Remodeling Your Small Bathroom Quickly and Ef ciently

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  Remodeling Your Small Bathroom Quickly and
                  Ef­ciently
                                    Written by Lee Wallender

                   The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Homeowners often imagine that remodelingƳa small bathroom—one that is about 50
square feet or less—will be much quicker, much easier, and much less expensive than
remodeling a large bathroom. And they are often surprised to find that it's only a little
bit quicker, a little bit easier, and a little bit less expensive. The reason? A small
bathroom has most of the same elements as a large bathroom and remodeling
requires assistance from the same in-demand professionals as does a large bathroom.
The reality is that a 50 square foot bathroom may be one-third the size of a large 150-
square-foot bath, but remodeling it typically costs about 75 percent of a large bath in
terms of time, money, and effort.

Planning Considerations
Bathrooms can be categorized as one of three types, regardless of size. Recognizing
the type of bathroomƳyou have will help you be realistic in your planning.Ƴ

    Powder room:ƳLarger homes often have a powder room, or half-bath, that has

■
    little more than a sink, toilet, and a door for privacy. It is a convenience bathroom

    used by family members and guests when they have no need for the amenities of

    a full bathroom. The small size and a limited number of ­xtures mean that a

    powder
 room
 can
 be
 remodeled
 fairly
 quickly
 but
 because
 it
 is
 a
 secondary

powder room can be remodeled fairly quickly, but because it is a secondary
    bathroom, it also means that you can take your time since there is at least one
    other bathroom that can ­ll in during remodeling.

■   Full bathroom: This term refers to any bathroom with a full range of amenities—
    toilet, vanity, sink, and tub/shower. It is a bathroomƳthat is normally used every
    day. In homes with two or more full bathrooms, one full bath may be designated
    as the master bath, with others are dedicated to one or more children. Full
    bathrooms get lots of use, which has an impact on the ­xtures and materials you
    choose for it.Ƴ

■   Guest bathroom:ƳThis is a full-service bathroom, with sink, toilet, and shower or
    shower/tub combination, but one that is used sporadically, mostly when guests
    visit. In empty-nest homes, a kids' full bathroom might be converted toƳa guest
    bath. Because guest baths get only occasional use, many people choose to use
    economy ­xtures and materials, which can greatly cut costs. And because this is
    a secondary bathroom, you can take your time remodeling it, which also saves
    cost.Ƴ

■   Master bathroom:ƳThis isƳa full-service bathroom that you use on a daily basis.ƳIn
    homes with two or more full bathrooms, the term "master" usually designates
    the one used by the home's owner on a daily basis. In homes with only one
    bathroom, that bathroom serves as the master bath, even if it is quite small. This
    is typically a fairly important room, one in which owners might spend a fair
    amount of money on quality, durable, and attractive ­xtures and materials.Ƴ

    Along with defining the type of small bathroom, you're remodeling, consider who will

    be using the bathroom.Ƴ

■   You:ƳIf your small bathroom happens to be yourƳmaster bathroom, you use it for
    everything, from applying makeup to using the toilet to showering. You may want
    to splurge on storage cabinets and higher-end materials. After all, you will have
    to look at this bathroom at least twice a day for many years.Ƴ

■   Children:ƳSmall bathrooms for children may need to endure decades of use and
    abuse.ƳSmall kids need a bathtub; showers are useless. Floors are most
    important since little kids can ®ood bathroom ®oors with water simply by
    stepping out of the tub. Good durable ­xtures and waterproof ®oors and walls
    are essential for bathrooms used by kids. Good storage is essential here, too.Ƴ

■   Overnight guests: If this bathroom is for overnight guests, you may want to skimp
    on the quality of materials. You will not need increased storage space for guests,
    either.

■   Day guests: For a powder room, you need little more than a sink, toilet, and towel

■   Elderly or disabled: This special class of users may requireƳadditional or
    augmented features such as grab bars, lower counters, and no-slip ®ooring
    areas. If your small bath can accommodate it, a walk-in bathtub is a great aid for
    elderly or disabled persons.

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experience. While it is possible for a homeowner to serve as his or her own general
contractor—interviewing, hiring, supervising, and paying individual professionals to do

their work in order—this is always a slower process than allowing a GC to coordinate
his preferred subcontractors. Hiring your own subcontractors, though, can save you
quite a bit of money, as you eliminate the time and overhead of the general
contractor.Ƴ

The cheapest route of all also typically the one that takes the most time: doing all or
most of the work yourself. A very (very) skilled DIYer with plenty of time and a group
of willing friends and helpers may be able to finish a bathroom remodel nearly as fast
as a general contractor, but very few homeowners fall into that category. And there is
the issue of quality: good contractors will do the job professionally, while many DIY
installations will be recognizable as the work of an amateur.Ƴ

While there are exceptions, the formula plays out true to form in most instances:

 ■   Quick (hiring pros) is expensive.

 ■   Inexpensive (DIY) is slow.

Pro vs. DIY. Or Both
The choice of whether to do the work yourself or to hire pros (a general contractor or
managing your own subcontractors) will, of course, depend on your assessment of
your own skills, but also on your budget and your time schedule. If you have limited
DIY skills and the small bathroom is the only bathroom you have, then getting the
remodel done quickly and correctly is worth the extra cost of hiring pros—even if it
means taking out a loan to do it.Ƴ

On the other hand, if your home has one or more additional bathrooms that can fill
in,Ƴand if you have moderate to advanced DIY skills, then there is no reason you can't
take your time and do all or most of the work yourself. This route also has the
advantage of giving you the time to find and buy all the materials for your bathroom,
which can offer huge cost savings.Ƴ

There are also contractors who are perfectly willing to split the work with energetic
and skilled homeowners. You can, for example, offer to do all the demolition and
painting/finishing work yourself, in exchange for a discounted bid from a general

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contractor. And if there are other tasks you are able and willing to take on, discuss
this with your contractor. But make sure to discuss itƳupfront. Time is money for a

general contractor, and he will not want his progress delayed while a homeowner
dawdles over installing the ceramic tile floor, for example.

Choosing and Buying Materials
Bathroom contractors always provide you with a range of choices as you select
materials and fixtures, but you can still expect to pay some markup on those
materials. There is no better way to reduce costs than to do your research and look
for discounted materials from online sources or local retailers who might be closing
out last year's product lines. If you have the time and a place to store materials,
buying everything you need to remodel your small bath well in advance will make
your remodeling job much cheaper and much faster.Ƴ

      Warning
       Some general contractors willƳinstall the materials you choose and buy
       yourself, but others prefer to (or even insist on) working with the
       suppliers they are familiar with. If you are working with a contractor,
       discuss this upfront and make sure you are in agreement.Ƴ

Process Overview
A general overview of the remodeling process will help you determine where you can
save time or money.Ƴ

■   Planning. Both DIY and contractor remodeling jobs depend on good up-front
    planning in order to control costs and keep things speedy. Some of the key
    elements include drawing plans (essential if your remodel will involve layout
    changes to the bathroom), obtaining building permits, signing contracts with any
    pros you will use and scheduling their time, and sourcing and ordering materials.
    A general contractor will do most of this work for you (which is why he costs
    more), but to save money, you can do all the planning work yourself.Ƴ

■   Demolition. All remodeling jobs start with tearing out and removing elements

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    that will be replaced. Depending on the level of your remodeling job, this can be
    a simple matter of removing old ­xtures and ®ooring, orƳas complicated as

    removing everything down to the wall studs and ®oor joists. Either way, this can
    be hard work but it is not dif­cult, and most homeowners can do this work
    themselves to save money. Most demolition can be done in a weekend. You will
    need to rent a roll-off dumpster or arrange for a disposal company to take away
    a pile of demolition debris.Ƴ

■   Framing rough-in. This refers to any structural framing work that is required.
    Low-level remodels may require no rough-in framing at all, while others may
    involve work like framing in a new shower stall. While some skills are involved,
    DIYers can usually do this work if they have moderately good carpentry skills.ƳThe
    framing rough-in may require an inspection to make sure the work is done
    correctly.Ƴ

■   Plumbing rough-in. The plumbing work is one area where DIYers should be
    cautious, as the results of a bad installation can be catastrophic. Very skilled
    DIYers can do their own plumbing (and save lots of money), but most DIY
    remodelers hire pros for the plumbing work. The plumber may make several
    visits over the course of the remodeling job—that's one reason why this is one of
    the more expensive components of the project. Two inspections are required:
    one at the rough-in phase, another after the ­nal installation.Ƴ

■   Electrical rough-in. This is another task that should be left in the hands of pros
    unless you are one of the very few DIYers who are experts at it. A licensed
    electrician will run new circuits where required, install lighting and vent fans, and
    will arrange for the work to be inspected. Later, after the inspection is complete
    and the walls and ceilings are ­nished, the electrician will return to hook-up
    outlets, light ­xtures, and fans. Two inspections are usually required: one at the
    rough-in phase, another after the ­nal installation.Ƴ

■   Drywall installation. Most remodeling jobs will involve opening up at least some
    of the walls and ceilings, and after the plumbing and wiring rough-ins have been
    inspected and passed, a drywall pro or DIYer can then install and ­nish the
    drywall. This is somewhat tedious work, but it is well within the skill level of
    most DIYers. The money-savings here are modest, though, because professional
    drywall installation is not pricey.Ƴ

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 ■   Tile and ®ooring. Ceramic tile can pose one of the more signi­cant costs for a
     bathroom, both in terms of time and materials costs. Ceramic tile showers and

     ®oors are premium materials that many homeowners choose to leave to the pros
     for installation.ƳTile work can be dif­cult to get right for a DIYer, but the cost-
     saving rewards can substantial, as this is labor-intensive work. Other ®ooring
     options are considerably less expensive, as well as friendlier to DIY installation.
     Tile and ®ooring is one area where you can save money by doing your research
     and buying materials online or when product lines are being discontinued.Ƴ

 ■   Cabinetry. In most instances, vanities, vanities, and other wall cabinets are
     installed after walls and ceilings are ­nished but before the ­nal plumbing
     ­xtures are installed. This can be somewhat clumsy to do in a small bathroom
     where space is limited, but many DIYers can tackle it.Ƴ

 ■   Fixture hookup. The ­nal step is for the plumber and electrician to return to
     install the various ­xtures and make the plumbing and wiring connections. There
     is an inherent hazard with any plumbing and wiring work, but when pros have run
     the plumbing and wiring inside the walls, the ­nal hookups are well within the
     skill range of experienced DIYers. Make sure, though, that the ­nal installation is
     inspected.Ƴ

10 Design Tips for Be¶er Small Bathrooms
1. UseƸa corner sink.ƳIn very small bathrooms, a sink configured to fit in a corner can
be a great space-saving option. Even pedestal sinks can be difficult to fit in very small
bathrooms.

2. Use a shower curtain or sliding shower door.ƳShower doors that pivot on hinges may
not work for small bathrooms. Instead, use a shower curtain or glass shower door
that slides on tracks.Ƴ

3. Choose aƸvanity with rounded corners.ƳIn tight spaces, vanities with sharp corners
can be hazardous. A vanity with rounded corners can prevent bruised hips.

4. Extend the counter over the toilet.ƳA little extra counter space created when
theƳvanity counter extends over the adjacent toilet can be surprisingly effective.

5. Use large-scale patterns.ƳLarge squares, wide stripes, and other large patterns can

fool the eye and make spaces seem larger.Ƴ

6. Mirror the wall.ƳInƳtight spaces, having a mirror occupy the entire wall behind the
vanity can help two people to use it at once.Ƴ

7. Mount the towel bar on the door.ƳWhen space is limited, mounting a towel bar on
the shower door or the back of the entry door keeps towels at easy reach.Ƴ

8. ChooseƸa trough sink.ƳWhen mounted on a wall, the low profile of a trough sink
frees up floor space for storage.Ƴ

9. UseƸa vanity with open shelves. Open shelves offer storage without swinging doors
that can get in the way in a small bathroom.Ƴ

10. Use a wall-mounted faucet.ƳMounting a faucet on the wall allows for a smaller
vanity, which helps free up space in a small bathroom.