We often get calls from people who are interested in adding a bathroom, or a 1/2 bath, or converting a 1/2 bath to a full bath. These plans seem especially popular in the condos along the intracoastal of North Palm Beach, as well as Century Village and City Place in West Palm Beach. To the homeowner, these projects often seem straight forward. They also often appear like a rather reasonable and inexpensive upgrade to the home.

The problem is, you can’t just “throw a shower or tub in a closet.” To modify the plumbing of a house requires permitting, and many areas will not let you make these kind of modifications without first getting engineered drawings. If you are in a condo, you might also have to get permission to modify your unit from the condo board. Once you have paid a few thousand dollars for drawings that show the engineering for the changes you want to make, you will need to have licensed contractor who understands that interconnectedness of building structures,  your toilet will have to be removed, the slab around the toilet will have to be cut out, the waste plumbing for you toilet will have to be  cut and replaced with a sanitary “T” to allow the water from you new bathing area or bathing area and sink and toilet to be connected to your existing waste system, the slab on your home will have to be cut out to connect to the new area, This is only after it has been determined that you have enough “drop” to allow for sufficient drainage. this underground work will add thousands of dollars to the project. Then you have the work that you can see, the new walls, lights, floors, tile, plumbing fixtures, etc.

So while a typical complete bathroom remodel can start at less than $5,000.00, it is common to have twice that invested in the drawings, license, and underground work, before one starts the remodeling and finishing aspect. Adding a bathroom, or expanding from a 1/2 bath to a full bath is usually more expensive than the added value to the house.

So before you spend $15,000.00-50,000.00 (depending on the size and scope of the work) for your expansion, it is important to consider a few things:

1) Is this your longterm home? Are you committed to living there for over 10 yrs?

2) How important is it to you and your family to add or expand a bathroom?

3) Could you relocate to a home closer to your needs for less than you could modify your existing home?

NOTE: if you are going to do a major expansion project, such as add a master suite or a new living room/dining room/kitchen area, then adding a bathroom makes a good deal of sense. In fact, in some areas, increasing a home to have more bedrooms might require more bathrooms.

The overall value of the property versus the cost of the project can impact your decision, as well. If your home is a $5,000,000.00 beach front home in Palm Beach, or a $2,000,000.00 spread in Wellington, then a project that is about 1% of the total value of the home is practical, whereas if you live in a typical $100,000 – $300,000.00 home, spending over 10% of the value of your home on the upgrade might not be the best choice.