Cost guides
Master bathroom remodel cost in 2026: what a primary bath really runs, upgrade by upgrade
A major remodel of a bathroom 100 square feet or larger cost a median $30,000 in 2025. Here's what each primary-bath upgrade adds, plus a real bid line by line.
By Zack Wais8 min read
A master bathroom remodel costs about $30,000 at the median: that's what homeowners spent on a major remodel of a bathroom 100 square feet or larger in 2025, and the top 10% spent $75,000 or more (Houzz, 2026). In Denver, the industry's upscale primary-bath remodel, which grows the room and moves every fixture, cost $72,776 in 2024 (Cost vs Value).
I'm Zack, a licensed contractor with 15 years on the tools across the west Denver metro. On a primary bath I run the tile, the plumbing and the electrical myself, including the new circuit a heated floor needs. This is the master-bath chapter of my bathroom remodel cost guide: what each upgrade adds, a real bid line by line, and what the Colorado rules add.
Major remodel, 100 sq ft and up, median
Typical cost
$30,000
At least the shower upgraded; the top 10% spent $75,000 or more (Houzz, 2025)
100 sq ft primary, standard
Typical cost
$15,000 – $30,000
Fixtures replaced, layout kept (HomeGuide)
100 sq ft primary, premium
Typical cost
$30,000 – $50,000
Layout, plumbing and electrical changed (HomeGuide)
100 sq ft master bath, Thumbtack
Typical cost
$19,974 – $59,433
Thumbtack’s 2026 range
Upscale remodel, Denver
Typical cost
$72,776
A 35 sq ft bath grown to 100 sq ft, every fixture moved (Cost vs Value, 2024)
Same upscale remodel, national
Typical cost
$81,612
Cost vs Value, 2025
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Major remodel, 100 sq ft and up, median | $30,000 | At least the shower upgraded; the top 10% spent $75,000 or more (Houzz, 2025) |
| 100 sq ft primary, standard | $15,000 – $30,000 | Fixtures replaced, layout kept (HomeGuide) |
| 100 sq ft primary, premium | $30,000 – $50,000 | Layout, plumbing and electrical changed (HomeGuide) |
| 100 sq ft master bath, Thumbtack | $19,974 – $59,433 | Thumbtack’s 2026 range |
| Upscale remodel, Denver | $72,776 | A 35 sq ft bath grown to 100 sq ft, every fixture moved (Cost vs Value, 2024) |
| Same upscale remodel, national | $81,612 | Cost vs Value, 2025 |
Sources: Houzz 2026 Bathroom Trends Study, HomeGuide, Thumbtack, Cost vs Value.
On this page
- What counts as a master bathroom
- Cost by scope
- What each upgrade adds
- Taking the tub out for a bigger shower
- A real master bath bid, line by line
- Denver costs and the Colorado rules
- How long it takes
- Is it worth it at resale?
- What I'd plan for
- FAQ
What counts as a master bathroom, and what does "full" mean?
There's no official size. Angi sizes a primary bathroom at about 120 square feet (Angi), HomeGuide says they run from 40 square feet in smaller homes to over 200 (HomeGuide), and Houzz draws its line for a "larger" bathroom at 100 square feet (Houzz).
Angi
Size: About 120 sq ft
What it means: Its working size for a primary bathroom
HomeGuide
Size: 40 to over 200 sq ft
What it means: From smaller homes to large ones
Houzz
Size: 100 sq ft and up
What it means: Its “larger bathroom” group; 35% of finished bathrooms are 100 to 199 sq ft
Cost vs Value
Size: 35 grown to 100 sq ft
What it means: Its upscale test bath, every fixture moved
| Source | Size | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Angi | About 120 sq ft | Its working size for a primary bathroom |
| HomeGuide | 40 to over 200 sq ft | From smaller homes to large ones |
| Houzz | 100 sq ft and up | Its “larger bathroom” group; 35% of finished bathrooms are 100 to 199 sq ft |
| Cost vs Value | 35 grown to 100 sq ft | Its upscale test bath, every fixture moved |
"Full" means two different things. As a room, a full bath has a sink, a toilet, a shower and a tub. Take the tub out and real estate agents call it a three-quarter bath (Realtor.com), which feels a little harsh on a room that just got a much nicer shower.
As a job, a "full remodel" stretches from $9,000 at Fixr to $80,000 at the top of Angi's range, because each guide counts different work (Angi, Fixr). When two quotes both say "full," ask each one to list what's coming out and what's going in.
Master bathroom remodel cost by scope
HomeGuide splits a 100 square foot primary bath into three tiers. A cosmetic update runs $10,000 to $15,000. A standard remodel that replaces the fixtures but keeps the layout runs $15,000 to $30,000. A premium remodel that changes the layout, plumbing and electrical runs $30,000 to $50,000 (HomeGuide).
Cosmetic: paint, fixtures, maybe a vanity
Typical cost
$10,000 – $15,000
$100 to $150 a sq ft
Standard: fixtures replaced, layout kept
Typical cost
$15,000 – $30,000
$150 to $300 a sq ft
Premium: layout, plumbing and electrical changed
Typical cost
$30,000 – $50,000
$300 to $500 a sq ft, more at the top end
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic: paint, fixtures, maybe a vanity | $10,000 – $15,000 | $100 to $150 a sq ft |
| Standard: fixtures replaced, layout kept | $15,000 – $30,000 | $150 to $300 a sq ft |
| Premium: layout, plumbing and electrical changed | $30,000 – $50,000 | $300 to $500 a sq ft, more at the top end |
Source: HomeGuide, for a 100 sq ft primary bathroom.
Fixr can't quite decide. Its master bath ideas page puts renovations at $15,000 to $38,000 in one paragraph and the average at $12,000 in its FAQ (Fixr). Two answers on one page from one company is honestly the most relatable thing a cost guide has ever done.
The jump from tier to tier is almost always plumbing. Keep the shower drain and the toilet where they are, and the job stays in the middle tier. Move them, and the city, the plumber and the subfloor all get a vote.
What each primary-bath upgrade adds
A primary bath costs more than a hall bath because of what goes into it: a double vanity, a bigger shower with glass, maybe a freestanding tub, maybe a heated floor. Each one has its own price, and each one is a line you can keep or cut.
Double vanity, installed
Typical cost
$700 – $2,700
HomeGuide
Custom vanity
Typical cost
$1,200 – $5,000
Fixr
Walk-in shower
Typical cost
$6,000 – $12,000
Angi’s average is $9,000
Curbless entry
Typical cost
$500 – $700
More than a curbed shower, for the sloped floor and wider waterproofing (Angi)
Frameless glass door
Typical cost
$600 – $1,900
A neo-angle door runs $900 to $2,000 (HomeGuide)
Freestanding tub
Typical cost
$900 – $5,500
Installed (HomeGuide)
Heated floor, 60 to 160 sq ft
Typical cost
$500 – $2,400
Without new flooring (HomeGuide)
New circuit for the heated floor
Typical cost
$250 – $900
HomeGuide
Steam shower
Typical cost
$3,000 – $10,000
HomeGuide
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Double vanity, installed | $700 – $2,700 | HomeGuide |
| Custom vanity | $1,200 – $5,000 | Fixr |
| Walk-in shower | $6,000 – $12,000 | Angi’s average is $9,000 |
| Curbless entry | $500 – $700 | More than a curbed shower, for the sloped floor and wider waterproofing (Angi) |
| Frameless glass door | $600 – $1,900 | A neo-angle door runs $900 to $2,000 (HomeGuide) |
| Freestanding tub | $900 – $5,500 | Installed (HomeGuide) |
| Heated floor, 60 to 160 sq ft | $500 – $2,400 | Without new flooring (HomeGuide) |
| New circuit for the heated floor | $250 – $900 | HomeGuide |
| Steam shower | $3,000 – $10,000 | HomeGuide |
Sources: HomeGuide ideas, HomeGuide master, HomeGuide glass, HomeGuide heated floors, Angi walk-in showers, Angi curbless, Fixr.
Houzz's 2026 study reads like a list of what everybody's neighbor just did: 64% of sink upgrades went to double sinks, 57% of new tubs were freestanding, 80% of new shower doors were frameless, and 26% of upgraded floors were heated (Houzz).
Double sinks are the upgrade couples love most and plumbers think about longest, because one sink becomes two drains, four valves and twice the places for water to find its way out. Worth it, though. Nobody has ever regretted getting their own sink, and plenty of people have regretted sharing one.
A heated floor needs its own circuit, a thermostat and a cable laid in the floor before the tile, and the cable itself lasts 30 to 50 years by HomeGuide's count (HomeGuide). That's 30 winters of stepping out of the shower onto warm tile instead of tile that's been sitting at the temperature of a mountain pass since 6 a.m.
A separate toilet room has no standard price. It's framing, a door, a light and often its own fan, so it gets priced by the job.
Taking the tub out for a bigger shower
In 26% of bathroom remodels the tub comes out, and when it does, 79% of homeowners use the space to make the shower bigger (Houzz). Of upgraded showers, 47% have a low curb and 24% have no curb at all.
The corner garden tub was the star of the 1990s primary bath. Most of them have spent the decades since as a very large shelf for decorative candles and one bath bomb nobody's brave enough to use.
Keep one tub somewhere in the house, though. A bathroom with a sink, a toilet and a shower but no tub counts as a three-quarter bath, and one agent told Realtor.com that a house with no tub at all can be a deal breaker for some buyers (Realtor.com).
A real master bath bid, line by line
Here's what a real one looks like. In 2021 a Utah homeowner posted a contractor's bid for a 5 by 11 master grown to 8 by 11, with a freestanding tub, a shower with a bench, an enclosed toilet and a heated floor. The bid came to $26,960, a second bid to $32,625, and both left out most of the finish materials (r/HomeImprovement).
Tile installation
Typical cost
$4,720
The biggest line, 17.5% (our arithmetic)
Patch and paint, walls and ceiling
Typical cost
$4,000
14.8%
Framing, including the toilet room
Typical cost
$3,300
12.2%
Demolition
Typical cost
$2,800
10.4%
Drywall and backer board
Typical cost
$2,500
Setting the mirror, vanity, toilet, tub, faucets and lights
Typical cost
$1,970
Sound insulation
Typical cost
$1,500
Heated floor
Typical cost
$1,490
Labor only
Baseboards
Typical cost
$1,400
Shower pan
Typical cost
$1,100
Ventilation
Typical cost
$800
Shower shelf and bench
Typical cost
$700
Waterproofing
Typical cost
$400
Doors
Typical cost
$280
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tile installation | $4,720 | The biggest line, 17.5% (our arithmetic) |
| Patch and paint, walls and ceiling | $4,000 | 14.8% |
| Framing, including the toilet room | $3,300 | 12.2% |
| Demolition | $2,800 | 10.4% |
| Drywall and backer board | $2,500 | |
| Setting the mirror, vanity, toilet, tub, faucets and lights | $1,970 | |
| Sound insulation | $1,500 | |
| Heated floor | $1,490 | Labor only |
| Baseboards | $1,400 | |
| Shower pan | $1,100 | |
| Ventilation | $800 | |
| Shower shelf and bench | $700 | |
| Waterproofing | $400 | |
| Doors | $280 |
Source: the homeowner's r/HomeImprovement post, September 2021. The 14 lines add to exactly $26,960 (our arithmetic). Five years old and not Colorado; the shape is the point.
Patching and painting came to more than the framing. Nobody budgets for paint, and paint always shows up anyway, like the cousin who heard there'd be cake. A kitchen and bath project manager in the thread said they'd expect a job like this to land around $30,000 all in, materials included.
Master bathroom cost in Denver, and the Colorado rules
A primary bath costs about the same in Denver as nationally. Cost vs Value's upscale remodel came to $72,776 in Denver in 2024 (Cost vs Value), and Angi's Denver bathroom range sits about 6% above its national one (Angi). What changes in the west metro is the paperwork, and in a bigger room it scales up.
Lakewood permit
What triggers it: A bath remodel is its own building permit type (Lakewood)
In a primary bath: Plumbing and electrical ride on it
Denver permit
What triggers it: New or moved fixtures, new ductwork, a changed floor plan (Denver)
In a primary bath: A moved drain or a second sink almost always counts
Colorado asbestos inspection
What triggers it: Disturbing more than 32 sq ft of flooring, drywall or ceiling (CDPHE)
In a primary bath: A 100 sq ft floor is about three times the line
EPA lead-safe rules
What triggers it: Pre-1978 homes, more than 6 sq ft of paint per room (EPA)
In a primary bath: Opening the walls usually crosses it
| Rule | What triggers it | In a primary bath |
|---|---|---|
| Lakewood permit | A bath remodel is its own building permit type (Lakewood) | Plumbing and electrical ride on it |
| Denver permit | New or moved fixtures, new ductwork, a changed floor plan (Denver) | A moved drain or a second sink almost always counts |
| Colorado asbestos inspection | Disturbing more than 32 sq ft of flooring, drywall or ceiling (CDPHE) | A 100 sq ft floor is about three times the line |
| EPA lead-safe rules | Pre-1978 homes, more than 6 sq ft of paint per room (EPA) | Opening the walls usually crosses it |
Lakewood's median home was built in 1977 and Wheat Ridge's in 1965 (Census Reporter), so a primary bath here may well be wearing its original tile under the newer tile. In Colorado, a certified inspector checks it before anything comes up, and that goes in the budget from the first estimate.
How long a master bathroom remodel takes
A cosmetic primary-bath update takes one to two weeks, a standard remodel two to four, and a premium one with layout changes four to eight weeks or more, by HomeGuide's count (HomeGuide). That's the work itself. In Houzz's 2026 renovation study, homeowners reported 4.8 months of work on a primary bathroom on average, after 8.4 months of planning (Houzz).
Four to eight weeks is long enough to forget what the old bathroom looked like, and just short enough to still remember exactly how much you miss having one. My post on how long a bathroom remodel takes goes week by week, inspections and cure times included.
Is a master bathroom remodel worth it?
At resale, Cost vs Value's upscale bath remodel recouped 42% of its cost nationally in 2025 and 37.5% in Denver in 2024, while the midrange remodel got back 80% nationally (Cost vs Value, Denver).
Midrange bath remodel, national 2025
Recouped
80%
$26,138 job
Upscale bath remodel, national 2025
Recouped
42%
$81,612 job
Upscale bath remodel, Denver 2024
Recouped
37.5%
$72,776 job
| Item | Recouped | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Midrange bath remodel, national 2025 | 80% | $26,138 job |
| Upscale bath remodel, national 2025 | 42% | $81,612 job |
| Upscale bath remodel, Denver 2024 | 37.5% | $72,776 job |
Source: Cost vs Value (Zonda).
So a primary bath is rarely an investment on paper. It's a purchase, like a good mattress, except you also get to stop sharing a sink with someone who leaves toothpaste in it every single morning.
What I'd plan for in a west-metro primary bath
I'd plan for the plumbing first, because it decides the tier. A second sink, a moved shower drain or a freestanding tub in the middle of the room each needs plumbing that isn't there yet, and a heated floor needs a circuit that isn't there either.
On a primary bath I'm one licensed contractor for the tile, the plumbing and the electrical, so there's no general contractor's fee stacked on three subcontractors' markups. I don't charge for drive time, and materials go on the bill at what I paid for them. Send me a few photos and I'll usually come back with a real number within one business day.
A customer named Amanda wrote after her bathroom remodel that I was "upfront about pricing, stayed within budget, and kept us updated as the work progressed." In a room with this many decisions in it, that last part matters more than the tile.
Master bathroom remodel cost FAQ
- How much does a master bathroom remodel cost?
- About $30,000 at the median: that's what homeowners spent on a major remodel of a bathroom 100 square feet or larger in 2025, by Houzz's count. HomeGuide puts a 100 square foot primary bath with mid-grade finishes at $15,000 to $30,000.
- How much does a full bathroom remodel cost?
- It depends on what full means. Angi's full remodel, every fixture and surface replaced without moving plumbing, runs $25,000 to $80,000. Fixr's gut renovation runs $9,000 to $30,000 or more. Ask each contractor to list the scope.
- Is a master bath without a tub still a full bath?
- Not as real estate agents count it. A bathroom with a sink, a toilet and a shower but no tub is a three-quarter bath, Realtor.com says, and some buyers want at least one tub in the house.
- How much is the average Jacuzzi bath remodel job?
- Jacuzzi Bath Remodel jobs average about $15,500 and usually run $11,000 to $20,000 by HomeGuide's count. That's a one-day acrylic shower or tub system, not a full primary-bath remodel.
- What is the average lifespan of a bathroom?
- It goes part by part. InterNACHI's chart gives faucets 15 to 20 years, a fiberglass tub and shower about 20, a ceiling vent fan 5 to 10 and a cast iron tub about 100, with regular maintenance.
- Can I remodel a master bathroom for $5,000?
- Not as a full remodel. HomeGuide's cheapest tier for a 100 square foot primary bath, a cosmetic update, runs $10,000 to $15,000.
Get a number for your own primary bath
My bathroom remodeling page covers what I take on, from a new vanity to a full remodel with the permit, and my shower door installation page covers the glass. The bigger picture, from a 5x7 to one-day remodels, is in my bathroom remodel cost guide. Or send me photos of your bathroom for a free estimate, and I'll tell you which tier it really lands in.
