Plumbing Rough In Cost: 2026 Pricing Guide for Contractors

$3,500. That’s the typical hit for a full bathroom rough in here in the Pacific Northwest, and most homeowners have no clue why it costs that much until they see what’s actually behind the wall.

I’ve been estimating remodels for 20+ years and plumbing rough in is one of the line items contractors botch most. Either we underbid it because the customer pushed back on price, or we overbid it because we got burned on the last cast iron job. Neither is fair to anyone.

This guide breaks down real plumbing rough in costs for 2026, where the money actually goes, and the gotchas that have cost me on jobs I should’ve priced better. If you need a faster way to put together a full plumbing bid, Try EstimationPro free and let it pull the numbers for you in minutes.

Quick Answer: What Does Plumbing Rough In Cost?

Plumbing rough in cost runs $2,000 to $6,000 per full bathroom, with a typical mid-range job landing around $3,500. A half bath comes in at $1,200 to $2,500. A master bath with multiple fixtures and reconfigured walls can hit $9,000. Total cost depends on plumber labor (24 hours typical), DWV vs. supply complexity, fixture count, and how much demo is needed to reach the existing stack.

Whole-house repipe with PEX runs $3 to $8 per square foot of home. New construction rough in on a full home plumbing package is usually $9,000 to $20,000 before fixtures.

What “Rough In” Actually Includes

A lot of GCs throw “rough in” around like it means one thing. It doesn’t. Make sure your scope matches your sub’s scope before you sign anything.

A proper plumbing rough in covers:

• DWV system. Drain, waste, and vent piping. ABS or PVC, glued and supported per code.
• Supply lines. Hot and cold runs to each fixture location. PEX is now standard for most resi work, copper still common for exposed runs.
• Shutoffs and stub-outs. Capped stubs at toilet, vanity, tub/shower locations.
• Tub or shower valve rough. The valve body gets set behind the wall. Trim comes later.
• Pressure test. Lines get pressurized to verify no leaks before drywall closes the wall.
• First inspection. Most jurisdictions require sign-off on rough plumbing before sheetrock goes up.

What rough in does NOT include: fixture install (toilet, faucets, tub), trim, final connections, gas line work, water heater swap. Those are separate line items.

Plumbing Rough In Cost by Fixture and Scope

Most plumbers price rough in three ways: per fixture, per project, or hourly. Per-fixture is the cleanest comparison for estimating because it scales with the bid.

Scope	Typical Cost	Plumber Hours	Notes
Per fixture rough	$400 - $900	4-8 hrs	Industry rule of thumb
Half bath (powder room)	$1,200 - $2,500	8-12 hrs	Toilet + lav
Full bath rough in	$2,000 - $6,000	16-24 hrs	Tub/shower, toilet, lav
Master bath rough in	$4,500 - $9,000	28-40 hrs	5-7 fixtures, wet wall work
Kitchen rough in	$1,500 - $4,000	10-18 hrs	Sink, dishwasher, disposal, ice maker
Whole-house PEX repipe	$3 - $8/sq ft	40-80 hrs	Supply only, no DWV
New construction (full house)	$9,000 - $20,000	60-120 hrs	DWV + supply, no fixtures

Pricing from HomeAdvisor 2025-2026, HomeGuide 2026, and 20+ years of field experience pulling permits in the PNW. Numbers shift 15-35% by region. New York City and the Bay Area will run high. Phoenix and Atlanta will run low.

Where the Money Actually Goes

I’ve sat with subs who lost their shirts on rough ins because they bid the materials and forgot that 70-80% of the line is labor. Here’s where every dollar of a typical $3,500 full bath rough in goes:

• Labor: $2,160 (62%). 24 hours of licensed plumber at $90/hr.
• DWV materials: $400 (11%). ABS or PVC pipe, fittings, glue, supports.
• Supply materials: $350 (10%). PEX tubing, manifold, expansion fittings.
• Shower valve rough: $250 (7%). Pressure-balance or thermostatic valve body.
• Permits + inspection: $200 (6%). Varies wildly by jurisdiction.
• Overhead + profit: $540 (15% markup). How the sub stays in business.

The labor side gets thicker fast if you hit cast iron drain stacks. I’ve seen $3,500 jobs blow up to $7,000 because the existing 1950s cast iron had to come out before the new PVC could go in. That’s not on the original bid. That’s a change order.

Worked Example #1: Mid-Range Bathroom Remodel

Customer in Tacoma wants a full bath updated. New tub, new vanity, new toilet, same general locations. Plumbing scope:

• Tub/shower valve rough and drain
• Lavatory supply + drain
• Toilet supply + closet flange (re-flange existing)
• Pressure test + inspection

Labor: 20 hours x $90/hr = $1,800 DWV materials (PVC, fittings, no new vent stack): $320 PEX supply lines + manifold tie-in: $280 Shower valve (Moen pressure balance, contractor grade): $220 Permit and inspection (City of Tacoma): $180 Sub markup (20%): $560

Total: $3,360. This is what most full bath rough ins land at when you don’t have to relocate the wet wall.

Worked Example #2: Master Bath with Wall Reconfiguration

Customer in Lakewood wants the bathroom layout flipped. Toilet moves to the opposite wall. New double-vanity replaces a single. Drop-in tub becomes a tile shower.

• Relocate toilet flange and drain (cut concrete slab)
• Run new supply and DWV for relocated toilet
• Add second supply set for double vanity
• New shower valve + new floor drain
• Cap and seal old drain locations
• Two inspections (rough + final)

Labor: 36 hours x $90/hr = $3,240 DWV + new vent take-off: $650 PEX supply (longer runs, more fittings): $480 Shower valve + linear drain: $580 Concrete cut and patch labor (separate line): $700 Permits: $280 Sub markup (20%): $1,186

Total: $7,116. This is why master bath remodels run $4,500 to $9,000 on the plumbing line alone. The relocation work is what kills you.

Try EstimationPro free to plug your own square footage and fixture counts in and get a similar breakdown without the calculator gymnastics.

Regional Pricing Differences

Plumbing labor is one of the most region-sensitive trades in construction. Apprentice-to-journeyman ratios, union vs. non-union shops, and local permit costs swing the number by 30-40% in either direction.

Metro Area	Adjustment vs. National	Typical Full Bath Rough
New York City	+35%	$4,725
San Francisco Bay Area	+30%	$4,550
Seattle / PNW	+12%	$3,920
Chicago	+8%	$3,780
Atlanta	-8%	$3,220
Phoenix	-10%	$3,150
Houston	-12%	$3,080

Source: BLS 47-2152 plumber wages May 2024 (median $62,820/yr), RSMeans city cost indexes 2026. These are starting points, not gospel. Get three local bids before you commit a customer to a number.

Common Mistakes That Blow Up Rough In Bids

Pulled from 20 years of field work. These are the ones that have cost me real money.

• Assuming the existing stack is reusable. Open the wall first. Cast iron over 50 years old is on borrowed time. If your sub has to replace the stack, you’re looking at $1,500-$3,000 in change orders.
• Forgetting the vent take-off. New fixture, no nearby vent? You’re cutting through the roof or running a studor vent. Either way it’s not free.
• Skipping the slab cut estimate. If the toilet moves and the house is on slab, you need a concrete cut, dirt excavation, pipe install, backfill, and patch. That’s a separate trade most contractors forget to include.
• Underestimating permit costs. I’ve seen permits range from $90 in a small town to $480 in Seattle. Always pull the fee schedule before bidding.
• Not pricing the pressure test. Two-stage pressure test (rough + final) takes 2-3 hours of labor and gets missed on per-fixture quotes constantly.
• Bidding before demo. I will not sign a fixed-price plumbing rough in without opening at least one access panel. Hidden rot, old galvanized, or buried junction boxes change everything.

When to Repipe Instead of Rough In

If the customer’s home has galvanized supply lines over 40 years old, or polybutylene anywhere, you’re not doing a rough in. You’re starting a whole-house repipe conversation.

PEX whole-house repipe runs $3 to $8 per square foot of home. A 1,500 sq ft house typically lands $5,500-$11,000 for supply only. Add another $4,000-$8,000 if the DWV needs replacement too.

Tell the customer up front. Don’t bury it in a change order after they’ve signed. I’d rather lose the job than blindside them after demo day.

How to Bid Plumbing Rough In Like a Pro

Use this checklist before you sign anything:

1. Walk the job with your plumbing sub present. Both of you eyeball the existing system.
2. Count every fixture. Old AND new. Note any that are moving more than 18 inches from existing locations.
3. Identify your wet wall. Is plumbing staying in the original wet wall or migrating?
4. Pull the local permit fee schedule. Don’t guess.
5. Add 15-20% contingency for hidden scope. PNW homes especially.
6. Decide on per-fixture vs. lump-sum pricing with the sub upfront.
7. Lock down inspection sequence: rough first, then drywall, then trim, then final.

For the contractor markup math, use our Markup vs. Margin Calculator so you don’t undercharge for your overhead. And if you want to skip the spreadsheet altogether, the Plumbing Cost Estimator builds the rough in scope automatically from a few inputs.

FAQ

Q: How much does plumbing rough in cost per fixture? A: Plumbers typically charge $400 to $900 per fixture for rough in work. A standard residential fixture (toilet, sink, tub, shower) takes 4-8 hours of plumber labor at $50-$150/hr depending on region. The per-fixture method is the cleanest way to scope a remodel bid because it scales with the project size.

Q: How do contractors price a bathroom rough in for a remodel client? A: Most GCs build a fixed-price rough in line by getting a written bid from a licensed plumbing sub, then adding 15-25% markup for project management and overhead. For a full bathroom, that means a sub bid of $2,500-$3,500 becomes a $3,000-$4,300 line item on the customer’s contract. I never include rough in pricing in my estimate until the sub has walked the site with me. Too much hidden scope.

Q: How long does plumbing rough in take? A: A full bath rough in takes 16-24 hours of plumber labor, typically spread over 2-3 days on the job site. Day 1 is DWV layout and install. Day 2 is supply runs and valve roughs. Day 3 covers pressure test and inspection prep. Master baths can run 4-5 days. Add a day for the inspector to actually show up.

Q: Do I need a permit for plumbing rough in? A: Yes, in nearly every U.S. jurisdiction. Rough in work requires both a plumbing permit and an inspection before drywall closes the wall. Permits run $90 to $480 depending on the city. Skipping the permit gets the work torn out, the customer angry, and your license at risk. Not worth it.

Q: Can I use EstimationPro to bid plumbing rough in faster? A: Yes. EstimationPro takes photos, notes, or audio from your walkthrough and generates a full estimate with plumbing line items priced for your region. Most contractors save 2+ hours per bathroom bid. The proposal goes out same-day, and the automated follow-up sequences keep the customer engaged while you’re back on the jobsite working another job.

Q: What’s the difference between rough in and finish plumbing? A: Rough in is the work inside the walls: DWV, supply lines, valve bodies, stub-outs. Finish (or trim) is what the customer sees: toilet, faucets, shower trim, drain covers. Rough in happens before drywall. Finish happens after tile, paint, and cabinets are in. The two trades are usually billed separately.

Bottom Line for Contractors

Plumbing rough in is one of the highest-variance line items in residential remodeling. Get the sub on site before you bid, count every fixture, build contingency for hidden scope, and never skip the permit. The difference between a profitable bath remodel and a money pit usually comes down to how well you scoped the plumbing.

Contractors using EstimationPro save an average of 2 hours per estimate and report sending bids the same day instead of waiting until the weekend to catch up on paperwork. The tool doesn’t just build the estimate. It sends the proposal automatically and runs the follow-up sequences so you win more of the bids you already send, plus it handles invoicing once the work is done. Try EstimationPro free and put your next plumbing bid out before your competitor finishes their coffee.

Regional pricing varies. Numbers in this guide reflect 2026 national averages with PNW field experience. Always verify with local plumbing subs and your jurisdiction’s fee schedule before quoting a customer.