It might be helpful to browse houzz.com for some ideas of bathrooms to get an inspiration.

One thought is, the larger the tile, the less grout, the slipperier the floor. Unless the tile is fairly rough, it can get quite slick.

Also, you didn't mention counter top which can impact the budget significantly.

Also, if you are looking to save money, you might check out Habitat for Humanity's ReStore or Green Demolitions (like a Goodwill store for building products) or other places that sell fixtures and vanities and such at a deep discount. We got our guest bath vanity from one of those places....

Thanks! I have been browsing houzz quite a bit. So many lovely bathrooms there. And here too, of course.

As to the countertop, I am thinking a vanity from a big box store that comes with the countertop and sink. Not the most popular choice here, I know, but we have always had the equivalent of that (though never what we picked as we have not remodelled a bathroom before) and they have been fine. Also thinking the vanity is relatively easy to change so it is a good place to skimp a bit on costs.

I appreciate the suggestion to check restore, etc. Definitely worth doing down the road.

Thanks!
Catherine

If you are going to purchase all the finished materials - faucets, mirrors, etc., and even the tile - then it is easier for the contractor to give you a bid.

The standalone, all-in-one vanity is a good idea to cut costs, and there are lots to choose from.

The wall-hung toilet is more expensive, and will also take more room in the wall, so keep that in mind.

Thanks! I am assuming that even if we purchase all materials or ask for an estimate without materials costs for now, the contractor will still need some idea of what we have in mind. Laying tile is a lot more labor than putting down sheet vinyl, for example--or at least I assume it is. And big tile might require a better subfloor, right?

I am flexible on who purchases most of the materials, but there are some things I'm just not competent or able to purchase, like the appropriate
drywall for various parts of the job, appropriate subflooring and so on. So while I could purchase and arrange delivery of things like tile and toilets, I don't think I could buy everything. We have never had a gc before (basically we were the GC for our kitchen remodel and had a super helpful carpenter who purchased all his materials and there was very little other work to coordinate). Do GCs usually purchase materials or do they usually have the client do so?

Catherine

CRL -
Find a contractor who is OK with you buying the "finish materials" while they provide the items that aren't seen.

They can get much of that more economically than you can.

My neighbor does a lot of that - he buys the waterproofing stuff by the 5-gallon bucket, backer board by the pallet, etc. And if he uses a gallon of waterproofing on a job, he charges for 1/5 of a bucket. He saves usable chunks of drywall and things to use where the next job doesn't need a whole sheet ... he's "green"!

But he can't do that with faucets, tile, and sinks, so he actually prefers that the customer get the visible stuff, after discussing what will work best, of course. The SO wanted all 12x12 tiles in the shower, until the neighbor pointed out it would be really hard to get a good slope with huge tiles and a center drain and they would have to be cut up anyway. So we have a 2x2 mosaic center and large tiles at the edges.

Thanks!