What's the single biggest way to cut bathroom renovation costs?

Doing the work yourself is hands-down the most cost-effective move you can make.[1] Start with jobs you're comfortable tackling—painting, installing light fixtures, swapping out faucets and handles—and hire a pro for the tricky stuff like plumbing or electrical work where mistakes get expensive fast.[1] Nine times out of ten, homeowners can handle 40 to 50 percent of a bathroom job if they're willing to put in the time.

Should I replace my toilet and sink, or can I save money by keeping them?

Keep them in place if you can.[4] Moving a toilet means rerouting plumbing, which gets pricey—especially if the drain line has to cross floor joists.[4] Instead, refresh your existing vanity with new knobs, drawer pulls, or a fresh coat of paint.[2] You'll get a new look without the labor costs of ripping out and reinstalling fixtures.

What materials should I choose if I'm on a tight budget?

Swap expensive materials for budget-friendly alternatives that still look good.[2] Can't afford ceramic tile? Vinyl flooring does the job. Love natural stone but the price tag stings? Granite or quartzite slabs cost way less than marble or limestone, which can run ten times more.[2] Chrome faucets are the industry standard and cost the least, while white fixtures for sinks and toilets stay timeless and affordable.[4]

Is it cheaper to replace my cabinets or fix the ones I have?

Refacing beats replacing every time if your cabinets are structurally sound.[3] You swap out just the doors and drawer fronts for a fraction of the cost of new cabinetry.[3] If you do need new ones, ready-to-assemble cabinets run $100 to $300 each versus $500 to $1,500 for custom work.[3] Paint and new hardware on existing cabinets is honestly one of the best bang-for-your-buck moves out there.

What about the shower or tub—do I have to replace it?

Not necessarily. Refacing an existing tub cuts plumbing costs significantly and saves you from buying a new one altogether.[5] If you're installing a walk-in shower, remember that tile is where the labor expense lives, so larger tiles cost less to install than penny tiles or small hexagonal patterns.[5] A prefabricated shower or tub costs way less than custom-built options and requires fewer labor hours.[1]

What should I avoid doing to keep costs down?

Don't move walls, electrical wiring, or plumbing lines unless absolutely necessary—those changes are killers for your budget.[6] Relocating fixtures means bringing in specialists and racking up hours of labor. Keep the toilet where it sits, avoid moving the vanity if the pipes work fine, and resist the urge to reconfigure the layout just because you're already in there doing work.[4] Nine times out of ten, a smart refresh of what you've got beats a structural overhaul.

Are there small changes that still make a big impact without breaking the bank?

Absolutely. New hardware, towel racks, and medicine cabinets cost maybe $50 per item but add up to a totally refreshed look when you group them together.[2] Adding mirrors, repainting, raising the shower rod, or even spray-painting existing cabinet knobs and towel racks are DIY wins that cost almost nothing.[6] These small touches won't drain your budget but they'll make the space feel brand new.

How important is planning before I start tearing things out?

Planning is non-negotiable if you want to stay on budget.[2] Write down everything you want to update, replace, or add before you touch a single tile or unscrew a knob.[2] A solid plan lets you break the project into phases, decide what you'll DIY versus hire out, and spot cost traps before you're already committed. I've seen jobs blow through budget by 30 or 40 percent just because the homeowner didn't sketch things out first.

How to Save Money on Bathroom Renovation: Gil’s Pro Budget Tips

Let’s start at the curb. Imagine you’ve just pulled into the driveway and you're staring at your front door, dreading that outdated master bath. Most folks think a renovation means gutting the place to the studs. I'm here to tell you that's the fastest way to set your wallet on fire. During my years running a handyman crew in Phoenix, I saw too many homeowners start with a sledgehammer and end with a second mortgage.

Walk through the front door with me. We’re heading straight to the back of the house where that tile is currently turning yellow. If we want to keep costs down, we have to talk strategy before we talk finishes.

Can I keep the current layout?

Step into the bathroom and look at the floor. Nine times out of ten, the most expensive mistake you can make is moving the toilet or the shower drain. I once had a client who wanted to move her sink exactly four feet to the left. That four-foot shift required cutting into the concrete slab and rerouting the vent stack through the roof. It turned a $500 vanity swap into a $4,000 plumbing nightmare.

According to data from HomeAdvisor, the average cost of a bathroom remodel sits around $11,634, but that number skyrockets the moment you start moving pipes. Keep the footprint exactly as it is. If the toilet is on the left, keep it on the left. You’ll save thousands in labor costs by simply refreshing the fixtures where they already sit.

Is it worth refinishing instead of replacing?

Look at that bathtub. It’s probably a beige or seafoam green relic from 1984. Your instinct is to rip it out. Don't do it yet. Removing a cast iron tub is a back-breaking job that often destroys the surrounding wall tile and the subfloor.

Instead, consider professional reglazing. You can have a technician spray a high-gloss epoxy finish over your existing tub for about $500 to $800. Comparing that to the $3,000+ price tag of a new tub installation (including the demo and plumbing work) makes it a no-brainer. I’ve seen refinished tubs last ten years if you treat them right and stop using abrasive cleaners.

The biggest waste of money in a bathroom is throwing away a perfectly functional item just because it's the wrong color.

How do I save on tile without it looking cheap?

Now, look down at the floor and over at the shower walls. Tile is where people get fancy and where budgets go to die. You don't need hand-painted Moroccan clay tiles to make a statement.

Use expensive tile as an accent only. Buy the cheap, classic white subway tile for 90% of the shower. It’s timeless and costs pennies per square foot.
Buy a single box of that high-end, $20-per-square-foot mosaic you love. Run a single horizontal stripe of it at eye level.
Use a dark grout. It hides dirt better and makes cheap tile look more architectural.

I remember a job in Scottsdale where the homeowner insisted on marble everywhere. Three months later, the marble was stained because they used the wrong shampoo. Porcelain tile is tougher, cheaper, and these days, it looks just like the real thing.

Should I buy my own materials?

Let’s head out to the garage for a second. This is where I usually had the "talk" with my clients. Many contractors add a markup of 10% to 20% on materials they pick up for you. That’s a convenience fee for their time and their truck.

If you have a SUV and a Saturday morning, you can save a few hundred bucks by sourcing the vanity, the toilet, and the light fixtures yourself. Just make sure you have everything on-site before the contractor shows up. Nothing kills a budget like a plumber sitting on his tailgate at $90 an hour because the faucet you ordered hasn't arrived yet.

Can I do the demolition myself?

This is the one area where sweat equity actually pays off. Grab a crowbar and some heavy-duty trash bags. Taking out a vanity, pulling up old linoleum, and removing towel racks doesn't require a master's degree.

Just be careful. I once had a guy try to DIY his demo and he drove a reciprocating saw right through a live water line. He turned his master bath into an indoor swimming pool in about thirty seconds. If you're going to do the demo, turn off the water mains first and go slow. Taking two days to carefully pull things apart can save you $500 to $1,000 in labor fees.

What about the small stuff?

Look at the vanity again. If the cabinet box is solid wood and in good shape, don't replace it. You can sand it down, hit it with a coat of high-quality cabinet paint, and swap the hardware. New brushed brass or matte black handles can make a 20-year-old cabinet look like it came from a high-end showroom.

Also, check the lighting. Nine times out of ten, a bathroom feels dingy because the light is old and yellow. Swapping a dated Hollywood light bar for a modern sconce and putting in 3000K LED bulbs will change the entire mood for less than $150.

Final thoughts from the clipboard

Remodeling doesn't have to mean a total loss of your savings. Focus on the visual impact: paint, hardware, and lighting. Keep the heavy plumbing where it is. If you follow those rules, you'll have a bathroom that looks like a million bucks without the heart-attack-inducing invoice at the end.

Now, let's get out of this bathroom and go get some lunch. Just don't ask me to look at your kitchen yet; that's a whole different conversation.

How to Save Money on Your Bathroom Renovation