Can you renovate a bathroom for $15,000?
Not as a full renovation in our estimator: the smallest bathroom range, for rooms up to 50 sq ft, starts at $16,000–$20,000, before a new tub or shower. Smaller refreshes are welcome, though. Share your budget at the on-site visit so the written quote focuses on what matters most, such as the shower, the floor or the vanity.
Keeping the existing tub or shower is the biggest single saving in the estimator: $0–$500, against $10,000–$15,000 for a new shower or $12,000–$18,000 for a new tub-with-shower combo. To see how bathroom prices compare with other rooms, see our Winnipeg renovation cost guide.
Is a new shower cheaper than a tub-and-shower combo?
In our estimator, slightly: a new shower runs $10,000–$15,000 and a new tub-with-shower combo $12,000–$18,000. A new bathtub on its own is $2,500–$4,500. The real difference on your job depends on the size of the shower, the tile and glass you choose, and whether the drain has to move.
If you’re weighing a tub against a shower, ask at the visit how each option affects the drain location and the floor. On a concrete slab, moving a drain usually means breaking and re-pouring concrete, so it is worth knowing before you choose.
Where can you save on a bathroom renovation?
Keep fixtures where they are and choose durable mid-range finishes. In our estimator, keeping the tub or shower runs $0–$500, luxury vinyl plank floors $1,000–$2,500 against $1,500–$3,500 for natural stone, and skipping the custom-vanity upgrade avoids a $1,000–$5,000 range. Hidden work, like waterproofing, is the wrong place to cut.
- Leave the drains in place. Moving a toilet or shower drain means opening the floor and a plumbing permit.
- Don’t trim what goes behind the tile. Backer board, a waterproofing membrane and a properly sloped shower base decide how long the bathroom lasts, and they are costly to redo once tiled over.
- Settle choices early. If you want to swap a tile or a vanity, we re-price it before anything is ordered.
Deciding where to spend? Our guide to bathroom upgrades that add the most value covers which features are worth it.
Does an ensuite cost more than a main bathroom?
Not because it is an ensuite. Our estimator prices bathrooms by size and options, so an ensuite and a main bathroom with the same floor area and the same choices start in the same range. The difference comes from what goes in: a double vanity ($2,000–$4,000), a larger shower or heated floors each have their own range.
Planning one? Our ensuite renovation guide covers layouts and timelines, and our bathroom renovation page shows how a project runs from measure to final check.