How to Estimate a Bathroom Remodel

A bathroom remodel estimate is built trade by trade, starting with demo and ending with fixtures, and if you skip any layer, you will get burned on the final number.

Bathroom estimates trip up contractors and homeowners alike because the scope looks small until you open up the walls. Twenty years of remodel work taught me that bathrooms are the most expensive rooms per square foot in any house. You are compressing plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tile, and finish work into 50 to 100 square feet. Every mistake costs more here than anywhere else on the job.

This guide walks you through a real trade-by-trade breakdown so you can build an estimate that holds up when the job is done.

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Quick Answer

A bathroom remodel costs between $3,000 and $75,000 depending on scope. Budget remodels run $3,000 to $12,000, mid-range projects land at $12,000 to $30,000, and high-end full rebuilds reach $30,000 to $75,000. The average full remodel runs around $20,000. Per square foot, expect $70 to $400, with $200 per square foot as a solid working number for mid-range work.

Use the Bathroom Remodel Cost Calculator to get a scoped number in under two minutes.

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What Does a Bathroom Remodel Actually Include?

Before you can estimate, you need a scope. Most people lump “bathroom remodel” into one bucket, but there are three distinct project types:

Cosmetic refresh - New fixtures, paint, vanity swap, maybe a mirror. No demo, no rough work. This is your budget range, $3,000 to $12,000.

Full remodel - Demo to studs or close to it. New tile, new plumbing rough-in if moving fixtures, updated electrical, waterproofing, all new finishes. This is your mid-range at $12,000 to $30,000.

Luxury rebuild - Full structural work possible, high-end tile, custom shower, radiant floor heat, designer fixtures. This is $30,000 to $75,000 and beyond.

Get the scope locked before you put a number on paper. Change orders wreck budgets because someone estimated a cosmetic job and found a gut job behind the walls.

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How Do You Break Down a Bathroom Remodel Estimate by Trade?

Here is the framework I use. Every trade gets its own line. No blending, no rounding.

1. Demolition

Demo is the first cost and the first unknown. On a standard 60-square-foot bathroom:

• Labor: 4 to 8 hours at $40 to $75 per hour
• Dumpster or haul-away: $150 to $400
• Total demo range: $350 to $1,000

If you are hitting tile on concrete backer over a subfloor, add time. Ceramic tile removal runs 45 to 90 minutes per 100 square feet with a demo hammer. Budget the high end if you have never seen what is under those floors.

2. Plumbing

Plumbing is where scopes explode. Moving a toilet 12 inches costs more than replacing the toilet in place. Here is the breakdown:

• Plumber hourly rate: $50 to $150, typical $90
• Toilet replacement (no move): 2 to 3 hours, $180 to $450 labor
• Vanity faucet swap: 1 to 1.5 hours, $90 to $225 labor
• Shower valve replacement: 2 to 4 hours, $180 to $600 labor
• Moving drain (wet wall work): 4 to 8 hours plus materials, $500 to $1,200+

For a full remodel with new fixtures in existing locations, budget $800 to $2,500 for plumbing labor. If fixtures are moving, add $500 to $1,500 per move minimum.

3. Electrical

Most bathroom remodels need at least a GFCI update and an exhaust fan upgrade. Here is what to expect:

• Electrician hourly rate: $50 to $150, typical $85
• GFCI outlet replacement: 1 hour, $85 to $150
• New exhaust fan with dedicated circuit: 3 to 5 hours, $255 to $750
• Vanity light fixture install: 1 to 2 hours, $85 to $300
• Heated floor thermostat and wiring: 2 to 4 hours, $170 to $600

Budget $500 to $1,500 for electrical on a standard remodel. If the panel needs an upgrade or you are adding radiant heat, double that.

4. Tile and Waterproofing

Tile is where the budget separates fast. The material is only half of it. The substrate and waterproofing underneath is what makes or breaks a shower long-term.

• Waterproofing membrane (Schluter, RedGard, etc.): $2 to $5 per square foot installed
• Cement board or backer: $1.50 to $3 per square foot installed
• Tile labor: $4 to $15 per square foot, typical $8
• Grout and setting materials: $1 to $3 per square foot

For a 36 x 36 shower with walls to 72 inches:

• Shower floor: ~9 sq ft
• Shower walls: ~72 sq ft
• Total tile area: ~81 sq ft
• Labor at $8/sf: $648
• Materials (tile, grout, thinset): $3 to $12/sf depending on tile choice
• Waterproofing: $200 to $400

For floor tile outside the shower on a 60-square-foot bathroom:

• Labor: $240 to $480 (at $4 to $8/sf)
• Materials: $150 to $600 depending on tile

Get the full picture on labor rates in the Tile Installation Labor Cost breakdown.

5. Paint and Finishes

Paint gets underestimated every time. Bathroom paint means cutting around tile, fixtures, mirrors, and trim. Budget 20 percent more time than an open room.

• Painter or DIY labor: 4 to 8 hours for a standard bathroom
• Paint (mold-resistant): $40 to $80 per gallon, typically 1 to 2 gallons
• Trim, caulk, touch-up materials: $50 to $150
• Total paint line: $200 to $800

6. Fixtures and Installation

This is where homeowners blow the budget without realizing it. Fixture prices swing hard. Here is a realistic range:

Fixture	Material Cost	Install Labor	Total Range
Toilet	$150 - $1,200	$150 - $400	$300 - $1,600
Vanity + sink combo	$200 - $3,000	$200 - $500	$400 - $3,500
Faucet	$50 - $800	$100 - $300	$150 - $1,100
Shower valve + trim	$150 - $1,500	$200 - $600	$350 - $2,100
Mirror / medicine cabinet	$80 - $600	$100 - $250	$180 - $850
Exhaust fan	$60 - $400	$150 - $450	$210 - $850

Fixture install typically runs $150 to $600 per fixture, with $350 as a working average. On a five-fixture bathroom, budget $1,750 in install labor before touching a single material invoice.

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Worked Example 1: Budget Cosmetic Refresh

Scope: 55 sq ft hall bathroom. Keep existing layout. Swap vanity, toilet, fixtures. Paint walls. Add subway tile backsplash behind vanity only (12 sq ft).

Line Item	Cost
Demo (vanity, toilet, accessories)	$300
Plumbing (toilet + faucet in place)	$500
Electrical (GFCI + fan)	$400
Tile (12 sq ft backsplash)	$250
Paint	$350
Fixtures (vanity, toilet, faucet, fan, mirror)	$1,800
Contingency (15%)	$540
Total	$4,140

This is a real number for a real job. Fits the $3,000 to $12,000 budget range. The contingency matters here because you will find something behind that vanity.

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Worked Example 2: Mid-Range Full Remodel

Scope: 70 sq ft master bathroom. Full demo. New shower with tile to ceiling. New floor tile. Updated plumbing (fixtures stay in same location). New vanity, toilet, fixtures. Updated electrical with heated floor.

Line Item	Cost
Demo and haul-away	$900
Plumbing (rough and finish, no moves)	$2,200
Electrical (heated floor, new fan, GFCI, lights)	$1,800
Waterproofing and backer	$600
Shower tile (90 sq ft)	$1,400
Floor tile (70 sq ft)	$900
Paint and finishes	$600
Fixtures (vanity, toilet, faucets, shower system, mirror, fan)	$4,500
Heated floor mat (70 sq ft)	$800
Contingency (15%)	$2,135
Total	$15,835

This sits in the mid-range at $226 per square foot. The contingency is not optional. In my experience, two out of every three full remodels hit an unexpected cost once walls are opened.

Try EstimationPro free to build a scoped estimate like this in under five minutes.

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What Contingency Should You Add to a Bathroom Estimate?

Contingency is not padding. It is a calculated buffer based on scope risk.

• Cosmetic refresh, no demo: 10 percent
• Full remodel, demo to drywall: 15 to 20 percent
• Older home (pre-1980), unknown conditions: 25 percent minimum

I have opened walls in houses built in 1965 and found galvanized pipe ready to collapse, water damage from a slow leak nobody knew about, and subfloor rot that tripled the scope. If the house is old and nobody has touched the bathroom in 30 years, price in 25 percent and explain it to the customer before you start.

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Pro Tips: What Experienced Contractors Do Differently

Waste factor tile correctly. Add 10 percent for straight lay, 15 percent for diagonal, 20 percent for herringbone. Cutting waste is real. Running short on a discontinued tile is a nightmare.

Price in waterproofing as a non-negotiable. Some contractors skip RedGard or a full membrane system to save money. Do not. A failed shower pan that leaks into the subfloor costs $5,000 to $15,000 to repair. Waterproofing is $300 to $600. There is no math where skipping it makes sense.

Separate material and labor clearly. Your customer does not need to see blended line items. Separate costs build trust and make change orders easier to handle when scope changes.

Visit the job before you finalize numbers. A bathroom estimate from a phone conversation is not an estimate. It is a guess. I have seen contractors lose thousands on jobs they priced off photos because the floor structure was compromised and the tile layout required custom cuts throughout.

Get the full labor breakdown right. Use the Labor Cost Calculator to check your rates against regional averages before you hand over a bid.

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Common Mistakes That Blow Bathroom Budgets

Underestimating demo time. Tile on a mortar bed takes twice as long to remove as tile on backer board. If you do not know what you are cutting into, price the high end.

Forgetting permit fees. In most jurisdictions, a full bathroom remodel requires a permit. Permits run $150 to $800 depending on location. That is a real line item, not overhead to absorb.

Pricing fixtures before the customer picks them. A vanity can cost $200 or $3,000. Use an allowance in your estimate and document it clearly. “Vanity allowance: $800. Customer selection above allowance is a change order.”

Not accounting for lead time. Tile, fixtures, and specialty items have lead times. A 10-week lead on a shower pan shuts your job down for 10 weeks if you did not plan for it.

Skipping the regional adjustment. Bathroom remodel costs vary significantly by geography. Labor rates in San Francisco run 40 to 60 percent higher than rural areas. Material costs follow local supply chain pricing. Always apply a regional factor to your numbers. The ranges in this guide are national averages. Check the Bathroom Remodel Cost Guide for regional data.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to estimate a bathroom remodel? A solid estimate for a standard bathroom takes 2 to 4 hours if you have visited the site. That includes measuring, scoping each trade, pricing materials, and applying contingency. Rushing this process costs you money on every job.

Should I include overhead and profit in my estimate? Yes, always. Overhead covers your truck, insurance, tools, and time managing the job. Profit is how you stay in business. A working model is 20 to 30 percent markup on labor and materials. If you are not including both, you are subsidizing your customer’s remodel.

What is the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel? Labor is typically 40 to 60 percent of total project cost. Within labor, plumbing and tile installation carry the highest rates. Fixture cost can spike the material side significantly if the homeowner selects premium products.

How do I handle unknown conditions in my estimate? Price in a contingency line item and document it clearly in your proposal. “This estimate includes a 20% contingency for unknown conditions discovered during demolition. Any unused contingency will be credited at job completion.” This protects you and builds customer trust.

Can I estimate a bathroom remodel myself as a homeowner? You can get close using the trade breakdown framework above. The challenge is knowing production rates and local labor costs. The Bathroom Remodel Cost Calculator gives you a structured starting point. For bids from contractors, getting three quotes and comparing scope is still the best validation.

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A bathroom estimate built trade by trade holds up. One built as a gut-feel number falls apart when the first wall comes down. Break it down, price each line, add contingency, and be honest about what you do not know until demo day.

Try EstimationPro free and build your next bathroom estimate the right way.

For a trade-by-trade breakdown of what each subcontractor actually costs on a bathroom job, see our guide on bathroom remodel labor cost breakdown.

Pricing ranges reflect national averages as of early 2026. Regional labor markets, material costs, and permit fees vary significantly. Always verify current local rates before finalizing any estimate.