If you're pricing a bathroom in Norristown, Collegeville, Lansdale or a Philadelphia rowhome, the numbers online look wildly different because they measure different jobs. This guide lines up the published figures and explains where the money goes.
Bathroom remodel cost ranges for 2026
Three public sources cover most of what you'll find:
- Fixr (updated January 2026) puts the national average around $12,000, with most projects between $6,000 and $18,000, or about $70 to $400 per square foot. It splits jobs into minor remodels ($2,400 to $10,000), partial remodels ($6,000 to $25,000) and full gut renovations ($9,000 to $30,000 and up).
- HomeAdvisor (updated June 2026) reports a national average of $12,149 and a typical range of $6,651 to $17,655. It lists full baths at $3,500 to $20,000 and primary baths at $7,000 to $30,000.
- The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (Remodeling magazine's study, now published by Zonda) prices defined bathroom projects for the Philadelphia market. Its numbers run higher because they assume a fully contractor-managed job with every trade included.
These are typical industry and regional ranges, not our prices. Every job gets a free written estimate based on your actual bathroom.
Midrange vs. upscale: Philadelphia-area costs compared
Cost vs. Value describes what each project includes. The closest Fixr tier sits beside it.
| Scope and what it usually includes | Fixr national range (2026) | Cost vs. Value, Philadelphia (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Minor / cosmetic New vanity, faucet, toilet, mirror, lighting and paint, with the tub or shower left in place | $2,400 to $10,000 | Not priced |
| Midrange, same layout 5×7 bath: new tub with ceramic tile surround, tile floor, toilet, solid-surface vanity top, recessed medicine cabinet | $9,000 to $30,000+ (full remodel) | $27,767 (bath remodel, midrange) |
| Accessible / universal design Curbless walk-in shower, wider door, comfort-height toilet, heated floor, reinforced towel bars | No separate tier | $45,749 (universal design bath) |
| Upscale, expanded Grow a 35 sq. ft. bath to 100 sq. ft., heated tile floor, glass-enclosed shower, freestanding tub, double stone vanity | $30,000+ (large luxury bath) | $85,334 (bath remodel, upscale) |
For context, the report's Middle Atlantic averages are $30,158 for the midrange bath and $90,090 for the upscale one, so Philadelphia sits a little under the region. The biggest jump from midrange to upscale is making the room bigger, which means framing, new plumbing runs and more of everything. Every job gets a free written estimate, and yours will reflect your room, not a model bathroom.
Tub-to-shower conversions
Swapping a tub for a walk-in shower is one of the most common bathroom projects. Published ranges:
- This Old House (March 2026): $2,000 to $12,000 overall. A prefabricated shower stall runs $2,000 to $6,000, a tiled shower $6,000 to $12,000, and a curbless shower $8,000 to $15,000. Tub removal alone is $300 to $1,200.
- Fixr: an average of about $4,000, with most conversions between $1,200 and $10,000 and high-end custom tile reaching $20,000. A framed glass door adds $300 to $1,200 and a frameless one $900 to $2,300.
Where you land depends on prefab acrylic or fiberglass versus tile, whether the drain moves, a curbless entry, and the glass. Every job gets a free written estimate that prices those choices separately.
Tile and waterproofing: the part you don't see
As This Old House explains, tile and grout are not waterproof, and cement board resists moisture but lets water through. The waterproofing comes from a membrane installed before the tile: a sheet membrane, a liquid membrane rolled or brushed on, or a foam board system with the waterproofing built in.
Ask every contractor what goes behind the tile, how the shower pan is sloped and sealed, and how the niche and valve openings are handled. On tile itself, HomeAdvisor puts ceramic between $0.50 and $15 per square foot for materials, with high-end tile reaching $35. Large-format porcelain, mosaics and patterns add labor.
Moving fixtures vs. keeping the layout
Keeping the toilet, sink and tub or shower where they are is the single biggest way to control cost. When the layout stays, fixtures are replaced like-for-like on the existing lines. Moving them means new supply, drain and vent runs, which a licensed plumber roughs in.
Fixr's plumbing data (August 2025) prices moving a line at $80 to $200, with most fixtures needing at least three. Relocating a toilet runs $550 to $3,900 all in, a shower $1,740 to $4,100, and a sink $540 to $6,100. This Old House puts moving a shower drain line at $900 to $1,100 and a new shower valve at $700 to $1,200. A second-floor bath over a finished ceiling, or a basement bath on a slab, pushes those numbers up.
Moving plumbing also brings a permit. Under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, adding or relocating piping is not an ordinary repair. Philadelphia L&I requires a plumbing permit for alterations, though not for replacing a faucet or resetting a toilet without moving pipes, and charges $50 for the first seven fixtures on a residential alteration. See our guide to remodeling permits in Philadelphia vs. Montgomery County townships.
What else drives the price
- Labor. Fixr estimates labor at roughly 40 to 65 percent of a bathroom budget. Tile-heavy designs mean more labor.
- The shower. Prefab or tiled, curb or curbless, framed or frameless glass.
- The vanity and top. Stock vanity with an integrated top versus a custom double vanity with stone.
- Heated floors, niches and benches. Each one adds materials and hours.
- What's under the floor. Many homes here were built between the 1920s and 1970s. Rotted subfloor near the toilet, old cast-iron drains and ungrounded wiring show up once the room is opened.
How long a bathroom remodel takes
Fixr puts most bathroom remodels at 2 to 12 weeks, with an average of 2 to 4 weeks of work. This Old House estimates three to seven days for a tub-to-shower conversion, and Fixr notes a prefab swap into the same footprint can take as little as two days. Custom tile, moved plumbing, inspections and special-order vanities or glass are what stretch the schedule.
Every project starts with a free walkthrough and a written, itemized estimate, so you can see what the tile, fixtures, waterproofing and labor each cost before you commit. Like-for-like fixture replacement is part of our bathroom work, and new rough-in is done with licensed trade partners we coordinate. Request your estimate.
Resale value
In the 2025 Cost vs. Value data for Philadelphia, the midrange bath remodel recouped 72.8 percent of its cost at sale, the universal design bath 56.7 percent, and the upscale remodel 39.3 percent. If you're selling soon, a clean midrange bath is the safer money.
Bathrooms we've remodeled nearby
These are our own job sites, including the waterproofing stage most people never see. See more bathroom photos in the gallery.
Bathroom remodel cost questions
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Montgomery County, PA?
Published figures for the Philadelphia market are about $27,800 for a midrange 5×7 bath remodel and about $85,300 for an upscale, expanded one (2025 Cost vs. Value Report). National sources like Fixr put most projects between $6,000 and $18,000. Every job gets a free written estimate based on your actual bathroom.
How much does a tub-to-shower conversion cost?
This Old House puts most conversions at $2,000 to $12,000, from about $2,000 to $6,000 for a prefab stall to $6,000 to $12,000 for a tiled shower and $8,000 to $15,000 for a curbless one. Glass doors and moving the drain add to that.
Is it cheaper to keep the same bathroom layout?
Yes. Keeping the toilet, sink and shower in place avoids new supply, drain and vent runs. Fixr prices relocating a toilet at $550 to $3,900 and a shower at $1,740 to $4,100, before any patching.
Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom?
Like-for-like fixture replacement usually doesn't need one. Relocating or adding plumbing or wiring does under Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code, and Philadelphia requires a plumbing permit for plumbing alterations.
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
Fixr puts most bathroom remodels at 2 to 12 weeks, averaging 2 to 4 weeks of work. A tub-to-shower conversion typically takes three to seven days, according to This Old House.
Sources
- Cost vs. Value Report 2025, Philadelphia, PA market data (Zonda / Remodeling)
- Fixr: Bathroom remodel cost, updated January 2026; Fixr: Bathtub-to-shower conversion; Fixr: Bathroom remodel plumbing cost, updated August 2025
- HomeAdvisor: Bathroom remodel cost, updated June 2026
- This Old House: Tub-to-shower conversion cost, March 2026, and shower waterproofing membranes
- 34 Pa. Code § 403.62, UCC permit requirements; Philadelphia L&I: Get a plumbing permit and construction permit fees