How Much Does it Cost to Install Solar on an Average US House? Common Renovating Costs: Kitchen and Bath Many of us haven’t the slightest idea of how much it really costs to undergo a basic home renovation, let alone a complete overhaul. In our Renovating Costs series, we outline how much you can expect to spend for just about any project you plan to take on. COUNTERTOPS It has become a common belief that a finished bathroom and kitchen are a wise investment for resale. Although these rooms will likely turn out to be most costly of renovations, they are undoubtedly worth it. To begin, you may be considering new countertops. A Natural Stone (eg. Marble, Granite) is most costly, at approximately $100 per square foot to supply and install. There are many factors that will influence the price, such as the thickness, nosing, cuts, angles, etc. Therefore, it’s safe to budget $80 per square foot for your basic ¾” thick, no nosing, with one sink cutout. A Man-Made stone or solid-surface, for example, Quartz or Corian, respectively, is similar to natural stone and priced at approximately $75-$100 square foot, supply and install. 

No sealing is required. Butcher’s Block Wood is relatively less costly at $60 to $80 square foot for supply and install. Natural oil sealants are required periodically for adequate upkeep. A laminate surface, such as Arborite is equally cost efficient at $25 to $50 square foot supply and install. Concrete countertops are a little more complex. Firstly, a sufficient weight-bearing base cabinet must be in place to properly support the countertop. Once a template is made, the concrete is poured into the molding to be cast, it is further reinforced and left to dry to be polished and sealed.  There are various styles to select from, depending on how much of a texture you wish for. In general the price for a custom concrete countertop is $70 to $90 per square foot. Stainless Steel ranks highest in price at approximately $120 per square foot, supply and install. BACKSPLASH A backsplash of Natural Stone slab costs approximately $80 to $100 per linear foot, supply and install. Whereas stone tiles, whether they be 2x4, 3x6, or 2x12, generally costs $25to $40 per square foot in labor while the material can range from $2 a square foot, all the way up to $100 a square foot, depending on the rarity of the stone. 

An average sized kitchen with an average 40x40 square foot backsplash space will cost around $700 in labor. A ceramic or porcelain tile will cost approximately $20 a square foot for both supply and install. You can find fantastic ceramic subway tiles for approximately $4 a square foot. Glass tiles run about $25 a square foot, not including material as that can range from $10 to $80 a square foot, depending on color, clarity and purity of the glass. Mosaic tiles and any ornate or custom detailing will generally cost $25 a square foot in labour, and this price may go up or down depending on the intricacy and time commitment of the pattern. Bryan Baeumler is Looking For You! Do you have a leaky roof or a moldy basement? Then look no further and apply to be on the newest season of Leave it to Bryan! View casting call page Our best decorating and DIY ideas delivered to your inbox twice a month."At first, there was no way I was going to spend $18,000 to $25,000 to remodel a bathroom," says homeowner Hannah Laufe, a lawyer in Vienna, Va. "But to get what we wanted, my research showed that was the amount we needed to spend."

"Everything was pink, the medicine cabinet was rusty," Laufe says, "and the faucets didn't work as well as they should." Living Room Draw DrapesThe couple tapped Case to remodel the space based on the firm's new renovation program, called the 2012 Bath Collection, launched in January. Hardwood Flooring Vs Laminate MaintenanceNew plumbing fixtures, vanity, towel bars, lighting, and painting are included in the price. Recessed Wall Brick Lights Outdoor"It saves the headache of shopping different sources," Matus says. Laufe and Miller had a choice of designs in contemporary, traditional, and transitional styles, but within a narrow range of products. "It took less than two weeks to complete," Laufe says. Management consultant Cope Willis and wife Sophie, who works for an educational-software company, spent about $9,000 to partially remodel their pink bathroom.

"We worked within the existing constraints of the bathroom," Cope Willis says, "to keep costs down." New subway-style tile around the tub, marble tiles on the floor, and beadboard wainscoting create what Willis calls "a clean, traditional look" in keeping with the architectural character of the couple's 1938 Colonial in Washington. Most of the renovation dollars were spent on the installation - about $6,000. Budgeting that amount is realistic, according to several experts, who say labor accounts for 60 to 70 percent of bathroom-remodeling costs. "To save money, do as much as you can, like installing the toilet and doing the painting," says Dominic Piccininni, senior director in merchandising for Home Depot, which offers DIY workshops on bathroom repairs. "But don't scrimp on faucets," he says. "The big-box stores typically sell faucets with plastic cartridges, not metal, that don't last very long. You don't want a leaky faucet after two years." "With 12-inch-by-12-inch tiles, you have less grout lines and labor costs, and they can make a room appear larger," says Mina Fies, chief executive of Synergy Design & Construction in Reston, Va. "You can also save money by not taking the tile to the ceiling around the tub or shower."

"If your plumbing is all good," he says, "you could do your whole bathroom yourself with a new shower head, toilet, vanity, sink, and light fixture for under $1,000." "If the house has galvanized water pipes that are in bad shape and need to be changed to copper, that will require plumbing skills," says architect Bruce Wentworth of the Wentworth Studio in Chevy Chase, Md. "If the house does not have ground fault interrupted outlets, it requires electrical skills." For a typical kitchen, about 12 by 12 feet, a budget of about $13,000 will allow a builder to install new countertops, backsplash, sink and faucet, decorative hardware, and lighting, according to Matus. But it won't pay for cabinets or appliances, he says. "Plan to spend another $16,000 on cabinets and $7,500 on appliances for an average kitchen." Experts agree that the biggest expense in remodeling a kitchen - about 35 percent of the overall renovation costs - is replacing storage with new cabinets and drawers. "If you use ready-made shelves such as the ones offered by Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn," says Savena Doychinov, of Design Studio International in Falls Church, Va., "you can save money, but probably no more than about 30 to 40 percent of the cost of new, cheap wall cabinets."

To reduce costs, Maryland homeowners Sherry and Joe Warsaw hired carpenter Mike Van Meer to replace the doors of their 1990s-era kitchen cabinets with more contemporary designs in a white oak veneer. "The cabinets were in good shape except for their hinges and faded color. Buying all new cabinets would have cost us three times as much as the new doors," Sherry Warsaw says. "We also needed the changes to make room for a new wall oven and two dishwashers." Van Meer points out that replacing or refacing doors is easiest and most cost-effective for frameless cabinets, commonly called European-style, like those in the Warsaws' kitchen. The doors are sized to fit over and conceal the edges of the cabinet box. "You can just replace the door and the hardware," says Van Meer. More-standard American cabinets feature a frame around the opening of the box that is used to secure the door to the cabinet. Don't have the money to replace or reface old cabinets? "Little things like changing the hardware can give you a new look."