How Much Does It Cost To Add A Bathroom?

Installing an additional bathroom in your house can significantly enhance its functionality, overall comfort and value. However, the expense of this project can fluctuate based on various factors, one being the specific type of bathroom. Whether you’re considering a full-scale addition with all the amenities or a smaller powder room for guests, understanding the potential costs of each type of bathroom can help you plan your budget effectively.

Half-Bathroom/Powder Room

The cost of creating a half-bathroom or powder room can vary widely depending on materials, labor and additional features. Basic renovations can start at a few thousand dollars, while more luxurious upgrades could cost tens of thousands. For a half-bathroom, you can pay anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000.

Three-Quarter Bathroom

Installing a three-quarter bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower can typically range from $10,000 to $20,000 or higher. However, this overall cost can vary based on the materials chosen, the labor involved, bathroom size, installation complexity and location.

Full Bathroom

Incorporating a full bathroom into your home, which usually consists of a toilet, sink, bathtub and/or shower, can significantly differ due to various factors such as materials, labor, size, complexity of installation and location. A full bathroom addition costs from $20,000 to $40,000 or more.

Primary Bathroom

Adding a primary bathroom can cost anywhere from $60,000 to $80,000 or even higher. Basic additions with standard fixtures and finishes can be on the more affordable end of the scale. At the same time, larger or more luxurious projects featuring high-end materials, custom features and additional amenities can exceed the higher end of the price range.

There are several factors that should be taken into account when determining the cost of installing a bathroom, especially based on its size. Since bathrooms can vary in size and configuration, from powder rooms to primary suites, it is important to understand the cost of installing a new bathroom to plan and budget for the project effectively.

Half-Bathroom/Powder Room

Installing a new small powder room, typically measuring between 15 and 20 square feet, can range from $6,000 to $10,000, depending on various factors such as location, materials used and desired features.

Three-Quarter Bathroom

If you want to install a small three-quarter bathroom measuring between 25 and 40 square feet, you can expect to pay anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. However, for a more luxurious renovation with custom features or high-end materials, the expenses can surpass $20,000.

Full Bathroom

On average, a basic installation for a medium-sized full bathroom, between 40 and 50 square feet, typically costs $16,000 to $25,000. However, a large-sized full bathroom, between 50 and 100 square feet, typically costs $20,000 to $50,000.

Primary Bathroom

The cost of a basic installation for a primary bathroom, between 100 and 200 square feet, typically ranges from $40,000 to $100,000 on average. For accurate estimates tailored to your unique requirements and preferences, seeking guidance from contractors who can provide precise estimates is crucial.

When exploring the costs of a new bathroom, it is important to consider factors such as desired fixtures and features you’ll be installing into your dream bathroom. Whether you are planning a small powder room or a luxurious master bathroom, understanding the factors that influence installation costs is crucial for effective planning.

Cabinets

Excluding the bath vanity cabinet, other cabinets in the bath addition can cost from $450 to $3,000. While home centers and other retailers carry inexpensive in-stock bathroom cabinets, custom-built cabinets are more costly but can be created to fill otherwise unused space. Both cabinet types must be finished or prefinished to withstand the humid bathroom environment.

Bathtub

Adding a bathtub to your new bathroom requires ample dedicated floor space but allows for a high level of customization. The cost to install a bathtub ranges from $1,000 to $5,000. Choose from integrated, freestanding, walk-in or corner tubs in fiberglass, cast iron and other materials. You’ll also have numerous choices of plumbing fixtures and tub surround finishes. Significant portions of a bathtub investment cover costs for preparation, plumbing and finishing.

Shower

Installing a freestanding shower offers a massive variety of options. Installation costs are highly variable based on type, style, fixtures and finishes, ranging from $1,000 to $7,000 on average. Pre-fabricated shower surrounds may or may not include an integrated shower pan, and are the least costly option besides simply incorporating a shower into your bathtub installation. Most costs associated with shower installations are dedicated to the waterproofing preparation and finish work.

Floors

Installing a new bathroom floor can cost as little as $500 for a vinyl or budget-friendly tile finish. However, custom and higher-end tile, wood or stone flooring materials plus professional installation can cost $25 per square foot or more. The average high-end price for bathroom floors is around $2,500.

Exhaust Fan

Required in most bathroom additions, a bathroom exhaust fan costs $275 to $600. The exhaust fan needs to vent to the home’s exterior, and much of the installation cost is dedicated to creating access to the nearest venting exit and the labor to reach the exit location with ductwork. An electrical circuit must get to the fan’s location as well. Installing a bath fan is typically a simple process when completed before drywall installation. However, the total installation cost will likely include some wall repair in an otherwise finished home.

Faucet

The sink faucet will cost from $175 to $400 and is separate from the cost of the vanity and sink itself. Faucet prices range from under $75 to several hundred dollars and depend on finish, style, quality and features like hands-free operation or waterfall designs. Professional installation is a two-part process in most new bathrooms, including the rough-in and the final fixture setting after the vanity and sink are in place.

Lights

Whether a single light for the bathroom addition or a set, the cost typically ranges from $175 to $1,000. While fixture prices are a significant factor, much of the light installation cost is behind the scenes in the electrical wiring labor and materials. Electrical costs can increase substantially in an otherwise finished home where access is challenging and a new electrical circuit must reach between the new bathroom and the house’s electrical panel.

Sink

Costing from $250 to $650, the sink is set in a bathroom vanity cabinet. The faucet and drain assembly aren’t included in the estimate. Installing the drain plumbing for the sink is usually part of the overall cost of rough-in plumbing for the bathroom, meaning the bulk of the sink’s price is in the fixture itself and labor to prepare the vanity countertop. You can choose from a wide range of material options, including ceramic, solid surface, metal and stone, to name a few.

Toilet

Most midrange toilets cost from $350 to $550 to install in a bathroom addition. However, the cost can be dramatically higher for installations in any space without easy access to the home’s main drain line to accommodate the rough-in plumbing needs. Depending on its location in an otherwise finished home, floor and wall repair work may be necessary, increasing the overall installation cost.

Towel Rack

Each towel rack in a bath addition costs between $35 and $120. Typically the bulk of the cost is the labor charge for each rack. Prices will increase slightly for towel racks installed into a tile, stone or other hard surface wall or shower surround.

Vanity Cabinet

The centerpiece of all non-bathing functions in a bathroom addition, the vanity cabinet supports a countertop, sink and attached faucet. The cabinet usually costs from $600 to $2,600. Installation costs also highly depend on labor prices and the design finish. The labor and materials required for vanity cabinet installation are typically separate from other trim work in the room regarding cost.

Expect to pay about 50% less to build the bathroom addition if it’s located in an existing space rather than in a separate structure. Proximity to existing plumbing can impact the cost as well.

By Location

• Attic: $9,000 to $36,000
• Basement: $9,000 and $16,000
• Bedroom: $15,000 to $50,000
• Laundry: $6,000 to $13,000
• Garage: 10,000 to 22,000

Building an addition for a new bathroom is a large part of the overall cost. For a mid-range $64,000 bathroom addition that requires the building of a separate structure, that structure will cost about $37,000, but in some cases can cost upwards of $74,000.

Pricing for a new addition bathroom involves all the costs of adding an addition plus the price of a completely new bathroom. Typically, the addition will require excavation and having a foundation installed, framing, rough-in electrical and plumbing, tying new electrical and plumbing into the home’s existing systems, roofing if needed, insulation, finish work and the cost of permits and associated fees.

A half bath, sometimes known as a powder room or guest bathroom, costs between $5,000 and $15,000 to build into an existing space. When creating additional space for the half bath, the cost to build the bath is about double.

The primary added cost factors are framing the new space, adding electrical and plumbing, and tying in the new room to the existing home structure. Access issues for plumbing, plumbing venting and a bath fan exhaust exit can significantly increase the price of adding a half bath to a finished home.

Building a bathroom in the basement will be significantly less expensive than in other areas of the house. The space is already built out, plus critical services like plumbing and electrical are often nearby and sometimes even exposed. Expect to pay between $9,000 and $16,000 to add a bathroom in the basement.

While easy access to plumbing and electrical can decrease the overall cost of adding a basement bathroom, in many cases, extra care must be taken to ensure the space stays safe from infiltrating groundwater. A sump or raised floor may be necessary in severe cases, adding to the bathroom’s cost.

The bulk of the cost of building a bathroom in the basement will be the cost of framing, roughing-in mechanicals, fixtures and finish work.

A bathroom addition is a good financial investment in a home. Bathroom additions return about 50% of their initial cost upon sale of the house. So, a mid-range bathroom addition that costs $65,000 generally will return about $32,000 upon sale of the house.

A motivated and experienced do-it-yourself homeowner can add a bathroom within an existing space. Expanding the house envelope outward or upward to create additional floors is typically not DIY-level work.

Professional bathroom addition installation ensures that the correct permits are in place and that the proper inspections happen when they should. Starting with the excavation and foundation for ground-floor additions, the process consists of framing, sheeting the exterior, roofing and rough-in mechanical installations before building the bathroom’s interior begins.

The main factors that influence the cost of adding a bathroom are bathroom layout, materials and labor.

Layout

Expanding the footprint of the house is the largest cost when adding a bathroom. Two major expenses are incurred—the cost of creating a new structure and the cost of building out the bathroom. Bathrooms that remain within the home’s current footprint by utilizing unused spaces will be less expensive.

Materials

Premium bathroom materials like porcelain, artisan ceramic tile, quartz countertops or natural stone will drive up the cost of a bathroom addition.

Labor

In a bathroom addition, labor can cost as much, or even more, than materials. Some estimates place the cost of labor at about 50% of the total cost of the project. Professional and many DIY bathroom additions will include hiring the services of plumbers, electricians and usually HVAC contractors for both rough-in and finish work.

Location

The location within your home impacts the cost of adding a bathroom due to access needs for mechanicals and venting. Adding a bath to areas surrounded by finished rooms often incurs repair work costs for walls and finishes in the adjacent rooms. Additionally, the distance between the new bathroom and the home’s existing mechanical systems can play a role in determining costs.

Permits and Inspections

While not often a significant factor in major bathroom installations, permit and inspection costs vary by state, are typically based on a percentage of the total renovation cost and will likely add at least $200 to the project’s cost. Your professional remodeler typically handles acquiring the proper permit. Otherwise, your municipalities website can supply information.

Two ways are guaranteed to help you save money on your bathroom addition: work within the existing structure, if possible, and supply your own materials.

Hunt for available spaces within the house before considering expanding the house outward or upward. Look at unused bedrooms, the basement or laundry rooms. Consider partitioning a large room into two smaller areas, making one of those areas the bathroom.

It is important to note that some (not all) contractors will charge a markup or surcharge on each item they provide for your bathroom. It’s a legitimate charge to ensure that the correct materials are purchased regarding size, code compliance and design. Also, working with your contractor ensures the items are on time and available for installation. But any materials that you supply separately do not get marked up.