Scheduling and coordinating the work of all of those subcontractors efficiently requires a significant investment of time and focus. Some contractors will work on several small jobs at once, making minimal progress on each before moving on to the next. As a result, even the quickest bathroom remodels might drag on for too long. Hiring a remodelling business that would provide you with a dedicated lead carpenter or project manager is preferable than handling the job on your own. To put it simply, when a builder is focused solely on your project, you can expect it to be finished more quickly and with fewer hiccups and unpleasant surprises.

Dust Protection

There's also the matter of sealing off the portions of the house that aren't being worked on right now to keep dust out. Dust can be produced during even the smallest bathroom makeover due to the removal of drywall, installation of cabinets, mixing of mortar and grout for the tile, and drilling out of wall studs for new electrical wiring. Responsible remodelers will use plastic wall systems to shield the flooring and walls from any damage. This extra work may result in a rise in price, but keep in mind that your goal is to enhance the visual appeal of your home, not to create chaos.

Avoid These Mistakes While Remodelling Your Bathroom.

Bathroom Renovation Without A Plan

A bathroom redesign that is approached carelessly will cost significantly more money than is necessary. Although bathrooms are usually tiny, the high density of fixtures in a relatively limited space means that you can't afford to make decisions on the fly or without a plan. If you instal a toilet and then decide it should be moved a few feet to the left, the total cost of the project will be more than if you had placed the toilet in the correct location from the start. Therefore, you should first sketch out a final layout for the bathroom before getting in touch with a contractor or design firm.

Selecting Expensive Options When Simple Options Will Do

When considering bathroom renovations, it's not necessarily wise to assume that the most expensive option would be the best. Contractors, hardware stores, supply warehouses, and others may all try to convince you to spend more money on their higher-quality products and services. Even if they mean well, the end outcome will be that you have to spend more.

Consider, for example, the frameless glass shower, which is both functional and aesthetically beautiful. Bathrooms with frameless showers are more luxurious than those with traditional shower enclosures, which can increase your home's selling value. In contrast to framed glass showers or other shower stall units, the price of installing a frameless glass shower is much higher. Consider if the higher price of a frameless shower enclosure is worth it if you can already afford a framed unit. This is true for any high-end material, be it real stone, quartz, stone flooring, solid wood cabinetry, designer paint, or any of a number of other choices.

Rather Than Repairing Items, Replace Them

The tiled shower surround may simply require regrouting, rather than complete replacement. If you don't want to replace the vanity, you may always paint the old one. It's not easy to replace anything in a bathroom when you're remodelling it. To begin, unlike other rooms in the house, bathrooms are often constructed deeper into the structure, making it more difficult to remove components after demolition. Construction supplies for a new house are also more difficult to transport. It's also very uncommon to have to move things around the house through places you've been working hard to keep neat.

Bathrooms tend to employ more expensive materials as well. Therefore, you will make financial gains if you are able to save any object and recondition it rather than throwing it away. Here are a few instances that highlight this point:

• If your shower or bath needs refinishing, do it.
• Refacing or repainting the cabinetry is recommended.
• Reglaze the bathroom sink.
• Complete the countertop makeover by resurfacing it.
• Tile the area once more.

Disregarding Bathroom Ventilation

Ventilation upgrades, like new fans, are often overlooked during bathroom remodels. However, a lack of appropriate ventilation might result in a series of unfortunate events. Too much moisture in the bathroom's air can promote the spread of mould or mildew, which can damage walls, floors, and fixtures. As compared to their predecessors, today's bathroom exhaust fans are a major improvement. They are more powerful and efficient than their forerunners while being noticeably quieter. Heat lamps are another option for dehumidifying your bathroom.

Installing Inappropriate Bathroom Flooring

Flooring options that are water-resistant and slip-proof are ideal for use in bathrooms, so keep that in mind when planning renovations. Because they don't absorb as much moisture as other forms of flooring, porcelain tile, luxury vinyl plank, ceramic tile, and sheet vinyl flooring are often the best options for usage in bathrooms. Hardwood, engineered wood, and laminate flooring aren't often thought to be the ideal choice for wet areas like bathrooms. It is feasible to make site-finished wood flooring work for a limited length of time, but ultimately it will rot and become unsuitable.

You must either purchase pre-sealed stone for the bathroom or seal it yourself if you plan to place it there. Furthermore, natural stone requires periodic resealing of its surface to avoid moisture penetration. The subfloor, underlayment, and joists are all at risk if the wrong type of flooring is used in a bathroom, so it's important to be careful when making your selection. Looking for bathroom renovation? Look no further. Hitch Property Constructions has you covered.

Doing Your Own Bathroom Renovation

Consider yourself an expert user of common household tools. If that's the case, you should be able to tackle tasks like putting in new bathroom flooring, tiling walls, setting up a vanity, installing a GFCI outlet, and wiring additional outlets.

However, you should carefully consider your abilities before taking on more complicated chores like constructing an entirely new shower stall, wiring the entire bathroom, or tiling the surroundings to a high standard. Many bathroom renovation projects may be completed more cheaply and with less stress if professional help is sought out from the start.

Remodelling The Master Bathroom First

When remodelling a home with more than one bathroom, it makes sense to begin with the master bathroom because it is usually the largest and gets the most use. A question: does it?

Even for the most accomplished DIYer, attempting a bathroom remodel for the first time will be a learning process. Eventually, something will go wrong. Eventually, paint will start to run. Water can leak from a toilet at any time. Instead of starting with the bathroom that is most obvious to visitors, start with a smaller bathroom like a powder room or a restroom dedicated for children. Simpler, cheaper, and quicker renovations are possible due to the smaller square footage of these bathrooms.

The Most Expensive Aspect Of A Bathroom Renovation

One thing you must remember when doing a bathroom makeover is that the cost of the various parts will vary. The cost to replace a vanity is not the same as the cost to replace a bathtub or shower due to the different parts required for each project. With so many variables, it's impossible to create an accurate budget. This is why most people start thinking about the most expensive parts of a bathroom redesign first. In most cases, it is labour costs that are the primary factor in determining how much a bathroom will cost.

Up to 20% of the budget may be devoted to labour costs. Depending on the specifics of the job at hand, contractors may charge $40 to $100 per hour. Whether you're having tile work done or plumbing work done, the majority of your budget will go into installation and labour charges.

Your bathroom's labour expenses won't be uniform across the board, so you should expect wide price ranges for its many features. A plumber could charge you $40-$150 per hour, whereas an electrician could charge you $40-$100 per hour. A number of general contractors, in addition to plumbers, painters, electricians, and perhaps even drywall installers, will be needed.

In an effort to save money, have you considered taking on everything by yourself? Stop. Do you still keep in mind how hard it is to do plumbing? The building's plumbing and other fittings can be a pain to work with. It is strongly suggested that you hire an expert who has worked on bathroom renovations before. Do you want to risk breaking your new fixtures by making careless mistakes?

Let's talk about tiles for a while. You may be one of the few who can handle this part of the project independently. That's because replacing the tiles in your bathroom is a near-guarantee if you do a complete overhaul of the room. Even if you don't count the time and money spent on the materials, tile installation is still a major undertaking.

Additionally, if not done properly, tiling might be a two-week task. It usually takes four days to do the prep work, and another five days to actually lay the tiles. If you have the necessary equipment and prior experience with a project of this kind, you could give it an attempt.

Bathroom remodelling is about more than just the cost of labour. Final material costs should be about 60% of your entire budget. For instance, the normal cost of fixtures can range from $1,000 to $3,200, while the typical cost of a bathroom cabinet and its hardware can be anywhere from $1,050 to $3,400.

Most of the money will be spent on these three features of a bathroom remodel. Keep in mind that these are only averages across the country and that your actual cost could be more or less, depending on the course of action you take. As a result, the cost to you may vary, as it will be based on the specifics of your requirements.

What Other Factors Affect The Price?

Now that you know what the most expensive aspect of your bathroom renovation will likely be, you can plan accordingly. There are additional potential cost drivers that you should be aware of so that you can avoid them if at all possible.

Moving Plumbing Fixtures

Due to the fixed nature of the bathroom's arrangement, any attempts to alter its design will come at a high cost. In addition, the plumbing system is a major factor in the final price tag of a bathroom remodel. Moving things like toilets, bathtubs, showers, and sinks can rack up a hefty bill. Moving a bathroom fixture like a sink or toilet, for example, might cost anywhere from $2,500 to $3,500.

Moving Walls

The bathroom walls are an essential part of any bathroom remodel. You can decide to move a wall or alter the current one to improve the bathroom's functionality or visual appeal. It is usually necessary since doing so serves to enhance the overall footprint of the space, and the advantage it delivers far surpasses the expenditure it entails. Depending on the specifics, the cost to relocate a wall might vary from $2,000 to $8,500.

Luxury Additions

Who among us wouldn't welcome the chance to bathe in a little opulence? Despite their allure, the costs associated with high-end fittings and fixtures are not negligible. The materials are more costly than average, and the installation is also more costly. Putting together high-end fixtures needs more time and care than regular fixtures because of their greater fragility. Furthermore, this will increase the price of your labour.

The Bathroom's Size

There will be a direct correlation between the size of your current bathroom and the final cost estimate for the redesign. There are typically three sizes available: mini, full, and king. The typical cost of a bathroom redesign is between $2,500 and $10,000. This, of course, varies greatly depending on the size of the bathroom being renovated. Between $6,000 and $15,000 is the average price range for a standard bathroom, while the cost of a master suite bathroom can run from $10,000 to $30,000.

Other Factors

Many considerations, both large and minor, should be built into the cost estimate for your bathroom makeover before you start demolition. These details can consist of anything from one fixture to another. The final price of your bathroom renovation will depend on a number of things, such as the quality of the materials used, the extent to which the bathroom's layout is altered, and the inclusion of specialised services, such as those provided by designers.

Which Part Of A Bathroom Renovation Is The Most Expensive?

The two most expensive parts of a bathroom renovation are the tiling and the plumbing. The shower is the most costly section of any bathroom remodel, since it has both of these features. The cost of a bathroom redesign, however, is not limited to the materials used in the renovation. Some of these other factors are: If you'd want to learn more about each of these choices, keep reading.

One thing you might notice when we explore the more costly portions of a bathroom makeover is that there are a lot more moving parts to completing the project than you might have previously anticipated or thought about. As we discuss the more costly elements of a bathroom redesign, you will begin to see this.

Since we want to bring up the cost of a glass shower enclosure before we get into the more expensive components of a bathroom remodel, they explain that this is a common task that goes hand in hand with the installation of a new shower. In many parts of the United States, a custom shower enclosure built of frameless glass is also the norm.

What about this practice has made it the norm? Due to the absence of prefabricated panels. The trimming, measuring, and weighing processes ensure that nothing is left unattended to. After the bathroom has been tiled, the first glass walls for the shower are measured. The glass is then custom made at the glass factory after being ordered. When the construction site is ready, the glass panels are delivered there and set up. Whether you choose a framed or frameless enclosure for your project, the process remains the same. Frameless enclosures are often more expensive, and some bathroom layouts may actually benefit from a framed enclosure rather than a frameless one. The cost of this service can vary widely between different companies. Some companies may have prices that are three times as high as their competitors.

Now that that's out of the way, let's speak about some of the more pricey jobs that may be unique to your bathroom renovation.

The first step in any discussion about bathroom renovation is settling on a set of limits within which the project can be completed. Some rather pricey design elements are often ignored in the course of the vast majority of bathroom renovation projects. These pieces could be deemed superfluous.

Consider the case of removable partitions. In order to make a bathroom larger, or to put one in a place where there was never one before, it may be required to relocate walls. The relocation of walls serves as a means to both of these ends. Changing the location of load-bearing walls or making other structural adjustments may be necessary in such cases. This line item has the potential to be fairly costly due to the time and effort required to remove and replace the framing, as well as the price of any necessary designs or drawings.

The second step is equally related to the building's framework; it requires mending decaying timber. If your home has a wooden framework and a floor system, the wood could rot if there is a leak. You'll need to replace any harmed framing members if this is the case. Normal sites for such leaks to happen include the tub surrounds, the bathtub drains, the drains of the bathroom sinks, the water supply lines, and last but not least, the toilet flange.

These fixes might range widely in terms of their degree of difficulty. A part of the subfloor could be changed to fix the issue, but if the damage is extensive, the entire floor framework system could have to be taken up and replaced. Sure enough, you just read that right. Mold growth is the worst possible result of water and moisture intrusion into a building. Because a slow leak doesn't make any noise and there isn't any catastrophic occurrence that will call your attention to it, the issue might continue on for months or even years before it's noticed.

As a property owner, you should routinely evaluate your home for issues like these. If you haven't done a complete walkthrough of the property yet, now is as good a time as any to start. In the event that you have exposed framing in a crawlspace or unfinished basement, this can be a great place to start. You could also look for symptoms of water damage in the toilet that could indicate a leak. If you perform this kind of inspection prior to beginning the job, you will likely discover any moisture issues and be able to plan accordingly.

How To Save Money On Bathroom Renovations

A bathroom redesign can be done on a budget by making smart choices about the new fixtures and fixtures, as well as keeping the same layout as the old one. Don't take any chances by using an unlicensed handyman or contractor, for example. The most effective method of cutting expenses is consolidating multiple projects into a single one.

Instead of updating one bathroom at a time, it is more cost-effective to replace both at the same time if there are two that need it. It makes perfect sense to look into the idea of grouping your projects together in order to save money if you are also considering rebuilding your kitchen, adding an extension to your home, or executing any other type of renovation.

You should be able to make a more educated decision about this crucial part of your home renovation now that you know the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel and the factors that affect the entire expense of your remodelling project. There are numerous choices open to you if you need help funding the project. Identify your needs for the bathroom, make a financial plan based on those needs, and then decide what to do next.

It takes a lot of time and thought to design a bathroom that you will be happy with for years to come. Your long-term happiness will be proportional to the care that was taken in the planning stages. If you are thinking of updating your bathroom, don't be shy about getting in touch with us. We welcome the opportunity to address your concerns and share our perspectives. Hitch Property Constructions has the best range of renovations services to help you create your dream house.