What Drives the Cost of a Bathroom Remodel in Phoenix

1. Moving plumbing

In a Phoenix house, the drain lines run inside the concrete slab. Moving a toilet, a shower drain or a sink drain means cutting the concrete, rerouting the pipe under it, and patching the floor. Many Valley homes have post-tension slabs, with steel cables under tension inside the concrete, so the slab gets scanned before anyone cuts. Moving plumbing also means a permit and inspections, which add time.

Keeping every fixture where it is now is the single biggest way to keep the cost down.

2. Replacing in place or building new

Swapping a vanity for a new vanity in the same spot is a short job. So is a new toilet on the old drain. Building new is a different scale of job. Turning a tub into a shower, making a shower bigger, or adding a second sink means new framing, new waterproofing and new tile, often on top of plumbing changes.

3. Damage behind the walls

Nobody can see behind old shower tile until it comes off. Soft board, rotted framing or mold behind a leaking shower has to be fixed before the new shower goes in. If we find damage nobody could see beforehand, we stop, show you, and re-estimate before doing more.

4. The size of the tiled area and the tile itself

More tile means more labor. A shower tiled to the ceiling, or a floor plus a full wall, takes longer than a standard tub surround.

The price of the tile doesn't change the labor much. An expensive tile and a cheap one of the same size take about the same time to set. The size and pattern do. Small mosaic tile, and patterns like herringbone, take longer to set than large plain tile.

5. Shower features

Each one adds labor:

• A curbless floor, because the slab under the shower gets recessed
• A niche for bottles, or a built-in bench
• A frameless glass door or panel instead of a curtain
• A second showerhead or a handheld on a slide bar
• Grab-bar blocking, though it's the cheapest add while the walls are open

6. Electrical

Replacing a light fixture or an exhaust fan on the existing wiring is small work. A new circuit, new outlets or new lighting in a new spot means electrical work and a permit.

7. Changes after demo

Deciding to move a fixture after the plumbing is roughed in means redoing that work. Making every decision before demo is one of the best ways to protect the budget and the schedule.

Ways to keep the cost down

• Leave the toilet, shower drain and sink where they are.
• Keep the tile to the wet areas.
• Pick a vanity in a standard size.
• Choose every material before demo and have it on site.
• If the tub is in good shape and you still use it, keep it and spend the budget elsewhere.

Why there's no price list here

Two bathrooms the same size can cost very different amounts, depending on what's behind the walls and whether the plumbing moves. A number on a web page is usually wrong for your bathroom. Levi comes out, looks, and gives you a written estimate.