Bathroom Remodel Cost (2026): By Size, Type & Scope

Pick your bathroom size and remodel type. Published rates run $70 to $400 per square foot; the type decides which slice of that band you are in.

What a bathroom remodel costs

Published 2026 figures put an average bathroom remodel at $12,000, with most homeowners between $6,000 and $18,000. A partial makeover can be done for $2,400; a full renovation of a large primary bathroom can pass $30,000.

The type of remodel matters more than the floor area. A minor remodel — regrouting tile, refinishing the vanity, reglazing the tub, painting — runs $2,400 to $10,000. A partial remodel that replaces the tub or shower surround and the vanity runs $6,000 to $25,000. A full gut renovation runs $9,000 to $30,000, and layout changes push it higher.

Cost per square foot, by bathroom size

Published rates run about $120 per square foot on average, from roughly $70 to $400 depending on scope and finish quality. That is high for a home interior, and it is not a mistake: a bathroom packs plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and tile into a small area, and labor is billed for the trip rather than the square footage.

Published bands by size: a 35 sq ft half bath runs $2,450 to $14,000; a 50 sq ft full bath $3,500 to $20,000; a 100 sq ft bathroom $7,000 to $40,000. The top of each band is a full remodel with premium finishes, which is why the same size can quadruple in price.

A half bath or powder room is the cheapest to redo, $1,200 to $15,000, because there is no tub or shower. A primary bath runs $7,000 to $30,000, and a wet room can pass $35,000 because of the extra waterproofing and tile.

Where the budget goes

Published breakdowns put the shower or tub at 25% of a bathroom budget and the vanity and shelving at another 25%. Fixtures 10%, tile work 10%, utilities 10%, countertops 6%, doors and windows 5%, permits 4%, contingency 5%.

Half the money is in two objects. That is why bathroom quotes swing so violently: a walk-in shower with a tiled surround and a frameless glass panel can eat what a modest vanity cost twice over. When someone says their quotes came in at $7,000 and $28,000, this line item is usually why.

Utilities at 10% is the line that moves when you relocate anything. Keeping the toilet, sink and shower where they already are is the biggest saving available in a bathroom, and it costs nothing but a design compromise.

Labor, permits, and the mold nobody plans for

Labor runs about 50% of a bathroom remodel, from 40% to 65% depending on the work, or roughly $6,000 on an average project. That covers plumbers, electricians, carpenters and tile setters.

Demolition is sometimes billed separately, $600 to $2,300. Permits average around 4% of the project, roughly $500, and most municipalities require them once plumbing or electrical moves.

Then there is what is behind the tile. Published guidance flags mold remediation from $500 to $1,500 and water damage repair from $500 to $4,500. That is what the 5% contingency is for, and why the cheapest renovation quote is rarely the cheapest job.

What actually returns its cost

Published figures put a bathroom remodel at 50% to 75% return on investment, adding $6,000 to $9,000 to home value. Mid-range renovations return the most; high-end finishes return less per dollar even though they add more absolute value.

The highest-return items are also the cheapest: regrouting, refinishing the vanity, replacing plumbing fixtures, reglazing the tub. Worth knowing before you assume a full gut job is the upgrade.

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