How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost?

A full bathroom remodel typically costs $16,000–$22,000 for an average 55-square-foot hall bath with a tiled walk-in shower and mid-range finishes, at 2026 national-average prices. A light cosmetic refresh can run as little as $8,600–$12,000, while a high-end primary suite remodel with heated floors and stone tile reaches $26,500–$36,500. These ranges include labor, plumbing and electrical work, permits, disposal, sales tax, and a 10% contingency — in other words, the full installed cost, not just materials.

This guide breaks down what a bathroom remodel costs by size and finish level, what's included in the price, the factors that move the number most, and the line items quotes most often leave out. It is written for a homeowner planning a remodel or comparing contractor bids, before anyone signs anything. For a number based on your own bathroom size and city, use the bathroom remodel calculator. If you're holding a quote, paste it into the Quote Checker to see what is missing.

Cost at a glance

The two things that decide the price are the size of the bathroom and the finish level. A powder room is a refresh job; a primary suite with a curbless shower is a different animal entirely.

All ranges are national averages from our calculator, including labor, permits, disposal, sales tax, and a 10% contingency. Labor rates in your metro can move them 10–40% either way — for example, a hall bath runs about $17,500–$24,000 in Austin and $22,500–$31,000 in the Bay Area. See how we calculate costs.

What's included in the price

A full remodel quote is really a bundle of separate jobs. The biggest line items, roughly in order of cost:

• Walk-in shower and waterproofing. The tiled shower is usually the single biggest piece: membrane waterproofing, tile, and a drain assembly. A properly waterproofed shower is expensive because it has to be — this is where cheap bids cut corners.
• Frameless glass shower door. Often priced separately from the shower itself, and it can swing a few hundred dollars either way depending on size and thickness.
• Vanity, top, and faucet. A prefab vanity combo is the budget option; a custom cabinet with a quartz or stone top costs several times more.
• Toilet replacement. Usually included, and a good time to upgrade since the floor is already open.
• Tile floor and underlayment. Floor tile is typically a smaller line item than the shower tile, but it needs a solid underlayment to survive.
• Exhaust fan and vanity lighting. A quiet, properly sized fan and decent lighting make the bathroom work — and the fan must be ducted to the exterior, not into the attic.
• Rough plumbing and valves. New shutoffs, a pressure-balanced shower valve, and sometimes moving drains if the layout changes.
• Demolition and haul-away. Tear-out, dumpster fees, and disposal of tile, the old tub or shower, and fixtures.

Electrical and drywall work usually show up as their own lines. Painting the walls (which takes a beating from moisture) can be estimated with the paint calculator.

What drives the cost up or down

Moving plumbing. Keeping the toilet, sink, and shower where they are is the single biggest way to hold the price down. Moving a drain line or vent stack means opening walls and floors, and each relocated fixture typically adds $1,000–$3,000 to the job.

How much tile you want. A prefab shower stall keeps costs near the refresh level. A floor-to-ceiling custom tile shower with a niche and a bench is beautiful — and is what pushes most remodels into the $16,000–$22,000 range. Tile labor alone is a major cost center; you can sanity-check your own measurements with the tile calculator.

The shower door. Framed or semi-frameless doors cost meaningfully less than thick frameless glass with minimal hardware. This is one place where the look gap is small and the price gap is real.

Heated floors. Electric radiant heat under the tile is one of the most-requested upgrades, typically $700–$1,400 for the thermostat, sensor kit, and dedicated 15-amp electrical run. Most homeowners who get it say it's the feature they notice most in winter.

Water heater capacity. A bigger soaking tub or a double shower head raises the question your plumber should ask: can your water heater keep up? Tankless and tank water heaters size differently, so if hot water is part of the plan, read the tankless vs traditional water heater cost comparison before you buy fixtures.

Who does it. A handyman crew at refresh level charges less than a design-build firm that handles tile, plumbing, and electrical under one contract. Both can do fine work, but their overhead — and what they include — differs. Get at least three itemized quotes.

What quotes often leave out

Bathroom quotes are where the fine print hurts most. Before you compare two bids, confirm each one covers:

• The exhaust fan ducted outside. Some crews vent into the attic, which breeds mold you won't see for years. Exterior ducting with a roof or soffit cap typically runs $400–$800 when it's specified up front.
• Shower waterproofing system by name. The quote should name the system — Schluter, Hydro Ban, RedGard, or equivalent — not just say "waterproofed." A failed curb liner can leak within two years and cost $500–$1,200 to fix after the fact.
• Pressure-balanced shower valve, by brand. Code requires anti-scald protection; the quote should state the brand and model so you're not getting a bargain valve behind expensive tile.
• Tile trim edges. Bullnose or metal Schluter trim at the tile's edges has to be specified, or you'll get rough cut edges at the handoff.
• Exhaust fan size and electrical permit fees. Fan CFM matched to the room size, plus plumbing and electrical permit fees — the bathroom remodel calculator includes them, and yours should too.
• Haul-away and disposal. A gutted bathroom fills a surprising amount of dumpster space.

Anything that is "as needed" without a written unit price — like replacing rotted subfloor under an old tub — should have a per-square-foot price written into the contract before work starts.

How to save without cheaping out

The honest savings come from scope decisions, not from cheaper labor:

• Keep the layout. Every fixture that stays where it is saves roughly $1,000–$3,000 in plumbing work.
• Choose your battles on tile. A prefab shower stall with a nice glass door and tiled floors looks good and can cut thousands off the total. Tile the tub surround instead of building a full custom shower if the budget is tight.
• Refinish before replacing. A tub in good structural shape can be professionally reglazed for far less than a replacement, though reglazing is a refresh, not a 20-year fix.
• Buy fixtures yourself when it helps. Vanity, toilet, and fixtures are often cheaper through retail than through a contractor's markup — just confirm the rough-in measurements match your plumbing first.
• Schedule for the slow season. Remodelers' calendars are fullest in spring and early summer. Late fall and winter bids sometimes come in lower, and the job starts sooner.

What not to skimp on: the waterproofing system, the shower valve, and the fan. These are the items you can't see, can't easily replace, and will pay for twice if they fail.

Permits and timeline

A permit is usually required when a bathroom remodel touches plumbing or electrical, which most full remodels do. Budget a few days to a couple of weeks for approval depending on your city, and never let a contractor talk you out of pulling one — unpermitted work can stall a home sale and complicate insurance claims. If your home was built before 1978, EPA lead-safe rules apply to any contractor work that disturbs painted surfaces, and mention it up front.

Expect a full hall-bath remodel to take 2–4 weeks of active construction, longer for a primary suite with custom tile work. Add lead time for custom vanities and back-ordered tile, which are the two most common schedule killers. Plan to lose the bathroom for the whole duration — if it's your only one, that changes the calculus more than the cost does.

When you have quotes in hand, run them through the Quote Checker before you sign. Knowing the real cost of your bathroom — what should be included, what usually isn't, and what each decision adds — is the cheapest insurance a remodel offers.