How Much Does a Heated Bathroom Floor Cost?
Typical Range:
$600 - $8,000
Typical Range:
$600 - $8,000
Cost data is based on research by HomeAdvisor.
Published November 14, 2022
Written by HomeAdvisor.Installing a heated bathroom floor costs $1,800 on average for a bathroom of 65 square feet. You’ll pay anywhere from $600 to $8,000 for sizes ranging from 40 to 200 square feet and all flooring types. Prices tend to cost less when you install a heated bathroom floor as part of a larger remodel or new construction since the walls are already open, making it easier to access wiring and plumbing.
Average Cost | Low Cost | High Cost |
---|---|---|
$1,800 | $600 | $8,000 |
Radiant bathroom flooring heating means either hydronic or electric heating installed under the flooring materials, whether tile, concrete, or planks. Any flooring works with radiant heating. You’ll choose from hydronic, which uses a liquid (usually water) in a pipe system, or electric, which uses an electric heating wire or mat.
How much do heated bathroom floors cost? You’ll spend anywhere from $8 to $40 per square foot to install a heated floor. However, you’ll pay a minimum of $600 for most floors, regardless of the size. That minimum fee comes from general setup, cleanup, and overhead. These prices include overall flooring installation costs but don’t include extremely high-end or custom floors, which can quickly double the price.
Generally, the larger the floor, the less you’ll pay per square foot. The heating element, whether hydronic or electric, costs about the same regardless of the material you use. Bathrooms come at the bottom of radiant floor heating costs compared to larger rooms. The varying price comes mostly from the finished materials, which we cover in the next section.
Bathroom Size in Sq. Ft. | Average Cost Range for Heated Bathroom Floor Installation |
---|---|
20 | $600 – $800 |
40 | $600 – $1,600 |
65 | $600 – $2,600 |
100 | $800 – $4,000 |
150 | $1,200 – $6,000 |
200 | $1,600 – $8,000 |
Most of the cost of a heated bathroom floor comes from the finished materials. You’ll typically find tile as the primary material, which is also the most expensive. However, you can also put hydronic heating under concrete and electric or hydronic under laminate and hardwood.
Bathroom Floor Material | Average Cost Range per Sq. Ft. | Bathroom Flooring Notes |
---|---|---|
Tile | $20 – $40 | Use hydronic or electric elements; can cause an uneven threshold |
Concrete | $15 – $35 | Only use hydronic; must be embedded in the concrete |
Laminate | $8 – $20 | Not typical in a bathroom; requires waterproof materials |
Hardwood | $15 – $30 | Doesn’t transfer heat as well as concrete or tile |
A heated bathroom tile floor costs around $1,300 to $2,600 for the average 65-square-foot bathroom. It’s one of the most popular bathroom flooring materials, regardless of heating. Because it’s popular and holds and transfers heat well, it’s often used in conjunction with heated flooring elements. You can use both electric and hydronic heating under tile.
The average heated concrete floor costs $1,000 to $2,280 for the average 65-square-foot bathroom. You only get to put hydronic heating in concrete since there’s nowhere to place an electric heating element pad.
A laminate heated floor costs approximately $600 to $1,300 for an average 65-square-foot bathroom. This flooring typically only has electric heating pads beneath it, making the installation go fairly quickly. However, it usually doesn’t hold up as well as tile or concrete and needs an extra layer of waterproofing beneath the floors.
Heated hardwood bathroom floors cost around $1,000 to $2,000 for the average 65-square-foot bathroom. You’ll also typically only find electric heating pads beneath hardwood, although basement bathrooms might have enough space for hydronic heating.
You’ll spend slightly more on a hydronic system than an electrical underlayment pad for your bathroom floor.
Heated Bathroom Floor Type | Average Cost Range per Sq. Ft. | Average Cost Range to Operate per Day |
---|---|---|
Hydronic | $8 – $20 | $1 – $5 |
Electric mat | $5 – $12 | $2 – $6 |
You’ll pay about $600 to $1,300 for the hydronic system alone, not including flooring materials for the average bathroom. Hydronic heating costs slightly more to install than electric mat-style floor heating for your bathroom. It uses a heated liquid that runs through tubing embedded in the concrete or thinset beneath the tiles or other flooring material. It’s typically used with concrete and tile.
An electric mat costs approximately $300 to $800 for the mat and material installation alone, not including the flooring you’ll place over the top of it. It uses a mat with embedded wire heating elements, works well with any type of flooring, and tends to be used extensively due to the ease of installation and cost. However, they don’t last as long.
The cost breakdown to install heated bathroom floors is about 50% materials and 50% labor, but it depends on the type of finish material you use rather than the heating underlayment. You’ll save money if you wrap this project together with bathroom remodel costs, making it easier to route and run lines and plumbing.
Material costs are included in the total project. With hydronic heating, you’ll likely need thinset or tubes that circulate hot water buried directly in concrete. However, with electric mats, you won’t need any extra materials besides the system kit itself. Projects vary depending on the house level you’re redoing and the bathroom size. Check with your pro for any extra materials needed.
You’ll pay about $500 to $1,200 for labor alone, but it depends on the job size. Typically, you’ll pay around $100 per hour for installation or a flat rate for the entire project.
Although bathroom floor heating is a straightforward project, you’ll want to consider a few other items. Some issues that can increase costs include permits, subfloor repairs to your existing floors, and extending or adding new electrical lines if you don’t already have them.
Building permits cost around $500 for this type of project when combined with a full bathroom remodel. However, prices vary from location to location since local building regulations usually control the cost.
If upgrading an existing floor, you may have to repair or replace your subfloor. Subfloor repair prices add around $500 to $2,500.
If you’re replacing baseboard or wall heating, you’ll likely already have electrical lines running to the bathroom. But if you need to add this to a house with something like forced air, you’ll need to budget another $500 to $1,000for new electrical line costs.
Because of the complexity of installing heated bathroom floors, you typically won’t be able to DIY this project. For example, a professional electrician must hook up the electrical heating mat or a plumber has to install a hydronic floor system for your bathroom. Start by talking to a local heated flooring installer to get ideas and understand the options.
Heated bathroom flooring is a cost-effective solution to heat your bathroom while clearing up space along the walls where traditional heaters might exist. They’re usually a great replacement for bathrooms with existing baseboards or wall heaters since the electrical lines are already run to the room. They don’t increase property value but are a bonus for those looking to buy.
Heated bathroom floors use about 12 watts per hour per square foot, depending on the location, insulation, and overall climate. The number can vary depending on what you set your temperature to and how well the insulation above the room is.
Heated bathroom floors generally last 20 years or more. You’ll want to budget for radiant flooring repair costs and proper upkeep. Radiant heated floors will last about the same amount of time as your flooring material, so you can replace them all at the same time when you remodel or upgrade. It’ll help keep your total flooring costs down if you do them all together.
No, heated floors don’t stay on all the time. They function the same as any other heater, with a thermostat that turns it on and off as needed. The systems also have a sensor on the floor to keep the system from overheating.