I have an unfinished basement with roughed in toilet and sink, but don't see plumbing for shower/tub. What would the incremental cost be to dig-out the basement floor to add a shower? Is there an alternative with a step-up shower? We have 8 foot ceilings in this 20 year old house.
Hey Joe
You have to dig a hole/trench that connects to your sewage drain and run pipes to create a rough-in for your shower drain.
Costs vary. It is fairly hard work to dig through the concrete so people can charge a fair bit for their labour. Once the hole is dug they have to clean out the gravel and stone under the concrete surface and make way for pipes. In the end they have to dispose of the heaviest part of the concrete which costs money and then fill in the holes and finish with a patch or sand mix (dry pack)
Prices differ. I usually charge $95 a linear foot which would include everything. My feeling is most plumbers/contractors would charge more than this. We do a lot of this kind of work and are are proficient a it. Prices to do a 3 piece bathroom in a basement could range from $1500 - $3000. Either way it is a fair charge you just have make sure they know what they are doing. Cheap can sometimes mean trouble and this is something you cannot take a chance on.
I suggest you get a licensed plumber who will provide drawings and get a permit for this to be safe.
Once you seal up this kind of work in your basement floor how are you going to fix it if something goes wrong?,
All the best,
D.Struthers
$1800.00 is what I charged for the last one I installed.
Joe,
The responsefrom Dave gives you an idea of cutting through the concrete for the plumbing conections. An alternative is to have a raised floor where the shower drain would connect to there your toilet drain is. What is required here is to lift the entire floor (Toilet, sink etc.) to accomadate the new plumbing.The new height will, of course, be lower, but it is workable. If all you want is a functional bathroom, that is the less costly way to do the renovation. Having said that, the water lines would also have to be adjusted for the proper height plus the new ones run over to the shower.
The cost difference is really the cost of cutting through the concrete and the new plumbing. The rest is somewhat minimal.
Basements are often consider an extra space and usually do not add a great re-sale value to your house. So, it becomes a question of whether or not you value the appearance of the bathroom or just consider it a convenience.
Hi Joe,
Thinking there should be a rough in for the shower. if not is i a simple and easy to add a drain. You can rent a floor break from Home Depot and then break floor over to the toilet drain and connect. Cost around $600.00
Hi Joe,
As a Plumber and full contracting company we've had multiple experiences in dealing with this sort of job. Your question about cost is fairly vague as there are many variables. Such as is there a rough in? If so was it done properly? What has to be moved to accommodate your new shower? If not roughed in, it gets a pricier.
You have to first determine that your home is able to accommodate a new bathroom into its current plumbing. Once that is achieved, you must have a building permit designed by a plumber and presented to the city. Your plumber/contractor must now make an educated guess as to where the main line enters and exits the home and where it will be most convenient to attach the new plumbing to this.
I always recommend using fully licensed tradespeople who can prove their license is valid and an on site quote.
Thanks
Actually there are different types of showers and the one you choose plays a big role in the cost of shower installation. A combination of a shower and tub is most common nowadays but it will increase shower installation cost because they're more complicated and require more work. Anyways, please don't bother too much about cost because quality matters the most. I have installed one when I renovated my home.
Installing a flushable toilet in a basement is not hard if you know what to do with the necessary tools.
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