Budget Bathroom Renovation: Showers and Tubs

When you install shower enclosures or bathtubs into your bathroom remodeling project, it can get real expensive; real quick. That's why it's important to create a cost breakdown list of your bathtub/shower project first before you buy any materials or hire any contractors. This way, you'll be able to get the best price by knowing all of the labor and materials that will go into your project. With a good blueprint in hand and your complete cost breakdown list ready to go, use these buying tips and professional installation advice to get the best deal on your tub or shower enclosure.

Factory Made

These shower enclosures come premade from the factory and are ready to use in just a few short hours. A licensed plumber will be able to connect the shower or tub in no time flat, allowing you to save not only on the enclosure itself, but also on the labor costs associated with the installation. Fiberglass, clear glass, frosted glass, aluminum alloys and mold injected plastics make up the majority of budget-friendly materials used for factory direct shower enclosures and tubs. Porcelain, tile, marble and other exotic materials can also be used to create the factory made shower enclosure/tub, making choices available for everyone at every end of the budget spectrum.

The downside with premade shower and tub enclosures is an obvious one. They only fit into the space they are designed for. When space constraints are an issue, premade shower enclosures/tubs can be very limited in their use. Another downside that's not so obvious-you may have to remove a few walls in your home to get the enclosure into the space in the first place, shooting down your entire budget saving attempt before it even takes off the ground.

Custom Made

These shower and bath enclosures are custom made works of art and tend to gravitate towards the bigger budgeted bathroom renovations. But just because a custom made shower enclosure looks like a million bucks doesn't mean it has to cost that much. Many custom made shower enclosures can be very cheap when you use the right design and materials. By taking advantage of the full length of materials in your design, you can save big bucks on both labor and materials.

For example, if a shower enclosure is built using a 4x8 sheet of cementious substrate, design the width of the stall to fit an equal number sheets. Installation becomes easier and very little materials are wasted. With the addition of tiles that complement the width in evenly divided increments, you can also save on those materials and labor costs as well, helping to increase your savings exponentially.