Best Loans for Bathroom Remodel Financing
Whether you’re updating an old bathroom or turning your main bath into an in-home spa, bathroom remodeling is rarely cheap. Here we cover options for bathroom remodel financing.
2025 Best Personal Loan
Excellent Credit
SoFi offers large online personal loans with consumer-friendly features for good- and excellent-credit borrowers.
2025 Best Personal Loan
Excellent Credit
SoFi offers large online personal loans with consumer-friendly features for good- and excellent-credit borrowers.
2025 Best Personal Loan
Fair Credit
Upgrade accepts lower credit scores than similar lenders, and it offers multiple rate discounts for its personal loans.
2025 Best Personal Loan
Fair Credit
Upgrade accepts lower credit scores than similar lenders, and it offers multiple rate discounts for its personal loans.
2025 Best Personal Loan
Good Credit
LightStream is a solid option for good- and excellent-credit borrowers, with no fees and a promise to beat competitors’ rates.
2025 Best Personal Loan
Good Credit
LightStream is a solid option for good- and excellent-credit borrowers, with no fees and a promise to beat competitors’ rates.
Wells Fargo personal loans are a good fit for existing customers, thanks to a wide range of loan amounts and terms, plus perks like pre-qualification and a rate discount.
Wells Fargo personal loans are a good fit for existing customers, thanks to a wide range of loan amounts and terms, plus perks like pre-qualification and a rate discount.
Navy Federal Credit Union offers flexible personal loans to military members, veterans and their families.
Navy Federal Credit Union offers flexible personal loans to military members, veterans and their families.
Best Egg is worth considering for borrowers looking for a secured loan or to consolidate debt.
Best Egg is worth considering for borrowers looking for a secured loan or to consolidate debt.
Upstart personal loans offer fast funding and may be an option for borrowers with low credit scores or thin credit histories. Upstart is a solid financing choice for large purchases.
Upstart personal loans offer fast funding and may be an option for borrowers with low credit scores or thin credit histories. Upstart is a solid financing choice for large purchases.
Achieve personal loans can be a good debt consolidation option for borrowers with fair credit or better who qualify for a rate discount.
Achieve personal loans can be a good debt consolidation option for borrowers with fair credit or better who qualify for a rate discount.
What is a bathroom remodel loan?
A bathroom remodel loan enables you to borrow money from a lender to pay for your bathroom project. You pay for the bathroom remodel over time by making monthly loan payments with interest. Having time to pay can be helpful, because bathroom remodel costs typically range from about $6,600 to $18,000 according to home services website Angi. A high-end remodel can surpass $100,000.
Personal loans for bathroom remodeling
With a personal loan, you get a lump sum of money and repay it, with interest, in monthly installments. These loans are unsecured, meaning they aren’t backed by any collateral (such as your home's equity). Rates are 6% to 36% and loan amounts can be $1,000 to $100,000. The rate and amount you’re approved for depend on your credit, income and other debts.
The total amount of interest you pay for a personal loan is determined by the loan’s annual percentage rate and repayment term. Personal loans have terms from about two to seven years. A loan with a longer term will have lower monthly payments but cost more in total interest.
Bathroom remodel loan example
Say you get an $18,000 bathroom remodel loan at 12% APR. Here’s what you’d pay each month and in total with two different repayment terms.
Four-year repayment term:
Monthly payments: $474.
Total amount repaid: $22,752.
Seven-year repayment term:
Monthly payments: $318.
Total amount repaid: $26,691.
» MORE: Calculate your monthly home improvement loan payments
What to know about personal loans
Borrowers with good to excellent credit get the lowest rates. The rate you receive on a personal loan depends primarily on your credit and finances. Borrowers with good or excellent credit (a score above 689) and low debt are likely to get the best rates.
Funding is fast. Many online lenders can fund a personal loan within a day or two of approval. You typically won’t wait more than a week to get the funds, which is faster than home equity financing.
You get the money in one lump sum. It's best to have a solid estimate of the project’s cost before you shop for a personal loan, so you can apply for the amount you need.
The loan isn’t secured by your home. Unlike a home equity loan or line of credit, unsecured personal loans don’t require you to pledge your home — or anything else — as collateral.
You repay in fixed installments. Personal loans typically have fixed rates, which means your monthly payments are the same for the duration of the loan, and you can budget accordingly.
» MORE: Estimate the cost of your bathroom upgrade
How to get a personal loan for a bathroom remodeling project
Compare lenders. The most important features to compare on personal loans are the APR and monthly payments. But other personal loan features, like fast funding or the ability to manage payments on a mobile app, may alleviate some stress during the bathroom remodel.
Pre-qualify. Many online lenders and some banks allow you to pre-qualify for a personal loan online, so you can see your potential loan amount and rate without affecting your credit score. Pre-qualify with multiple lenders to find the best offer.
Prepare documents. Once you’ve got a solid quote from the contractor, get ready to apply for a loan. Gather documents like W-2s, pay stubs, bank statements and other required information to help the application process move smoothly.
Apply. When you submit your application, the lender will do a hard credit check, which will cause your score to dip temporarily. Most lenders take a day or two to make a decision.
» GET STARTED: Pre-qualify on NerdWallet
Other ways to finance your bathroom remodel
Home equity loan
A home equity loan is a second mortgage you borrow in a lump sum and repay in monthly installments. Rates are fixed and usually lower than personal loan rates, and repayment terms are up to 15 years.
A home equity loan is best if:
You have enough equity in your home to cover the bathroom remodel.
You have a firm cost estimate.
You don’t mind using the home as collateral.
You want to begin rebuilding equity immediately through payments.
You can wait for the underwriting and possible appraisal process to be complete.
» MORE: Best home equity loan lenders
Home equity line of credit
A HELOC is an open credit line that you draw on as you need it during the initial draw period, which usually lasts 10 years. Then, you repay it at a variable interest rate over a term lasting up to 20 years.
A HELOC is best if:
You have enough equity in your home to cover the bathroom remodel.
You want extra funds available for surprise expenses, or you don’t have a firm cost estimate.
You don’t mind using the home as collateral.
You can manage fluctuating payments within your budget.
You can wait for the underwriting and possible appraisal process to be complete.
» MORE: Best home equity line of credit lenders
Cash-out refinance
With a cash-out refinance, you get a new mortgage that’s larger than your existing loan. You use the new mortgage to pay off the old one, and “cash out” the rest of the money. That extra money becomes your bathroom remodel loan.
Cash-out refinancing is best if:
You can get a lower mortgage rate than your existing rate.
You don’t mind using the home as collateral.
The cash you have left will be enough to pay for the remodel after an appraisal and closing costs.
You have time for the underwriting, appraisal and closing process.
» MORE: Best cash-out refinance lenders
If you finance a home improvement project with your home's equity, you may be able to deduct the interest on your taxes.
0% APR credit cards
0% APR credit cards have promotional periods — usually 15 to 21 months — when you can use them without incurring any interest. These cards work well for DIY remodels.
A 0% APR credit card is best if:
You qualify, which usually means having good or excellent credit.
You can pay off the card by the end of the promotional period (to avoid paying the regular APR).
You aren’t using a contractor or lender that charges a fee for using a credit card.
» MORE: Best credit cards for home improvement
Government programs
You can use an FHA Title 1 loan for remodels that improve the livability and usefulness of the home, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Government programs are best if:
Your project fits the requirements outlined by HUD.
You don’t mind using the home as collateral for projects that cost more than $7,500.
» MORE: Best home improvement loans
Frequently asked questions
Can you finance a bathroom remodel? You can finance a bathroom remodel using a personal loan, home equity loan, home equity line of credit or credit card. The best option depends on things like how much equity you have, how much you want to spend and your credit score.
Should I use contractor financing to remodel my bathroom? Some contractors do offer financing through a third-party lender, and it has its pros and cons. Bathroom contractor financing can be convenient with fast approval. However, this type of unsecured financing usually has higher interest rates and is more expensive than other options. It's good to compare contractor financing to other home improvement loan options to find the best rate and term.
Can I get a bathroom remodel loan if I have bad or limited credit? Some lenders do provide loans to people with fair or thin credit histories, but these loans usually tend to have higher interest rates. You might want to delay a bathroom remodel until your credit improves. If that isn't an option, compare home improvement lenders for bad credit to find the lowest rate you can qualify for. To get an idea of whether you will qualify and at what rate, find lenders that will enable you to pre-qualify with a soft credit check, which won't affect your credit scores.
Methodology
How we chose the best personal loans
NerdWallet’s editorial review process evaluates and rates personal loan products from more than 30 financial technology companies and financial institutions. We collect over 60 data points and cross-check company websites, earnings reports and other public documents to confirm product details. We may also go through a lender’s pre-qualification flow and follow up with company representatives. NerdWallet writers and editors conduct a full fact check and update annually, but also make updates throughout the year as necessary.
Star rating categories
We evaluate more categories than competitors and carefully weigh how each factor impacts your experience. Lenders can receive a maximum of 5.0 stars. Here's the breakdown of each factor:
Affordability: 25%
We review lenders’ annual percentage rate offerings and the competitiveness of each lenders’ APR range. We also assess whether a lender charges an origination fee and any opportunity for borrowers to receive a rate discount.
Customer experience: 20%
We consider the experience of the consumer trying to manage a personal loan, which means accessibility of customer service representatives, whether borrowers can choose and change their payment due date, and the ability to track their loan on a mobile app.
Underwriting and eligibility: 20%
We consider the rigorousness of each lender’s underwriting practices and how widely available their loans are. This category includes whether a lender does a hard credit check before providing a loan, the range of credit profiles they accept and how many states their loans are offered in.
Loan flexibility: 20%
We assess how flexible lenders can be with borrowers, including whether they offer multiple loan types, personal loan amounts and repayment term options and whether they offer direct payment to creditors on debt consolidation loans.
Application process: 15%
We consider the lender’s full application process, including a borrower’s ability to preview their loan offer via pre-qualification, whether basic loan information such as APR range and repayment terms are available and easy to find online and how quickly a loan can be funded after approval.
Our star ratings award points to lenders that offer consumer-friendly features, including: soft credit checks to pre-qualify, competitive interest rates and no fees, transparency of rates and terms, flexible payment options, fast funding times, accessible customer service, reporting of payments to credit bureaus and financial education. Our ratings award fewer points to lenders with practices that may make a loan difficult to repay on time, such as charging high annual percentage rates (above 36%), underwriting that does not adequately assess consumers’ ability to repay and lack of credit-building help. We also consider regulatory actions filed by agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We weigh these factors based on our assessment of which are the most important to consumers and how meaningfully they impact consumers’ experiences.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for our star ratings. Read more about our ratings methodologies for personal loans and our editorial guidelines.