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Bathroom remodels cost more than most people expect. It’s a smaller room than a kitchen, but the cost per square foot is often higher, and the failure modes are more permanent. Water leaks into the wrong joist, mold blooms in the wrong cavity, and you’re paying twice. Most Seacoast remodelers won’t publish bath pricing because the range is wide and the variables are technical.
Benchmark publishes ours.
After 25 years and 400+ kitchen and bath projects across Seacoast NH, we’ve installed enough showers, vanities, and tubs to know what these projects cost, and what kills them. This guide walks through our two published price levels, Quality and Premium, what drives the cost up or down, the hidden costs every bath remodeler should disclose, and the lead-paint consideration that affects most pre-1978 Seacoast homes. If you’d rather skip the reading, the estimator pulls from the same framework and gives you a range in about two minutes.
Where Your Money Actually Goes
Bath remodels have a different cost profile than kitchens. The buckets:
- Plumbing fixtures + relocation: 25–35% of typical project cost: Toilet, sink, tub or shower, drains, supply lines, and valves. Moving any of these from existing rough-in adds significant labor.
- Tile + waterproofing: 20–30%: Shower-wall tile, floor tile, niches, and accent strips, plus the often-invisible waterproofing layer underneath (membrane, pre-slope, curb). Most failed bath remodels fail here.
- Vanity + countertop: 15–20%: A single or double vanity, custom built-in storage, and the countertop material.
- Labor, structural + everything else: 25–35%: Demo, install, electrical (lighting, outlets, GFCI), ventilation, framing, drywall, paint, hardware, mirror, and finishing. Structural changes sit here too.
The key thing to know about bathroom cost: the waterproofing and tile work is the line item where remodelers cut corners to win bids. Skimping there saves $2,000–$5,000 up front and costs $20,000–$50,000 in remediation four to seven years later. Benchmark doesn’t cut there.
The Two Published Levels
Every Benchmark bathroom lands at one of two levels. As with kitchens, the visible surfaces and the fixtures set the level, and the waterproofing underneath is built to the same standard no matter which one you choose.
Quality: Everyday Excellence
$35,000–$75,000
Quality materials and great everyday finishes. A complete bath renovation in your existing footprint, from a clean tub-to-shower conversion through a custom-tile shower with niches and a bench. Semi-custom-to-premium vanity, quartz or stone top, layered lighting, premium-fixture options, and minor layout adjustments. The waterproofing underneath is built to the same standard no matter what. Where most Benchmark baths land.
What's typically included
- Shower / tub-to-shower: A standard 32"×60" or 36"×60" footprint with solid-surface or porcelain-tile walls, up through a larger custom-tile shower (often 42"×72") with niches, a bench, and a curbless-entry option. Frameless glass, and a Moen/Delta entry-line valve through a premium Hansgrohe, Brizo, or Kohler Artifacts trim.
- Vanity + countertop: Semi-custom vanity (Fabuwood or Forevermark in 36"/48"/60") through a custom-built vanity for non-standard widths, topped with level 1–4 quartz or natural stone and an integrated, undermount, or vessel sink.
- Toilet: High-efficiency two-piece (Kohler, Toto, American Standard) with a slow-close seat. An optional bidet or washlet seat (heated, soft-close) adds $400–$1,800.
- Tile: Porcelain or ceramic floor tile (12"×24" or 18"×18") through designer large-format slab, mosaic, or wood-look plank, with subway through patterned or stone shower-wall tile and decorative niche tile.
- Waterproofing: Schluter Kerdi or Wedi system on shower walls and a pre-slope mortar bed with proper drain placement. Non-negotiable. We don’t cut here regardless of level.
- Lighting + ventilation: A vanity light bar (or sconces), recessed LED, GFCI outlets, and a code-compliant exhaust fan vented to the exterior, layered with accent lighting (under-vanity and niche LED) and dimmers as the project steps up.
- Comfort + layout: Optional heated towel rail ($400–$1,200) or radiant floor mat ($1,000–$2,500). Minor layout work: moving the vanity, reconfiguring the shower entry, adding wall niches, a custom framed mirror, and a humidity-sensing fan. Plumbing updated to code in place.
Typical timeline: 4–6 weeks of construction after 3–5 weeks of design + ordering.
What you're trading off vs. the tier above: No structural changes (no wall removal, no room expansion). Not a full-luxury double vanity with center tower, not spa-tier features (steam shower, multi-head system, a freestanding tub plus a separate shower), and not exotic stone throughout. The fixtures and finishes are excellent. They’re just not best-in-class.
Premium: High-End Detailing
$75,000–$115,000+
Premium materials and high-end detailing. A primary bathroom designed as a spa-tier retreat: custom cabinetry, a freestanding tub and a separate walk-in shower, radiant heated floors, designer fixtures throughout, and often structural changes that expand the room into adjacent closet or hallway space.
What's typically included
- Freestanding tub + walk-in shower: A tub in cast iron (Kohler), composite acrylic (Aquatica, Wetstyle), or stone resin, plus a 48"×60"+ shower with rain head, handheld, and body sprays, often steam-ready or steam-equipped.
- Custom cabinetry: A double vanity with center tower or makeup station, inset doors, premium finishes, built-in linen storage, and often integrated millwork.
- Stone countertops: Quartzite, exotic granite, or marble with mitered edges and integrated stone sinks where desired.
- Premium fixtures: Brizo Litze or Kintsu, Hansgrohe Axor, Kohler Artifacts, or Waterworks, with a custom shower system (rain head + handheld + 4–6 body sprays).
- Radiant floors + smart-home: Hydronic or electric-mat radiant floors with a programmable thermostat, plus music and lighting control (Lutron with integrated audio) and automated ventilation.
- Structural + slab work: Expanding the room from an adjacent closet or hallway, raising ceilings or adding windows, plus floor-to-ceiling stone slab in the shower and custom-cut tile.
Typical timeline: 8–14 weeks of construction after 6–8 weeks of design + ordering.
What you get at this tier: A primary bath that functions like a private spa: a freestanding tub and a separate walk-in (or steam) shower, radiant floors underfoot, custom cabinetry built for your storage, and slab-and-fixture choices specified down to the detail. Reserved for primary baths where the budget supports best-in-class execution.
Halfway There
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Stop reading and start with the estimator. Eight quick questions, and you’ll have a level and a range in about two minutes. Come back to finish the guide whenever you want the deeper detail.
What Drives the Cost Up
These are the choices that move the number higher within, or above, your level:
- Custom-tile shower (niches, benches, curbless entry): Adds $4,000–$12,000 vs. a standard insert.
- Premium fixtures: A Brizo or Hansgrohe shower system and faucet set vs. a Moen/Delta entry-line: $2,500–$8,000.
- Freestanding tub + separate shower (vs. tub OR shower): Adds $5,000–$20,000 including plumbing, framing, and the tub itself.
- Radiant heated floor: $1,000–$2,500 for an electric mat. A hydronic system tied into a boiler runs $4,000–$9,000.
- Steam shower or multi-head system: Adds $3,000–$15,000.
- Double vanity vs. single: Adds $2,000–$8,000 (cabinetry + countertop + plumbing).
- Bidet seat or integrated smart toilet: A heated, automated bidet or washlet seat adds $400–$1,800. A fully integrated smart toilet (Kohler Veil, Toto Neorest) runs $8,000–$15,000 installed.
- Structural changes: Expanding the room into adjacent space adds $5,000–$25,000 depending on what’s moved (closet vs. load-bearing wall).
- Premium tile + slab work: Floor-to-ceiling stone slab in the shower vs. tile: $5,000–$20,000. Handmade zellige or custom mosaics: $2,000–$8,000.
What Keeps the Cost Down
And here’s where you can save real money without compromising the result, or the waterproofing:
- Stay in the existing footprint: No layout changes or wall moves saves $5,000–$25,000.
- Keep your tub or shower location: Plumbing relocation is one of the bigger adders. Even an "obvious" 4-foot move can cost $2,000–$5,000.
- Single vanity vs. double: Saves $2,000–$8,000.
- Standard-tier fixtures: Moen or Delta entry-line look fine and function reliably. Saves $2,500–$8,000 vs. designer brands.
- Porcelain tile instead of stone: Visually similar; $5–$15 per sq ft saved.
- Skip the freestanding tub if you don’t take baths: A good walk-in shower is more usable for most people. Saves $4,000–$12,000.
- Skip the radiant floor: Comfortable but optional. Saves $1,000–$6,000.
- Decisive decisions in design: Same as a kitchen. Change orders cost extra. Lock decisions before construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
Construction takes 4–6 weeks for most Quality projects. Premium spa-tier baths with structural work run longer (8–14 weeks). Design and ordering add another 3–8 weeks. From first conversation to final walkthrough: typically 2–5 months depending on the level.
Can I still use a bathroom during the remodel?
Yes, if you have another bath in the home. If this is your only bathroom, we’ll discuss temporary arrangements during design. Some clients shower at a gym or with family nearby; others set up a temporary basement shower.
Do you handle permits?
Yes. Permit fees pass through to you at cost, typically $250–$900 for a bath.
Does Benchmark handle lead-paint compliance in pre-1978 homes?
Yes, Benchmark is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm. We follow the federal RRP containment and cleanup work practices on every pre-1978 home, which add 2–3 days to the schedule for the required protocols.
What about water damage discovered during demo?
We open the walls and reveal everything before any rebuild begins. Discoveries are documented, photographed, and quoted as a change order before work proceeds, and the 10–15% contingency in your estimate is reserved specifically for this.
Can you waterproof to last?
Yes. We use Schluter Kerdi or Wedi systems (both top-tier) on every shower regardless of tier. This is the line item we never cut. A failed waterproofing layer is the most expensive bath-remodel mistake possible.
Do you do tub-to-shower conversions?
Yes, very common. Usually a 4–8 day scope embedded in a larger bath remodel.
Do you do smart toilets and bidet seats?
Yes. A fully integrated smart toilet (Kohler Veil or Toto Neorest) runs $8,000–$15,000 installed. A bidet or washlet seat on your existing toilet runs $400–$1,800 installed.
What’s the 10% retention policy?
We hold back the final 10% of every project until you’ve signed off as satisfied at the final walkthrough. We don’t get paid in full until you say we earned it.
How do I get started?
Use the estimator at the top of this page for a personalized level and range in about two minutes, or book a free in-home visit with Lee Sr.
Honest Disclosure
What’s NOT in Our Pricing
We try to be upfront about what’s included and what isn’t. Our standard bath remodel estimates do NOT include:
- Bedroom or hallway flooring repairs adjacent to the bath if matching across rooms is needed (separate quote)
- HVAC work beyond bath ventilation (e.g., adding a separate heating zone)
- Smart-home integration beyond Lutron Caseta lighting (full Control4 / Crestron is separate scope)
- Custom artwork or wall hangings
- Asbestos abatement if discovered (rare, billed separately)
- Mold remediation beyond what’s reasonably encountered during demo
- Lead-paint full abatement (the Lead-Safe disturbance protocol is included; full abatement is separate)
- Window replacement (separate scope unless explicitly itemized)
If any of these matter to your project, ask during the design phase and we’ll either include them in the estimate or refer you to a vetted specialist we work with regularly.
This guide is updated as material costs and project examples change. Last updated June 2026. Benchmark Home Improvements is fully insured and serves New Hampshire and Maine. BBB Accredited A+, BBB Torch Award Winner 2018, Finalist 2023, Judge 2025. Best of Houzz Service nine years running.