11 Bathroom Renovation Tips That Will Help You Save

If you’re planning to renovate your bathroom, you might need some pretty deep pockets. The average cost of a bathroom remodel is $11,171, and most homeowners spend from $6,609 to $16,615 to completely remove and replace fixtures, walls and appliances, according to HomeAdvisor. A larger bathroom, however, can cost up to $28,000 to renovate.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to save money when updating your bathroom. From sticking to a basic layout to taking a DIY approach when installing fixtures, here are 11 ways to save on your bathroom renovation.

“If you’re working with a small bathroom, one of the best ways to save money is to stick to a basic layout,” said Shaun Martin, owner and CEO of Denver Real Estate Solutions. “Don’t try to move plumbing or make major changes to the layout of the room, as this can add significant costs to the project.”

“When it comes to saving money on a bathroom renovation, one of the best things you can do is reuse as many of your existing fixtures and fittings as possible,” said Martin. “If your bathroom cabinets, vanities and toilets are still in good condition, reuse them.”

John Bodrozic, co-founder of HomeZada, said bathroom materials come in so many different options and price points, so it’s wise to do your homework.

“As an example, high-end plumbing fixtures cost a lot more than entry-level or mid-range priced products. This is the key to saving money because you are balancing what products and brands you like versus what products and brands you can afford. If you go with all high-end products, your bathroom remodel could be $15 to $20k. Entry-level product choices can get you down to $5 to $7k.”

“The type of flooring you choose for your bathroom can have a big impact on both the look and the cost of the renovation,” said Martin. “If you’re on a tight budget, laminate or vinyl flooring are good options that will give you the look of more expensive materials like stone or tile without the price tag. If you’re willing to spend a bit more, ceramic or porcelain tile are attractive and durable choices for bathroom flooring. Natural stone floors are also beautiful, but can be very expensive.”

“One way to save money on your bathroom renovation is to get creative with storage,” Martin said. “If you don’t need fancy built-in cabinetry, consider using open shelves or even repurposed furniture pieces for storage. This can add character to your space and save you money on the overall renovation.”

“We buy everything possible on Amazon when we are renovating bathrooms including new faucets, new fixtures and any type of hardware such as cabinetry and items like towel bars,” said Jeff Shipwash, owner and founder of Shipwash Properties LLC.

“Buying these items on Amazon versus a big-box store, such as Lowe’s, saves us hundreds of dollars.”

“Most areas have special warehouses that sell building materials,” said Shipwash. “My favorite thing to search for at these places are vanities with expensive tops. These are usually discounted because they have a small scratch or knick. We can never tell what the issue is and always save over 40% on a brand new vanity and top.”

“When renovating the shower, you can use a fiberglass basin instead of tile,” said Mike Otranto of Wake County Home Buyers. “This should save at least $800 depending on your market.

“Refinish/reglaze fiberglass tubs instead of replacing them,” advised Otranto. “There are vendors who can do this and put a lifetime warranty on the work (don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done, as I do it regularly).”

Melanie Hartmann, owner of Creo Home Buyers in Maryland, said that if you are updating your faucets and showerhead there’s probably a video online that will walk you through the installation of your exact model.

“Most plumbers charge at least $100 or more to replace a single sink faucet, and that’s mostly just to cover the drive to and from your home,” she said. “So if you’re replacing your faucets and showerhead, try doing it yourself first.”

“Getting three different bids from three different qualified contractors is also a way to save money,” said Bodrozic. “Contractors have different workloads and different overhead to run their business, so you end with different price points. But don’t make the decision purely based on the price, because you want to validate their previous work with customer references and check contractor and insurance licenses.”