Bathroom Addition: Project Outline and Layout

Project Outline

Here we're going to sit down and get our particulars. A project like
this should be approached with caution. You need to know what you're
capable of both financially and technically. I've already mentioned the
different phases. You need to consider each one. I'm going to assume
you're capable of each task, but if you're not, note it and get a bid from a
sub-contractor for that particular job. Of course, even if you've never
finished drywall, by all means give it a try if you want to!

What we've got to do is take some measurements. These measurements will
be used to determine project costs. In this article, I'm going to be
adding a guest room at the same time, but I'm focusing on the bathroom, so I'm
not going to mention much about the guest room. For example, when taking
the measurements, I'm only going to focus on the dimensions for the bathroom, as
far as my calculations. The drawing though, will show all the dimensions.

Bathroom Layout

Here we have a blueprint of the current room, with the proposed changes.
These dimensions are used to calculate the area for the floor, the area for the
walls, and the size available for the shower. That lets us figure out how
many square feet of flooring we'll need, for example. Then, if price is a
factor, we can decide what kind of flooring we'll use based on the square foot
price.


One thing to consider when laying out your design is standard sizes.
For example, if you're going to put a shower stall at the end of the bathroom,
like this one is, you'll want to build the room so that the stall fits properly.
Building the room too small is much worse than building it too large, but it's a
good idea to get some standard sizes for showers/tubs before you layout
your bathroom. We're going to be putting in a stand up only shower stall.
Here's a list of some standard shower dimensions:

Stand Up Shower Bases

48"L x 34"D 60"L x 34"D 36" x
36" 32" x 32"


Shower Walls


You'll be looking at about 72"-74" tall, normally. They're available to
fit the standard size bases.

Other Types of Showers

Keep in mind that there are many choices of what to put in your bathroom.
Bases with seats, tub/shower combos, corner showers with glass doors, shower
curtains, sliding doors, and much more! Your wife will especially love
this phase of the project because you get to pick out what will be
installed. This again, is determined by your personal preference and the
amount of room you have available, as well as how much you want to spend.
Expect to spend about $300-$400 on a standard shower base and wall set.