Now that we’re finished with the bathroom — well, finished with everything except finding a curtain/shade option for the window in there — we figured it was time to give you the nitty gritty details on what we spent, so you can ooh and aah over how much money a little DIYing can save you. Just for a quick recap though, a few before and after shots for good measure.

Shower area before and after.

  Toilet area before and after.

  Built-in cabinets turned built-in shelves before and after.

Sink and vanity area before and after.

Pretty amazing huh? So, now, here’s the cost breakdown of the project.

• Floor tiles……………………………………..322.80
• Beadboard…………………………………171.50
• Shower tiles………………………………155.53
• Shower fixtures, caddy, rod and rings…………246.97
• Sink and faucet…………………….231.03
• Vanity, mirror, and light fixture………….164.32
• Bath mat, soap dish, towel bars, hooks, and basket………135.91
• Paint, primer, polyurethane……………….66.49
• Caulk, mortar, and grout…………………….158.64
• Various supplies and tools…………………………232.82
• Crown molding, baseboards, and quarter round……………88.45
• Cement board…………………………………….69.30
• Plumber…………………………………………385.00
• Tax………………………………………………102.20

TOTAL………………………………………………$2,530.96

That’s right, folks. We did a complete renovation for $2,500 and some change. And about $300 worth was on stuff we can use again, like grout floaters, extra screws, extra tile, various tools, and so forth. Considering the average cost of a complete bathroom remodel ranges from $10,000-15,000 if you hire out the work, I’d say we got some serious bang for our buck.

By putting in some elbow grease, we saved major cash. We felt comfortable learning to do most everything ourselves, but we did leave one task to the professionals. We had our plumber come in and replace the pipes in the shower and convert the two-lever system to a single lever. It is the biggest line in the budget above, but we think it was worth it to make sure the job was done right. Possible leaks leading to mold = not something we want to worry about.

$2,500 is certainly nothing to sneeze at in this household, but we saved up for the project for a long time and were able to do it all without charging a thing. Did we have to compromise on some things? Well, sure. I didn’t get the sconces I wanted, and we had to hunt around for deals, like our $90 vanity and consignment shop mirror. We think it was all worth it though. The room looks great, and we don’t owe a dime to a credit card company. And we’ll leave you with one last before and after.

Anyone else out there done a bathroom remodel on the cheap? If so, please accept our cyper pat on the back and put a link in the comment section, so we can see what you’ve done.

If you want to see our bathroom project from the beginning, check out demo, cement board installation, beadboard installation and painting, subway tile in the shower, honeycomb tile on the floor, flea market vanity and finishing touches.

Or you can read Ed’s tutorials on these tasks: hanging cement board, tiling and grouting, installing a sink and faucet, installing crown molding and baseboards. 

If you liked this post, then might we suggest:

Bathroom How-To: Hanging Cement Board

Subway in the Shower

Rebuilding the Walls and the Floor

Not-So-Traditional Beadboard Installation, Plus Color on the Walls

Bathroom Smashroom

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