A basement bathroom can both make your life a whole lot easier and boost the value of your home. If you have recently re-purposed your basement into something you can use more frequently like a gym, a home office, or a game room, then you’re going to appreciate a bathroom in that area that means you don’t have to rush upstairs when you need to go.
But a basement bathroom is not a home improvement project that you can’t just rush into. There may be some complicated issues about below-ground plumbing that need to be addressed first.
You might have successfully built a bathroom in your home before but the complexity of below ground plumbing requires the expertise of a plumbing professional. But getting familiar with the project can greatly help you when you’re working with your contractor so you’d get exactly the bathroom that you want. Also, understanding what comes with adding a basement bathroom can help you plan your budget better.
DESIGN FACTOR
The first thing you should do is talk to your local building authority as there’s likely to be a zoning ordinance or a deed restriction that needs to be considered. The ideal location for a bathroom would be the closest you can get to existing plumbing and electrical wiring. Adding a basement bathroom right below the one just on the floor above would be the most ideal. Doing so makes hooking up utilities easier and much less expensive, too.
The next consideration to be made is the type of bathroom you want. Are you going to have a full bathroom with a shower or a bathtub? Or do you want just a half-bath with a toilet and sink? Do consider that basements tend to be a little chilly and damp, so you might want to skip the tub unless it’s really needed. You can opt for a corner shower instead.
