“Hidden” Bathroom Renovation Costs

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When I bought our house, everyone told me that the hardest money to spend is on things you don’t see. Think the water heater, furnace, electric, plumbing, etc. Not only are these expenses out of sight, but they are usually the most costly! Today I’m going to walk through our “hidden” bathroom renovation costs. I was inspired to write this post because there are a lot of blogs out there that only break down costs for the fun parts of a renovation. Tile is certainly prettier than new pipes, but the pipes are much more important. Hoping to complete a bathroom renovation in the future? Keep reading to find out what hidden bathroom renovation costs to expect.

New Plumbing Costs

If you live in a house that was built before 1960, there is a chance that you have galvanized pipes, or even worse, lead pipes. Galvanized pipes are prone to build-up that can eventually seal the entire inside of the pipe and prevent water from flowing. This happened in our en suite bathroom sink. The shower pipe had a lot of build-up as well, leading to low water pressure. The cost to replace every piece of pipe in our 1100sqft house is going to end up costing around $9,000. Even though the work was done in segments, it is still a very expensive project. However, it feels great to know that the plumbing is not only safe, but more efficient! Replacing the plumbing was a non-negotiable for us and I highly recommend spending the money to update your plumbing during a bathroom or kitchen renovation.

Updated Electricity Costs

The next hidden bathroom renovation cost is updated electricity. Although our home has relatively modern electricity, we had to move some things around to accommodate the new design. Unless you only plan on replacing current fixtures, expect to hire an electrician for your project. We are extremely lucky to have a great neighbor/friend who is a licensed electrician. He spent approximately 4 hours working on our bathroom. During that time he ran conduit and installed two boxes for sconces, moved a hallway light switch to accommodate the pocket door, moved the bathroom light switch, and ran electric for an overhead light and fan. Although I don’t have a cost associated with the work, you can use that as a reference for how long it might take an electrician to complete a job.

My intention with this blog post was not to scare anyone away from remodeling. Rather, I wanted to give you a realistic idea of what “hidden” bathroom renovation costs might be for the remodel. In the end, the money we spent on these updates has given us a safer home with more modern conveniences. It is so worth it. Safety and efficiency should always come before aesthetics. Thanks for reading this post and good luck to anyone starting a big renovation! Hop over the the One Room Challenge blog to read what the other participants accomplished this week!