DIY VS. PROFESSIONAL BATHROOM REMODELING

DIY Vs. Professional Bathroom Remodeling

Remodeling a bathroom has many benefits for your home. Often, DIYers will try to tackle this project alone, but don’t take anything for granted. Remodeling the bathroom can be a daunting task, even for a seasoned professional.

Here’s all you need to know about remodeling a bathroom and what parts are best left to the experts

Cost

One of the most critical aspects is the cost. Even a small bathroom will cost a significant sum to remodel. A typical project can run up to $30,000 if done by renovation contractor, especially if the materials and features are high-quality. Professional labor will account for a large chunk of that budget. You can save roughly 3/4 of the cost by DIYing the entire project. However, that might not be the wisest decision to make.

Time

As people say, time is money. A general contractor won’t need more than a few weeks to get the job done from start to finish, including the bathroom plumbing remodel. But trying to do all the work and squeezing construction into an already busy schedule can significantly delay the remodel. Plus, the bathroom is nearly unusable for the duration of the project as a consequence. Consider if you can spare the time (and have a spare bathroom) to keep a construction project going for so long to save elsewhere.

Removing the floor

One of the most straightforward tasks is to prep the bathroom for remodeling. There’s no need for a professional to take the bathroom apart. Removing cabinets, mirrors, baths, or tiles is easy if there’s no need to preserve them for later.

Framing

If you decide to do a DIY bathroom remodel, framing is one of the first areas to tackle. Setting the insulation inside walls is not difficult as long as all the instructions are correctly followed. The general contractor can move on to do more complicated tasks after the essential carpentry work is complete. Just make sure that all the fixtures and cabinets fit inside the frames properly, and there should be no issues. 

Plumbing and Electrical

The plumbing and wiring of a bathroom are complicated processes involving many health and safety regulations. Plumbers, electricians, and contractors know all the ins and outs and can save you quite a headache. We recommend leaving this task to the professionals rather than tackling the plumbing and electrical work yourself.

Flooring

Installing new bathroom flooring or tiles is generally a simple task, especially for an experienced DIYer. Vinyl flooring is straightforward to install, and having a contractor do it will be more expensive. As far as tiles are concerned, larger tiles have become increasingly common due to ease of installation and maintenance. As a result, there won’t be many individual tiles involved, and the entire flooring could be done over a single weekend.

Wall surfaces

Unlike flooring, wall surfaces are much harder to get right. A good contractor will produce a better result doing the drywalling and tiling than a novice DIYer, but the more experienced can tackle this project. The cost difference can be enough of an incentive, but consider that a professional will produce a much better result in general.

Painting

Bathrooms often have a minimal surface area that needs to be painted over, usually just a single wall and ceiling. Hiring a professional painter to do the work might be unnecessary and expensive, as this job is pretty easy to DIY.

Installing a bath or a toilet

A bath can take many tries to get right, and making sure that there are no leaks and that the surfaces look good can be difficult. If the plumbing was already done, installing a new shower can be a DIY job, but the rest is better left to the professionals.

Sinks, faucets, cabinets, and mirrors

Installing new faucets and cabinets yourself can save enough money to afford higher-quality products. As these are relatively simple to manage if all the prerequisite plumbing and electrical works are complete, we recommend you DIY them to cut costs. A new mirror might look daunting to install, but it shouldn’t be a big issue in the end.

Summary

When planning a bathroom remodel, always consider what parts don’t need to be outsourced to a professional renovation company. For the trickier bits, like plumbing, wiring, and wall surface jobs, a professional will save you both time and money, so be sure to get the best person for the job.