Many people, including avid DIYers, agree on general principles that a major bathroom remodel is not a project to take on lightly. Bathroom remodeling requires the combined skills of experienced tradesmen in electrical, plumbing, and masonry work. Working in a bathroom is also typically means close spaces, as bathrooms tend to be much more confining than other rooms.

The biggest issue with bathroom remodeling for even experienced DIYers is the nasty surprises that are frequently waiting anyone breaking into floors and walls, especially older bathrooms. These include leaking pipes, crumbling subfloors, and extensive water damage. Finally, you need to complete a remodel as soon as possible, as a non-functional bathroom is often a real hardship for residents.
Few people will even bother to consider the DIY option, and instead start looking for remodeling companies or professionals to handle the project. It could be a remodeling contractor overseeing the entire project, or subcontractors managed by the homeowner. In either case, the professionals will probably be able to do the job better and faster than a DIYer.

However, you might want to think about that a little more if you have major funding problems. Bathroom remodeling can get expensive, so doing some or all the remodel can save you some serious money. Here is the real deal between DIY vs pro bathroom remodeling.

Average cost

Some people take on DIY home improvement projects for the bragging rights, and perhaps personal fulfillment. However, for the majority of DIYers, the real reason for taking on something like bathroom remodeling is money.
Having pros remodel even a tiny bathroom completely can run you about $20,000. The average cost of a professionally done bathroom remodel starts from $250 per square foot, so a 100-square-foot bathroom can easily reach $25,000. By comparison, the average cost per square foot of a DIY bathroom remodel is $75, or $7,000 for a 100-square-foot bathroom.
Generally, the savings from taking on a bathroom remodel is considerable, mostly from labor costs. You will still pay the same amount for materials.

Time cost

You can think of the savings as paying yourself for the hours you put into the project. Instead of paying someone to do the heavy lifting, you do it yourself.
However, if you compute how much your time is worth, and how much money you spend in terms of your time in remodeling your bathroom rather than working, you might actually be losing money rather than saving it.
Since you are an amateur, it will probably take you at least twice as long to do the work than if you have a pro do it. What do you lose by doing that? Perhaps much more time than you can afford to spend away from the work you do, which is how you pay for your bathroom remodel. This is certainly something you need to consider.

Another consideration is the number if bathrooms you have. A pro can finish a small project in a few days to two weeks. The same project might take a DIYer a couple of months of weekends. If you have just one full bathroom in the home, you cannot afford not to have a working shower for a couple of months. Get pros on it to get your kitchen back as soon as possible.

Remodeling companies can also finish a remodel much faster because they have a whole complement of people working on different things at the same time. As a DIYer, you probably must do everything yourself.
That said, you might be able to get the best of both worlds. You might be able to do some of the simple work yourself, and leave the more complicated ones to the pro.

Demolition

In most cases, your remodeling contractor will tack on a demo fee in the package. However, you can save some money by knocking down any cabinets, stripping the walls and floors of tiles, and disconnecting pipes before the remodeling company comes in. You will have to arrange for carting off any debris, of course.

Basic carpentry

If you have any experience with carpentry, you can probably do some of the framing for the walls, showers, insulation, and installing cabinets. You should make sure you can work with precision, as the framing dictates the layout of the bathroom. You will have to work this out with the contractor to make sure you are on the same page. Take note, however, that doing some of the framing work yourself can give the contractor a loophole to blame you for any problems that might come out.

Flooring

The type of flooring you choose will dictate if you can do this yourself or not. Luxury vinyl planks, for example, are like Lego blocks. Just snap them together and lay them on the floor. However, putting in tiles is another matter. You can probably manage to do this yourself, although the result may be less than ideal as laying tiles is much harder to do than it looks.

Plumbing and wiring

Unless you have a license to do plumbing, wiring, and duct work on your bathroom, you will want to leave this to the pros. Most states have a set of rules and regulations you must follow to the letter, and these local codes can be quite complicated. To avoid any problems, leave this type of work to the pros.

Conclusion

You can do quite a bit of work in your bathroom that can save you a little money. However, everything considered, you might not want to get in the way of your contractor as this can lead to some issues later. If you have enough skills and time to do a remodel completely on your own, then go for it. Otherwise, resist the temptation to half-bake it and simple leave it to a reliable remodeling company.
Mimosa Kitchen and Bath can service your home or business located in DC metro area, Columbia, Rockville, Bethesda, Jessup, Chevy Chase and surrounding areas. We have 15 years of experience in bathroom remodeling, so you can be sure we will complete the project correctly and on time.
We also sell high-quality products manufactured by leading brands in the industry. When you purchase your products from us, we guarantee speedy delivery compared to ordering from big box stores. We will also customize the product according to your specifications and install it into your kitchen quickly and with excellent artisanship.

We sell a host of products, including but not limited to bathroom and kitchen cabinets, flooring, faucets and sinks, and vanities. Some of the brands we carry include Zodiaq, Fabuwood, Forevermark Cabinetry, Caesarstone, MSI, Kitchenmaid, Wolf Cabinets, Cambria and Hardware Resources. You can visit our showroom in Ellicott City, Maryland to see the many products and stone slabs we have available. This includes marble, granite and engineered quartz.

All our products come backed with brand warranties. Contact us today to get a free quote for your kitchen, basement, and bathroom remodeling!