In Broward/Palm Beach 2026: a powder room refresh is $12K–$22K. A guest bath full renovation is $28K–$55K. A primary bath full renovation is $55K–$120K for premium finishes, $120K–$220K for fully custom with slab marble and steam. The biggest cost drivers are stone selection, frameless glass, and plumbing relocations.
The single most common question we get on the first call: "What does a bathroom renovation actually cost?" The honest answer is "it depends" — but that's not useful. So here are real 2026 numbers from our recent Broward and Palm Beach projects, with the line items that move the price.
The Five Bathroom Tiers
Bathroom renovations in our market generally fall into one of five tiers. Knowing which tier you're in helps you talk to a contractor without surprises.
Tier 1: Powder Room Refresh — $12K–$22K
A powder room is a half-bath with toilet and sink only, no shower or tub. A refresh swaps the vanity, faucet, toilet, mirror, lighting, paint, and floor — but the plumbing stays in place.
- New floor-to-ceiling wallcovering or paint with accent wall
- Designer vanity (24–36" wide) with stone top
- Wall-mount or widespread faucet
- Backlit mirror or designer pendant
- Tile or large-format porcelain floor
What drives it up: wallcoverings ($1,800–4,500 installed), custom millwork vanity, designer fixture brands (Waterworks, Lefroy Brooks).
Tier 2: Guest Bath Refresh — $22K–$38K
Same fixtures stay in place, but the shower or tub gets re-tiled, the vanity gets replaced, and everything is updated cosmetically.
- Re-tile shower walls and floor (Schluter waterproofing under)
- New frameless glass shower door
- New vanity, top, faucet, toilet, hardware
- New floor tile
- Paint, trim, lighting refresh
Tier 3: Guest Bath Full Renovation — $32K–$55K
Add layout changes: relocate the toilet, expand the shower, add a window, or knock out a wall.
Tier 4: Primary Bath Premium — $55K–$120K
This is the bread-and-butter Fort Lauderdale primary bath in 2026:
- Frameless walk-in shower (curbless or low-curb) with built-in bench
- Freestanding tub (acrylic or stone resin)
- Marble or quartzite slab walls on shower walls or feature wall
- Large-format porcelain or natural stone on floors
- Double vanity with stone top and integrated outlets
- Heated floors (Schluter Ditra-Heat system)
- Smart toilet (Toto Neorest or Kohler Veil)
- Backlit mirrors with anti-fog
- Lutron lighting scenes
Tier 5: Primary Bath Fully Custom — $120K–$220K+
Slab marble book-matched on all four walls, steam shower with chromotherapy, body sprays, dual rain heads, custom millwork vanity with leather-bound interior drawers, towel warmer, fireplace, walk-in dressing area. This is where bathrooms turn into spas.
What Actually Moves the Price
Within each tier, the same scope can swing 30% depending on three choices:
1. Stone Selection ($3K–$45K swing)
This is the single biggest budget lever. From cheapest to most expensive:
- Porcelain that looks like marble — $9–18/sqft material. Best value.
- Engineered quartz — $55–95/sqft installed. Caesarstone, Cambria.
- Quartzite slab — $90–160/sqft installed. Real stone, marble look, much harder.
- Marble slab (Carrara, Statuario) — $110–220/sqft installed. Book-matched slabs push higher.
- Specialty / exotic marble — $200–450/sqft installed. Calacatta Viola, Onyx, Patagonia.
2. Frameless Glass ($1.5K–$8K swing)
Standard 3/8" frameless shower enclosure runs $1,800–3,500. A 1/2" curbless full-glass enclosure with custom hardware can hit $7,500. Steam shower glass with sealed top adds another $2K.
3. Plumbing Relocations ($2K–$12K swing)
Moving a toilet, expanding a shower, or relocating drains adds significant cost — slab cutting, new drain venting, permits, inspections. If your bathroom is on a slab (most of South Florida), every fixture move is real money. We'll always tell you if your dream layout is going to cost an extra $8K.
If you can keep the toilet and shower drain locations, you'll save $4–8K versus a full re-plumb. The single biggest savings is keeping the existing toilet flange.
The Cost Breakdown (Premium Tier 4 example)
For a $78K primary bath renovation in Boca Raton (real recent project), here's the breakdown:
- Demolition + waste removal: $3,200
- Plumbing rough-in + permits: $5,800
- Electrical + lighting: $3,400
- Heated floor system: $2,200
- Tile + waterproofing materials: $8,400
- Stone slabs (shower walls, vanity): $9,800
- Custom vanity: $7,200
- Frameless glass enclosure: $3,800
- Plumbing fixtures (faucets, tub, toilet, etc.): $8,100
- Lighting fixtures + mirrors: $2,400
- Tile + stone installation labor: $11,200
- Paint, trim, finish carpentry: $4,100
- Project management + design + warranty: $8,400
Total: $78,000. Roughly 35% materials, 45% labor, 20% management.
Timeline
From signed contract to first hot shower:
- Powder room: 2–3 weeks
- Guest bath: 4–5 weeks
- Primary bath premium: 6–9 weeks
- Primary bath fully custom: 10–14 weeks (stone fab is the gate)
Three Things That Will Make Your Quote Higher Than Expected
- Slab demo — if we have to cut concrete to move plumbing, add $800–$2,500 just for that.
- Asbestos or popcorn ceiling — older South Florida homes (pre-1980) often need testing and abatement. $1,200–$4,500 if positive.
- Code upgrades — if your bathroom is being permitted, the entire space needs to meet current code. GFCI on every outlet, proper venting, ADA-compliant rough-ins. Usually $500–$2,000 in code-driven incremental work.
How to Get an Accurate Quote
The estimates above are useful for budgeting. To get a real number for your bathroom, we do a free in-home consultation: 60 minutes on site, we measure the space, talk through your goals, and follow up with a budget range. If you decide to move forward, we do a paid design phase that produces 3D renderings and a fixed-price contract — the number doesn't move after you sign unless you change scope.
