Adding a bathroom in your basement can be a big asset in both practicality and resale value. Learn about the cost to add a bathroom to a basement, with a breakdown of the details and expenses of this little space!

If your basement is an area where you want to spend time entertaining, play with your kids, or create a guest bedroom, consider a basement bathroom addition. It will pay off in both convenience and resale value!

A bathroom in basement with gold sconces and a gray vanity
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Our St. Louis house isn’t exactly historic, but it’s not new either – see the full before and after photo tour of our Tudor home here. It’s old enough for plenty of maintenance troubles like leaky windows, rotting siding, and more. Can you see where this post is heading?

A basement flood, that’s where. We replaced our original luxury vinyl flooring (thanks to the water damage and having to remove the bar area…they discontinued our previous flooring so we started over).

Thankfully, we selected a beautiful new lvp that we are absolutely thrilled with.

To add warmth to an otherwise cold basement, we painted the walls in a warm color, Benjamin Moore Cloud White, to complement the Swiss Coffee walls throughout the rest of the basement. Choosing a slightly darker or lighter shade than an adjacent space adds depth and interest.

While this vanity is stock and comes in this greige color, we tested a few paint samples to see which is closest! Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter and Sherwin Williams Shiitake (a favorite Mushroom Paint Color) are the best matches.

While we anxiously await the final results of our new built in bar area of the basement, we can finally share the basement bath with you!

A basement bathroom with a greige painted vanity cabinet and gold sconces

Benefits of Basement Baths

  • Create a guest suite – a basement is a great spot to tuck away a little guest bedroom area, especially if you don’t have room in the other parts of your home. Creating a basement bathroom gives your guests the ultimate in privacy – they can feel like they are in an Air B&B or a little luxury hotel!
  • Convenience – If you’re planning to entertain friends and family in your basement, or if this is an area where your kids hang out and play, give them a convenient bathroom to use. Avoid trekking up and down the stairs every time nature calls!
  • Resale value – A fresh, clean basement bathroom can increase the overall resale value of your home.
A basement bathroom with a greige painted vanity cabinet and gold sconces

How to get Started

  1. First, consider what your basement bath needs. Is this a half bath? Or do you need a 3/4 bath in this space for guests to have a shower?
  2. Consider your storage needs. While I’m always a fan of a pedestal sink to create more space, this bathroom needed storage for cleaning supplies, toilet paper etc.
  3. Think about your lighting needs – overhead, vanity bar or warm sconce lighting would be your main decisions.
  4. For flooring, basement bathrooms often benefit from tile or a more waterproof lvp like the one we chose.
  5. Consider ventilation as an extra expense, as well. Basement bathrooms often need to be vented to help with moisture and airflow.
A bathroom in basement with gold sconces and a gray vanity

How much does it cost to put a bathroom in the basement?

The answer to this question will of course depend on your specific situation. In our home, a small powder room already existed in the basement, so we only needed to add new flooring and fixtures, finishing it off with paint and accessories.

Installation and labor costs will vary for everyone, in every part of the country, so keep that in mind. Plumbing, piping and even building out walls can add up!

  • Is your basement already stubbed for a bathroom? If your basement is not set up to include necessary drain and plumbing systems, you’ll need to add them.
  • Some basement bathrooms require an upflush toilet system, so check into this and consider it as part of your overall expenses.
  • If you’re tearing out an old bathroom, that will also add an extra layer of response. Consider doing any demo yourself to save money!

Our basement bathroom renovation included the following items, if you’re looking for a reference price point:

  • Flooring – $100 (labor and product total)
  • Vanity – $500 (caught an amazing sale!)
  • Faucet – $289
  • Sconces – $58 x 2 = $116
  • Mirror – $50
  • Toilet – $150

Product Total: $1,205

Chris demoed the original bathroom fixtures, but we had an electrician move the existing electrical from overhead to provide electrical for the two sconces. It added another $250 to this project.

Since the project was otherwise simple, Chris did the remainder of the work!

A bathroom in basement with gold sconces and a gray vanity

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to put a bathroom in the basement?

Adding a basement bathroom can range from $2,000 at the low end, to upwards of $20,000. This depends on what plumbing and piping you have in place, starting from scratch with walls, etc, and so much more!

How much does an Upflush toilet cost?

These special toilets for basements can run anywhere between $600 and $800.

Mixing Metals

While I’m such a fan of brass lighting and brass bathroom faucets, in this bathroom I wanted to play with mixed metals a little! We used a combination of warm gold tones, soft wood, and polished nickel.

Mixed metals can help warm up a space and feels customized and polished. Ideally, consider repeating each finish at least twice to give an intentional feeling – here, we’ve used a soft wood frame on the mirror and art, as well as an antique gold sconce and hardware on the vanity.

The polished nickel is repeated in the faucet and toilet paper holder (not shown). This gives this space a warm, cohesive look that still feels eclectic and interesting. Read more about Brass Shower Curtain Rods here!

greige bathroom

Behind the Design

Since it’s a small, dark space with no natural light, we implemented a few tricks to give the illusion of more space and light. You can learn more about Ways to Add Light to a Room and How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger here.

We chose a paint with a high light reflective value (LRV) to reflect the little outside light this room does receive. A tall mirror not only draws the eye up to the ceiling, giving the illusion of more space, but also reflects more light making it appear brighter.

I selected a vanity that offered an abundance of storage. It fits the space and also has feet so the eye can go beyond… again, giving the illusion of more space.

Since basements tend to feel cold, I layered in warm brass and wood tones as well as a warm white paint color (Benjamin Moore Cloud White) to add warmth. The wool textured rug is soft on foot and adds a touch of warmth as well.

The art is subtle but adds interest to the utilitarian space – see all my favorite free art sources and favorite DIY Wall Decor Ideas here. You can find these frames linked below (we used the 5×7 and the 8×10 size).

A vase full of fresh greenery always brings a room to life – it’s one of my favorite ways to create a cozy home!

A bathroom in basement with gold sconces and a gray vanity
While this vanity is stock and comes in this greige color, we tested a few paint samples to see which is closest! Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter and Sherwin Williams Shiitake (a favorite Mushroom Paint Color) are the best matches.

Sources

Greige Marble Top Vanity | Plaid Wool Ivory Rug | Soap Dispenser | Faucet | Sconces | Cabinet Knobs | Mirror (discontinued) Similar Here and Here| Art | Frames | Hand Towel | Trash Can | Toilet

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43 Comments

  1. Hi Julie,
    What a lovely bathroom! May I ask you about the vanity please? I like the style and color very much! Thank you for your time.

    1. Hi Jen!
      Thanks for your question! We did the 5×7 and the 8×10 size frames – that’s actually a reference to the size of art inside the mat, not the frame itself. I’ll be sure to add that to the post!
      Have a beautiful week,
      Julie

    1. Hi Shelley!
      I’m sorry about that – we purchased them in a warm brass for significantly less than they are listed for now, so I’m wondering if they are discontinued? I’ll keep my eyes open for a new listing! Thanks for following along!
      Julie

  2. I never tire of seeing photos of your beautiful home. Thank you for describing the process you used to arrive at decorating decisions, as well as how you achieved the look and what it all costs. Yours is the most helpful blog out there in terms of decorating and making a space functional Congratulations! I wish you lived close by and could help me with my kitchen remodel.

    1. Hi Judith,
      Thank you so much for your kind words, they mean the world to me! So appreciative of you following along!
      Have a beautiful week,
      Julie

  3. Absolutely beautiful! Fresh & simple elegance. Would love to please know the paint color & type of sheen please? Best to you, dc

    1. Hello Dolley!
      Thanks for your comment! The paint color is Benjamin Moore Cloud White (in satin) – I’ll do a complete post about this color soon!
      Have a lovely week,
      Julie