A Major Cost Factor Is Plumbing Relocation

If you’re thinking of doing some kitchen and bath remodeling, you should be aware that these two types of renovation combined are often the largest home improvement expense. A kitchen remodel alone is typically the most expensive type of renovation all by itself. Still, when added along with a bathroom remodeling, or even new bathroom addition, the costs go up.

However, in terms of appealing to buyers and increasing the value of your property, kitchen and bath remodeling can also improve your chances of selling a home and the price that home will command on the market. But one thing homeowners should be aware of is one factor in the case of both types of remodeling that can play a big role in the cost, and that is the necessity of changing plumbing locations.

The Work

Kitchen and bath remodeling involves one thing other rooms in the home usually don’t, and that’s the consideration for plumbing. With a bedroom, the function of that room can be instantly changed by swapping out one type of furniture for another. So it’s easy enough when children have grown up and moved out to change a bedroom to a home office or study by putting in shelves, desks, and chairs. Putting in an expensive “gaming rig” and gaming chair suddenly turns it into a PC gaming room.

Kitchens and bathrooms differ greatly because they are purpose-built for a primary function, and the water and drainage pipes built into these rooms are a major factor. Unlike swapping out a bed for a desk, water and drainage pipes, once built and installed, can’t just be moved. Walls and floors cover up this home infrastructure, and of course, they are attached to sinks, dishwashers, or even fridges, in the case of some premium appliances.

This means that the effort for moving these pipes is considerable. Regardless of the distance, relocating water and drainage pipes will involve tearing up the walls and floors to get at them.

The Cost

This is also where the high kitchen and bath remodeling costs can come in. While it’s true that kitchen cabinetry is often the most expensive single cost in a remodel, depending on the design choices homeowners make, plumbing relocation can add significant expenses to a remodel or none at all. Distance does not play as big a role as some might imagine either.

For example, the effort and expense of tearing up floors and walls to move a bathroom toilet one foot over to the left for aesthetic purposes are not orders of magnitude cheaper than moving that same toilet to the other side of the room. The fact that the pipes need to be moved at all is where the bulk of the expense comes in, and the need for additional pipe footage is minimal compared to the initial outlay of cost.

Budget Carefully

This is why for people looking at kitchen and bath remodeling, the considerable expense can be saved or added depending on the priority for changing the location of plumbing. If a bathroom remodel doesn’t require any plumbing changes because the owners are happy with the current layout of sinks, tubs, and toilets, that saves considerable expenses.

If you want to get kitchen and bath remodeling and talk to experienced professionals about your project, contact us today.