How to Add a Bathroom to Your Basement

Want to install a new bathroom in your basement and wondering how to go about doing it? Don’t fret; you’re at the right place. By the time you finish reading the last syllable of this blog, you’ll know three things:

  • The cost of adding a new bathroom in your basement,
  • The best site to add a new bathroom, and
  • Factors to consider when adding a new bathroom.

You might be wondering why anyone would want to add a bathroom to their basement. The thing is, there are a few practical reasons for doing this, such as:

  • Adding value to your home
  • Adding convenience by converting your basement into an apartment
  • Creating extra amenities if you’ve many people in your home

However, there are a few things you should know before attempting to add a bathroom to your basement.

How much does it Cost to Add a New Bathroom?

According to the National Bath and Kitchen Association, the cost of adding a new bathroom to your basement ranges from $10,000 to $25,000, including material and labour. But, the final cost entirely depends on the type of fixtures you choose. This is because the cost of toilets, sinks, bathtubs, and faucets differ from place to place and also vary depending upon the brand.

he cost also depends on the existing space you’re working with, in the house. In case you have a tight budget, all you need to do is to choose the fixtures carefully to keep the cost low.

If your proposed bathroom is near any existing plumbing, it will cost you less as you may not have to install many new pipes. Locating your new bathroom away from plumbing would result in more expenses, making the final cost higher.

As you plan for the project, here are the other prices you should consider:

  • Fan: $250-$450
  • Faucet and sinks: $300-$500
  • Toilet installation: $250-$450
  • Bathtub:$200-$2,000
  • Ceramic tiles:$2- $20 per square foot
  • Showerheads and faucets: $20-$300
  • Labour: $1,200-$5,500
  • Pipe installation- $600-$1,600 per fixture
  • Shower parts and installation
  • Mirrors: $50-$150(price will depend on the vanities or size with the attached cabinet)
  • Cabinets: $350-$450 per linear foot
  • Electrician’s charges: They mostly charge $70-$80 an hour(not including the price of light fixtures)

Best Sites for Adding the New Bathroom in your Basement

Worried about not having enough room for an extra bathroom? Don’t let that worry you. It is a rare case to lack space for an additional bathroom as amazingly, it can fit in minimal space.

Here are five places where you can fix your new bathroom:

a) Walk-in-Closet:

With a few structural changes, an oversized hall linen closet can easily become an added half-bath.

b) Hallway:

Sometimes, an untraveled hallway’s ending with a window can have about 35 or 40 square feet, which is enough for adding a new bathroom.

c) Under a Staircase:

A toilet and a sink will usually fit under the stairs. Before you begin your project, you need to remember to check the headroom.

d) Inside One of your Bedrooms:

Part of the bedroom only needs 3 feet to fix your new bathroom. You can fix a shower stall at one end of the proposed bathroom, a sink in a partition opposite a door, and a toilet on the other side.

e) Existing Bath:

With a 5-foot by 6-foot room, you can build an average toilet, sink, and tub. So, you can split some of your large bathrooms into two by only moving the fixtures.

Factors to Consider While Adding a New Bathroom to Your Basement

Adding a bathroom to your basement has a lot of advantages. However, including one in your basement is not a walk in the park; like when you have to do underground plumbing. So, when designing your basement bathroom, there are some factors you need to consider, like:

01. Storage Space:

A linen closet provides convenient storage for towels, clothes, washcloths, and paper products, making it sensible for the basement bathroom to be used daily.

If you use a linen closet to add a bathroom to your basement, it will be enormous. But to make the final result as luxurious and attractive as possible, you should go all out when finishing your basement.

02. Drainage:

In many homes, a sewer line isn’t a challenge. When the drainage lines are deep enough, they can use disposals that are gravity-assisted. In case the lines are not deep enough, you’ll have to remove a portion of the floor to excavate under the same.

When it comes to drainage, you should also consider the size of the pipes. If the current pipes are too narrow, it can cause issues. Therefore, you need to opt for larger pipes for proper uninterrupted drainage.

03. Location:

If your basement has large square footage, you will have a lot of room to choose from, when picking a spot to fix your new bathroom. However, you first need to check where the current electrical and plumbing lines are. It will be more expensive if you build in a place where you have to run new lines rather than fixing the new bathroom where lines and plumbing already exist.

04. Style:

Maybe you want to build a cosy bathroom with a heated basement floor or an old-fashioned style bathtub with warm colours. Or maybe, you would like a more modern bathroom with digital shower controls, a vessel sink, and concrete floors.

Irrespective of your choice of style, there is always something to suit your needs, budget, and style. The choice is all yours.

05. Basement Moisture:

All bathrooms need ventilation, but a basement bathroom needs it the most. If the basement bathroom has too much moisture, it will lead to problems like mildew and mould growth.

Parting Words

So, when adding a bathroom to your basement, it is vital to measure your ventilation fan properly. Otherwise, the moisture from the toilet, sink, and shower will create the aforementioned issues.

Now, what is now stopping you from adding a bathroom to your basement? We have given you all the information you need. So go on and fulfil your dream of adding a bathroom to your basement.

Image Courtesy: Image 6, Image 7, Image 8, Image 10

Author Bio

Jennifer Kiminza – Jennifer Kiminza is a content writer and content marketing professional at Hub Spot, an inbound marketing and sales platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers. Previously, Jennifer worked as a marketing manager for a tech software startup. She graduated with honors from Nairobi University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing.

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