How to Renovate Your Bathroom for $5,000 or Less (2024)

If you're an absolute beginner home renovator, these projects are inexpensive, don't require much knowledge and can be completed without specialized equipment.

• Difficulty level: Beginner
• Cost: Low
• Specialized tools: Few

Paint

Painting is one of the least expensive ways to make a massive impact on any room, and bathrooms are no exception. This project can be tackled by the most inexperienced DIYers and requires minimal specialized equipment—often just a paintbrush, roller and paint tray.

When it comes to what you plan to paint, don't limit yourself to just walls. Consider painting a stenciled pattern over your existing floor tile, linoleum or vinyl flooring. This option is a trendy and affordable DIY project, costing around $100 per 100 square foot.¹⁵

If you have a wooden vanity, consider painting the wood instead of replacing it entirely. You may need specialized paint for that project, but it will be less expensive and easier than a total replacement.

Install peel-and-stick tiles

Peel-and-stick-tile is installed as you expect: By peeling off the backing and sticking the adhesive side to the flooring. Then, use a utility knife or fine-toothed saw to cut the flooring and fit it around fixtures and door frames. Depending on the type of flooring you have, you may be able to install it right over your existing flooring.

While ceramic or porcelain tile is the gold standard for many bathrooms, these types of flooring can be expensive to install and require some specialized tools. You can expect to pay between $15 and $20 per square foot including installation for a tile flooring project.³

Peel-and-stick tile, on the other hand, is durable, easy to install on your own, requires few specialized tools and costs between $1 and $5 per square foot.⁴

Replace the showerhead

You can take your bathroom from ho-hum to a spa-like oasis just by replacing your fixed showerhead with a handheld or dual-purpose showerhead. The process of doing so is beginner-friendly and generally only requires a wrench.¹⁴ Showerheads range from $10 to over $700 for some high-end models.

Add storage

1. These days, there are so many options to add storage to your bathroom: From floating shelving to an over-the-toilet storage unit to wall-mounted cabinets. Since many bathrooms have limited square footage, try to use vertical space whenever possible. Most of these storage options can be installed with a drill or screwdriver, costing between $20 and $500.¹³

Intermediate ways to renovate or redecorate your bathroom

Suppose you're an experienced home renovator or you prefer to tackle some larger projects with the help of a professional. In that case, these projects are sure to make a significant impact on your bathroom.

• Difficulty level: Intermediate
• Cost: Medium
• Specialized tools: Some

Replace the toilet

Nothing dates a bathroom like an older toilet that is a dated almond or green color. In addition, older toilets are more likely to leak, which can cause damage to the flooring around the toilet, and they use more water. Replacing a toilet doesn't require many specialized tools (except for the toilet itself), but it does require some plumbing knowledge. You'll pay between $130 and $520 to replace a toilet yourself.⁵ Hiring a pro will cost between $250 and $750 for both the toilet and the labor cost.⁵

Replace your vanity

You can sometimes renovate an outdated vanity with paint and new fixtures, but you may choose to replace it. Replacing the vanity requires an understanding of plumbing and specialized tools. Vanity installation costs can vary. Expect to pay between $300 and $3,800 for labor and materials.⁶

Repaint the bathtub and tiles

If your bathtub is older and stained or your tiles are an unattractive color, you could try painting them. Home renovation stores offer bathtub and tile refinishing kits, which allow you to mix an epoxy-like substance and paint it onto your bathtub and tiles.¹²

The solution will harden after mixing, resulting in a durable and attractive finish. You can expect to pay around $100 for the bathtub refinishing kit, and you'll also need to buy a respirator, which is a fitted face mask that filters air and protects your lungs from fumes and will cost between $50 and $100.^{7, 11} These kits are an excellent short-term solution but can chip and fail over time.

Upgrade the fixtures

Gold or brushed nickel shower fixtures can date a bathroom, and replacing sinks, faucets and light fixtures—especially with brass or black fixtures—will give your bathroom an updated and trendy look. Even though it's relatively straightforward, replacing fixtures can require knowledge about electrical and plumbing. Expect to pay several hundred dollars for the materials and several hundred more if you plan to hire this project out to professional electricians and plumbers.¹²

Advanced bathroom renovation and redecoration ideas for under $5,000

If your bathroom needs a serious overhaul, these advanced renovations will make a huge impact—but they require a high level of experience and more money.

• Difficulty level: Experienced
• Cost: High
• Specialized tools: Many

Replace the bathtub

A new bathtub can elevate your space and make your bathroom a sanctuary for relaxing. Installing a bathtub isn't a job for an inexperienced home renovator, so unless you are a seasoned pro, consider outsourcing this project. The cost of replacing a bathtub is relatively high and could eat up most of your $5,000 budget. You can expect to pay as low as $1,390 for a complete bathtub replacement or as high as $10,374.⁸ This cost includes labor and materials.

Retile the floor

For a high-end look, consider replacing your bathroom's flooring with tile. Porcelain, ceramic or marble flooring is durable, long-lasting and water-resistant. However, installing tile flooring requires some experience and a wet saw, which is a special saw that allows you to cut tile. If you'd prefer to pay a professional to retile your bathroom floor, expect to pay $10 to $15 per square foot.⁹

Retile the shower

Old and outdated shower tile can make your bathroom look dingy, even if it's clean. Replacing your bathroom tile can be a do-it-yourself project, but you'll need a high level of precision and a wet saw. On the other hand, a professional tiler can retile a bathtub or shower wall very quickly, which is ideal if you rely on your bathroom for daily use. The cost of tiling a shower or bathroom walls ranges between $7 to $25 per square foot.⁹

Should you DIY or hire a pro?

When embarking on any home renovation project, you'll need to decide whether you'll do a project yourself or hire a professional to tackle it. Naturally, there are pros and cons to each choice.

Hiring a professional usually means your project will have higher quality workmanship, and you won't have to dedicate hours to do it yourself. That said, hiring a professional is expensive. Expect to pay between $30 and $125 per hour.²

Hiring a contractor can be big bucks, so consider whether you need a professional before picking up the phone for a quote. Do you have the skills, tools and time to do it yourself? If you do, you could save thousands of dollars, especially if it's a simpler task (e.g. painting or hanging shelving) in your bathroom.

That said, doing home renovations yourself isn't for everyone, and some complex home improvement projects (e.g. reworking plumbing and electricity) may be better left to the pros.

How to fund your $5,000 bathroom renovation

A $5,000 budget can transform an average-sized bathroom from drab to fab. If you mix and match the projects above, hiring out and tackling other tasks yourself, you should be able to transform your bathroom's look without blowing your budget.