How to Build a Bathroom in the Basement

Bathroom in the Basement

If you are looking for steps on how to build a bathroom in the basement, you came to the right place! Investing in your home is never a bad idea if you are a homeowner.

Especially adding a bathroom. They add functional space to your home and paying you back a high return on your investment! In this article, we will help you understand the various tasks involved, and then give you steps to take to get the job done!

Advantages of Building a Bathroom in the Basement

Adding a bathroom in thebasement of your home can both up the value of your home, and add functionality to your home, a lot like residing your home or adding replacement windows. There is, however, a lot of work involved, and some of it may not be as easy as it may seem.

We don’t want to frustrate you, but the truth is, very few homeowners or even avid do it yourselfers are capable of handling the various tasks involved.
If you plan on doing your own bathroom installation, and at any point you feel like you need help from a professional just remember that we are one phone call away and we would love to help you get your basement bathroom done the way you want!

Despite the amount of work involved with building a bathroom in the basement, you will enjoy some very nice advantages.  According to this article on the home remodeling cost guide, adding an additional bathroom has and ROI of about 60%. It can be even higher than that if you either do it yourself or get a professional involved to help you make all the right decision for your bathroom

Here are just a few of the advantages of installing a basement bathroom:

Frees Up Space for Others to Use by Adding Another Bathroom
Has a Great Return on Investment (ROI)
Adds Functional Space for the Home without Worrying About Zoning Restrictions
Adds Your Home’s Equity

How to Build a Bathroom in the Basement – Step by Step

Envisioning your new bathroom is very exciting and fun, and it’s where the whole process of building an addition begins. But properly planning the schematics of your project so that everything works out like clockwork, takes a good bit of research, measuring, and finagling to get right. There is nothing more unnerving than getting halfway through your project and realizing that messed up on measurements for the linen closet. Gerr! Anyway, there are a couple very important things that you should give some thought to before you start building. For one, if yourbasement is not yet finished, you may want to try to think ahead about any shelves you may be installing into the walls, any egress windows that are going in, and carpet that you will be laying down, because in most cases they will be easier done now rather than having to come back later.  The ceilings in habitable basement areas have to be at least 7 feet with a few exceptions, such as basement rooms in one-and two, family dwellings that are used exclusively for laundry, study, or recreation purposes with a ceiling height of 6’8″.

Planning Out Your Project

Your bathroom’s design will also determine what permits are necessary to complete the job according to code. Minneapolis has a permits index here, where you can find information on state building codes, state electrical codes, and state plumbing codes.

Here is a very helpful tip:

Installing your basement bathroom near any existing utilities will lessen your workload tremendously and require fewer permits to meet code. Placing your new bathroom below your already existing first-story bathroom will make the process of extending the plumbing pipes and electrical wiring way easier, so keep this in mind when you’re planning.

Moisture Buildup is a Known Issue with Basements

Basements are infamous for collecting moisture! This can cause a problem if you intend to use your basement on a regular basement, such as damage to your possessions and toxic mold growth, rust… Even structural damage if it’s not caught and addressed in time. The good news is that there are a number of available options for you to counteract this problem, such as; sump pumps, vapor barriers, French drains 3, etc.  Sump pumps will run you around $550 for 2, vapor barriers will run you about $50 for 4, and French drains will cost you between $1000 to $1500 for three of them. There are other ways to combat the dampness, such as insulating the pipes and making sure there’s good air circulation in your basement. You can also install extra windows, use an air conditioner during the warmer months to cool the humidity in the air, etc. On average, waterproofing your basement will run you around $5000 when properly done.  In the end, this decision will be a matter of preference, and remember, if you are unsure, we are just a phone call away!

Plumbing Should Be Assessed by a Pro

Drainage is one of the most important things to consider for your new basement bathroom. To explain, plumbing that is above ground level uses gravity to drain your wastewater. This slope is actually referred to as the “slope” or the “fall” of your drainage system. The problem is with basements, is that many basement drains, because they are below ground level, can’t provide enough fall. And that makes natural drainage a problem.

At this point, it’s honestly better to have a professional examine your sewer lines’ and drainpipes’ slope. This is because your bathroom will need special solutions for lift-pumping your wastewater to the sewer lines if your sewer’s exit point is higher than the level of your basement’s floor. Special solutions could also be required if your home uses a septic system.

A professional will know examine your slope and the flow rate or your drainage system to see if your existing plumbing will handle another bathroom being added. They will also be able to tell you if any city regulations will require the use of backwater valves on drain lines coming from the basement. This is a very important step, because if your flow rates don’t do their job properly, they will not evacuate waste effectively, and this causes clogs or worse, sewage backups into the house. (YUCK!)

Picking Your Sinks, Toilets, Etc.

Toilets for basement bathrooms picking your toilet isn’t going to be rocket science, but just so you know what’s out there, normal above ground level toilets will work fine in basement bathrooms, but there are toilets designed specifically for basement bathrooms. There are pressure-assisted toilets, composted toilets, sewer ejector toilets, and up-flushing toilets.

Choosing Your Bathtub or Shower

When planning your bathroom, the plumbing plays in as an important factor because while some basements come equipped with plumbing stub-outs and some up-flushing toilets have options to connect to your sink or toilet, it’s best to just get a professional opinion, just so you can understand exactly what you’re getting into first.  A professional professional can tell you what kind of fixtures will work best for your bathroom, and keep you from hitting obstacles on the way to building your new masterpiece!

Selecting the Right Bathroom Lighting

If there is nothing holding you back from your choices of basement lighting, such as how much natural light is in your basement, how much you care about the looks of your basement bathroom, (a,k,a) trying to save money vs. luxurious lighting for looks) you have will have a ton of options to choose from. However, the wiring in a basement is another issue that you really should leave to the pros, because basements, being below ground level require ground fault protection.

How Much Does a Basement Bathroom Cost to Build?

On average, you can expect to pay anywhere between $90 and $150 dollars an hour for your basement bathroom, with some exceptions, and if you can cut corners you can save more also.  A basement bathroom can pay you back up to 70% OI, making it one of the better investments that you can make for your home’s equity! For the whole project, you’re looking at anywhere between $9000 and $20,000 from start to finish, depending on of course the materials you buy, who  you hire to do the job, etc…

How to Build a Bathroom in the Basement – Final Thoughts

We hope that this article has been helpful in helping you understand all of the most important factors that come into play with building a basement bathroom. Moreover, we aimed to put the more important issues on your mind when it comes to safety, codes, and toilets backing up into your house, because in the end, if that’s what you are dealing with.

It becomes less of a “how to build a bathroom in the basement?” issue, and more of a keeping you out of harm’s way issue. If you have any questions, comments, of would like the help of an experienced remodeling professional who knows all of the twists and turns, give us a call at (651)703-2336 or use any of the green buttons on our site to set up a good time for us to come out and speak with you about your project.