Bathrooms are one of the most popular spaces to remodel, and the cost for these renovations can range quite widely. As part of our Reader Bathroom series, today we visit an Ohio couple who renovated their bathroom for about $24,000.
Bathroom at a Glance
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Size: 100 square feet
Total cost: $23,987
Construction time: 8-weeks
Before Photo
BEFORE: A 1,350-square-foot condo, part of a century-old industrial building that was converted to condominiums a decade ago. When the bathroom shower began to leak, causing the drywall near the bottom of the vanity to bubble out, it was time to renovate.
Other owners in the building had encountered the same problem, due to improper construction — the showers in the building had no shower pan or liner. “It was a problem just waiting to happen,” says one of the condo owners, adding that she had always intended to remodel. “The leak forced me to get an idea and a plan together.”
After Photo
AFTER: The owner of the condo took charge of purchasing the supplies for the renovation, collecting them all before the project began. This helped the contractor schedule the plumbers and electrician. “No one ever had to wait for materials to come in,” she says.
The contractor had the workers take the room down to the studs. The plumber ran new lines for the vanity sinks, tub and shower. Because the bathroom floor sloped more than an inch, the tiling subcontractor spent quite a bit of time shimming the floor so it would be level for installing new tile.
They selected classic white subway tile to line the shower and the wall behind their vanity. They chose a white quartz countertop, paying $1,200 for that and some matching pieces for the shower and tub curbs. Their frameless shower door features hinges and a handle in oil-rubbed bronze.
Countertops: White Zeus Extreme Quartz, Builders Surplus, Newport, Kentucky; undermount sinks: Builders Surplus; shower fixtures: Ferguson, Cincinnati; shower door: Dickey’s Glass, Newport, Kentucky
Before Photo
Hiring a contractor helped in terms of anticipating its quirks. Their goal was to give the master bathroom a modern Art Deco look. They ultimately decided to keep the original layout to help keep costs down.
After Photo
AFTER: They were able to repurpose the original vanity, painting it with a water-based epoxy paint that can withstand the moist environment of the bathroom. They chose 18-by-18-inch ceramic tile designed to look like marble for the floor.
Vanity paint: Onyx PPG1011-7, a Porter Paints color, color-matched by Sherwin-Williams in a precatalyzed epoxy paint; sink faucets: Restoration Hardware; aged brass cabinet knobs: Home Depot; vanity lights: Minka Level 32.5-inch-wide LED honey gold bath lights; floor tile: 18-by-18-inch white marble ceramic tile, Builders Surplus
Before Photo
BEFORE: The original tub was an almond color, so they replaced it with a white tub that matched the new white tiles in the bathroom.
After Photo
AFTER: They had a custom tub panel made out of poplar and painted to match the vanity. It is removable to allow access to the tub plumbing. The couple’s electrician retrofitted the can lights to accommodate LEDs.
Wallpaper: Phyllis Morris; fixtures: Vero in oil-rubbed bronze, Delta; subway tile: Builders Surplus; tub: Kohler, Ferguson
Before Photo
BEFORE: Though nothing was wrong with the old toilet, it was not white and therefore would not match the new bathroom.
After Photo
AFTER: The new toilet blends in nicely with the rest of the decor.
Their advice to future remodelers: “Be prepared to make your decisions. Trust your gut,” she says. “Hire a professional: It will save time and money in the long run.”
Walls moved: No
Plumbing moved: No
Plumbing replaced: Yes
Professionals hired: Lance Parris, Parris Custom Carpentry, general contractor; Phil Ohntrup, rebuilding the shower, framing the drop-in tub, and all the tilework; Chris DuPont, plumbing.
Special features: 9½-foot ceilings
Splurges: Wallpaper and fixtures
Savings: Wall and floor tiles, undermount sinks, white quartz countertops
Toilet: American Standard
Cost breakdown
Tub: $1,295
Shower: $2,725, including $1,525 for shower fixtures and $1,200 for frameless shower door
Cabinetry: $195, including $45 for 18 knobs and $150 for paint
Sinks: $140 total for two undermount sinks
Toilet: $327
Countertop: $1,200 for quartz countertop and the quartz pieces used on the shower and tub curbs
Tile: $868, including $753 for subway tile, $115 for bullnose tile
Lighting: $607, including $475 total for two vanity lights, $132 for ceiling light
Accessories and decor: $480 for one roll of wallpaper
Flooring: $150, including $120 for 18-by-18-inch tiles, $30 for penny rounds on shower floor
Labor: $16,000
Total: $23,987