Who wouldn’t want to get something new for their home? If you are looking to change up the way your house looks, you don’t need to go to extreme lengths for a complete home renovation. You can change up one part of the house instead. One of the first rooms you should definitely focus on is your shower or bathroom area through remodeling.
Remodeling is a good means to give your house a fresh new look while ensuring that your stuff is always updated. This isn’t to say that remodeling is cheap though. It’s definitely more expensive than having to buy new furniture and fixtures for your bathroom but if you are looking for something that can change up your house greatly, it’s always worth considering a remodel.
What is a remodel anyway? You can think of it as a small renovation of your house. If it’s a shower remodel we are talking about, this could mean updating the tiles inside the bathroom, changing the shower system, installing new features, and more. You can choose to add as many upgrades and new features you like whether it’s for visuals or comfort.
Although cheaper than most means to upgrade your house, shower remodeling can still be costly if you don’t know what you are doing. This time, we’ll help guide you in helping lower the cost of your shower bath remodeling. Before we do though, how much does a shower remodeling service cost anyway?
How Much Does It Cost To Remodel A Shower?
The average cost of getting a remodeling service done to your shower will cost around $4,100. This includes all of the basic upgrades and new features such as new tiles, new shower systems, and more. As you can see, it’s actually not as cheap as it seems especially if you’re not well off.
The cost can be higher depending on the complexity of the job, If there are pipes to be changed, expect the price to be even higher. The good news is that there are many means through which you can effectively lower the cost of your bathroom and shower remodeling. Here are some of the best ways to do so.
Stay Away From The Plumbing
One way to truly jack up the prices for your shower remodeling is to simply let your contractors mess with the plumbing that goes through your sink and shower. Some people ask this to be done so that they can move the location of the shower and other sources of water inside the shower area.
However, remodeling contractors don’t actually recommend that you touch the pipes. To do so, they’ll have to break down the wall and then mess with your house’s plumbing. This is the reason why this part of the service is very expensive. As much as possible, try to retain the places of the pipes if you don’t want to spend extra on the remodeling.
If it’s not necessary or if the shower placement isn’t that big of a bother anyway, you should just let it be where it is right now. The cost of plumbing ups the remodeling price by up to 30% so it’s often best to just leave it be. There’s no way to make it cheaper by doing this so avoid it if you are staying on a certain budget.
However, if you are looking to change the shower’s pipes and walls anyway, you might as well have the pipes moved. This doesn’t make it cheaper mind you. It will at least lessen the cost of messing with the plumbing for a bit as you’re already having the walls remodeled anyway making it a smart move.
Buying A New Tub VS. Refinishing Your Old One
If you have a tub in your shower area, you are left with two choices, either you get a new one or you have yours refinished instead. Obviously, it’s more expensive to buy a new tub as compared to just getting your old one refinished instead. Unless there are major cracks and chips in your old tub, go with refinishing so for a budget shower remodel.
Refinishing a tub means making it look as new as possible. This part of the process includes sanding, cleaning, patching, and even recoloring your old tub. If you are worried about the results, don’t be. You’ll be surprised at how well your old tub will look after shower remodel contractors are done refinishing it.
As compared to buying a new tub, you can save up to hundreds when choosing to refinish your old one instead. Don’t be too worried about the final outcome because in reality, your old tub will still look as good as new after the remodel. A new tub is great too of course but that’s only if budget is not an issue with you.
Walk-In Showers
If you are hoping to change from your bathtub to a walk-in shower, then you need to be prepared. Shifting from one to the other is expensive. However, if you already have a shower in your bathroom, then you don’t have to spend a lot on getting a walk-in shower. If you want to save on walk-in showers, then you need to coordinate well with your remodeling contractor.
A walk-in shower can be a lot of work. Your contractors will have to consider a lot of things including your walls, plumbing, and many others. As much as possible, it’s usually best to either refurbish your tub or to upgrade your shower instead of getting a new one. If budget isn’t an issue, then you should have no issues with getting one.
Acrylic vs. Fiberglass
Now, you’ll have to think about your shower next. How are you going to cover it? The most common choice is always between acrylic and fiberglass. Obviously, one is cheaper than the other so it’s best that you know which is which. In this case, both acrylic and fiberglass are actually cheap so you have great options in front of you.
If your contractor has access to prefabricated acrylic panels, then you should go for this. Aside from being a relatively cheap material, it’s also very easy to install in your shower so it doesn’t take up much in terms of installation cost. Acrylic is a good material as it is both durable and smooth, perfect for the shower.
Fiberglass shower pans are also excellent to keep your shower protected. Aside from being cheap, they come in various shapes and sizes so whatever shape or form you need, there’s bound to be a fiberglass shower that fits your bathroom. Fiberglass and acrylic options are the best for your shower panels so make sure to go with these if you are on a budget.
Countertop Materials
Your shower most likely has a countertop that you use as a surface that holds your toiletries. The material you use for your shower can make or break your budget as some materials are far more expensive than the others. In this case, what you should really avoid are natural stone countertops such as granite and marble.
There are cheap countertop alternatives that are made from natural stone. A good one would be quartz. This features a natural stone-like aesthetic and feel so you don’t have to worry about how it looks inside your bathroom. As one of the cheaper countertop materials out there, quartz has maintained a solid reputation in the home design industry along with the great shower designers.
Another great option is actually soapstone. The natural stone material gets its name from its smooth soap like texture. Unlike a quartz countertop which is made with resins, soapstone countertops are all purely natural. Despite this fact, they are very cheap and durable as a shower countertop material.
Pick Your Contractor Well
The people you pick for the job will also affect the final price of your shower remodeling cost. It should be a given by now that the more popular your contractor is, the more expensive your final cost is going to be. Of course, their high price points come with its own merits such as proven and tested quality work.
That isn’t to say that lesser known and cheaper contractors are not worth yo8r money. In truth, there are some lesser known contactors that do a really good job. Don’t base your choice solely on the price, make sure to do your due research so you know if the contractor’s price is well worth it or not. Believe it r high price points come with its own merits. Contractors can’t jack up their prices without reason.
That isn’t to say that you are going to get poor work from lesser known companies that offer services for a lower price. In fact, you can actually find a ton of cheap contractors that can do work that rivals that of well-known companies. Do your own due research so you can see if a company’s price is well worth it.
A shower remodeling service might just be what you need to make sure that your house stays as pristine and as classy as possible. It can be expensive but so long as you follow our tips and tricks above, you can cut the cost effectively. It pays to know what you are getting into so always consider doing your own research first.
We always offer flexible prices that fit your budget. To avail of our free estimate service and consultation, feel free to give us a call today or check us on Instagram anytime!
