How Much Does It Cost to Relocate a Toilet in My Bathroom Remodel?

You’re planning your bathroom remodel, and one of the design choices you had in mind was the relocation of your toilet.

You receive your estimate, and it’s a lot higher than you expected. We’re talking thousands of dollars above the average price range your bathroom remodeler charges.

Your design consultant explains that this big price tag reflects the cost to move a toilet. Is that really the case?

At ZINTEX Remodeling Group, we’ve completed thousands of bathroom remodels over the course of 25 years. Today, we’re going to explain why the cost to relocate a toilet during your bathroom remodel can, in fact, increase your estimate by several thousand dollars. Read on to learn:

• What’s involved in a moving a toilet
• How much toilet relocation costs
• When it’s worth it to move a toilet in your bathroom

How Is a Toilet Moved During a Bathroom Remodel?

Moving a toilet from one spot to another may seem like a quick and straightforward process. Yet, it can quickly become the most complex part of your bathroom remodel, even when you’re only moving it a foot or less. Before we break down the cost of toilet relocation, let’s talk about what’s actually involved in this process.

Cutting or Drilling Into the Floor

If you replace your existing toilet but keep the same location, all you’re really doing is swapping out the fixture while maintaining the same plumbing.

If you move the location of the toilet completely, you need to move the required plumbing. To reroute your plumbing, your installer will need to cut or drill into your floor to access it.

What are some examples of how this varies from one home to another? If you have suspended wood floors, this might be a simple process. Your remodeler will just need to drill some holes into that wood. If your home is built on a concrete slab, we’re now talking about cutting into concrete, which is a much more difficult and time-consuming process.

Rerouting Your Plumbing

No matter your flooring type, your installer will need to reroute your plumbing. Your toilet is connected to a complex plumbing system, and the cost of both materials and labor can add up quickly.

To relocate your toilet, your installer needs to move two crucial plumbing lines. The first is the supply line that fills your toilet with clean water. The second is the drainage line that removes waste.

Because we’re dealing with wastewater, this portion of your plumbing has to meet rigorous codes. Some homeowners may even find their options for toilet relocation limited.

Installing the New Toilet

Once you’ve rerouted your plumbing as needed, it’s time to install the new toilet. This is the simplest and least expensive part of toilet relocation.

Keep in mind that if you choose to install your new toilet in the same place as your old toilet, this is the only step (and fixture) in the entire process. For many homeowners, replacing a toilet in the same location as the existing toilet is the right choice, as it can save them thousands on bathroom remodeling costs.

Repairing the Floor

Once your new toilet is installed, there’s the issue of repairing all of the holes created in your bathroom floor. Your installer will need to fill in the hole left behind from your old toilet as well as any other parts of the floor that needed to be opened for new plumbing.

Once the floor is repaired, your installer will also need to restore or upgrade the flooring material. In order to ensure a perfect match, you may need to redo the entire bathroom floor.

Who will end up paying the most for flooring repairs after toilet relocation? Holes drilled into concrete will yield the most expensive flooring repair. The cost of concrete has risen steadily since 2020, with costs rising 11% in the last year and shortages in regions like the Southeast.

How Much Does It Cost to Move a Toilet?

Now that we’ve walked you through the process of relocating a toilet, let’s talk about what it actually costs.

At ZINTEX Remodeling Group, we find that it costs an average of $1000-$1500 per foot to move a toilet.

Let’s say that your primary bathroom is 10’ x 10’ and you want to move your toilet from the middle of one wall to the corner, where it would have a clearance of about 15”. That means you want to move your toilet about 3.75’. Though that may seem like a small shift, it could cost up to $5,625 to complete.

Is It Ever Worth It to Move a Toilet?

Now that you know just how much it costs to move a toilet, are there ever times when we would recommend this design choice? There are a few circumstances when the benefit does outweigh the cost.

Your Current Toilet Location Disrupts Your Bathroom Flow

Some older bathrooms weren’t laid out with modern convenience (or building standards) in mind. It’s possible that the location of your toilet disrupts the flow of your bathroom, whether that means that the toilet itself is uncomfortable to use or the surrounding appliances are difficult to access.

What’s the fix? Ideally, a toilet should have a minimum of 21” of clearance from the front and 15” of clearance on either side. This not only increases user comfort but also ensures that you can easily access the water valve as needed. Plus, it allows you to clean the surrounding floor and fixtures with minimal difficulty.

You’re Doing a Studs to Done Bathroom Remodel

Some homeowners choose to completely redo their bathroom from floor to ceiling. This is sometimes referred to as a studs-to-done remodel because it involves stripping the space down to the studs and rebuilding from scratch.

If you’re already going to be tearing up your bathroom floor and redoing the plumbing, you’ll find that moving the toilet won’t be proportionally as big of an additional cost.

(Keep in mind, this isn’t the type of remodel ZINTEX does. You’ll usually need to hire a general contractor to do a bathroom remodel on this scale.)

You Need More Space for an Accessible or ADA Toilet

The average household bathroom can be difficult to navigate with certain disabilities, especially if you use a mobility aid. You may need to relocate your toilet and other fixtures and features in your bathroom to make it senior-safe and/or wheelchair accessible.

For example, an ADA toilet is 17-19” tall (compared to the 15-16” tall standard toilet) and ideally should have a minimum of 15” on either side. An ADA toilet setup should also include at least one secure, wall-mounted grab bar. If you are designing a bathroom for wheelchair use, you’ll also want to create a turning space of 60 square inches or more.

Plan Your Bathroom Remodel With ZINTEX Remodeling Group

Relocating a toilet can increase the cost of your bathroom remodel more than you might expect. The best way to determine how it will affect your estimate is to talk to a design consultant about your design plans.

At ZINTEX Remodeling Group, we offer full bathroom remodeling services in certain parts of Texas and Oklahoma. Learn more about our full bathroom remodeling services today.