Master bathroom remodel cost

A master bathroom remodel costs $15,000 to $50,000, typically around $25,000. That is a full gut: everything out to the studs, new layout, new plumbing, tiled shower, double vanity, new flooring and lighting.

Keeping the layout instead cuts it to $9,000 to $20,000, and that single decision moves the price more than every material choice combined.

What it costs

That last row is not padding. In a bathroom it is the most reliably spent money in the budget, because what is behind the walls is unknown until they are open.

The layout question

Moving the toilet, the shower or the tub means moving drains, and drains need fall. On a ground floor over a crawl space or a basement, that is reachable and costs $1,500 to $3,000. On an upper floor it means opening the ceiling below, and on a slab it means cutting concrete.

The toilet is the expensive one, because a 3 or 4 inch waste with proper fall and venting has far less freedom than a sink's.

Before committing to a new layout, ask specifically what moving each fixture costs. Often two of the three can move cheaply and the third is what doubles the budget, and knowing which one lets you design around it.

Where the money goes that people do not expect

The shower. A tiled walk-in shower is the single largest line item in most master bathrooms, and most of that is the waterproofing and the labor rather than the tile.

Ventilation. A bathroom this size needs a fan sized for the volume and ducted outside, not into the attic. Getting that duct out through a roof or a wall is real work and it is what prevents mold.

Electrical. Older bathrooms have one circuit. A modern one wants GFCI protection, separate circuits for the heated floor and the fan, and enough light at the mirror to shave by.

What is behind the wall. Rotten subfloor under a leaking toilet flange, a joist notched by a previous plumber, no insulation on an exterior wall. This is the contingency.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take?

Four to eight weeks for a full gut, and longer if a fixture is back-ordered. The sequence is unforgiving: demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, inspection, insulation, drywall, waterproofing, tile, fixtures, inspection. Each stage waits for the one before.

Will I get the money back when I sell?

Bathroom remodels typically return 50 to 65% of their cost at resale, and a midrange update returns a higher share than a high-end one. The stronger argument is that a dated master bathroom is one of the things buyers deduct for, so the return is partly in not losing rather than gaining.

Should I do the shower or the tub?

If it is the only bathroom in the house, keep a tub. If there is another bath elsewhere, a large walk-in shower is what most people use daily and what most buyers now expect in a master.

Do I need a permit?

For anything moving plumbing, changing electrical or altering walls, yes. The inspection at rough-in stage is also the one chance anyone gets to see the pipework before it is closed up, which is worth having.

How do I keep the budget under control?

Fix the layout early and stop changing it, choose fixtures before demolition starts so nothing is waiting on delivery, and hold the contingency separately rather than spending it on an upgrade in week two.