Home Equity How Much Should a Bathroom Remodel Cost? 2 people contribute to this content Written by Jonathon Jachura Written by Jonathon Jachura Expertise: Home improvement, HVAC systems, energy efficiency, plumbing, lawn care Jon Jachura is a home improvement enthusiast and engineer with more than a decade of experience in HVAC systems and hands-on home projects. He enjoys helping homeowners understand, plan, and budget for upgrades that make their homes more comfortable and efficient. Learn more about Jonathon Jachura Edited by Amanda Hankel Edited by Amanda Hankel Expertise: Writing, editing, digital publishing Amanda Hankel is a managing editor at LendEDU. She has more than seven years of experience covering various finance-related topics and has worked for more than 15 years overall in writing, editing, and publishing. Learn more about Amanda Hankel Written by Jonathon Jachura Written by Jonathon Jachura Expertise: Home improvement, HVAC systems, energy efficiency, plumbing, lawn care Jon Jachura is a home improvement enthusiast and engineer with more than a decade of experience in HVAC systems and hands-on home projects. He enjoys helping homeowners understand, plan, and budget for upgrades that make their homes more comfortable and efficient. Learn more about Jonathon Jachura Edited by Amanda Hankel Edited by Amanda Hankel Expertise: Writing, editing, digital publishing Amanda Hankel is a managing editor at LendEDU. She has more than seven years of experience covering various finance-related topics and has worked for more than 15 years overall in writing, editing, and publishing. Learn more about Amanda Hankel show more Jan 15, 2026 The typical bathroom remodel falls between $6,650 and $17,600. Most land around $12,100. Your project scope matters—so does which bathroom and what materials you pick. Go all out with custom tile and designer fixtures and you could spend $80,000. My basement bathroom in northern Indiana cost $17,000 in 2023. The space was already plumbed, too—no demo work, no moving pipes. A straightforward job that still ate through budget faster than I expected. The tile alone ran almost $2,000. Worth it? Absolutely. But it blew past my original $12,000 estimate. If your bathroom project exceeds what you’ve got saved, financing options like home equity loans or HELOCs can help spread the cost over time. Costs in this article are sourced from contractor estimates via Angi. Table of Contents Average bathroom remodel costs by project scope Minor remodel: $3,000 to $10,000 Partial remodel: $10,000 to $25,000 Full remodel: $25,000 to $80,000 Bathroom remodel costs by bathroom type Half bath or powder room: $1,500 to $15,000 Guest bathroom: $5,600 to $20,000 Primary bathroom: $8,400 to $30,000 Cost breakdown by component Shower and tub Tile and flooring Vanity, sink, and countertops Toilet Plumbing and electrical Ventilation, lighting, and finishing touches What affects bathroom remodel costs Labor Materials quality Permits and demolition Floor plan changes and accessibility DIY vs. hiring a professional Is a bathroom remodel worth it? Return on investment When to remodel How to pay for a bathroom remodel Home equity loan Home equity line of credit (HELOC) Cash-out refinance Home improvement loan FAQs What is the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel? How long does a bathroom remodel take? Can I remodel a bathroom for $10,000? Does a bathroom remodel add value to my home? Average bathroom remodel costs by project scope Most contractors talk about bathroom work in three categories: minor, partial, and full. Pin down which category matches your plans before calling contractors—helps avoid sticker shock when bids come in. Be honest with yourself here. Most people underestimate what they’re getting into. That “quick vanity swap” somehow becomes new floors, a coat of paint, maybe that rainfall showerhead you saw at the home improvement store last month. Minor remodel: $3,000 to $10,000 Minor means you’re not touching the toilet, shower, or sink. Think paint, wallpaper, new vanity, towel bars, maybe finally replacing that exhaust fan. This works well when the bathroom functions fine, but the style feels dated. Don’t overlook what small updates can accomplish. My neighbor spent $200 on a new mirror, changed out her cabinet hardware, and swapped the light fixture. The whole room felt different when she finished. She spent $1,500 and one weekend. No plumber required. Partial remodel: $10,000 to $25,000 With a partial remodel, you’re swapping at least one major fixture. Maybe a new toilet. Maybe ripping out the tub for a shower. Floors and countertops usually get refreshed, too, though the layout stays the same. Contractors like partial remodels. They show up once, knock it out, and move on. Beats returning three separate times for three separate small jobs. Got a list of updates? See if your contractor will bundle them. Full remodel: $25,000 to $80,000 In a full remodel, everything goes. Take it down to bare studs and start over. New fixtures, new tile, new flooring, everything. Most people leave pipes where they are since moving them costs a fortune. High-end jobs with custom tile, fancy faucets, and heated floors can run past $80,000. One thing nobody mentions early on: full remodels mean living without that bathroom for three to six weeks. If it’s your only one, you’ve got a logistics problem. I’ve known people who rented porta-potties for the driveway. Others moved in with relatives for a month. Bathroom remodel costs by bathroom type Half bath or powder room: $1,500 to $15,000 For a half bath, you’re looking at thirty square feet, give or take. You’ve got a toilet, sink, and vanity crammed in there. Upgrading to vinyl floors with a basic laminate vanity? About $1,500. Custom hardwood and a vessel sink? Now you’re looking at $15,000. Wallpaper that would overwhelm a bigger room works fine here. Same with an oddball sink or oversized mirror. Guests are in and out too fast to notice if it’s too much. Guest bathroom: $5,600 to $20,000 These run about 80 square feet—shower or tub, toilet, vanity, and sink. Stock fixtures and ceramic tile get you in for around $5,600. Custom tile and a frameless glass walk-in shower push toward $20,000. And here’s the thing—this bathroom is the one company actually uses. Your primary bath stays behind a closed door. The guest bath shapes impressions. Something to think about if you might sell. Primary bathroom: $8,400 to $30,000 Primary baths average around 120 square feet—double sinks, shower and tub separated, plenty of counter. All that floor space adds up when you’re buying tile and flooring. A stock vanity and tub-shower combo keeps the price down. Throw in double vanities, stone counters, and one of those freestanding soaking tubs and you’re pushing $30,000. Double sinks sound great until the plumber quotes the job. The plumber has to run a second drain and a second supply line. The vanity gets wider, counter gets longer. All that adds $1,500 to $3,000. Most couples who fight over sink time say it’s worth it. Cost breakdown by component Shower and tub Nothing eats budget like the wet area. Here are what the options for shower and tub updates cost: Shower remodel: $300 to $15,000 Bathtub replacement: $2,000 to $9,400 Prefab shower kits: $600 to $1,800 Walk-in shower: $4,200 to $8,500 Tub-to-shower conversion: $1,200 to $3,600 Tile and flooring Installed tile in the midrange costs $10 to $50 per square foot. Ceramic dominates for good reason—it holds up, comes in endless styles, and installers don’t have to think twice. Vinyl installs quicker and costs less. Luxury vinyl plank has gained ground because it handles water better than natural wood or laminate. Tile size affects labor cost more than most people realize. Large format tiles (12×24 or bigger) cover ground quickly. Small mosaic tiles require tedious installation and lots of grout lines. A shower with penny tile accents might look great on Pinterest, but your installer will charge accordingly. Honestly, I’d skip the intricate patterns unless you’ve got budget to burn. Vanity, sink, and countertops Sink installation runs $250 to $700 for midrange models. Countertop replacement costs $400 to $4,300 including labor. Stock vanities with premade countertops come in at $100 to $2,600, while custom vanities can add $10,000 or more. Toilet A midrange toilet with installation costs about $400. Dual-flush models start near $350. The smart toilets with heated seats and bidets? Those start at $4,000. Comfort height models sit 17 to 19 inches instead of 15 and don’t cost any more. Your knees will thank you. Plumbing and electrical Running new rough-in plumbing for a big job averages $7,000. Smaller fixes—moving a supply line, replacing some valves—hover around $800. Plumbers want $50 to $200 an hour, depending on your market. Electricians bill about the same. Outlets are $100 to $450 apiece. Bathroom electrical codes got stricter somewhere along the way. Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets near water, fans that actually vent outside, and dedicated circuits. Older homes tend to need updates once the walls open up. Ventilation, lighting, and finishing touches Moisture has to go somewhere. A vent fan with light runs about $400 installed. Fixtures run $200 to $600. Paint runs $150 to $900 based on square footage. Towel racks are $100 to $500. A showerhead can be $75 or $700, depending on how fancy you get. Cabinet hardware is $3 to $200 a piece. Undercabinet lighting plus a dimmer runs about $150 and makes the room feel totally different at night. What affects bathroom remodel costs Labor Labor takes 40% to 65% of most budgets. General contractors tack on 10% to 20% for managing everything. Plumbers and electricians want $50 to $200 an hour in most markets. The more custom the job, the more billable hours pile up. Geography matters. A plumber in rural Indiana doesn’t charge San Francisco rates. Get three quotes minimum before committing to anyone. Materials quality Big-box fixtures install easy and cost less. They also wear out sooner. Midrange stuff—Kohler, solid ceramic tile—lasts. Designer finishes, natural stone, and custom pieces sit at the top—and the prices reflect it. My take? Midrange materials hit the right balance for most bathrooms. Economy fixtures show their age within five years. Upscale finishes look gorgeous, but the premium rarely pays back at resale unless you’re in a luxury market. Permits and demolition Permits are $100 to $1,000, depending on your city and the scope. Demo is $1,000 to $2,300. Then someone has to haul away all the wreckage—tile, vanity, that avocado toilet—and that’s another $100 to $800. Some contractors bury permit costs in their overhead. Others list them separately. Ask upfront so you’re comparing quotes accurately. Floor plan changes and accessibility Moving pipes or wiring? Budget at least $5,000 extra. Grab bars are $100 to $500 installed. Walk-in tubs go for $4,000 to $12,000. The U.S. Access Board has the official specs you need to meet ADA compliance. DIY vs. hiring a professional Doing it yourself can bring costs down to $3,000 to $8,000. Painting, swapping showerheads, installing a new vanity, putting up shelves—that’s all DIY-friendly. Moving pipes, rewiring, or waterproofing? Leave those alone unless you actually know what you’re doing. Mess up a wet area and damage snowballs. Water finds every bad seam, every caulk gap, every drainage problem. Rot can set in before you notice anything’s wrong. I learned this with my basement bathroom. Even with rough-ins already run, permits and code requirements made DIY impractical beyond painting and trim. Licensed plumbers and electricians handled the rest. I saved maybe $800 doing my own painting. Looking back, not worth the headache. Check out the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) advice on hiring contractors if you want to avoid getting burned. Is a bathroom remodel worth it? Return on investment Midrange remodels return 70% to 74% at resale. The 2025 National Association of Realtors (NAR) Remodeling Impact Report puts bathrooms in the top three renovations buyers care about. Cost recovery matters less if you plan to stay in your home long-term, though. A bathroom you actually enjoy using has value beyond resale numbers. Buyers notice bathrooms. A dated bathroom with pink tile and brass fixtures gives them negotiating leverage. An updated bathroom removes objections. You might not recoup every dollar, but you’ll likely sell faster. When to remodel Cracked tiles, dripping fixtures, visible mold—those are obvious signs. So is a bathroom stuck in 1985 when the rest of your home isn’t. Slippery floors and no grab bars count too. Got mold? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains how to deal with it. How to pay for a bathroom remodel Not everyone has $15,000 in savings. Over half of remodeling homeowners—54%, according to that NAR report—financed their projects with home equity loans or HELOCs. Home equity loan A home equity loan is one chunk of money at a fixed rate. Your payment stays identical month to month. Best fit for large renovations where you’ve nailed down the total cost upfront. Here are top lender picks. Home equity line of credit (HELOC) A HELOC provides revolving credit you can draw as needed. Most carry variable rates. Good fit if you’re doing the work in stages or don’t know exactly what you’ll spend. Read about our lender recommendations here. Cash-out refinance With a cash-out refinance, you replace your mortgage with a larger one and pocket the difference. Makes sense if you can also lower your interest rate. Otherwise, you’re just reshuffling debt. Read our roundup of the best cash-out refinance companies. Home improvement loan A home improvement loan is an unsecured personal loan for renovations. Rates run higher than secured options, but recent buyers who haven’t built much equity sometimes find this path easier. Read more about the best home improvement loans. FAQs What is the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel? The shower and tub area, without question. Plumbing, waterproofing, flooring, surround materials, and custom tile work add up fast. Prefab units and larger tiles help control costs here. How long does a bathroom remodel take? Anywhere from three to eight weeks, based on scope. Paint and a vanity swap take two to three weeks. Full remodels with plumbing and electrical stretch to four to eight weeks. Get a timeline from your contractor before work starts, then mentally add a buffer. Delays happen. Can I remodel a bathroom for $10,000? Yes. $10,000 covers a fixture swap, new floors, and updated counters. Get midrange materials with no plumbing changes. Does a bathroom remodel add value to my home? You’ll see 70% to 74% back on a midrange job at resale. The best payback comes from fixing obvious stuff—mold, cracked tiles, fixtures from the Carter administration. Luxury finishes add value, but you’ll only see full return in upscale neighborhoods. Article sources At LendEDU, our writers and editors rely on primary sources, such as government data and websites, industry reports and whitepapers, and interviews with experts and company representatives. We also reference reputable company websites and research from established publishers. This approach allows us to produce content that is accurate, unbiased, and supported by reliable evidence. Read more about our editorial standards. U.S. Access Board, ADA Accessibility Standards for Bathroom Alterations FTC Consumer Advice, How to Avoid Home Improvement Scams National Association of Realtors, 2025 Remodeling Impact Report EPA, Mold and Moisture Guidance Angi, How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost? [2025 Data] About our contributors Written by Jonathon Jachura Jon Jachura is a home improvement enthusiast and engineer with more than a decade of experience in HVAC systems and hands-on home projects. He enjoys helping homeowners understand, plan, and budget for upgrades that make their homes more comfortable and efficient. Edited by Amanda Hankel Amanda Hankel is a managing editor at LendEDU. She has more than seven years of experience covering various finance-related topics and has worked for more than 15 years overall in writing, editing, and publishing.