Basement Bathroom - 2 piece or 3 piece?

Jan 7th, 2022 9:15 am

#1

RCGA [OP]: Deal Fanatic; Dec 10, 2008; 5023 posts; 1703 upvotes

Jan 7th, 2022 9:15 am

Basement Bathroom - 2 piece or 3 piece?

I have a builder roughed-in basement bathroom for a toilet, vanity and shower. The room is 8x8 so not overly small or large, but may look odd with just a vanity and toilet.

I'm wondering if I need a shower. We have two full bathrooms on the top floor. I have a 4-year-old and imagine it'll be 10+ years before the shower would get any regular use. I would almost never use the shower, apart from the odd time I need to shower early in the morning or late at night.

Everything is roughed in, so there would be minimal additional work to do the shower at a future date.

Has anyone been down this road before? What decision did you make?

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Jan 7th, 2022 9:23 am

#2

teoconca: Deal Fanatic; Oct 16, 2008; 9333 posts; 3699 upvotes; Maple

Jan 7th, 2022 9:23 am

3

I hate to speculate. I hate to forecast. I am just proactive.

Jan 7th, 2022 9:36 am

#3

Zamboni: Deal Fanatic; Oct 19, 2008; 7136 posts; 2749 upvotes; GTA

Jan 7th, 2022 9:36 am

No one has ever installed a 3 piece washroom and wished they hadn't put in the shower. But many people who put powder rooms in the basement....

+2

Jan 7th, 2022 9:48 am

#4

rvs007: Deal Guru; Aug 26, 2002; 14789 posts; 6327 upvotes; Toronto, ON

Jan 7th, 2022 9:48 am

We finished our basement 6 years ago and put in a full 3-piece bathroom in the basement (with a stand-in shower). 4 years later, we decided to renovate the main and 2nd floors so for a few weeks we lived out of our basement while the contractor worked upstairs. Wouldn't have been possible if we didn't put in a shower in the basement.

Jan 7th, 2022 10:02 am

#5

lamin: Deal Addict; Jan 21, 2011; 1132 posts; 526 upvotes; GTA

Jan 7th, 2022 10:02 am

It would be best to add in shower now too as well, doesn’t make sense to not add it in if you know you will eventually need it. Depending on type of shower rough in location might not workout, best to layout the room completely now.

Jan 7th, 2022 10:07 am

#6

nielboy: Deal Addict; Jun 12, 2008; 3147 posts; 763 upvotes; Ancaster

Jan 7th, 2022 10:07 am

Go with the 3 piece...you won't regret it. It'll cost far more if you decide to do it in the future after the initial reno.

Jan 7th, 2022 11:26 am

#7

djeffery: Deal Addict; Dec 18, 2017; 1223 posts; 778 upvotes; London, On

Jan 7th, 2022 11:26 am

Put it in now, you will hate the fact you didn't later when you are doing more work to add it in than you thought it would take. Odds are the drain won't be in the right spot for a shower base if you go that route. And if you build a shower from scratch, you are going to hate starting that out in an otherwise finished room. I hate the fact the prior owners of my house only put a 2 piece in our basement. My son took over a room down there and has to go to the second floor for the shower and we have had family come stay with us and set up portable beds in the basement family room and a full bathroom down there would have been great for them as well.