Do you want to find out the cost to install a bathroom exhaust fan?
The cost of bathroom fan installs depends on whether its a replacement or new install, if new ductwork is needed, and if extra electrical wiring is needed.
In this cost guide, I will go over...
- The average cost you can expect to pay to install a bathroom fan
- Extra costs of new ducting and additional wiring
- The costs of popular bathroom fans
Let's get started with this guide!
What Is The Cost To Install A Bathroom Fan?
The cost to install a bathroom exhaust fan will depend on a variety of factors, but the two biggest will be whether the bath fan is a replacement or a new installation.
#1. Replacing An Existing Bathroom Fan
The most common bath fan installation for homeowners will be a replacement installation.
On average, installing a bathroom fan should take around 2-4 hours, so you can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $400 if the fan is installed in a ceiling with an accessible attic. If drywall has to be repaired or replaced, or if a new duct has to go the outside, the costs can be substantially higher.
The final price will largely depend on the cost of the bathroom fan itself (a wide range) and how long it takes to install.
A replacement bath fan installation means that the contractor will just be swapping out an old bathroom fan with a new one, and connecting the new fan to the old wiring and the old ducting.
The type of contractor that is licensed to install, maintain, and repair electrical work are electricians. You can expect to pay an electrician on average $65/hour for labor, but in some areas it may go as low as $35/hour or as high as $95/hour.
The average cost of the bathroom fan itself will be on the low end around $100 and can be as high as $300 for bath fans that have heaters.
#2. New Installation In Finished Bathroom
To install a new bathroom fan into an existing finished bathroom (not new construction), then the cost can be in the $500 to $1500 range. Basically, you can expect to pay 2-3 times more for a new installation in a finished bathroom because you aren't simply replacing the fan.
New electrical wiring will be needed to a switch, and a new duct hose will have to be installed to the outside.
The final cost will depend on the difficulty of installing a duct hose to the exterior, and the vent may even be required to go to the roof if there isn't a close by exterior wall.
The electrical wiring can also be a significant cost, and the fan may even need a dedicated circuit back to the panel box. You may need separate skilled contractors such as a electrician (to install the fan), a carpenter or handyman (to install the vent hose), and a roofer (to install the exterior vent hood).
Read Also: How To Install A Bathroom Fan Roof Vent?
Extra Cost #1: The Duct Hose
Many modern bathrooms require vent hoses that are larger than the 3-inch sized hoses that are in older homes. The average cost to install a new bathroom fan vent hose will be in the $100 to $350 range depending on difficulty, how long the vent hose is, level of access, and other factors.
New bathroom fans usually require that the old 3-inch duct be replaced with a 4-inch, 5-inch, or even a 6-inch duct — at least if you want the full performance of your bathroom fan.
The average cost of a 4" duct that is 25-feet long will be in the $25-$75 range.
The labor hours involved in just replacing the duct (not installing an exterior vent hood) will be in the 2-3 hour range. The labor cost for a carpenter or handyman to replace the vent hose will be around $75 per hour.
Read Also: What Are The Best Ventless Bathroom Fans?
Extra Cost #2: Wiring
Another consideration for extra costs would be electrical wiring. To install new wiring and a new switch for a bathroom fan with a heater or a light, you can expect to pay $50 to $250 or more depending on difficulty.
If the electrician just has to disconnect the existing wiring and connect it to the new bathroom fan, the bath fan can be installed fairly quickly.
However, if you need to extra wiring because the bathroom fan has a heater or a light that wasn't there before, this would be extra labor. It may even cost more if the bathroom fan needs to be on its own dedicated circuit back to the electrical panel box.
What Is The Cost Of Popular Bathroom Fans?
I have compiled a table of the cost of some of the most popular bathroom exhaust fans. Bathroom fans typically cost in the $100 to $250 price range.
The price of bathroom fans generally will be higher when the CFM (fan speed) increases, but also when you include extra features like lights, heaters, humidity sensors, motions sensors, and even bluetooth speakers.
These are some of the prices I found online for the bathroom fans only, it does not include the cost to install or extra things like installing new ductwork.
Read Also: What Are The Best Round Bathroom Fans?
Bathroom Fan | Extra Features | Fan Cost Only |
|---|---|---|
Panasonic WhisperWarm | 110-cfm & heater | $280 |
Broan-Nutone LP80 | 80-cfm | $65 |
Broan-Nutone 750 | 100-cfm & light | $108 |
Panasonic WhisperFit | 110-cfm | $150 |
Broan-Nutone Sensonic | 110-cfm & speaker | $125 |
Final Thoughts On The Cost Of Bathroom Fan Installations
The biggest cost factor of bathroom fan installations will be whether it is a replacement installation or installing a new bathroom fan where there wasn't one before.
For replacement bathroom fans, they can usually be installed in 2-3 hours at a cost of $200 to $500. To install a new bathroom fan in a finished bathroom will likely be at minimum $500 but can go as high as $1500 or more.
Installing a new bathroom fan will always be considerably more expensive because new wiring will have to be routed to the wall, and new ductwork will have to be installed to the exterior.
With a replacement bathroom fan, you will likely just need to remove the old fan, and install the new one in the same place, and connect the same wiring.
