Bathroom Remodel Cost: $6,651 to $17,659 + Walk-In Showers

Installed prices from three cost guides. Rerouting pipes or relocating a drain adds to the plumbing line.

Small bathroom remodel cost

A small bathroom remodel costs $12,695 to $14,845 for 40 to 60 square feet in This Old House's 2026 data. HomeGuide prices by size and depth of work: a 5 by 7 bathroom runs $3,500 to $5,300 for a minor refresh and $8,800 to $17,500 for a full remodel.

HomeGuide, June 2025. Minor runs $100 to $150 per sq ft, partial $150 to $300, full $250 to $500.

This Old House's survey puts a full remodel with demolition at $18,706 on average, against $11,582 for a cosmetic remodel without demolition.

Walk-in shower cost

A walk-in shower costs about $12,000 on average in This Old House's October 2026 guide, with most between $4,000 and $20,000, and HomeAdvisor puts a new installation at $14,300. Prefab units cost the least; tiled and curbless showers cost the most.

HomeGuide figures are from its July 2025 tub to shower conversion guide.

HomeGuide's bathroom guide puts a shower pan at $500 to $3,500. HomeAdvisor says a premade shower kit averages about $1,000, and This Old House says a curbless design pushes a walk-in into a higher price tier.

Tub to shower conversion cost

A tub to shower conversion averages $7,000 in HomeGuide's July 2025 guide, with a typical range of $2,000 to $12,000; This Old House gives the same $2,000 to $12,000 range. HomeGuide adds plumbing at $500 to $1,100, a new shower valve at $225 to $575 and permits at $30 to $400. HomeGuide also notes the drain may need an upgrade from a 1.5 inch tub drain line to a 2 inch shower drain line.

Bathroom remodel cost vs value

A midrange bath remodel cost $26,138 in Cost vs Value 2025 and recouped 80% of its cost at resale. Upscale baths recouped less.

National averages from JLC's Cost vs Value 2025.

Where the money goes in a bathroom remodel

Labor is 40% to 65% of a bathroom remodel in HomeAdvisor's guide. In This Old House's survey the biggest average lines were shower installation at $8,044, plumbing at $5,545 and cabinetry at $2,929. HomeGuide puts general contractors at $50 to $150 an hour or 10% to 20% of the project, and suggests a 10% to 20% contingency.

Demolition can also turn up hidden damage. If it finds rotted subfloor or mold behind the tub, see water damage restoration and mold remediation, and get the source found with leak detection. For outlets near the sink, see GFCI outlet installation.

Grab bars and aging in place

Grab bars cost $100 to $350 installed in HomeGuide's bathroom guide, and $25 to $370 as a line in its tub to shower conversion guide. For bathroom safety, MedlinePlus advises:

• Two grab bars: one for getting in and out of the tub, one for standing up from sitting. Mount them vertically or horizontally, not diagonally.
• Never use a towel rack as a grab bar; it cannot hold your weight.
• Non-slip mats or decals in the tub, a raised toilet seat, and a bath chair or bench in the shower.
• A water heater set no higher than 120F (49C) to prevent burns. The water heater replacement cost page covers new units.

For a full accessible bathroom, Cost vs Value 2025 priced a universal design bath remodel at $42,183, recouping 61%.

Do you need a permit to remodel a bathroom

You usually need a permit for structural, major plumbing or electrical, or layout changes, according to HomeGuide. HomeAdvisor puts bathroom permits at $100 to $1,000, and HomeGuide puts permits for a tub to shower conversion at $30 to $400. Ask who pulls the permit and whether the fee is in the bid.

How long does a bathroom remodel take

A bathroom remodel typically takes 3 to 8 weeks in HomeGuide's guide. It says a simple job can take 3 to 4 weeks and a larger one 6 to 12 weeks or more. In This Old House's survey, nearly two-thirds of remodels took one to four weeks, and about 1 in 5 ran over a month.

Bathroom remodel near me: bids, deposits and red flags

• Ask for an itemized bid. Fixtures, tile, plumbing, electrical, demolition, permits and who supplies each item.
• Ask for the license number and proof of insurance. In California, CSLB says contractors doing $500 or more of work must be licensed.
• Keep the deposit small. In California, CSLB says pay no more than 10% down or $1,000, whichever is less, and do not let payments get ahead of the work.
• Avoid paying in cash, as CSLB advises, and get changes in writing signed by both parties.
• Know the 3-day rule. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule can let you cancel certain sales made at your home until midnight of the third business day.

Calls to the remodeling line go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; how calls work explains the rest. Plumbing-only repairs go to a plumber. Doing both rooms? See kitchen remodel cost and the home repair costs table.