Costs of bathroom renovation including minor modifications

Hello dear forum members,

I want to renovate the bathroom in my apartment from the 60s. As was common back then, the bathroom is very small (about 3.5m²) and (unfortunately) equipped with a mini bathtub-shower combo. I would like to replace this with a shower. Since all the connections and drains are on one side, there is also a rather unfavorable configuration for the small size (room depth only 2m), as the toilet and sink are next to each other. You would gain a lot of space for the shower (across the entire width) if you could move the sink to the opposite side. Of course, this requires major renovations, meaning drain and water supply lines.

I am aware that a bathroom is a not insignificant cost factor, but the prices I have encountered here in Berlin, where I live, have really taken my breath away. So far, I have contacted three companies, all of which told me to plan for 15,000 (!!) euros if I don’t want any surprises. That sounds like an extremely large amount of money to me – the bathroom measures just WxDxH 2x1.70x2.70.

I have very little experience with this and wanted to ask here if these prices are common.

Many thanks in advance.

if you could move the sink to the opposite side. That of course requires major renovations, meaning drain and water supply lines.

This will – if at all possible with the drain (usually rather not) – be the biggest driver. Otherwise, the T€ 15 are either defensive prices or you have requested golden bathroom fixtures each time.

I also rather believe that the "Erschwerniszulage Minibad" has been incorporated here. You can't do anything about it. You can actually only have something like that done by someone who has been recommended by someone, so a sole trader.

Let's first look at the scope. We also have a small bathroom. I gutted it myself. That was many hours of work despite good tools. Those hours need to be paid. Then the walls have to be smoothed again. That means either plastered or done with drywall.
A somewhat decent branded toilet bowl easily costs €800 plus the matching lid for €160.
In plumbing, there are massive markups on the projects.
Then foremen, materials, and labor for the tiles.
That easily comes to €15k.

Doing it yourself helps immensely here. But you also have to first find someone who can do it for much less.

15k is easily possible.

WC for 800€??? Where do you shop or what do you have the plumber haul in?
Example: Duravit Vero WC + soft-close seat = 550€
Duravit Vero sink 60 cm + cabinet + Steinberg single-lever mixer = 800€
Shower tray with installation frame (Kaldewei Conoflat 100x100cm + Kaldewei ESRII + drain fitting) = 900€
Shower enclosure 100x100cm Megabad own brand = 850€
Hand shower (30cm) with mixer valve = 400€
Plus matching small parts, so approx. 3,700€ for sanitary materials

Then let's take 10 sqm tiles (easy to calculate) at 50€ each + finishing strips and materials = generously €1,500

That leaves about 10k€ for the craftsman who remodels the bathroom. At a generous 100€ hourly wage, that is 100 hours of work = 12.5 working days. Maybe a bit less material.

And you want to tell me that 15k€ is easily possible? If you think that's relaxed for the craftsman, then yes

P.S. The sanitary prices are from the craftsman.

The price doesn't particularly shock me. After all, the request was made without a concrete plan. Now we have to go into detail first.

The list from is already helpful, but items such as supply lines, drainage, bathroom radiators, screed, possibly new electrical installation, pre-wall installation, etc. are missing. Above all, it is unclear how the installation of supply lines and wastewater can be implemented.

So yes, without detailed planning, I find the mentioned 15,000€ purely as a guideline not unreasonable.