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" Unless you&amp;#039;re a serial remodeler, when it comes to toilets, sinks, showers and tubs, most of us have no idea where to start. And since the life expectancy of a porcelain toilet can be as long as 50 years, and a castiron tub even longer than that, you&amp;#039;ll want to put some serious thought into your choices. We&amp;#039;ve gathered the facts to help you do just that. Toilets  Price: Expect to pay from $100 to $350 for a standard one- or two-piece gravity-flush toilet; a pressure- or vacuum-assist model (which has more flushing power) will cost an additional $150 to $400. For around $400 to more than $1,200, you&amp;#039;ll find toilets that feature distinctive styling, designer colors or greater efficiency. Design: Toilets are almost always made of ceramic (also called porcelain or vitreous china), whether they mimic antique shapes or have pareddown lines. Standard dimensions for a round-bowl toilet are 24 to 28 inches from the wall, with a tank that is 19.5 inches wide and 26 inches tall. Before making a decision, know your space and personal constraints: An elongated bowl (3 to 6 inches longer) offers more seating for a larger person (but costs $35 to $75 more); a round bowl takes up less space. Have your bathroom&amp;#039;s measurements in hand before hitting the store. Installation: Toilets can be floormounted (attached to the floor with the plumbing through the floor), wall-mounted (affixed to the wall with plumbing through the wall) or floor-mounted with a back outlet (affixed to the floor with plumbing through the wall). Choose one that uses the same drain as your existing toilet to save money on installation and flooring. A plumber will charge from $100 to $300 or more to install a toilet, but most toilets come with instructions, so you may want to do the job yourself if you&amp;#039;re handy. Good to know: Taller toilets are more ergonomic. &amp;quot;&amp;#039;Comfort height&amp;#039; toilets may be just 1\u00BD to 2\u00BD inches taller than the standard 14 inches off the floor, but you&amp;#039;d be surprised at how much easier it is to stand up from that height,&amp;quot; says Mike Dodd, a master certified remodeler for Lifewise Renovations in Kansas City. Consider these if you plan to age in your home. Sinks  Price: A standard lavatory or simple pedestal sink will usually sell for less than $300, but you can pay more than $1,000 for one made of a pricey material or with an unconventional design. Design: Sinks can be seamlessly integrated into a countertop, undermounted (set under the top of the vanity) or top-mounted (set so the lip of the sink rests on the counter). Vessel sinks perch atop a furniturelike countertop and often require wall-mounted faucets. Installation: A simple sink replacement can be done by a DIY-er; a plumber will charge $100 or more to install a sink. If you&amp;#039;re keeping a countertop or vanity the same and just changing the sink, be sure you know the measurements of the space you&amp;#039;re filling before heading to the store. Good to know: Faucets are sold separately and can cost from less than $100 to more than $500. They may be center-set or widespread (based on the distance between the spigot and handles), single-hole or wall-mounted. Be sure the sink you choose will accommodate the faucet you want. Tubs  Price: A basic fiberglass or steel tub will cost from $200 to $600, depending on its size. A cast-iron tub will cost $1,200 or more, and larger tubs with more design accents or jetted options can cost as much as $5,000 or more. Design: A tub that fits into a 5-foot opening is standard, but you can find styles that are longer or deeper (a &amp;quot;soaker&amp;quot; tub), jetted, walk-in or freestanding. If you don&amp;#039;t use a tub often but still want one, you might reconfigure your space for a smaller tub. &amp;quot;Soaker or whirlpool tubs can help with resale, but many people never use them,&amp;quot; says Dale Benjamin, owner of Benjamin Plumbing in Madison, Wisconsin. &amp;quot;You might use that 28 square feet to increase the shower area or to make the bathroom smaller and enlarge an adjacent closet.&amp;quot; Installation: The cost may range from a few hundred dollars to thousands, depending on whether an old one must be removed and plumbing brought up to date. In addition, some jetted or soaker tubs may require a new water heater to accommodate the larger capacity. If the new tub is larger and heavier than the old one, your flooring may need to be reinforced. Good to know: Instead of buying and having a new tub installed, you can save a significant amount on your bathroom project by refinishing or reglazing your existing tub, which usually costs from $400 to $500, or installing a liner, an acrylic mold that fits over your existing tub and shower stall, for slightly more. Both will hide your old tub and surround, but won&amp;#039;t solve any underlying problems. Showers  Price: A prefabricated synthetic shower surround\u2014usually a single piece of acrylic fitted into an existing shower stall\u2014is an inexpensive option at $1,000 or less. These showers are easy to install and maintain, but come in limited sizes and colors. A custom tile or stone shower can cost several thousand dollars, as both the labor and materials are more expensive (ceramic tiles can cost less then $5 per square foot, while granite can rise over $50 per square foot). Design: Your tile or stone choice will set the design tone for your bathroom. The shower also should coordinate with your bathroom floor, so bring home samples of your tile options for a side-by-side comparison. Installation: A prefabricated shower stall can be installed by a confident DIY-er, but for tile, a specialist will need several days on the job. A simple tile installation using a basic pattern might cost $1,200 to $1,500, but if complicated cutting or patterns are involved it can cost thousands more. Good to know: Choose your shower and sink hardware at the same time\u2014 not only so they match, but also so that the plumbing behind the walls accommodates your choice. Thinking about remodeling your bathroom? Download this helpful  check-list to learn what&amp;#039;s best for your needs. Photos: Shutterstock "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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