Free Bathroom Remodel Calculator (+ Guide)

What is a bathroom remodel calculator?

A bathroom remodel calculator adds up every cost of redoing a bathroom, from the contractor's quote to the fixtures you buy yourself.

It shows the total with a contingency, the cost per square foot and what's left of your budget.

How it works

The cheapest of your quotes goes in the total, next to the costs it doesn't cover.

What the building code asks of a bathroom

The 2024 International Residential Code, the model code most US towns adopt in some form, sets a few rules a bathroom remodel has to meet.

• Shower and tub walls need a nonabsorbent surface to at least 6 feet above the floor (R327.2)
• A bathroom's ceiling must be at least 6 feet 8 inches high (R313.1)

Your town may use another edition or its own changes, so ask its building department what applies.

How to compare contractors' quotes

The Federal Trade Commission gives this advice before you hire anyone.

• Hire only licensed and insured contractors, and check the license with your state or county
• Get several written estimates, each with the work, the materials, the completion date and the price
• Don't automatically pick the lowest bid, and ask why if the estimates differ a lot
• Get a written contract with the contractor's license number and the start and finish dates
• Never pay the full amount up front, and make the final payment only when the work is done

It also warns that a contractor who asks you to get the permits, or who only takes cash, may be running a scam.

How much contingency to add

A contingency is money set aside for what you find once the walls or the ground are open.

HUD requires one on its 203(k) renovation loans: 10% to 20% of the repair costs on a home 30 years or older, and at least 15% when the utilities don't work.

On a newer home, it's up to the lender, to a maximum of 20%.

A worked example

Here's the example the calculator loads: a 50 sq ft bathroom with 3 quotes of $14,000, $12,500 and $16,000, plus a vanity, toilet, tile, lighting, paint and permits you're buying yourself.

The cheapest quote is $12,500, $3,500 less than the dearest. Your other costs add $3,300, so the project comes to $15,800 before the contingency.

A 10% contingency adds $1,580, for a total of $17,380. That's $347.60 per square foot, and $2,620 left of a $20,000 budget for the bathroom remodel.

Mistakes to avoid

These are the slips that come up most.

• Comparing quotes that don't cover the same fixtures and finishes
• Leaving out the permits: the FTC lists a contractor asking you to get them as a sign of a scam
• Skipping the contingency on an older home, where pipes and subfloor often surprise

Who is the bathroom remodel calculator for?

It's for anyone planning a bathroom, from a refresh to a full gut, and these tools help around it.

• Tile calculator – for the tiles and boxes
• Paint calculator – for the walls and ceiling
• Home equity loan calculator – if you borrow for it

Price every line before the first tile comes off, and the remodel holds fewer surprises.