Bathroom Remodel Cost - The Full Guide
Rough averages:
- Basic: $25K
- Average: $40K
- High-end: $65K+
Find out exactly how much your bath remodel will cost.
When you’re planning to remodel your bathroom, cost always comes up sooner or later. It’s important to view cost through a lens of value. Look at both the benefits you’re creating with the remodel as well as the implications of the process itself.
I leave no stone unturned in this complete guide, so let’s begin.
Table of Contents
Average Bathroom Remodel Cost
Online, you’ll find average remodeling costs that are highly misleading. I’ve yet to see a full bath remodel done for $3,000 in Raleigh. Or a high-end job completed for $28K.
I think it’s important to get relevant information from local experts, specific to your needs. Because an informed client is a smart client.
Being transparent with pricing up-front so clients can see the full picture and plan better is one of our core values here at Greystone Remodeling.
So I’ll try to approach the discussion about cost from multiple angles – from the size of the bathroom and specific costs to the value you’re adding to your home.
The Value Of A Bath Remodel
When planning your project, it’s important to take into consideration that you’re actually making an investment in your home. And like any investment, there’s a return on your investment.
According to Remodeling’s 2021 Cost vs Value report for Raleigh, for an upscale Bath Remodel you’re getting 49.2% back when you sell your home.
So you invest the money now, enjoy your bath for years to come, and when it’s time to move on – you’re still benefiting from an investment done years ago.
Let’s look at it this way. If you plan to remodel your bath for $68K and you recoup $33K, the actual investment is $35K. If you plan on enjoying it for 10 years, your actual investment is $3.5K/year or about $300/mo. That’s cheaper than my truck’s monthly payment!
Bathroom Cost, A Birds-Eye-View
Let’s start thinking about the budget for your remodel: it’s common practice to spend between 5-10% of the home’s value for a bathroom remodeling project. If you have a $300K home, then you can plan to spend between $15-$30K on your bathroom.
To get a bit more granular (but still rough), you can estimate the cost of your bathroom based on its size. Add in the quality of materials and appliances that go into the remodel as well as the complexity of the job and you get a very loose estimate.
For the sake of simplicity, I’ve tried to bake in all costs (foreseen and unforeseen) into a project. These include and are not limited to:
- Hidden surprises
- Age of construction
- Cost of mistakes
- Labor of employees
- Backend services
- Profit
- Material choice
- Number of fixtures
I’ll explain all of these in the article below.
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Get your personalized bathroom remodel estimate
Because in reality there are many variables that go into a bath remodel, I highly recommend getting your exact estimate for your specific needs.
Weeding Out Bathroom Remodeling Contractors
A bath remodeling project is more than just paying for materials and labor. Here are some of the contractors’ hidden costs that you may not be aware of. These will help you weed out contractors that are underbidding and are highly likely to underperform.
Hidden Surprises
It’s not unusual to find water damage, mold, or wood rot before or during remodels. We highly recommend fixing the issues before moving forward. You should always be kept in the loop on how your remodel goes.
Cost of Mistakes
I know what you’re thinking, “I shouldn’t have to pay for other people’s mistakes”. And you’re absolutely right. Unfortunately, there are people working throughout your project and people aren’t perfect. Sometimes the materials that are shipped suffer damage and need to be replaced.
Whatever the issue, a businessman needs to compensate for the unforeseen so he can overdeliver. That means that materials should be marked up by around 10-20% to cover for any little mistakes that may happen.
Labor of Employees and Subcontractors
The average construction worker makes $20 an hour. A typical bathroom remodel takes about 300 hours to complete. Because I want you to enjoy your bathroom as soon as possible, I usually pay the employees overtime fees so we can complete the job faster. There will be about 3 employees working on your project for about 2 weeks.
That adds up to 240 hours of regular pay and 60 hours of overtime paid at 1.5 times the regular wage. If we add it all up, the labor alone is $6,600.
Backend Services
The part that’s never seen is all the people and upkeep that helps run the business. I have to pay for accounting, legal services, insurance, truck maintenance, training, certifications, office supplies, software, and other similar expenses. There are also costs associated with marketing – costs that enable us not only to reach potential clients but also educate and offer valuable content.
Besides these, I also invest in myself as a business owner so I’m always up-to-date on the latest trends in the industry so I can serve my clients best.
Profit
The idea that all professionals should charge an amount which covers their overhead has been around since Adam Smith’s 18th-century theory about markets: “People who work together face certain risks; these must be shared by owners (or managers) so no one person made entirely disgorge while others reap large rewards without adding much value”.
As with any business, there needs to be profit – otherwise, the business collapses. Profit enables us to grow, keep our employees and pay our subcontractors. You’re creating a positive impact on the local economy by supporting a local business. I’ve seen my fair share of remodeling businesses going out of business because of incorrect estimates. It’s not that we don’t want to give you the best price possible – we’re actually giving you the best price we can to keep things going.
Materials
And then, there’s the cost of materials that can widely range based on the options that you choose. I’ll dive into these below. If you only consider putting a cost of $6,000 on these and we add everything up we end up with a total that exceeds $15K.
Contractors Red Flags
There are many challenges in finding a contractor for any job. Sometimes, you may have the impression they can take on your project at any cost because of their low price point but this is often not true – instead, ask them questions to figure out why the price is so low.
From my experience, more often than not, a low price will have you end up hiring another contractor to step in and fix the problem or you may just end up with a bathroom you’re not really happy with.
The Greystone Difference
Perhaps we’re a little bit more expensive because we know what we’re doing. You’re also getting complete peace of mind before, during, and after working with us.
Here are two benefits that set us apart.
A Process That's Focused On You
When your remodel is complete, we’ll do a comprehensive walkthrough together to verify that we didn’t overlook anything. You have three days following our service to conduct your own detailed inspection and determine whether everything is satisfactory. You can contact us anytime with comments.
We’ll also check in on you every 6 months to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your bathroom remodel.
Our Promise And Warranty
We offer one of the highest warranties locally for the services provided. Because I’m a firm believer that a job should be done right on the first go, you benefit from a 5-year labor and systems warranty. Besides that, you also benefit from the manufacturer’s warranty on materials.
If something happens that is within our control and covered by the warranty and contract, we’ll come in and repair it for free.
See our complete process and how it benefits you.
Budget Breakdown For Your Bath Remodel
Let’s take a look at the expense breakdown according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. This breakdown is only a guideline since each project is unique.
Depending on the bathroom renovation type, the numbers look like in the table below. As always, these are to be used as guidelines as specifics differ from project to project.
| Item | % of Job | Basic | Average | High-End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | 20% | $5,000 | $8,000 | $13,000 |
| Cabinetry | 16% | $4,000 | $6,400 | $10,400 |
| Fixtures | 15% | $3,750 | $6,000 | $9,750 |
| Plumbing | 14% | $3,500 | $5,600 | $9,100 |
| Floor | 9% | $2,250 | $3,600 | $5,850 |
| Counter Top | 7% | $1,750 | $2,800 | $4,450 |
| Lighting | 5% | $1,250 | $2,000 | $3,250 |
| Walls & Ceiling | 5% | $1,250 | $2,000 | $3,250 |
| Other | 5% | $1,250 | $2,000 | $3,250 |
| Doors & Windows | 4% | $1,000 | $1,600 | $2,600 |
| Total | 100% | $25,000 | $40,000 | $65,000 |
Budgeting for Time
One thing that our clients value most in our bath remodeling service is my word when it comes to delivering the project on set times.
It’s uncomfortable as-is to have strangers roaming around in your home. It’s unpleasant to not be able to enjoy the privacy of the master bathroom while in the process of remodeling.
With that said, it’s our top priority to give you your bathroom back as soon as possible. That’s why we get more people involved in our projects than other contractors. That’s why we plan ahead and notify you in time to offset any issues that may appear down the line.
When the average time in the industry for a master bath remodel is eight weeks, we try to overdeliver and give you back your privacy in about 3 weeks since we have everything to get the project started.
Cost of Typical Bath Elements
Use the calculator below to estimate a more precise cost for your project and see the output in real-time.
| Element Name | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Base Cost Description of item | $1,000 |
| Paint | $1,000 |
| Flooring | $1,000 |
| Fixtures | $1,000 |
| Faucets | $1,000 |
| Lighting | $1,000 |
| Cabinets | $1,000 |
| Countertops | $1,000 |
| Tile | $1,000 |
| Shelving | $1,000 |
| Smart Tech | $1,000 |
| Total | $21,000 |
Get a precise estimate for your project
Decreasing Costs And DIY
As information is abundant, you may come across videos that give off the impression that a certain task is easy to do. I mean how hard is it to demo the bathroom and save $1000? Not that hard if you avoid damaging the pipes or electrical work. But if you’re unlucky you’ll be looking to spend more to fix the damages.
Set your own tile? Sure, but if it’s not aligned properly you’re stuck with looking at it for the following 15 years – every day. Setting up vanity and cabinets can look easy until you end up trying to align doors and drawers.
No matter the size, quality installation and attention to fine details are key. There’s a reason why pediatricians don’t operate on the brain. We all have our specialty and area of expertise. What may look like a fun side-project may end up in a prolonged and frustrating experience.
To give yourself the best chance of success, it would be wise to ask yourself a few questions before you decide on anything.
- Are you generally handy and can pick up the skills needed to do the task at an acceptable level?
- Do you have the time needed to do the job well?
- Do you have or can you borrow the tools needed?
- Is there someone available to help you with the project?
- Would you enjoy doing the work?
- Are you willing to accept costly mistakes for years to come?
My intention is not to scare you. I’m sharing this with all the love. I’ve seen my fair share of jobs gone wrong from both homeowners as well as cheap contractors.
The homeowner always ends up spending more, in the end, to fix things while wasting precious time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much value does a bathroom remodel add?
With a joy score of 9.3, according to the National Association of Realtors, a bathroom remodel brings considerable value when it comes to better functionality and livability. 80% of homeowners have felt a major sense of accomplishment
when they think of the project.
As far as monetary value, you should expect to recoup 50-70% in resale value. On average, a bath remodel becomes outdated in about 15 years. If you’re considering regaining as much as possible from your investment, sell at the 10-year mark.
How much should a master bathroom remodel cost?
According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association‘s design trends study, the average mean for a master bath is $32,000. That number is consistent with what we’re experiencing in Raleigh, Durham, and surrounding areas. See our bathroom remodel service page for other insights.
How much does it cost to remodel a small bathroom?
Anywhere from $5,000 up to $30,000. Although the demolition, labor costs, and the number of bath elements decrease based on bathroom size – going with luxury materials and elements will set you back considerably.
What is the average labor cost to remodel a bathroom?
20%. You should expect to pay around twenty percent of the total job cost in labor-associated fees. With the specialized workforce decreasing and salaries increasing rapidly we’re expecting the cost of labor to shoot up to 30% of the total bathroom remodeling cost in the near future.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
The industry average is 8 weeks. At Greystone Remodeling I made it my goal to give homeowners back their house in 3 weeks from the time everything is planned out and the contract is signed.
Does remodeling a bathroom Increase home value?
Yes. According to Remodels’ Cost vs. Value report for Raleigh, an upscale bathroom will increase the resale value by almost $33,858. An upscale bathroom addition adds $42,885 in resale value.
| Project Type | Job Cost | Resale Value | Cost Recouped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Remodel | Midrange | $22,104 | $10,126 | 45.80% |
| Bath Remodel | Upscale | $68,755 | $33,858 | 49.20% |
| Bath Remodel | Universal Design | $35,359 | $18,835 | 53.30% |
| Bathroom Addition | Midrange | $51,467 | $23,902 | 46.40% |
| Bathroom Addition | Upscale | $93,932 | $42,885 | 45.70% |
Is it worth converting half bath to full bath?
Yes. Both from a comfort perspective as well as a monetary one.
A Licensed And Insured Bathroom Remodeling Contractor
When looking for a contractor it’s important to check if they’re in good standing. This way you’ll save yourself from really expensive mistakes. At Greystone Remodeling Inc we actually listen, show up on time, and get the job done right.
Where Clients Are Top Priority, Not An Afterthought
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Eric Cumming
Greystone was the lead contractor for a high end whole house renovation and addition. Anthony is great to work with and is always thinking of the best way to solve difficult construction challenges. I highly recommend his company.
Response from the owner
Thanks Eric! We look forward to working on the next one with you!
Venus Liles
We consider ourselves so lucky to have found Anthony with Greystone Custom Construction. After being referred by a friend, we selected him to assist with a major home remodel.
We couldn’t be more delighted with how everything turned out! His responsiveness, professionalism, and work ethic are unparalleled in the industry. Any issues that popped up were addressed promptly and thoroughly.
We are planning to use his services for other projects in the future and recommend him without hesitation for any construction needs.
Response from the owner
Thanks Venus! It was a pleasure to work with you and Phillip!
Jeff Lawrence
Anthony did a great job and good price would highly recommend Greystone Remodeling 
Response from the owner
Thank you Jeff!
James Padgett
Anthony has excellent attention to detail, communicates very well and went above and beyond our expectations!! Highly recommend! Thank you!! ☺️
Response from the owner
Thank you James for your kind words!