Cost to Remodel a Small Bathroom

It costs $6,000 to $20,000 to remodel a small bathroom, defined as roughly 35 to 60 square feet. A cosmetic refresh sits near the bottom. A full gut with a new layout and mid-to-high finishes sits near the top.

The typical mid-range project runs $8,000 to $12,000. That covers a new tub or shower, tile, a vanity, a toilet, a fan, lighting, paint, and the labor to tie it all together.

What It Costs to Remodel a Small Bathroom

First, the ranges. A cosmetic update is $3,000 to $7,000. A partial remodel that keeps the tub is $7,000 to $12,000. Then a full gut with a new layout runs $10,000 to $20,000.

Small does not mean cheap per square foot. In fact, a bathroom packs plumbing, electrical, tile, and waterproofing into a tiny space. So it is the most expensive room in the house to renovate by area.

The table below breaks the cost down by scope. But read the plumbing section first, because moving a fixture is where a tight budget comes apart.

Cosmetic Refresh vs. Full Gut

A cosmetic update keeps the layout and the plumbing where they are. So you get a new vanity, a new toilet, a new light and fan, fresh paint, and a reglazed tub.

A full gut, however, takes it to the studs. Then the crew replaces the tub or builds a tile shower, retiles the floor and walls, and brings the plumbing and wiring to code.

In between is a partial remodel. For example: keep the tub, retile the surround and floor, and add a new vanity. That covers most real-world projects.

Where the Money Goes

Labor is 45 to 65 percent of a bathroom remodel. Because a small bathroom needs a plumber, an electrician, a tile setter, and a carpenter, often on different days, the coordination costs money.

Materials are 35 to 55 percent. That is the tub or shower, tile, vanity, top, toilet, faucet, fan, lights, glass, and the waterproofing behind it all.

Permits and inspections are $150 to $500. Also see our Kitchen and Bath cost guides for how the individual pieces price out.

Fixture and Finish Levels

Builder grade keeps the total down. So you get a stock vanity, a fiberglass tub-shower unit, ceramic tile, and a basic toilet and faucet.

Mid range is where most remodels land. Here you get a semi-custom vanity with a stone top, a tiled shower with a glass door, porcelain tile, and a quality toilet.

High end, meanwhile, adds a custom vanity, large-format tile, a frameless glass enclosure, a heated floor, and designer fittings. It can double the finish budget in the same footprint.

Moving Plumbing and Changing the Layout

Leaving the toilet, tub, and sink where they are is the single biggest cost saver. But moving a fixture means opening the floor or a wall and re-running supply and drain lines.

Relocating the toilet is the priciest move, because of the drain, at $500 to $2,500. Moving a sink or shifting a wall is $300 to $1,500.

A layout change can still be worth it in a cramped bathroom. However, price it as its own line so you can decide with eyes open.

Tub-to-Shower Conversions

Swapping a tub for a walk-in shower frees space and improves access. A prefab pan-and-walls conversion is $3,000 to $6,000. But a custom tiled shower is $5,000 to $10,000.

Still, keep at least one tub in the house if you can, for resale. This matters most if there is only one bathroom.

The conversion also touches the drain, because a shower drain sits in a different spot than a tub drain. So it is not just a swap.

Tile and Waterproofing

Tile is priced per square foot installed. For example: $7 to $15 for porcelain, $15 to $30 for natural stone, and more for mosaic and large-format work.

But the part you cannot see matters most. A proper shower needs a waterproof membrane behind the tile, a sloped pan, and a curb. Skipping it is how a two-year-old remodel starts leaking into the ceiling below.

So ask any bid to name the waterproofing system. A tile setter who says the backer board is enough is not the one to hire.

Ventilation, Lighting, and Electrical

A bath fan vented outside, not into the attic, is code and prevents mold. Then a fan-and-light combo with a timer or humidity sensor is $150 to $400 installed.

GFCI-protected outlets, usually one at the vanity, are also required. Recessed lights, sconces, or a lighted mirror are $100 to $400 each installed.

If the bathroom is on an old two-wire circuit with no ground, the electrician runs a new one. So a vanity swap is a good time to sort the outlet and lighting.

DIY vs. Hiring Out

DIY-friendly: demolition, painting, installing a stock vanity and toilet on existing rough-ins, and swapping a faucet or a light.

Hire out: shower waterproofing and tile, any plumbing move, electrical circuits, and the glass enclosure. These are the parts that leak, shock, or crack if done wrong.

A common hybrid is doing your own demo and paint and hiring the trades for the wet and wired work. That can shave 10 to 20 percent.

Timeline and Living Without the Bathroom

A cosmetic refresh is 3 to 5 days. A full gut is 2 to 4 weeks, longer if there are custom orders or inspection waits between trades.

If it is your only bathroom, plan for that gap: a relative's house, a gym membership, or a portable toilet rental for a few days.

Order the vanity, tile, and glass before demo starts. Waiting on a back-ordered vanity mid-project is the classic reason a two-week job becomes a two-month one.

Permits and Inspections

A remodel that moves plumbing or adds electrical needs a permit and inspections: a rough-in inspection before the walls close and a final at the end.

A pure cosmetic swap in the same location often does not need a permit, but confirm with your building department.

Keep the closed permit. An unpermitted bathroom remodel is a common snag during a home sale.

Regional Cost Differences

Labor rate is the biggest reason two bids differ. For example, the same mid-range remodel can be $8,000 in one market and $16,000 in another with identical finishes.

Older housing stock also costs more to work on. A pre-1970 bathroom often hides galvanized pipe, a cast-iron drain, no fan, and an ungrounded circuit. So each one has to be brought current.

Local code varies too. Some areas require an anti-scald valve, a specific fan size, arc-fault protection, or a licensed contractor to pull the permit. A good local bid prices these in.

Getting Bids You Can Compare

First, ask each contractor for a fixed labor price plus a written allowance for tile, the vanity, fixtures, and glass. Then you can compare the labor, which is the hard part to judge, on equal terms.

The scope should also name the waterproofing system, the fan model, whether the floor is being replaced, and what patching and paint are included.

A bid far below the others usually leaves out the waterproofing, the fan, or the floor. So the middle bid, from a licensed contractor with bathroom references, is normally the safe choice.

How to Keep the Cost Down

First, keep every fixture where it is. Layout moves are where budgets blow up.

Second, spend on the shower waterproofing and the ventilation, and save on the vanity and the tile pattern, which are easy to upgrade later.

Third, do your own demo and paint. Fourth, choose one statement material and keep the rest simple. Fifth, get three detailed bids with an allowance for tile and fixtures so you compare labor cleanly.

Bottom Line

Budget $8,000 to $12,000 to remodel a small bathroom to a mid-range standard, $3,000 to $7,000 for a cosmetic refresh, and up to $20,000 for a full gut with high finishes and a new layout.

Keep the plumbing in place, insist on a named waterproofing system, and vent the fan outside. Order materials before demo. For the individual pieces, see our vanity, shower tile, and countertop guides. Low-flow fixtures cut water use; the EPA WaterSense program lists them.

Related Repairs Worth Knowing About

A few smaller, related jobs come up often alongside this one: toilet flange, shower valve, bathroom grab bars. Each has its own detailed cost breakdown if you are budgeting for more than one repair at a time.