Custom bathroom vanities in Fort Wayne

A custom bathroom vanity in Fort Wayne runs from about $300 for a small powder room unit to $3,000 or more for a large one with a stone top, based on national cost guides. Custom makes sense when a stock vanity leaves a gap at the wall, blocks a door, or doesn't fit around the pipes you already have.

Sizes and layouts

The wall, the door swing and the toilet decide the size. A cabinet maker measures from wall to wall, checks how far the door and any shower door open, and leaves walking room in front of the toilet. Then you pick depth and height:

• Width. Built to the wall, so it can fill an alcove edge to edge with no filler strips.
• Depth. A shallower vanity can free up floor space in a narrow bathroom, at the cost of a smaller sink and less storage.
• Height. Older vanities sit low. Many people now order a taller "comfort height" vanity, closer to kitchen counter height, so there's less bending.
• Floating or floor-standing. A wall-hung vanity shows the floor underneath and is easier to mop around; it needs solid blocking in the wall.

Single or double vanity

A double vanity gives two people their own sink and drawers. It needs a wider wall and a second drain and supply. If the bathroom has one drain today, adding a second sink is a plumbing change and needs a permit. A popular middle path is one sink with a long counter and a drawer bank on the other side.

Materials that stand up to a damp bathroom

Bathrooms see steam every day, and in northeast Indiana the air swings from humid summers to dry heated winters. The vanity has to handle both.

• Plywood boxes, which shrug off a drip far better than particle board
• A sealed or laminated floor in the sink cabinet
• Finish on every surface, including the inside and back, so moisture can't soak into raw wood
• Solid hardwood or MDF doors with a sprayed finish
• A toe kick or legs that keep the cabinet bottom up off a wet floor

A working exhaust fan does as much for a vanity as the materials do. If the mirror fogs for a long time after a shower, have the fan checked.

Working around the plumbing you have

Most vanity jobs keep the drain and water lines where they are. The cabinet maker measures their exact height and position and builds the sink cabinet around them. Drawers under a sink can be built in a U-shape that wraps the trap, so you don't lose the whole cabinet to a pipe.

If the drain or supply lines move, that's plumbing work under the Allen County Building Department's rules, and it needs a permit with a construction plan. Leaving them in place keeps the job permit-free. Either way, a licensed plumber makes the final hookup once the vanity and top are set.

Linen towers and medicine cabinets

A linen tower is a tall, narrow cabinet beside the vanity or on another wall. It holds towels and paper goods and can be built to sit on the vanity top or stand on the floor. Built in the same wood and finish, it looks like one piece with the vanity.

A medicine cabinet can hang on the wall or be recessed between studs. Recessing needs an open stud bay with no pipe, vent or wire inside. An outlet inside the cabinet is electrical work, so it means an electrician and a permit.

How much a custom bathroom vanity costs in Fort Wayne

A bathroom vanity with its countertop costs about $300 to $3,000 or more installed in national cost guides, with a typical job near $1,200. Size, the number of sinks and the countertop move it most.

What drives the price	Effect
Width	More cabinet, more countertop
Single or double sink	A second sink adds plumbing, a faucet and a cutout
Countertop	Cultured marble and laminate cost less than quartz or marble
Drawers	Drawer banks and U-shaped drawers take more build time than doors
Wood and finish	Stained hardwood or a custom color costs more than a standard paint
Extras	Linen tower, recessed medicine cabinet, new lighting

Older bathrooms

In a home built before 1978, an old painted vanity or medicine cabinet may have lead paint. Under the EPA rule, disturbing more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room calls for a Lead-Safe Certified firm, so ask before the old vanity comes out. If the old cabinet is only worn, cabinet painting or cabinet repair can buy it more years.

Bathroom vanity questions