How Do You Estimate a Bathroom Remodel?

By Wyatt Cooper · Published October 22, 2026 · 7 min read

Key takeaways

A bathroom estimate is mostly hidden work: price demolition, the subfloor, the plumbing rough-in and the shower's waterproofing before the finishes the client sees.
Take off tile by the square foot for each surface, add waste, and round up to full boxes; carry the tile itself as an allowance until the client picks it.
Add a contingency for what's behind the walls and under the toilet, then markup; the example's 25% markup is a 20% margin.
Write the scope as specifically as the price, with every allowance and exclusion named, because the estimate becomes the contract.

To estimate a bathroom remodel, measure the room and every tiled surface, write the scope line by line, and price each line from your crew's hours, your material takeoff and your subs' written quotes. Price the hidden work first: demolition, subfloor repair, plumbing rough-in, venting and waterproofing. Carry fixtures and tile the client hasn't chosen as allowances. Then add permits, supervision, a contingency for what's behind the walls, and your markup.

Measure the room and the wet areas

Walk the bathroom with the client and write down what a kitchen walk doesn't need: the floor and every wall surface that gets tile, in square feet; the shower or tub's size and whether it is a tub, a pan or a curbless floor; where the toilet, drain and valve sit and whether they move; how the fan vents; whether the floor is soft at the toilet or tub; and the outlets near water. Moving a drain or a toilet is a plumbing line of its own, and a soft floor is a subfloor line.

Note the year the house was built. Under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rules, firms doing work that disturbs lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 "must be EPA- or state-certified and must use certified renovators who follow specific work practices." Price that work, or the testing that shows it isn't needed.

Bathroom takeoff: what to measure and how it is priced
Item	Measure	Price it from
Floor tile	Floor area in sq ft, plus waste for cuts, rounded up to full boxes	Tile allowance per sq ft; setter's quote for labor
Shower walls	Each wall's width × tile height, in sq ft	Same as floor tile
Waterproofing and backer	Shower wall and pan area	Material from the takeoff; your crew's hours
Plumbing	Fixtures that stay, move or are added; valve type	Plumber's written quote, rough and finish
Electrical	Fan, lights, protected outlets, any new circuit	Electrician's written quote
Subfloor and framing	Soft areas, blocking for grab bars and vanity	Crew hours and material
Fixtures and vanity	Count and the client's level of finish	Allowances until chosen

Price each line, hidden work first

Price your own crew as hours times a loaded labor rate (wage plus taxes, insurance and benefits). Price subbed trades from written quotes, and read the exclusions: a tile quote that leaves out the shower pan or the waterproofing membrane is not the tile price. The figures below are an example to replace with your own rates, quotes and allowances.

The fictional Lin hall bath (5 × 8 ft, tub replaced with a tiled shower): cost by line, before contingency and markup
Line	How it was priced	Cost
Demolition and haul-off	12 hours × $60 loaded rate = $720, plus a $400 dumpster	$1,120
Subfloor repair and blocking	6 hours × $60 = $360, plus $240 material	$600
Plumbing, rough and finish	Plumber's written quote: new valve, drain moved for the shower	$3,200
Electrical	Electrician's quote: fan, light, protected outlet	$1,400
Waterproofing and backer	$450 material plus 8 hours × $60 = $480	$930
Tile setting	Setter's quote, floor and shower walls	$3,600
Tile, allowance	125 sq ft (121 needed, rounded to full boxes) × $8	$1,000
Vanity, top and faucet, allowance	Client hasn't chosen	$1,800
Toilet and shower trim, allowance	Client hasn't chosen	$700
Glass shower door	Glazier's quote	$1,500
Drywall repair and paint	Painter's quote	$1,100
Accessories (mirror, bars, hooks)	4 hours × $60	$240
Permit and fees	The building department's fee schedule	$350
Supervision, protection and cleanup	Your own time, floor protection, final clean	$1,460
Total cost		$19,000

The tile count: floor 5 × 8 = 40 sq ft; shower walls 70 sq ft (a 5-foot back wall and two 2.5-foot ends, 7 feet high: 35 + 17.5 + 17.5); 110 sq ft plus 10% waste is 121 sq ft, ordered as 125.

Contingency, markup and the price

Lin hall bath — estimate summary

Total cost (the table above): $19,000
Contingency, 8% of cost: $19,000 × 8% = $1,520
Cost with contingency: $19,000 + $1,520 = $20,520
Markup, 25% of $20,520: $5,130
Price to the client: $20,520 + $5,130 = $25,650
Gross margin: $5,130 ÷ $25,650 = 20%
Allowances inside the price: $1,000 + $1,800 + $700 = $3,500 of cost
Check: The 14 cost lines add to $19,000; $25,650 − $20,520 = $5,130

From cost to price on the fictional Lin bath (example figures).

Bathrooms earn a larger contingency than many rooms because the worst surprises sit under the toilet and behind the tub: rot at the flange, a joist cut for a drain, old supply lines. Set it from the house's age and what you saw at the walk. For why a 25% markup is a 20% margin, see markup vs margin; for the difference between the contingency and the allowances, see allowance vs contingency.

Turn it into a proposal

Describe every line the way it will read in the contract. California's license board advises naming "the style, brand, model, quality, quantity, weight, color, size" of materials (CSLB, Terms of Agreement).
List each allowance, what it covers (material, delivery, tax) and how the price changes if the pick is above or below it. Selections are their own job: see how to manage client selections.
List exclusions plainly: moving a wall, rooms outside the bath, mold remediation beyond a set area.
Tie payments to work done. In California the down payment may not exceed "one thousand dollars ($1,000) or 10 percent of the contract amount, whichever amount is less," so the Lin job could ask for $1,000 up front, not $2,565 (Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159.5). Check your state's rules.
Say how changes are priced, in writing before the work: see how to handle a change order on a remodel.

The bottom line

A bathroom estimate is a measured takeoff of every tiled surface and fixture, priced line by line with the hidden work first, allowances for what the client hasn't chosen, a contingency for what's under the floor and a markup you have converted to margin.

Conflo is built for commercial construction today, and its residential tools are not built yet. Join the waitlist to hear when they are, and see the residential builder's guide for the rest of the job, or how to estimate a kitchen remodel for the room next door.

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Sources

Terms of Agreement: A Consumer Guide to Home Improvement Contracts — California Contractors State License Board. Read October 22, 2026.
Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read October 22, 2026.
California Business and Professions Code § 7159.5 — California Legislative Information. Read October 22, 2026.

Questions

How do contractors estimate a bathroom remodel?

They measure the room and every tiled surface, write the scope line by line, price their own work as hours times a loaded rate plus material, price subbed trades from written quotes, carry unchosen fixtures and tile as allowances, then add permits, supervision, contingency and markup.

How much tile waste should I add?

Enough for cuts and breakage on that layout; the example uses 10%. Large tiles, diagonal patterns and small rooms with many cuts need more. Round up to full boxes, and keep a few spare tiles for the client.

What hidden costs show up in bathroom remodels?

Rot at the toilet flange or under the tub, a joist notched for an old drain, failed supply lines, a fan vented into the attic instead of outside, and paint that needs lead-safe work in a house built before 1978. Price what you can see and carry a contingency for the rest.

Should fixtures be allowances in a bathroom estimate?

If the client hasn't chosen them, yes. Write the amount and what it covers, such as purchase, delivery and tax, and say how the price changes if the client picks something above or below it.

What markup should a remodeler use on a bathroom?

One that covers your overhead and the profit you need, worked out as a margin. A 25% markup on cost is a 20% margin on price; if you need a 25% margin, the markup is 33.3%.