A Note from Susanne

A bathroom is a small room with a lot going on: water, tile, glass, lighting and cabinetry, all within a few feet of each other, and all of it built by several trades in a careful order. That’s why a bath often costs more than people expect for its size. Here are the numbers we use, updated this fall to what bathrooms cost in Raleigh and the Triangle in 2026.

How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Raleigh?

A hall or guest bath typically runs $35,000 to $55,000. A primary bath typically runs $45,000 to $70,000, and up to about $85,000 with top finishes. Those figures are all in: construction, tile, the vanity, the fixtures, the lighting and the hardware. The design fee is separate.

A lighter touch costs less. Keeping the layout and choosing well-made pieces in standard sizes, a primary bath can start around $31,000 and a hall bath around $28,000.

What goes into the number?

Construction: $25,000 to $70,000 for a primary bath, usually about $45,000, and $25,000 to $60,000 for a hall bath, usually about $37,000. This is your contractor’s bid: the demolition, the plumbing and electrical, the tile, the glass, the vanity and the finish work.
Fixtures, lighting and hardware: $6,000 to $16,000 for a primary bath and $3,000 to $8,000 for a hall bath. The faucets and shower fittings, the sconces and the hardware, which our studio sources.

What moves the number most?

Where the water goes. Keeping the shower, the tub and the toilet where they are costs the least. Moving them means new drain and supply lines, sometimes through the floor, and reworking the whole room means new walls and new openings too.

Then the shower itself. A curbless shower, like the one in Modern Celadon, takes more work under the tile, because the floor has to be shaped so the water still runs to the drain without a curb to hold it. We chose it there because easy cleaning was one of our clients’ highest priorities, and a linear drain and a floor without a curb make that much simpler.

Freestanding soaking tub under a window beside a glass shower with celadon tile and a stone bench — The curbless shower and soaking tub in Modern Celadon

Then the tile: how much of the room it covers, and what it is. Handmade tile and natural stone cost more to buy and take longer to set. The vanity matters too, whether it’s built for the room or chosen in a standard size.

Want a number for your bath? The Renovation Cost Calculator prices a primary bath and up to four hall baths with the layout and finishes you choose, and shows how long the work takes.

What does the design fee add?

Our design fee is a flat fee for each phase, set after the consultation, and separate from the figures above. Design fees for a renovation begin at $6,000, and a standard primary bathroom typically comes to about $6,500 to $7,500 in all. A kitchen with a primary bathroom comes to about $15,800 to $18,300. The fee covers the design from the first concept through the drawing set, down to where each tile cut falls. I wrote about why that matters in How Much Does an Interior Designer Cost?

How long does a bathroom renovation take?

About six and a half months from the first design meeting: three months of design, a month and a half of bids and permits, and about two months of construction. Construction is the shortest part. Most of the time goes into the decisions that make it go smoothly: the layout, the tile plan, and every fixture chosen before the work begins. The Renovation Timeline Planner works back from the month you want to be using it.

Where do we start?

Every project begins with a complimentary 20-minute call. Then comes a $500 consultation in your home, where we look at the bath together and talk through how you use it, what isn’t working, and the investment you have in mind. From there we write a proposal with our flat fee for each phase.

If you’re planning a bathroom in Raleigh or the surrounding Triangle, tell us about your project. A rough number is a fine place to start.