No more waiting in line. No more pounding on the door. No more rushing to let someone else in. No more clutter all over the room. That could all be history before you know it. Adding a bathroom to your existing home can provide your family with more serenity than you ever imagined, not to mention increase the value of the home.

While it can provide your family with many benefits, building another bathroom does require some thought and professional assistance. But trust us, when it’s all said and done, you’ll be glad you did it.

Adding a Bathroom to Your Existing Home: Things to Think About

Plumbing & Electricity

A bathroom addition will likely cost you several thousand dollars no matter what, but the plumbing factors could increase that cost profoundly unless you make strategic choices. The best way to minimize this cost is to set up the new bathroom in a place where the new plumbing can be attached to your existing infrastructure. These places could include the other side of the wall of an existing bathroom, an upper level of the home on top of the existing bathroom, or a lower level underneath the existing bathroom.

It is possible to build a bathroom without attaching it to the existing plumbing, but you will face several issues.

• The contractor might have to dig underground in order to install piping.
• The new bathroom will have to abide by existing construction codes. This is especially significant if you have an older home, as the new rules and the old rules that your home was built under might not be compatible. As a result, you may have to change the plumbing in your entire home, which would increase the cost significantly.
• The time that it takes to complete such a bathroom would increase.
• You might have to spend extra money to improve the overall look of your home after the project is completed, such as redoing the landscaping.

The same concepts apply regarding electricity. If connecting your new bathroom to existing electrical systems is possible, the project could be much easier and less expensive.

Location

The above being said, a new bathroom can be placed almost anywhere. Adding a bathroom to your existing home doesn’t require much more than a three-by-six foot of space if it’s a half-bathroom. Naturally, you’ll need several more feet if you want to include a shower, bathtub, or other features.

Some spaces in your home that you might consider for a new bathroom include:

• An area of the lower level of the home that no one uses.
• A spare bedroom that can be modified into a bathroom.
• A closet that can be expanded.
• Space in the attached garage that can be accessed from inside the house as well as from the garage.

If the costs of construction and plumbing are within your budget, you can also break out a wall to construct an addition to your home for the new bathroom.

Ventilation

According to building codes, your bathroom will require some sort of ventilation. If your bathroom is on an upper level, a window would be just fine. If it’s not, you’ll need an exhaust fan, which we would recommend even if you are able to add a window.

Contact Us for Bathroom Design Assistance

Another aspect you’ll have to think about when adding a bathroom to your existing home is the aesthetics. You will want your new bathroom to match the design of your current home, but the materials like your existing tile probably aren’t available for sale anymore. For that reason, you will want to work with a local bathroom designer who can blend the new bathroom design into your home’s existing design seamlessly.

If you need help designing your new bathroom, come visit our showroom in Mesa to discuss your options with our bathroom design consultants.