Is a DIY Bathroom Remodel Possible? Everything You Need to Know About the Ambitious Project
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A DIY bathroom remodel isn’t for the faint of heart. Among the do-it-yourself projects you could tackle in the home, it definitely ranks among the most challenging, combining such finicky and complicated redo projects as electrical, plumbing, waterproofing, grouting and caulking, and tile-laying. In other words, this isn’t just a matter of replacing some drywall and installing a new countertop. But that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable.
We asked two bathroom renovation experts—Anthony Carrino of Anthony Carrino Design & Consulting, and Seth Dankman, president of Design 2 Build New York—about how to do your own full bathroom makeover, from the bathroom floor to the faucet that’ll hopefully make it into your personal home-improvement hall of fame.
If you plan to embark on a do-it-yourself bathroom renovation, whether it’s a small bathroom remodel or creating an all new bathroom, you need to be confident in your DIY skills—including being a professional-grade plumber and electrician.
“This isn’t meant to be mean or discouraging, but if you don’t know what tools to use for this job, then you shouldn’t be trying to execute a DIY bathroom project,” Carrino says. “I say this so you don’t wind up causing yourself a bigger problem that costs more money to fix in the end. Don’t let the relatively small space fool you: The bathroom is one of the most complex rooms in the house, next to your kitchen.”
If you’re ready to take on the challenge, find everything you need to know about a DIY bathroom remodel in this guide from AD.
How much does a DIY bathroom remodel cost?
A full bathroom renovation involves mastery of a number of complicated systems—plumbing and electricity, to name two big ones—and also requires specialized materials for a humid space. For these reasons, you shouldn’t expect DIY bathroom remodeling to be cheap, especially if you want to do it right.
Dankman claims that, even if you do the most basic, top-level remodeling—more of a refinishing than anything else—you should set aside five figures for the budget. “I would suggest $10,000 if you’re just keeping it simple and there’s not a lot of new plumbing or structural work required, but it can easily get into the $30,000 range,” he says.
DIY bathroom renovation
Before your bathroom renovation budget balloons to the six figures, Carrino suggests setting realistic goals, which often includes considering the potential return on the investment. “I always ask clients how long they plan on staying in the current home in order to decipher budget,” he says. “Simply put, the longer you plan to stay, the more you can spend with the realistic expectation that you will be able to get that equity out of the home when you sell it. You also need to understand the overall caliber of your home in your neighborhood and what your upper selling price looks like. You can then back into a budget.”
Whatever budget you land on, though, it’s recommended to put aside an extra chunk for unexpected complications that may come up. “Add a 20% contingency fee for unknowns,” Carrino says.
How long does a DIY bathroom remodel take?
Time-wise, plan on being out of bathroom in your home for a few weeks at minimum, but likely a few months. “We as an experienced construction team hustle to do a bathroom in two to three weeks, and often it takes longer with larger buildings, Department of Buildings inspections, and potential changes in scope or design,” Dankman explains. “I did a bathroom myself as a DIY and it took me three months! I could only do it at nights and weekends around my full time job.”
How to plan a DIY bathroom remodel
Let the bathroom remodel ideas flow before you even touch a hammer. The most important stage of your bathroom renovation is the one where you don’t do anything at all—physically, that is. There is no such thing as going overboard on the planning. The two biggest mistakes people make with a DIY bathroom renovation, according to Carrino? “Overestimating their skill level on a DIY project and the level of detail that is needed in the planning stages,” he says.
Step 1: Plan, plan, plan
Before you start looking through online catalogues for bathroom vanities and marble countertops, decide whether your project requires structural changes, such as expanding the square footage. “Square footage has a major impact, as does the level of finishes you select,” he says. “The other large cost center is if you are reconfiguring your space, which will involve a lot more mechanical work.”
Carrino urges DIYers to consider design-build software to envision the process and finished product. “My suggestion is to use a software like Materio,” he says. These also help users keep track of their budgets. “This way you can properly plan out your project prior to starting and have a solid understanding of what your costs will be.”
Read and study everything on bathroom design that you can in this period, from shower curtains to shower heads to subfloors. Let your future bathroom coalesce in your imagination through your planning, but don’t be afraid to make changes as needed—as long as you have a master plan before you start the physical labor. “Do lots of research,” Dankman insists. “It can take a long time to feel comfortable with your choices, so don’t rush.”
Step 2: Check local laws and permit requirements
You need to abide by the laws and regulations of your municipality and state before you begin your bathroom upgrades, which varies from place to place. For example, Dankman says his crew has to get permits “whenever we’re doing new plumbing or electric or opening more than about 10 square feet of wall area.” Carrino says that for “any plumbing work in the walls (i.e., moving fixtures to a new location within the space) you need a permit.”
It’s not just permits to be aware of. In New York City, for example, installed toilets have to fall within a 1.28-gallon-per-flush maximum, which inspectors will check. So before starting any work, confirm what your city or municipality requires. It’s also important to check any rules that your building may have if you live in a multifamily home.
“In most of New York City, larger buildings are under management companies and will require licensed and insured contractors,” Dankman says. “If you have a private single family home, you can do more yourself because if you make a mistake like a big leak it won’t cause damage to other owners below you.”
Step 3: Demolish and clear out the old
This part’s easy, but it doesn’t mean you can clear out your old bathroom without a plan.
Prep the area by clearing out everything that’s moveable and could get in the way—this means everything from toothbrushes to hand towels. Remove light fixtures, mirrors and anything else that could easily shatter with a stray hammer swing. Take the cabinets and other storage off the walls, taking special care if you’re using the same items in the newly refurbished bathroom.
Before you even point a utility knife in the direction of a pipe, turn off the water! When you tackle the sink, put a bucket under the pipes to catch any leaks, then use an adjustable wrench to unscrew the P-trap and water supply lines, making sure to dump the water into the bucket. Undo the attachments holding the vanity to the wall and pull it out, cutting through caulking with a utility knife if necessary.
Bathroom renovation: During
Removing a toilet isn’t that different from removing the sink, except that you’re unscrewing it from the floor instead of the wall. The water supply line will probably be either on the floor or wall. If your toilet has a tank that’s a separate piece that sits on top of the seat, take care to remove the tank first.
Use a hammer and chisel to remove the tiles, then uninstall the shower or tub from the wall, including about eight inches of the drywall around the bathtub. Just be sure not to damage any wall studs as you do so.
Step 4: Make structural repairs, create new structure and framing
The demolition and removal of the old features should reveal necessary structural repairs. Has there been water damage that’s led to rotten wood? Now is the time to take care of it before it gets covered up again. Wall repairs, ceiling repairs, floor repairs, and re-leveling also need to happen at this stage. Don’t skimp on the floor work—your fancy new bathroom floor tiles will crack and shatter if you don’t get this step right.
If you’ve opened up new space and expanded the square footage of your bathroom, this is when you put the new structure and framing as well.
Step 5: Put in the new plumbing, electrical systems, and exhaust
Young man fixing a leak under the bathroom sink
With the pipes and electrical lines likely exposed, this is the time to make the changes and upgrades to these for your new bathroom. Most experts do not recommend DIYers take on the plumbing or electrical work unless they’re highly skilled and trained to do so. “I really do not recommend doing plumbing work yourself unless you have substantial experience,” Carrino says. “You do not want to interrupt the mechanical systems within your home. Tile work, changing fixtures...those are DIY projects. Plumbing is a profession.”
If you’re updating the exhaust and fan, ensure you have the right size. “The size of the fan is based on the size of the room,” Dankman says. “Fans are rated by how many cubic feet per minute they can move, or CFM. Usually a smaller bathroom like a powder room is good with 50 CFM, and a standard five-by-eight bathroom is good with 80 CFM, and then larger bathrooms can have either a 110 or 150 CFM. The exhaust should always go to the outside of the building and away from other windows or air intakes.”
Step 6: Put in insulation, drywall and subfloor, then waterproofing
After the electrical and plumbing work is complete, finish the insulation, drywall (being sure to use moisture-resistant “greenboard”), and cement board (the base that goes under tiles).
You’ll also need to consider waterproofing at this stage. In fact, Dankman cited waterproofing a shower as the place where most people fumble badly in DIY bathroom renovations. It’s a complicated process that involves prepping the walls and floor before you even move the tub in, sealing joints, and applying sheets of waterproofing membrane or waterproofing paint that acts as a key barrier between moisture and the walls and floors (and preventing water damage). And only after should you think about installing the shower or tub. “It is not something you can just ‘wing it’ with,” Dankman says.
He, for example, uses multiply redundant waterproofing system that sees him lay down a hardened cement bed, a waterproof pan clamped to a specialized drain, a second cement bed on top of that, then a liquid membrane not just for the wet area but also the floor outside the shower or tub.
Step 7: Install tile and stone work
Next, install floor tiles and wall tiles. (Save the backsplash until the bathroom vanity, sink, or cabinet is installed). “Tile is mostly about your taste, but keep in mind that natural stone tile (like marble) or cement tile (like Clé brand) can be very difficult to keep clean and maintain,” Dankman says. “I personally like to stick with porcelain or high-quality glazed ceramic.”
Another thing to keep an eye on: your grouting. “A DIYer can really struggle with it and can make a mess,” Dankman says. “Beginners should avoid epoxy grouts. They are the strongest and most expensive but because they dry very quickly and are next to impossible to clean off—it can be a disaster for anyone.”
Step 8: Paint walls
Painting the walls is among the easiest steps of a DIY bathroom model. You can choose any paint you like, “unless you don't have good ventilation—then you need to use a more glossy paint or a mold resistant paint,” Dankman says.
Home Renovation
As you near the finish line of the project, make sure not to rush this step.
“A bad bathroom paint job at the end of the project can make a beautiful space look cheap,” Dankman says.
Step 9: Put in shower or bathtub
Now’s the time you put in that fancy clawfoot tub or modern-looking shower unit.
“If you don't have small kids, a dog, or don’t enjoy baths, then I would say a shower is more convenient,” Dankman says. “However, if you only have one bathroom in you home, then it should be a tub, this way if you ever sell to a family with small kids, it will be a plus.”
Step 10: Install toilet, vanity, or countertop and sink
We’ve come to the crowning achievement of any bathroom renovation: the throne. Along with the toilet, this is also when you can install the vanity, countertop, and sink. Once those are in, it’s safe to put in any backsplash.
Step 11: Install light fixtures, medicine cabinet, mirrors, storage, etc.
The last step of a DIY bathroom remodel are all of the finishing, cosmetic touches. This includes things like light fixtures, mirrors, the medicine cabinet, bathroom storage, and other bathroom accessories. “I like to have both overhead lighting for general purpose and a second vanity light over the mirror for close up things like makeup and shaving,” Dankman adds.
Is it better to hire professionals or DIY a bathroom renovation?
Bathroom remodels are among the most complicated home improvement projects, since they require so much technical know-how. “No two jobs I have done in the last 25 years have ever been the same,” Carrino says. “Planning a project like this is not a paint-by-number process.” If you’re skilled with building, plumbing, and electric work, it may be doable to accomplish the task on your own.
However, if you don’t have these skills, a professional could make a big difference. For those that want to be involved in the process, you could hire professionals for the framing, plumbing, and electrical work, then DIY things like painting and tile installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people you do need for a DIY bathroom renovation?
If you can get help, that’s great, but remember that bathrooms tend to get cramped fast, and you’re only going to be able to have a couple people work effectively in there.
“Just two is enough but sometimes one or three,” Dankman says. “Since it’s a small space, more than three and it gets crowded.”
What are the current bathroom renovation project trends?
“It a wide spectrum, but we see a lot transitional style bathrooms in town houses and brownstones, and the newer high-rises tend to be modern European style,” Dankman says. “Brass finish is back in full force.”
“Trends come and trends go—design to your personal taste and style and you will be much happier in the long run,” Carrino says. “That said, from a product standpoint, I love heated floors in the bathroom and a heated towel rack—not only is it nice to have a warm towel, but your towel dries much faster and never gets that musty smell.”
Which upgrades add the most value to a small bathroom?
If your bathroom doesn’t need a full refresh, consider making just cosmetic upgrades.
“Just changing the finishes and leaving the plumbing and electric work (things behind the walls) where they are is the easiest and least expensive way to upgrade a bathroom,” Dankman says. “So change the vanity, toilet, medicine cabinet, shower valve trim and head (if needed), light fixtures, and, if possible, the tiles.
What tools do I need for a bathroom remodel?
Experts say you’ll need a full tool box if you plan to take on a DIY remodel.
“Just about every tool is needed,” Dankman says. “Materials range from wood or metal framing to repair walls, ceilings and floors, plywood and other sheet goods like drywall and cement to cover the floor, walls and ceilings. Thin-set mortars for tiling, waterproofing membranes, electrical and plumbing parts, of course. So many, I can't list them all.”
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
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