How Much Does It Cost To Install A Bidet?
Ah, the joy of a bidet — a subtle comfort the US took too long to fully appreciate. But not anymore! They're everywhere and becoming more commonplace across styles and price points in residential homes. Currently, it looks like 12% of American households have access to bidets (according to HenryPlumbingCo). Why did it take so long for Americans to consider installing bidets? It's a bit more complicated than you might expect.
Culturally, Americans never assimilated to the rest of the world's fondness for bidets. Americans have always had access to toilet paper and, thus, never really considered that there was an alternative solution. Furthermore, spatially-conscious construction and plumbing in America never left room for bidets in bathroom designs. With bidets finally becoming a mainstay in American homes, everyone really only cares about one thing: what's it going to cost? We're going to break it all down, so you know exactly what you are signing up for.
Beginner vs. Advanced Installation
Fixr notes that the average bidet cost varies extensively, as there are several different methods for installing a bidet and acquiring the desired result. On the luxury high-end, when additional plumbing is involved, a homeowner may even spend over $2000 on an installation. A portable attachment is a far lower expense than a full-on bidet installation and can run around $50. This can be a great alternative if you just want a simple and quick solution. The slightly higher-end version of this would be a spray attachment. This is a standard hose that connects directly to the toilet's water supply and offers a cold spray. For the cost of materials and total installation, this will run a homeowner a couple hundred dollars.
The next level of installation would be a washlet or a bidet seat attachment. For the cost of materials and installation, this will run a homeowner between a few hundred dollars to just over a thousand dollars. In order to install, this involves replacing the original seat with this new attachment. With this new attachment, the user will be able to enjoy chilled and warmed water, a temperature-controlled seat, and even a drying feature. The labor is more extensive and requires the assistance of a contractor or electrical specialist to correctly install.
Top Of The Line Details
If you are really looking to go all out, some high-end toilets actually come with a bidet built into the system. This type of installation also requires special assistance to correctly set up varying water temperatures. In terms of budget, this will obviously go on the much higher end. A homeowner could be looking to spend at least $1000, and likely more. Advanced electrical work goes into getting these kinds of toilets installed, but for good reason. Luxury toilets often feature elements such as scent diffusers, music speakers, and beyond (as noted by Fixr).
The shape of the bidet is also another key factor (as noted by BioBidet). Circular bidets are more accommodating for confined bathrooms, whereas longer shapes run more expensive and look appropriate in a dual vanity, primary bathroom. Longer shapes will typically run a couple of hundred extra dollars. Another major factor is the location of the installation. If a bidet is mounted to the ground, this will run a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than a horizontally-mounted bidet. If it is attached to the wall, this requires a special carrier to be added in order to support the weight of the bidet and its occupant. Structural wall work is not cheap, so this type of installation is often best reserved for luxury properties.