A Jack and Jill bathroom is a bathroom that’s situated between two bedrooms. This creates a dual ensuite with two adjacent bedrooms, an ideal design for homes with larger families and multiple children. In this guide, we’ll explain what you’ll typically find in a Jack and Jill bath, the pros and cons of the setup, and how much it costs to install one.
Quick Takeaways
A Jack and Jill bathroom is a shared bathroom between two bedrooms, providing an ensuite bathroom to multiple rooms at once to save space.
Jack and Jill bathrooms often have two sinks, a dedicated water closet, and locking doors to create a space that multiple people can use at once.
The average cost to add a Jack and Jill bathroom is between $20,000 and $50,000, while converting an existing bathroom to a Jack and Jill bathroom costs around $15,000, on average.
What Is a Jack and Jill Bathroom?
A Jack and Jill bathroom is accessible via two adjoining bedrooms, so it acts as an ensuite bathroom for two separate bedrooms. It has at least two doors — one for access from each bedroom — and sometimes has a third door for access to a hallway. It’s usually a full bath consisting of at least one sink, a toilet, and a tub/shower combo.
Features of a Jack and Jill Bathroom
The standard Jack and Jill bathroom layout includes a double vanity, a tub/shower combo, and a toilet. Since the bathroom functions differently than a standard bathroom, there are some other features you’ll commonly see.
At least two access points: All Jack and Jill bathrooms have at least two doors, each of which leads to a different bedroom.
Multiple switches for light and fan control: For convenience, most Jack and Jill bathrooms include at least two switches to control the lights and the bathroom exhaust fan. This way, someone entering the room from either door can instantly access the switch.
Doors that lock from both sides: Ideally, people in both bedrooms will be able to lock their doors from the outside of the bathroom, as well as from the inside, for privacy.
Private water closet: Many Jack and Jill bathrooms have a separate water closet within the bathroom itself that houses a toilet for privacy. This allows other people to access the main bathroom area for washing and brushing.
A double vanity: Many Jack and Jill bathrooms include a double vanity to provide the occupants of both bedrooms with their own bathroom space to get ready in the morning or brush their teeth before bed.
Full bathroom: Jack and Jill bathrooms are typically full bathrooms. Although it’s possible to have a shared half bath, the occupants of both bedrooms would then need to share a shower or tub in a separate bathroom.
Pocket doors: Pocket doors are popular in Jack and Jill bathrooms, especially if the bedrooms are sharing a small bathroom. These allow for less space taken up by the doors’ inswing radius.
Pros and Cons of a Jack and Jill Bathroom
Jack and Jill bathrooms come with their own set of upsides and drawbacks, largely depending on the layout of the bathroom and how the people in your house intend on using it.
Pros
Saves space: The biggest upside of a Jack and Jill bathroom, of course, is that you get two ensuite bathrooms in one. This saves a ton of real estate and money over having to install a separate guest bathroom or additional bathroom for your family members.
Can help maintain privacy: Jack and Jill bathrooms with good layouts can help maintain privacy in the bathroom itself, as well as for the occupants of both adjoining bedrooms.
Great for entertaining: Jack and Jill bathrooms are ideal for homeowners who frequently have overnight guests. They give you the flexibility to provide your guests with a private bathroom, if you wish.
Cons
More expensive home improvement: Installing a double vanity and partitioning off a water closet for privacy means Jack and Jill bathroom remodel costs are higher than standard bathroom remodel costs.
Requires larger footprint: In addition to being more expensive, Jack and Jill bathrooms typically take up more space because you need to add in at least one extra door. While it takes up less space than having two separate bathrooms, you’ll need room for adequate storage and partitions for privacy.
Potential for lock-outs: If you don’t invest in the right locks, anyone using the bathroom will have to remember to lock and unlock all bathroom doors manually when entering and leaving the bathroom. This means a high risk of someone getting locked out, especially if you have guests who aren’t used to the setup.
Design may be more challenging: If you want your Jack and Jill bathroom to mesh well with the design in multiple bathrooms, you may need to hire an interior designer to choose complementary countertops, flooring, tiling, and more.
How Much Does a Jack and Jill Bathroom Cost?
Adding a Jack and Jill bathroom into your home design can cost between $20,000 and $50,000 or more, depending largely on whether you’re converting existing living space or installing an add-on to house the new room.
Converting an existing bathroom to a Jack and Jill bathroom will cost an average of $15,000, which includes installing doors leading to two bedrooms, rearranging the layout to suit the space, installing a double vanity or a long vanity with double sinks, and partitioning off a toilet for privacy.
FAQ: Jack and Jill Bathroom
A Hollywood bathroom is similar to a Jack and Jill in that its primary function is to serve as an ensuite bathroom for two adjoining bedrooms at once. The difference is that a Hollywood bathroom is really two rooms. One room has a double vanity and mirrors, and the second has a toilet and shower/bath. In a Jack and Jill bathroom, all components are typically in a single room, although sometimes the toilet is in a separate water closet.
Jack and Jill bathrooms can have two toilets, but they typically just have one, which is sometimes walled off to provide privacy for anyone using it. Most have a double vanity — one sink each for the occupants of the bedrooms — but the toilet and shower are shared between the two bedrooms.
Jack and Jill bathrooms are popular in homes that house multiple siblings because they allow for the occupants of two bedrooms to share a bathroom. This conserves space while still providing private areas for everyone using the bathroom. They’re also popular in mother-daughter apartments and for homeowners who entertain overnight guests regularly, as they provide some flexibility in how the space is used while conserving square footage.
Jack and Jill bathrooms can add value or detract from it — it all depends on the buyer. If the person buying your home has multiple children or relatives living with them, they may see more value in a Jack and Jill bathroom than in a standard hallway bathroom. If neither of those things applies, though, the buyer may be willing to pay less for your home if they intend on converting the Jack and Jill bathroom to a standard one after closing.
Dan was a property manager from 2015 to 2020, during which time he managed and oversaw the upkeep and repairs of over 2,000 residential properties. He uses that experience, as well as his extensive DIY knowledge, to bring reliable information to homeowners about renovations and home-related projects. Since 2020, he has been using his experience to write about home improvement, and his work has appeared on sites like USA Today, CNN, Angi, and Today’s Homeowner.