U.S. bathroom renovation / modeled costs
Bathroom Remodel Cost by State: 2026 U.S. Comparison
What happens to the price of a bathroom remodel when the project stays exactly the same, but the location changes?
We ran one standardized 80 sq ft full bathroom remodel through the EstimateAhead model in all 50 states, changing only the state. The results show how modeled trade wages and regional prices affect a homeowner's planning budget.
Why is the gap relatively small? Trade-wage differences carry more weight than material-price differences, and the model limits the separate material-price adjustment to roughly ±5%. The resulting $7,500 spread is a model outcome, not a measured difference in contractor quotes.
Cost model v1.0 · Last cost-model update October 11, 2026
Regional inputs: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics trade wages and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price levels. Installed cost ranges: published consumer guides. See sources and limitations.
01 / THE COMPARISON
Where the numbers sit.
Lower-cost states tend to sit toward one end of the modeled range, while higher-cost states sit at the other. The chart shows five states at each end of the ranking; the complete 50-state table follows.
These are modeled likely planning estimates, not reported contractor averages or actual quotes.
Likely cost by state
USDFive lowest
- Arkansas$18,700
- Mississippi$19,300
- Alabama$19,600
- Oklahoma$19,700
- South Carolina$19,900
Five highest
- Washington$25,000
- Alaska$25,200
- Illinois$25,600
- Massachusetts$25,600
- Hawaii$26,200
02 / THE BASELINE
One bathroom, held constant.
To make the geographic comparison meaningful, we fixed every project input. Only the state changed.
Calculate for your own bathroom- Room and scope
- 80 sq ft guest or standard full bathroom; full remodel, same layout
- Wet area and fixtures
- Tiled walk-in shower, single vanity and replacement toilet
- Surfaces and finish
- Ceramic or porcelain tile floor, 15 sq ft additional wall tile, repainting; standard finishes
- Trades and allowances
- Plumbing stays in place, one or two electrical points, exhaust fan; GC-managed; no known hidden issues
Full selection description: Tiled walk-in shower, single vanity, new toilet, tile floor, 15 sq ft of wall tile, repainting, one or two lights or outlets, exhaust fan, general contractor.
03 / ALL THE DATA
All 50 states, ranked.
Sorted by modeled likely cost, from least to most expensive. Low and high figures show the model's planning range.
| Rank | State | Low | Likely | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. Arkansas | $13,300 | $18,700 | $25,500 |
| 2 | 2. Mississippi | $13,800 | $19,300 | $26,400 |
| 3 | 3. Alabama | $14,000 | $19,600 | $26,700 |
| 4 | 4. Oklahoma | $14,000 | $19,700 | $26,900 |
| 5 | 5. South Carolina | $14,200 | $19,900 | $27,200 |
| 6 | 6. Louisiana | $14,300 | $20,000 | $27,300 |
| 6 | 6. South Dakota | $14,200 | $20,000 | $27,300 |
| 8 | 8. Georgia | $14,300 | $20,100 | $27,500 |
| 8 | 8. North Carolina | $14,300 | $20,100 | $27,500 |
| 10 | 10. Tennessee | $14,400 | $20,200 | $27,600 |
| 10 | 10. West Virginia | $14,400 | $20,200 | $27,600 |
| 12 | 12. New Mexico | $14,400 | $20,300 | $27,600 |
| 12 | 12. Texas | $14,500 | $20,300 | $27,700 |
| 14 | 14. Florida | $14,500 | $20,400 | $27,800 |
| 14 | 14. Idaho | $14,500 | $20,400 | $27,800 |
| 16 | 16. Kentucky | $14,700 | $20,600 | $28,100 |
| 17 | 17. North Dakota | $14,800 | $20,700 | $28,300 |
| 18 | 18. Nebraska | $14,900 | $20,900 | $28,500 |
| 19 | 19. Iowa | $15,000 | $21,000 | $28,600 |
| 19 | 19. Utah | $15,000 | $21,000 | $28,600 |
| 19 | 19. Virginia | $15,000 | $21,000 | $28,600 |
| 22 | 22. Kansas | $15,100 | $21,100 | $28,800 |
| 23 | 23. Arizona | $15,200 | $21,300 | $29,000 |
| 24 | 24. Ohio | $15,300 | $21,400 | $29,100 |
| 24 | 24. Wyoming | $15,300 | $21,400 | $29,200 |
| 26 | 26. Delaware | $15,400 | $21,500 | $29,400 |
| 27 | 27. Vermont | $15,400 | $21,600 | $29,400 |
| 28 | 28. Colorado | $15,600 | $21,800 | $29,800 |
| 28 | 28. Maryland | $15,600 | $21,800 | $29,700 |
| 28 | 28. New Hampshire | $15,600 | $21,800 | $29,800 |
| 31 | 31. Indiana | $15,700 | $22,000 | $29,900 |
| 31 | 31. Missouri | $15,700 | $22,000 | $30,000 |
| 33 | 33. Nevada | $15,800 | $22,100 | $30,100 |
| 34 | 34. Maine | $16,000 | $22,300 | $30,400 |
| 35 | 35. Michigan | $16,000 | $22,400 | $30,500 |
| 35 | 35. Pennsylvania | $16,000 | $22,400 | $30,500 |
| 37 | 37. Montana | $16,200 | $22,600 | $30,800 |
| 38 | 38. Rhode Island | $16,300 | $22,700 | $31,000 |
| 39 | 39. Wisconsin | $16,600 | $23,100 | $31,500 |
| 40 | 40. Connecticut | $16,800 | $23,500 | $32,100 |
| 41 | 41. California | $17,000 | $23,800 | $32,400 |
| 41 | 41. New York | $17,000 | $23,800 | $32,400 |
| 43 | 43. New Jersey | $17,200 | $24,000 | $32,700 |
| 44 | 44. Minnesota | $17,600 | $24,500 | $33,400 |
| 44 | 44. Oregon | $17,600 | $24,500 | $33,400 |
| 46 | 46. Washington | $17,900 | $25,000 | $34,100 |
| 47 | 47. Alaska | $18,100 | $25,200 | $34,300 |
| 48 | 48. Illinois | $18,400 | $25,600 | $34,800 |
| 48 | 48. Massachusetts | $18,400 | $25,600 | $34,800 |
| 50 | 50. Hawaii | $18,800 | $26,200 | $35,600 |
Original model data · 50 states · Download the 50-state dataset (CSV)
04 / SOURCES & PROVENANCE
Where the estimates come from.
The state rankings are generated by EstimateAhead's own cost model. Government data inform geographic adjustments; published cost guides inform component price bands. They are not 50 sets of surveyed contractor quotes.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — May 2025. State and national trade wage figures inform the relative labor adjustment. The model combines plumbers, tile setters, electricians, carpenters and construction laborers with published weights. These are employee wage statistics, not contractor hourly billing rates.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Regional Price Parities — 2024 state data. Relative consumer price levels help moderate the regional labor factor and create a smaller materials adjustment. RPPs are broad price-level measures; they are not a survey of bathroom renovation prices.
Consumer installed-cost guides, including Angi
Published bathroom, shower, vanity, toilet and demolition cost guides help set directional national low, midpoint and high component allowances. The model also includes internally set allowances and proxy estimates. Installation, removal and disposal inclusions vary between guides; these are not independently verified itemized bids.
JLC Cost vs. Value — 2025
Whole-project renovation benchmarks provide a general plausibility comparison. JLC's defined projects are not equivalent to our standardized bathroom and are not used as observed prices for individual states.
How to read this report: The 2026 comparison applies the model (cost model v1.0, updated October 11, 2026) to one identical 80 sq ft project in every state. Low, likely and high are rounded modeled planning ranges, not observed state averages. The national component inputs have not all been independently validated against matching contractor quotes. For formulas, individual guide links and further limitations, see Methodology and Data sources.
05 / HOW TO INTERPRET IT
Why prices differ — and what these figures don't tell you.
Why the same remodel costs more in some states
Each component in the model has its own split between labor and materials. Labor-heavy items such as plumbing, electrical work and tile installation respond more strongly to state trade-wage differences. Material-heavy items such as vanities and fixtures change less. Regional price data contribute to both adjustments.
These are modeled estimates, not observed prices
They are not state averages, contractor quotes or a guarantee of what you will pay. Your project can differ substantially based on size, fixtures, finish level, contractor availability, city and conditions inside the walls. This comparison isolates the effect of changing only the state.
Read the underlying research
See the calculation methodology for the formulas and scope assumptions, and the data sources for the published cost benchmarks, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price data used by the model.
Source: EstimateAhead bathroom remodel cost model v1.0 · Updated October 11, 2026. The five lowest ranked states are Arkansas ($18,700), Mississippi ($19,300), Alabama ($19,600), Oklahoma ($19,700), South Carolina ($19,900). The five highest ranked states are Washington ($25,000), Alaska ($25,200), Illinois ($25,600), Massachusetts ($25,600), Hawaii ($26,200).