Remodeling a 5-by-7-foot bathroom with new standard fixtures costs about $26,138 on average nationally, according to the Journal of Light Construction's 2025 Cost vs. Value report, the current edition, dated September 18, 2025. An accessible version of the same room costs about $42,183, and an upscale remodel that enlarges the room to 100 square feet costs about $81,612.

Each figure belongs to a fixed specification. Knowing what is inside each one is what makes the numbers useful against a real bid.

Midrange: same room, everything new

The midrange job keeps the 5-by-7 footprint and replaces every fixture: a 30-by-60-inch porcelain-on-steel tub with a 4-by-4-inch ceramic tile surround, a single-lever, pressure-balanced shower control, a standard white toilet, a vanity with a solid-surface top and integral sink, a recessed medicine cabinet with a light, a ceramic tile floor and vinyl wallpaper.

Nationally that job costs $26,138, and agents surveyed for the report estimate it adds $20,915 at resale, or 80 percent of the cost. Regionally, the cost runs from $22,995 in the West South Central census division (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas) to $27,559 in New England and $27,710 in the Pacific division (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington). Estimated value recouped runs from 81 percent in the West South Central division to 91 percent in the Pacific.

Universal design: built for every age and ability

The universal design job also stays at 5 by 7 feet, but rebuilds the room for wheelchair access: a zero-threshold entry and a 36-inch door, light switches mounted 36 to 42 inches above the floor, a comfort-height toilet with an elongated bowl and bidet-type seat, and the tub replaced with a curbless, tiled walk-in shower with an adjustable showerhead, a fold-down seat, a thermostatic mixing valve and a glass door that swings both ways. The specification adds electric radiant heat under luxury vinyl tile, an adaptive vanity with easy-grasp handles, LED and night lighting, an infrared heat light, a humidity-sensing exhaust fan, storage reachable from a seated position and nine towel bars, each rated to hold 250 pounds.

Nationally the job costs $42,183, with 61 percent estimated as recouped at resale. It costs $36,046 in the West South Central division (65 percent recouped), $43,119 in New England (60 percent) and $45,921 in the Pacific (57 percent).

Upscale: a bigger room, fixtures moved

The upscale job expands a 35-square-foot bathroom to 100 square feet inside the existing footprint of the house and relocates every fixture. It includes a 42-by-42-inch neo-angle shower with tile walls, body sprays and a frameless glass enclosure, a freestanding soaking tub, a stone vanity top with two sinks, two lighted medicine cabinets, a separate toilet compartment with a one-piece toilet, larger floor tile laid on the diagonal, custom cabinetry, a humidistat-controlled exhaust fan, an HVAC extension and electric in-floor heat.

Nationally it costs $81,612 and recoups an estimated 42 percent. It runs from $73,185 in the West South Central division to $83,877 in New England and $86,863 in the Pacific, with estimated value recouped between 44 and 45 percent in all three.

Adding a bathroom

Building a new midrange bathroom as an addition costs $60,645 nationally and recoups an estimated 53 percent, according to the report. It runs from $54,735 in the West South Central division to $65,326 in the Pacific.

What moves the price

The specifications point to what separates the tiers. Keeping the toilet, tub and sink where the drains and supply lines already run keeps the midrange job contained; the upscale job moves every fixture, which means new plumbing runs, and adds square footage, heated floors and an HVAC extension. The universal design job replaces the tub with a curbless shower that has no step at the entry, plus a wider door and new electrical work for the switches, heat and fan.

How the report is made shapes what the figures mean. Job costs come from Verisk's XactRemodel estimating data on a national baseline built from federal price and wage indexes; resale value is an estimate from a Zonda survey of more than 6,000 Realtors, not a measured sale price. The value a remodel adds for the household living in the house, including safety and access as people age, is outside what the survey measures.

Plumbing and electrical work in a bathroom remodel typically requires a permit, and the local building department sets which work needs one and which inspections follow. The report's full specification for each job, by region and by city, is the reference for comparing written bids, which can differ on fixtures, tile, ventilation and how much of the wall and floor is opened up.

Electrical, gas, roof and ladder work can cause serious injury. Shut off power or gas first, follow the manufacturer's instructions and local code, and hire a licensed pro for anything beyond your experience.

This article reports rules, data and expert guidance. It is not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice. Talk to a licensed pro, your tax advisor or your insurer before you act on it.

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