All bathroom renovations are added value to your property, however, some carry larger costs than others. The average cost of a condo bathroom renovation is between $5,000 and $13,000, but with a condo, you can increase that cost by 30%. There are quite a number of factors that influence that cost.

In this article, we’re going to break down the various costs of a condo bathroom renovation and give you a starting point to know how much you will need to spend on your renovation. We’ll also share some tips on budget and strategies for reducing your costs.

In this post:

• What’s Involved in a Condo Bathroom Renovation
• How Does A Condo Bathroom Renovation Compare to a Residential House Bathroom Renovation
• Creating a Budget for a Condo Bathroom Renovation
• Tips to Save Money on Your Condo Bathroom Renovation

What’s Involved in a Condo Bathroom Renovation

The first question you need to answer is, “Are you renovating or remodeling?” While many people use these terms interchangeably, they actually carry some pretty significant differences. In a bathroom renovation, you start with the premise that you are not going to change the physical layout of the space.

Instead, you will be updating as much or as little as you want. A bathroom remodel usually involves changing the room’s layout–moving the tub, toilet, shower or sink. This usually involves very specific contractors and is a much larger expense–especially when you are remodeling a condo.

Once you have decided on your scope of work, you will need to have it approved by your HOA, Co-op, or condo board. It’s best to look into the specific policies your community maintains:

• They will need to approve your design decisions.
• They will probably give you particular times of day that contractors can work in your space.
• HOA’s or co-ops will have noise ordinances as well that you will need to adhere to.
• Many HOAs will have specific rules around when you can take materials into the building, and how you take them–which stairs or elevators you can use.
• Any plumbing and electrical work will need the approval of the condo board or HOA.
• Some co-ops or condo boards will require insurance coverage minimums or security deposits to take care of any possible damage to communal property or other people’s property.

Once you have approval from the board, you will also need to get permits from your local government. Consider that the costs of permits with condo renovations can be quite expensive, with plumbing permits sometimes going as high as $5,000.

How Does A Condo Bathroom Renovation Compare to a Residential House Bathroom Renovation

The cost of renovating a condo bathroom on average is 30% more than a house due to the restrictions from the HOA, Co-op or condo board. Included in that extra 30% is the fact that the existing building design is more “fixed” in its layout due to the shared exterior walls and interior floors and ceilings.

A residential bathroom renovation, based on a 5 ft. x 10 ft. bathroom, on average will cost $10k – $16k. With a condo bathroom, you are going to spend between $13k-$20k.

Factors Influencing the Cost of a Renovation

While these numbers are helpful, you have to remember that there are multiple factors that go into the cost of a renovation:

• Room size
• Materials chosen/used
• Design fees
• Scope of structural work
• Scope of plumbing and electrical changes
• Scope of demolition–will it be easy to move out old materials, or will it take several days to clear out the space because you are on the 7th floor.

These are just the basic factors, there are factors specific to your project that can raise or lower your budget. Depending on your scope of work and your finishes you can have a lower-end cost of around $6500 all the way up to a luxury remodel budget of $32k+.

How to Budget for Condo Bathroom Renovation

The chart below is the average washroom renovation project, cost breakdown according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association:

Cabinetry Hardware	16%
Fixtures	15%
Faucets Plumbing	14%
Flooring	9%
Countertops	7%
Lighting Ventilation	5%
Walls Ceiling	5%
Doors Windows	4%
Installation Labour	20%
Design Services	4%
Disposal Other	1%

Other Key Factors to Consider

Here are some other key factors that are different in a condo bathroom renovation than a house bathroom renovation:

• Consider the weight of a new tub as well as the weight of new flooring, as they can easily impact the larger structure of the condo building.
• Keep in mind that the ceilings in condos are usually concrete, so you will need to be creative if you would like to move or change your lighting. You might need to consider some sort of drop ceiling if you plan on changing the lighting.
• Moving any plumbing or electrical wiring can be much harder in a condo than in a residential bathroom remodel. Really consider if you need a remodel, or if you can stick with the original layout and simply upgrade and renovate.

Tips to Save Money on Your Condo Bathroom Renovation

• Consider your design carefully–if you are able to leave the toilet, bathtub, shower, and lighting in place, you will save yourself a considerable amount of money.
• Try to save as much of the bathroom’s drywall as possible
• Consider refinishing cabinets instead of purchasing new ones
• Instead of a tile surround tub, consider using a lighter, and less expensive prefabricated shower or tub.

Overall, we’ve covered general knowledge about condo bathroom renovations that apply in most situations, but every condo unit is different. Renovating your condo bathroom can add huge value to your property. If you are renovating to sell, check with an expert to prioritize those things that will add the most resale value to your property.

Don’t guess. Get a free consultation from us on the best way to invest your time and money into a condo bathroom renovation. Tell us about your situation, and we’ll explain how we work to see if our process can help you get more money from the sale of your condo by renovating it with our money.