bathroom remodel cost

House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

BathroomRemodel

New Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2012
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I bought a house and am new to home ownership but my house was built in 1900s and it doesnt have a shower. It has a tub and I would like to put in a shower the pipes run directly below the tub and to save costs keep the original tub.

It also doesnt have an exhaust fan there is no light in the ceiling but there is a light above the medicine cabinet. I would have to put in an exhaust fan in the ceiling has nothing.

It also has a window above the tub that I would like to replace and put some type of waterproof window or glass blocks with a shower curtain. or the cheapest ideas you can think of.

I am just looking to update the bathroom with a simple no frills shower nothing fancy. I am new to home ownership and have always rented so I have no idea what fair pricing would be. Could someone tell me what I expect to pay I realize different states different prices but just a close estimate. I am contacting contractors and I think I am going to get ripped off. Thank you
 
The cheapest way is not always the answer. How old is the plumbing and how much work to bring it up to date. If you have to tile a suround, do you want to spend that money over an old tub. How will a new window effect the look from the outside. Is there attic space above or another floor?
 
I am with nealtw that it's not about cheapest way. You need to set budget first and then plan things accordingly. There are several things in your project which cost may vary. Just plan a rough estimate of all things and then start your bathroom remodeling.
 
I have an attic that is small and the plumbing looks to be in good condition I have had a plumbing agency out and they would of told me if it was bad. I want a shower surround and I have tiles that need to be removed first. But I was just asking ballpark what this should cost. You didnt really read my post you say set an estimate but what if my estimate I think it should be is too low and I am being impratical. I have called some contractors and I just want someone here to tell me ballpark what they think it will cost. So if the contractor says $30,000 I will know I am be snowballed. Just an idea
 
This site is great for diys,ers because everyone is here but mostly we are one trade at a time. You are asking for a price that fits all and what is fair.
A general contractor either has people on staff or hires sub contractors, either way these guys get paid for there work and there travel to and from.
He should have a demo crew that tares down old drywall to expose plumbing.
If they find old steel pipeing or rotton wood who will pay for these upgrades
He will need some one that can restucture the outside wall if you change the window size or go with block instead.
He would bring in a HVAC guy to install the fan and pipe it thru the roof.
He will bring in an electricion to do the rough wireing to the fan. What happen if he finds no ground wire or worse knob and tube, who pays for upgrades
Now the plumber comes in and does rough in plumping. Insulation and vapour barrier will have to be redone..
You said you want a tub surround, if your tileing. Lots of cheating can be done here
You should do your own research so you decide what you want. Tile at any price is up to you but the important stuff is in the back that you will never see again.
Repair drywall or plaster and then the electrision and plumber come back to finnish up.
Take a real close look at the tub and ask your self if you will be happy with it for the next ten to fifteen years as you won't want to do this again.

If you just look at the bottom line, you will feel ripped off. Your only protection is how much you understand about the program and the questions you ask and what you get writtin in the contract.
 
Well said, that's real life when it comes to any old house with any repairs.
I call them a Pandora's Box. Open up the walls and there's just no tell what your going to find.
Anything done "cheap" in a bathroom will come back to bite you on the butt, and may end up costing you more in the long run.
It's a one shot deal, done right, it will last at least 20 years.

Trying to save money by not changing an old shower control valve while everythings open is one common mistake, what do you think it's going to now that it's closed up behind a wall when the parts are no longer avalible or the body is worn out.
Cheap flooring or the wrong flooring for a bathroom such laminite, cheap sheet goods, peel and stick tiles, will always fail and have to be replaced.
Not using tile board, not waterproofing the tile board, cheap partical board subflooring or underlayments, partical board vanitys. All will end up costing you not saving.
At least 90% of the old houses I've worked on had uneven walls, undersized and to long a span on the floor joist, unlevel floors, old steel pipes, all needed attention to do the job right.
 
This is a hard question to answer, its really based on your taste and how much you want to spend (Thise can go hand in hand). I am in the same situation right now, I just purchased a house form 1927 and it had a claw foot tub next to a huge window. No vents, leaky pipes, pretty much a hot mess.

I would say that if you are going to redo the whole bathroom with moderate components, new plumbing, electrical, walls etc... You can get away spending around 10K to do it right. That's if its a smaller sized bathroom, if its huge the price can go way up.

This is just my rough estimation.
 
If you're new to these type of project you will definitely need help. You might have some friends who knows reliable and trustworthy contractors. There's a great chance that you'll get ripped of If you make calls yourself.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top