Bathroom Remodel: Where the $14K Goes
Quick Answer
$14,200 mid-range average. Moving plumbing adds $5K+. Walk-in shower recoups 65% at resale.
About This Video
60 seconds. The real cost of a bathroom remodel and the one decision that swings it by $10,000.
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About This Data
This 60-second version distills our full bathroom study into the two decisions that move your budget the most: plumbing layout and shower type. The $14,200 mid-range figure comes from Remodeling Magazine's 2026 Cost vs. Value data cross-referenced with 600 contractor invoices. Published first on homeservicecost.com. The full 6-minute version with all three tiers, ROI data, and timeline is linked below.
Full Transcript▾
Bathroom remodel in 2026: $14,200 national average for a mid-range gut and replace. But here is the number that actually matters — moving your plumbing. Keep everything in the same spot and plumbing costs $1,500 to $4,000. Move the toilet or shower drain and that jumps to $5,000 to $9,000. That one layout decision swings your total by $5,000 or more.
The other big one: tub versus walk-in shower. A tub surround costs $1,000 to $2,000. A tiled walk-in shower is $2,000 to $4,000. But the walk-in shower recoups 65 percent at resale, so it pays for itself.
Budget $10,000 to $18,000 for a quality mid-range remodel. Get three quotes. And do not skip the $400 waterproofing membrane — it prevents $15,000 in rot damage.
Full line-by-line breakdown in the 6-minute version below.