Bathroom Remodel Cost Calculator
Build a bathroom budget line by line: shower or tub, vanity by width, toilet, floor and wall tile, fan, lighting and any moved fixtures, as a low-to-high range.
By CalcBuilt Editorial TeamUpdated September 9, 2026Formulas checked against manufacturer specs, see how we calculate.
Results
- Total installed range
- $8,278 to $21,000
- One bathing fixture, one sink and one toilet, the standard hall bath. Typical 2026 US installed pricing for the lines below, before permits, design fees, demolition and disposal
- Shower or tub
- $6,000 to $15,000
- Shower walls, pan, niche, glass and valve, the largest single line in most bathrooms, on a prefab pan
- Vanity, toilet and sinks
- $1,048 to $2,700
- 36 in vanity at $18.00 to $50.00 per in with the top and faucet, plus a standard two-piece toilet at $400 to $900
- Tile, fan, lighting and mirror
- $1,230 to $3,300
- 40 sq ft of floor tile at $12.00 to $30.00 per sq ft, walls painted rather than tiled, exhaust fan at $350 to $900, lighting and mirror at $400 to $1,200
- Cost per square foot of bathroom
- $206.95 to $525.00 per sq ft
- Total spread over 40 sq ft. Small baths read high per unit of area because the fixtures do not shrink with the room
- Shower or tub as a share of the budget
- 72%
- $6,000 to $15,000 of the total. A tiled shower is usually the single biggest line, and a waterproofed build widens the gap
Bathroom Remodel Cost formula
Vanity = Width (in) x rate per in; Floor tile = Floor area (sq ft) x rate per sq ft
Wall tile = 4.11 x sqrt(Floor area) x tile height x rate per sq ft
Shower = fixture range + waterproofing adder when the build is a membrane pan
Total = Shower or tub + Vanity + Toilet + Sinks + Tile + Fan + Lighting + Moved fixturesWorked example
An 8 by 8 primary bath, 64 sq ft, with a tiled walk-in shower on a fully waterproofed pan. The vanity is 48 in, the toilet one-piece, the wainscot 4 ft, and the fixtures move. The shower is $6,000 to $15,000 plus $1,200 to $4,000 of waterproofing, so $7,200 to $19,000. The vanity is 48 x $18 to 48 x $50, or $864 to $2,400, the second primary-bath sink adds $700 to $1,800 and the one-piece toilet $700 to $1,600.
Floor tile is 64 x $12 to 64 x $30, or $768 to $1,920. The perimeter works out to 4.11 x 8 = 32.88 ft, so the wainscot is 131.5 sq ft at $15 to $40, about $1,973 to $5,261. Fan, lighting and mirror add $750 to $2,100, and moving the toilet and shower drain adds $2,000 to $6,000. The lines total $14,955 to $40,081, or $233.67 to $626.26 per square foot, with the shower carrying 48 percent of the midpoint.
Quick reference
| Line item | Basis | Typical installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the tub and reglaze | Per job | $400 to $900 |
| New tub with acrylic surround | Per job | $1,500 to $4,500 |
| Tub-to-shower conversion | Per job | $3,500 to $9,000 |
| Tiled walk-in shower, prefab pan | Per job | $6,000 to $15,000 |
| Waterproofed pan instead of prefab | Adder | $1,200 to $4,000 |
| Vanity with top and faucet | Per in of width | $18 to $50 |
| Toilet, standard two-piece | Per job | $400 to $900 |
| Floor tile | Per sq ft | $12 to $30 |
| Wall tile outside the shower | Per sq ft | $15 to $40 |
| Moving the toilet or shower drain | Per job | $2,000 to $6,000 |
Building the number line by line
Bathrooms price by fixture, not by the foot. The shower or tub is one unit with its valve, drain and glass. The vanity prices by width, roughly $18 to $50 per inch with the top, faucet and setting, so a 36 in unit lands between $648 and $1,800. The toilet is a unit. Tile prices by the square foot, and a small room drives the rate up. A 5 by 8 floor is mostly cuts around a toilet flange and a door casing.
The bathing fixture is where the money is. Reglazing an existing tub buys 5 to 10 years for a few hundred dollars. A new tub with an acrylic surround keeps the drain and stays cheap. A tub-to-shower conversion reworks the drain from a tub trap to a shower drain and doubles the labor. A full tiled walk-in adds pan, membrane, niche, bench and glass, and it is typically 40 to 70 percent of the whole job on its own.
The two switches that move the total
The first is whether the fixtures stay in place. Keeping the toilet flange, the tub drain and the lavatory trap where they sit means the plumber disconnects and reconnects. Moving any of them means opening the floor, cutting into joists within the limits of IRC R502.8, reworking drain and vent and patching the subfloor. That is $2,000 to $6,000 and a permitted, inspected job. On a slab it costs more, since the concrete gets saw cut and repoured.
The second is how the shower is built. A prefab acrylic or solid-surface pan is set level in mortar, connected to a standard drain and tiled around, and it is dependable and fast. A fully waterproofed build is a sloped mortar bed with a bonded sheet or liquid membrane. It takes a bonded-flange or clamping-ring drain and a 24 hour flood test before tile. That is the only way to get a curbless entry, a linear drain or an oversized shower, and it adds $1,200 to $4,000. The TCNA Handbook methods B415 and B421 describe the two assemblies, and the tile setter should name which one is in the bid.
What this calculator leaves out
Permits and inspections, design fees, demolition and the dumpster. Also outside the number: shower glass beyond a standard enclosure, heated floor mats and their thermostat, a new window or a door swap. Moving a wall, replacing subfloor once the old pan comes out, and repairing joists after a long leak are separate too. Pre-1978 paint falls under EPA RRP rules and pre-1980s sheet flooring and mastic may need asbestos testing, both separate lines. Structural work for a wall-hung toilet carrier, an upsized drain, or a panel circuit for a heated floor is not included either.
Code limits that apply
- IRC R307.1
21 in of clear floor in front of a toilet or lavatory, and 15 in from the toilet centerline to any wall or fixture
If you miss it: The vanity gets built, the toilet will not sit, and the rough-in moves after the tile is down
- IRC P2708.1
Shower floor at least 1,024 sq in, able to encompass a 30 in circle, minimum dimension 30 in
If you miss it: A 30 by 30 in pan fails inspection at 900 sq in and the framed opening has to grow
- IRC R307.2
Nonabsorbent wall surface to 72 in above the drain inlet in a tub or shower with a shower head
If you miss it: Waterproofing stopped at the tile line lets steam soak the drywall above and the wall opens again
- IRC M1505.4
Local exhaust of 50 cfm intermittent or 20 cfm continuous, ducted to the outdoors
If you miss it: A fan ducted into the attic wets the sheathing and grows mold within a heating season
- NEC 210.8(A)(1)
GFCI protection for every 125 V receptacle in a bathroom
If you miss it: A non-GFCI outlet behind the new vanity fails the final and the circuit gets rerun
- NEC 210.11(C)(3)
At least one 20 A branch circuit for the bathroom receptacles, serving no other outlets
If you miss it: A hair dryer on a shared 15 A lighting circuit trips the breaker every morning
Rows marked checked produce a warning in the results when an entry crosses the limit. The others are on the plans or on site and this calculator does not test them. Local amendments can be stricter; the adopted edition and the inspector govern.
Mistakes that cost money
- Ordering a toilet without checking the rough-in: 12 in is standard, and a 10 in wall in an older house leaves the bowl short.
- Tiling over green board in a wet wall, which no longer meets IRC R702.4.2; cement board or a bonded membrane belongs behind shower tile.
- Skipping the 24 hour flood test on a new pan, so the leak is found after the tile, the mud bed and the ceiling below are done.
- Venting the fan into the attic instead of through the roof or wall, which soaks the insulation and grows mold on the sheathing.
- Buying a 60 in double vanity for a room that leaves less than 30 in of clear space in front of it.
- Setting the shower valve before the wall finish thickness is known, which leaves the trim plate floating off the tile.
Key facts
- IRC R307.1 gives a toilet 15 in from its centerline to any wall or fixture, plus 21 in of clear floor in front. That makes 30 in the practical alcove width.
- IRC P2708.1 requires a shower floor of at least 1,024 sq in that can encompass a 30 in circle. A 30 by 30 in pan misses that at 900 sq in, so 32 by 32 in is the smallest square that works.
- IRC R307.2 requires the nonabsorbent shower wall surface to run 72 in above the drain inlet. That is 6 ft, measured from the drain, not from the curb.
- IRC M1505.4 sets bathroom local exhaust at 50 cfm intermittent or 20 cfm continuous, ducted to the outdoors and never into an attic or soffit.
- A WaterSense labeled toilet flushes 1.28 gallons or less, against 1.6 gallons for a standard model and 3.5 gallons for a pre-1994 one.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bathroom remodel cost?
A 40 sq ft full bath with a tiled walk-in shower on a prefab pan, a 36 in vanity and a standard toilet typically runs $8,278 to $21,000 installed. A 20 sq ft half bath with the same vanity and toilet lands near $2,038 to $5,400. A primary bath with a waterproofed shower and two sinks runs $15,000 to $40,000.
What is the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel?
The shower. A tiled walk-in typically runs $6,000 to $15,000 before waterproofing and carries 40 to 70 percent of the job. Keeping a tub and reglazing it at $400 to $900 is the single largest cut available.
Is a prefab shower pan as good as a tiled one?
For a standard alcove, yes, and it costs $1,200 to $4,000 less. A membrane build with a sloped bed is what a curbless entry, a linear drain or an oversized footprint needs. It gets a 24 hour flood test before tile.
Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom?
Swapping a vanity, toilet or light in the same location usually does not need one. Moving a drain or vent, adding a circuit or opening a wall does, since IRC R105.2 does not exempt plumbing or electrical work.
Sources and references
- Kitchen and Bathroom Planning Guidelines with access standards (NKBA)
- WaterSense labeled toilets and the 1.28 gallon flush (US EPA)
- 2025 Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation (shower receptor and waterproofing methods) (Tile Council of North America)
- Chapter 27 Plumbing Fixtures, 2021 IRC (P2708 shower compartments) (ICC)
Next steps for this project
The usual order for a measurement & cost project. See all measurement & cost calculators.
Results are estimates based on standard formulas and typical product specifications. Confirm quantities with your supplier and local code before ordering.