How can a top home remodeler help interior designers?
Our answer is simple: provide practical information that helps interior designers navigate construction, build stronger relationships with contractors, and improve profitability.
For nearly two decades, we've collaborated closely with interior designers. Along the way, we've gained valuable insight into the challenges designers face throughout the construction and renovation process—and what it takes to deliver successful projects and delighted clients.
We also hope to learn from you. Our goal is to make these newsletters informative, practical, and brief enough to fit into your busy schedule. We'll begin with a topic every designer encounters sooner or later: how to price a bathroom renovation in Chicago.
Thank you for reading. We welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics—we'd love to know what would be most helpful to you.
Pricing a Bathroom: A Practical Guide for Interior Designers
Asking the cost of a bathroom renovation is a little like asking, "How much does dinner cost?" If you know the restaurant, you can make a reasonable guess. Bathroom renovations work the same way. Much of the answer depends on who is doing the work.
If it's "two men and a truck," you'll likely get one price. If it's an established company known for exceptional quality, responsive service, and standing behind its work with a strong warranty, you'll get another.
Hiring two men and a truck can turn out to be a great value—or it can leave you with sleepless nights, frustrated clients, and costly problems to resolve. It's a roll of the dice.
Working with a reputable contractor doesn't guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong, but it dramatically improves the odds of a successful project, a satisfied client, and far fewer headaches. The pricing discussed in this article reflects the level of quality, service, and reliability you should expect from an established, professional home remodeling company.
Typical Bathroom Price Ranges
Small Bathroom
(approximately 5' x 8')
One vanity, toilet, and tub or shower.
Typical range: $30,000–$40,000
Mid-Size Bathroom
Double vanity and expanded layout.
Typical range: $40,000–$55,000
Large Primary Bathroom
Double vanity, separate shower, and freestanding tub.
Typical range: $55,000–$80,000+
These budgets generally include quality designer-level finishes and may incorporate upgrades such as wallpaper, shower niches, custom tile details, benches, and decorative lighting. Of course, luxury materials and extensive customization can push costs well beyond these ranges.
What Drives Bathroom Costs?
Four Factors That Account for Most Bathroom Budget Variations
While every bathroom renovation is unique, four factors account for the vast majority of price differences.
1. Fixtures and Finish Materials
The level of finishes you choose is often the single biggest driver of cost.
A typical small bathroom contains approximately 120 square feet of tile. If your tile selection increases from $10 per square foot to $150 per square foot, the material cost alone increases by more than $16,000.
Keep in mind that contractors must also purchase additional tile (known as overage) to account for cuts, breakage, and future repairs. They also assume greater financial risk when installing expensive materials, so labor costs often increase to cover the potential cost of damage or mistakes. A bathroom that originally budgeted at $35,000 can easily become a $60,000 project simply through upgraded fixtures and finish materials.
2. Additional Features
Every added feature increases both labor and material costs. Individually, many upgrades seem modest, but together they can significantly affect the overall budget.
Examples include:
Wallpaper
Shower niches
Built-in benches
Heated floors
Handheld shower systems
Steam shower systems
Tile extending onto walls outside the wet areas
Curbless (zero-threshold) showers
It’s important to keep in mind is everything has a cost. The more you add, the more it will cost and the price may a shock your client.
3. Moving Plumbing, Electrical, or Walls
Changing the layout can add substantial cost. Relocating a single plumbing fixture commonly adds $5,000 to $8,000 or more, depending on the complexity of the work.
It's also important to remember that fixtures rarely move alone. Move the vanity, and the plumbing, electrical outlets, lighting, mirrors, and often cabinetry need to move as well. Swap the locations of the toilet and shower, and you've now relocated two major plumbing fixtures instead of one.
A small bathroom that costs $35,000 with the existing layout may easily cost $50,000 or more if every fixture is relocated.
If staying within budget is your highest priority, minimize layout changes and keep any necessary relocations as small as possible.
4. Tile Selection and Installation Patterns
Tile influences costs in more ways than just the purchase price.
Installation patterns can dramatically increase labor costs, while certain layouts generate substantial material waste. Some decorative patterns require 50% or more additional tile because of cutting and waste.
Likewise, intricate installations such as herringbone patterns, basketweave layouts, or handmade tiles with irregular edges can take nearly twice as long to install compared to a standard stacked or offset pattern.
Choosing a simpler tile layout can often save thousands of dollars without sacrificing the overall beauty of the finished bathroom.
Final Word
Keep in mind that every contractor has a different pricing structure. Hiring "two men and a truck" will almost certainly be less expensive in the short term—and it may even cost less in the long term. On the other hand, it may also result in months of stress and a few sleepless nights.
Price is important, but having an honest, reliable partner you can count on is often even more valuable. Your contractor is an extension of your company and, ultimately, your reputation. Make sure they're as good as you are.
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