Bathroom Remodel: Costs, Timeline & What to Expect

After the kitchen, the bathroom is the room that most affects how a home feels — and how much it's worth. A dated, cramped bathroom drags down the entire house. A well-executed remodel transforms it.

At Artisan & Co., bathrooms are one of our most requested projects. Here's everything you need to know before you start.

Bathroom remodel costs in LA vary widely based on size, scope, and finish level. Here are realistic ranges:

What drives cost up:

• Moving plumbing (relocating the toilet, shower, or tub)
• Custom tile work (large-format, intricate patterns, natural stone)
• Steam showers, heated floors, or smart fixtures
• Structural changes (removing walls, raising ceilings)
• Water damage discovered behind walls

What keeps cost down:

• Keeping plumbing in the same location
• Standard tile sizes and patterns
• Stock vanities vs. custom cabinetry
• Tub-to-shower conversion (removing the tub, adding a walk-in shower)

Before demo begins, finalize every material decision. Bathrooms are small spaces with a lot of moving parts — tile, grout, vanity, countertop, fixtures, lighting, mirrors, hardware. Changing your mind mid-project in a bathroom is expensive because everything is interconnected.

Key decisions:

• Shower or tub, or both?
• Tile: floor tile, shower tile, accent tile (different materials, sizes, and patterns)
• Vanity: stock, semi-custom, or custom? Single or double sink?
• Countertop material (quartz, marble, cultured marble)
• Faucets and shower fixtures (finish: chrome, brushed nickel, matte black, brass)
• Lighting: vanity lights, recessed cans, backlit mirror
• Toilet: standard, comfort height, wall-hung
• Heated floor? (best time to add is during demo)

Most full bathroom remodels in Los Angeles require permits — especially if you're moving plumbing, adding electrical circuits, or making structural changes.

Permits typically required:

• Plumbing permit (moving or adding fixtures)
• Electrical permit (new circuits, GFCI outlets, exhaust fan)
• Building permit (structural changes)

Your contractor should pull all permits. Unpermitted bathroom work is a common issue that surfaces during home sales and can require costly remediation.

Demo in a bathroom is more involved than it looks. Your crew will:

• Remove existing tile (floor and walls)
• Remove vanity, toilet, and fixtures
• Remove shower or tub enclosure
• Open walls to expose plumbing and electrical
• Remove flooring substrate if needed

What gets discovered during demo: This is where surprises happen. Water damage behind shower walls, mold, outdated galvanized pipes, and knob-and-tube wiring are all common in older LA homes. A good contractor documents everything found and gives you options before proceeding.

With walls open, your plumber and electrician do their rough work:

Plumbing:

• Relocate drain and supply lines if changing layout
• Rough in new shower valve
• Add or move toilet flange
• Run supply lines for new vanity

Electrical:

• Add GFCI-protected circuits (required by code near water)
• Wire exhaust fan (vented to exterior — not just into the attic)
• Add recessed lighting circuits
• Wire heated floor thermostat

Inspections happen here before walls close.

This is the most critical phase of a bathroom remodel — and the one most often skipped by cheap contractors.

Every shower and wet area needs a proper waterproofing membrane before tile goes on. Without it, water infiltrates the substrate, causes mold, and eventually destroys the structure behind the tile.

Proper waterproofing includes:

• Cement board or waterproof backer in wet areas
• Waterproofing membrane (Schluter Kerdi, RedGard, or similar) applied to all shower surfaces
• Pre-sloped shower pan or mortar bed for proper drainage
• Curb waterproofed and flashed

If a contractor skips this step or uses drywall in a shower, walk away.

Tile is the most visible element of a bathroom remodel and the most labor-intensive. Quality tile work requires:

• Proper substrate preparation (flat, solid, waterproofed)
• Layout planning (centering patterns, accounting for cuts)
• Consistent grout joints
• Precision cuts around fixtures, niches, and transitions
• Appropriate grout and sealer for the application

Common tile choices:

• Porcelain: Durable, low-maintenance, wide range of styles. Best for floors and showers.
• Ceramic: Less expensive than porcelain, good for walls.
• Natural stone (marble, travertine, slate): Beautiful but requires sealing and more maintenance.
• Large-format tile (24x24, 24x48): Modern look, fewer grout lines, but requires a very flat substrate.

Tile work takes 3–7 days depending on the size and complexity of the bathroom.

With tile complete:

• Vanity is set and secured
• Countertop templated (if stone) and installed
• Undermount sink set and sealed
• Toilet installed
• Shower door or frameless glass enclosure installed
• Mirrors and medicine cabinets hung

Your plumber and electrician return for finish work:

• Faucets connected
• Shower valve trim installed
• Toilet supply connected
• Exhaust fan wired and tested
• Vanity lights and recessed cans connected
• Heated floor thermostat programmed

• Walls painted (after tile, before final fixtures)
• Caulk applied at all transitions (tile-to-tub, tile-to-floor, vanity-to-wall)
• Hardware installed (towel bars, toilet paper holder, robe hooks)
• Accessories placed

City inspectors do a final sign-off. Your contractor walks through with you to address any punch list items.

• Cosmetic refresh: 1–2 weeks
• Mid-range full remodel: 4–6 weeks
• High-end or primary suite: 6–10 weeks

The biggest delays are permit timelines and material lead times (especially custom vanities and stone countertops, which can take 3–4 weeks to fabricate).

Skipping waterproofing. The most expensive mistake you can make. Proper waterproofing costs a few hundred dollars more upfront. Fixing water damage behind tile costs thousands.

Choosing tile before finalizing the layout. Tile quantities depend on your exact layout. Order tile after your contractor has finalized the layout and calculated square footage — with a 10–15% overage for cuts and future repairs.

Underestimating fixture lead times. Specialty fixtures, custom vanities, and stone countertops can take 4–8 weeks. Order them before demo begins.

Ignoring ventilation. A bathroom without proper exhaust ventilation will develop mold problems regardless of how well it's waterproofed. Make sure your exhaust fan is sized correctly and vented to the exterior.

Artisan & Co. handles bathroom remodels across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley — from simple refreshes to full primary suite transformations.

Get a free quote and let's talk about your bathroom.