How to Bid a Bathroom Remodel: Complete Pricing Guide for Contractors

Bathroom remodels are bread and butter for residential contractors. They’re smaller than kitchens, faster to complete, and homeowners remodel bathrooms more often than any other room. But the bidding process trips up a lot of contractors — especially on scope. A bathroom that looks simple during the walkthrough can turn into a nightmare if your estimate doesn’t account for what’s behind the walls.

This guide covers exactly how to write a bathroom remodel bid that’s detailed enough to protect your profit and professional enough to close the deal.

Why Bathroom Remodels Are Deceptively Complex

A bathroom remodel sounds straightforward: new tile, new vanity, maybe a new tub. But most bathroom remodels involve plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tile, drywall, painting, and sometimes structural work — all in a space that’s 40 to 80 square feet. Everything is tight, everything connects to something else, and moisture management is critical.

The contractors who make money on bathroom remodels are the ones who bid them accurately. That means knowing the common surprises (rotten subfloor, outdated plumbing, inadequate ventilation) and either including contingency or calling them out as potential extras in your estimate.

What a Winning Bathroom Remodel Bid Includes

1. Scope of Work — Phase by Phase

Like any remodel, break the scope into phases. Don’t combine everything into one paragraph. Homeowners want to see the plan, not just the price.

Demolition: Remove existing tile, vanity, toilet, tub or shower, and fixtures. Include disposal. Specify whether demolition is down to studs or partial. If you’re keeping the tub and just retiling, say so clearly.

Rough plumbing: Relocate or replace supply lines and drains as needed. If the homeowner wants to move the toilet or add a double vanity where a single was, this is where the cost goes up significantly. Call out each fixture being moved or added.

Rough electrical: Add or relocate circuits for vanity lights, exhaust fan, heated floors, or GFCI outlets. If the existing wiring isn’t up to code, note that it will need to be brought up to current standards.

Waterproofing: This is the most critical step in any bathroom remodel and the one most commonly skipped by low-bid contractors. Specify your waterproofing method: Kerdi membrane, RedGard, hot mop, or other system. Include waterproofing for the shower pan, curb, walls to at least 6 feet (full height is better), and any niches.

Subfloor repair: If the existing subfloor shows water damage, include a line item for replacement. If you can’t assess it until demo, state that: “Subfloor condition to be evaluated after demolition. Repair estimated at $500-$1,500 if needed, billed as change order.”

Tile installation: Specify the areas being tiled (shower walls, shower floor, bathroom floor, tub surround), the tile product or allowance amount, and whether you’re including niches, shelves, or accent rows. Include backer board installation if that’s part of your scope.

Vanity and countertop: Specify the vanity size, material, and whether it’s a stock unit or custom build. Include the countertop material, number of sinks, and faucet holes. If the homeowner is supplying the vanity, note that installation only is included.

Toilet: Supply and install new toilet, or reinstall existing. Include wax ring, supply line, and any flange repair.

Fixtures and accessories: Faucets, showerhead, shower valve (specify brand and model or allowance), towel bars, toilet paper holder, robe hooks, mirrors. Be specific about what’s included and what the homeowner is supplying.

Painting: Walls, ceiling, trim, and door. Specify number of coats. Bathroom paint should be moisture-resistant (note the type you’ll use).

Exhaust fan: If the existing fan is inadequate or not ducted to the exterior, include replacement. Proper ventilation prevents mold and is usually code-required.

Cleanup and final: Debris removal, final cleaning, caulking, and punch list walkthrough.

2. Pricing Breakdown by Category

Here’s what a typical mid-range bathroom remodel looks like:

Demolition and hauling: $800 – $2,000. Full gut demo to studs costs more than a surface-level refresh. Include dumpster if needed.

Plumbing: $1,500 – $4,000. Replacing fixtures in place is on the low end. Moving drain locations or adding new supply lines pushes higher. A complete replumb of an older bathroom can hit $5,000+.

Electrical: $800 – $2,500. New circuits, GFCI outlets, vanity lighting, exhaust fan wiring, and optional heated floor thermostat. Panel work is extra.

Waterproofing: $500 – $1,500. Don’t skimp here. A $500 waterproofing job protects a $15,000 remodel. If a competitor’s bid doesn’t include waterproofing, that’s their problem — and eventually the homeowner’s.

Tile — labor and materials: $2,000 – $6,000+. This varies enormously based on tile selection, layout complexity (large format vs. mosaic, straight lay vs. herringbone), and square footage. Shower tile is more expensive per square foot than floor tile because of waterproofing prep, cuts around niches, and working vertically.

Vanity, countertop, and mirror: $1,000 – $5,000. Stock vanity from a home center is $400-800. Semi-custom with a stone top runs $1,500-3,000. Custom built-in with vessel sinks can be $5,000+.

Toilet: $300 – $800 installed. Standard comfort-height toilet with soft-close seat. Upgrade options for wall-hung or bidet-equipped units.

Fixtures (faucets, shower valve, showerhead): $500 – $2,000. Moen and Delta mid-range are reliable and affordable. Homeowners who want Kohler or Brizo designer fixtures will spend more.

Paint: $400 – $1,000. Small space, but prep work in a bathroom is more involved due to moisture and tight quarters.

Exhaust fan: $200 – $600 installed. Panasonic WhisperCeiling is the industry standard for quiet, reliable performance.

Accessories and hardware: $200 – $600. Towel bars, robe hooks, TP holder, cabinet hardware. Specify brand/style or allowance.

Total range for a mid-range full bathroom remodel: $8,000 – $25,000. Master bathrooms with soaking tubs, frameless glass showers, heated floors, and custom tile work run $25,000 to $50,000+.

3. Allowances vs. Fixed Pricing

Bathroom remodels have a lot of homeowner selections — tile, vanity, fixtures, hardware. You have two options:

Fixed pricing: You specify exact products with model numbers. The homeowner knows exactly what they’re getting. Easier to manage, but requires all selections made before signing.

Allowances: You set a budget per category. “Tile allowance: $8/sq ft material” or “Fixture allowance: $1,200 total for faucet, shower valve, and showerhead.” If they go over, the difference is a change order. If they go under, they get a credit.

Most contractors use a hybrid: fixed pricing for labor and structural work, allowances for finish materials. This lets you give an accurate bid without waiting weeks for the homeowner to pick tile.

4. Timeline

A typical full bathroom remodel takes 2 to 4 weeks:

Day 1-2: Demolition. Day 3-5: Rough plumbing and electrical. Day 5-6: Inspection, waterproofing, backer board. Day 7-10: Tile installation (shower and floor). Day 11-12: Vanity, countertop, toilet installation. Day 13-14: Fixtures, accessories, paint, cleanup. Day 15: Final walkthrough and punch list.

Note any lead times: custom tile orders take 1-3 weeks, custom vanities take 2-4 weeks. Factor these into the start date so the homeowner isn’t surprised.

5. Payment Terms

A common structure for bathroom remodels:

15% deposit at contract signing. 35% at start of demolition. 35% at tile completion. 15% at final walkthrough and punch list sign-off.

For smaller bathroom remodels under $10,000, some contractors simplify to three payments: 25% deposit, 50% at rough-in, 25% at completion.

6. Warranty and Protection

Include your workmanship warranty (1-2 years is standard), manufacturer warranties on fixtures and materials, and your license and insurance details. Specifically mention your waterproofing warranty — this is a major selling point. “10-year waterproofing warranty on all shower installations” differentiates you from competitors who don’t mention it at all.

Mistakes That Kill Bathroom Remodel Bids

Not inspecting behind the walls. If possible, do a moisture test or look for signs of existing water damage during the walkthrough. If you can’t tell what’s behind the walls, include a contingency line item or a clear statement about potential extras after demolition.

Underbidding tile labor. Tile is the most labor-intensive part of a bathroom remodel. Shower tile installation takes 2-4 times longer per square foot than floor tile. Factor in layout complexity, waterproofing, and niche construction.

Forgetting ventilation. Code requires exhaust fans in bathrooms without operable windows, and most inspectors want them even with windows. If the existing fan isn’t ducted to the exterior (common in older homes), that’s an additional cost.

Ignoring access issues. Bathrooms are small. Getting a cast iron tub through a hallway, up stairs, or around a corner adds labor. If the project is in a high-rise or a home with difficult access, account for the extra time.

Not addressing mold. If you see it during the walkthrough, address it in your estimate. If you suspect it might be present behind existing tile, include a contingency clause. Mold remediation is expensive and must be handled properly — don’t absorb that cost.

Close More Bathroom Remodel Jobs

The difference between the contractor who wins and the one who doesn’t usually isn’t price — it’s presentation and speed. Homeowners who are remodeling a bathroom have already decided to spend the money. They’re choosing between contractors, not deciding whether to do the project.

A clean, detailed PDF estimate with itemized pricing, a clear timeline, and professional formatting puts you ahead of the contractor who scribbles numbers on a notepad or sends a one-line text with a total.

Speed matters too. The contractor who sends the estimate within 24 hours of the walkthrough gets the job more often than the one who takes a week. Homeowners interpret speed as professionalism and reliability.

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