Bathroom Budget Breakdown – Where We Saved & Where We Splurged

Bathroom Budget Breakdown

As with every renovation, costs will vary from house to house and state to state. We did 100% of the work ourselves (with the exception of countertop fabrication and installation) which eliminated labor costs from our budget.

I would also like to note that you could definitely spend less than we did by purchasing more budget friendly materials. Alternatively you could easily spend significantly more by purchasing all high end pieces or by opting for a more decorative wall treatment than drywall. Costs can swing either direction depending on the route you go.

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS: $1,696

The least exciting costs associated with every renovation is always the plumbing, electrical, and lumber needed for the job. Of course, these things tend to add up quickly. Plumbing added up to $567 and lumber, electrical, screws, trim, and paint cost $1,129.

VANITY & COUNTERTOP: $2,283

We purchased our vanity from Wayfair during their Black Friday sale for $864. It was the base only (no countertop or sink included) which I wanted so that I could customize it to my desire. It was also the exact size we needed and I knew I could paint it and add some decorative trim to the base to make it feel more high end.

In a turn of events, Wayfair sent us the wrong vanity. Same brand, same size…but the drawers were in a different configuration. Wayfair offered us a 20% discount if we kept it…which we accepted. So the vanity base total was then $648. And as it turns out, the vanity we originally ordered wouldn’t have worked for our specific needs so we’re glad for that happy accident!

The granite remnant we purchased for the countertop and backsplash was $1,510. This included measuring, fabrication, applying a brushed finish, and installation.

The remaining $125 is attributed to the vanity base trim I added, the knobs, and the sink.

SINK FAUCET & SHOWER SET: $1,175

I was set on purchasing an unlacquered brass sink faucet and shower head/tub filler for our bathroom. It added a natural element to the space that could have otherwise felt very new and mass produced.

I purchased all our unlacquered brass plumbing fixtures from a Moroccan shop that makes the most beautiful pieces. The shower head, tub filler, handheld sprayer, and hot/cold handles came as a set for a total of $758. I purchased the sink faucet for $417 and I customized it to match the tub filler at no extra cost. The quality of the fixtures are absolutely stunning! That being said, installation was very complicated. I’d recommend hiring a plumber to handle that for you.

LIGHTING: $441

Our aged brass wall sconces are handmade by a small business that crafts the most beautiful lights in the industry. A pair of two totaled $441.

TILE: $1,734

We chose 1″x3″ mosaic tiles for our shower walls which totaled $770. The floor tile on the other hand is a natural stone lookalike that cost $750. The additional $214 is attributed to grout, mortar, and the waterproofing membrane for the shower walls.

TOILET & TUB: $760

We opted for fairly simple options for both the tub and toilet. The tub was $450 and the toilet was $310.

ACCESSORIES: $639

The finishing touches are always the fun purchases. The mirror, shower curtain & rod, towel ring, towel hooks, toilet paper holder, and a few other small accessories totaled $639.

Total Bathroom Renovation Cost: $8,728

Where We Saved

I’m a big believer in saving your money in some areas of a renovation so that you can invest more money in other areas of the room. As designer Katelyn Cheek suggested, splurge on eye level pieces that will elevate the whole room.

VANITY

Rather than purchasing a top of the line vanity with all the bells and whistles, I chose a budget friendly vanity base that allowed me to customize it myself. New hardware, handmade base trim, and a coat of paint gave it new life! (P.S. wood knobs are a great way to save some money on hardware! I bought this pack of 16 wood knobs for only $9.99 and painted them the same color as the vanity – Muted Mahogany from HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams.)

TUB & TOILET

You can get fancy with these two things, but I didn’t feel like a standard toilet and tub would take away from the beauty of the room as a whole.

TILE

I learned a lot about tile prices during this project. $8 per square foot, which is roughly what we spent on our tile, is considered very budget friendly. $10-$12 per SqFt seems to be the new threshold for budget friendly tile and is the most common price point at big box stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot. And while $1,734 feels like a lot of money for tile, it’s a budget friendly price.

What We Splurged On

FAUCET & SHOWER SET

As I mentioned earlier, I knew I wanted unlacquered brass fixtures for the bathroom. And after doing some research, I learned that Morocco is the unlacquered brass hub. American sellers charge a lot for unlacquered brass fixtures, but Moroccan made unlacquered brass fixtures are far more affordable. Purchasing a faucet and shower set from overseas actually turned into a middle ground purchase. Yes, it was significantly more expensive than a standard faucet you would find at a big box store, but it was far less than you’d spend online for unlacquered brass from an American shop.

COUNTERTOP

The granite countertop and backsplash was another splurge purchase. I knew that with a budget friendly vanity base, a budget friendly countertop would cheapen the look of the whole room. The natural stone countertop with a brushed finish is what makes this bathroom so special.

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