Hidden water damage behind the shower or tub
Possible$800 – $3,000
Newer waterproofing usually holds, but any past leak shows up the moment the surround comes off.
Sample report
This is a finished report for a typical 1990s hall bathroom, gut-renovated with a tiled shower and quartz counters. Click through every tab — nothing here is saved, and your own report will use your answers and your region.
Estimate complete
Sample project — 1990s hall bathroom
Midwest metro · 90 sq ft
Low estimate
$18,900
Value-tier materials, efficient scope, no surprises at demolition.
RecommendedExpected
$36,650
The realistic planning number for the selections you made.
High estimate
$68,700
Premium finishes and unfavourable site conditions.
Project health summary
Overall complexity
Straightforward
The scope stays close to the existing footprint, which keeps trade sequencing simple and estimates tight.
Budget confidence
28%
Unknowns in your answers widen the range. The gap between low and high is $49,800 — resolving them before signing narrows it fast.
Biggest budget risk
Labor
Labor and Tile & Walls together carry 52% of the expected total. A change order in either one moves the whole project.
Timeline confidence
3–6 wks
The schedule has normal slack. Material lead times, not labor, are the usual cause of slippage here.
Permit complexity
Standard
Expect separate plumbing and electrical inspections with a rough-in hold point. Work must stop until each one passes.
What to do next
- Step 1
Know your number
Done — you have an independent expected range for this scope.
- 2Step 2
Collect and compare bids
Get three written bids, then enter them side by side against this model.
- 3Step 3
Protect the agreement
Payment schedule, change-order terms and inclusions decided before you sign.
Cost breakdown
Demolition
$1,850
Plumbing
$2,200
Electrical
$1,650
Flooring
$1,850
Tile & Walls
$3,350
Fixtures
$2,800
Vanity & Cabinetry
$2,000
Countertops
$1,550
Lighting
$1,900
Finishes
$950
Labor
$15,700
Permits
$850
Share of spend
Hover any segment for the dollar value.
Where your money concentrates
These four categories decide whether this project lands on budget.
01Labor
$15,700 · 43%
Trade time in a small, wet, inspected room is the dominant cost in almost every bathroom.
02Tile & Walls
$3,350 · 9%
Tile is priced by setting labor and waterproofing, not by the tile itself.
03Fixtures
$2,800 · 8%
Fixture prices vary more than any other category for near-identical function.
04Plumbing
$2,200 · 6%
New drain routing and supply runs need framing work and a rough-in inspection.
Where you can save without cutting quality
Quartz remnant instead of full slab
A single-vanity top rarely needs a full slab. Fabricators sell remnants at 30–50% off with the same material.
−$550
Spend tile budget where it shows
Use the premium tile in the shower niche and floor, and a clean large-format field tile everywhere else.
−$850
Handle demolition yourself
Demo is the least skilled line item. Doing it yourself (with dumpster rental) typically removes most of this cost.
−$1,100
Buy fixtures directly
Contractor fixture markup usually runs 10–20%. Supplying your own toilet, faucets, and lighting captures that margin — confirm warranty responsibility in the contract first.
−$1,450
Unlocked · normally premium
What could increase this estimate later
Every bathroom hides something. These are the surprises most likely in a home of this age and scope — priced, so you can negotiate them before they become emergency change orders.
Realistic added exposure
$1,000
Full range $2,150 – $9,900
Subfloor replacement
Unlikely$600 – $2,200
Soft or delaminated plywood under the toilet flange is common wherever a wax ring has failed at some point.
Electrical upgrades to meet current code
Unlikely$500 – $3,500
Older bathrooms often lack GFCI protection and a dedicated circuit; an inspector will require both once the wall is open.
Permit requirements broader than expected
Unlikely$250 – $1,200 plus delay
Moving fixtures or adding circuits usually pushes a cosmetic permit into a full plumbing and electrical review with separate inspections.
Hold this as contingency outside the contract price. A contractor who refuses to price these in advance is telling you how the change orders will go.