Bathroom Remodel Cost in 2026: National Benchmarks and What Changes in Lancaster County

Nationally, homeowners spent a median of $15,000 on bathroom upgrades in 2025, and $25,000 on major remodels where at least the shower was upgraded, according to the 2026 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study. In Lancaster County, the age of your home and how much the layout changes decide where your project lands.

Below, we walk through the national benchmarks, what pushes a budget up or down, why older homes in our area need extra planning, what Pennsylvania law says about deposits, and how we price bathrooms for families across the county.

What Do Bathroom Remodels Cost Nationally?

Source: Houzz, 2026 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study.

A second benchmark comes from the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report , which prices specific project scopes by region. In the Middle Atlantic region, which includes Pennsylvania, a midrange remodel of a 5-by-7-foot bathroom that replaces the tub, toilet, vanity, and tile averaged $30,158. An upscale remodel that expands a 35-square-foot bathroom to 100 square feet and relocates every fixture averaged $90,090.

The gap between those two numbers is mostly scope, not finishes. Moving plumbing, enlarging the room, and adding features like heated floors and a separate tub and shower are what separate a $30,000 project from a $90,000 one.

For a real reference point from our own work, our accessible bathroom remodel in Lititz, a full redesign built for two wheelchair users, fell in the $60,000 to $80,000 range. You can see the before and after photos in the Lititz accessible bathroom case study.

What Drives the Cost of a Bathroom Remodel?

Layout changes drive cost more than anything else. Keeping the toilet, shower, and vanity where they are uses the existing plumbing, while relocating them means opening walls and floors. Here is what moves a budget, roughly in order of impact:

1. Moving fixtures. The upscale Cost vs. Value project relocates all fixtures, which is a large part of why it costs about three times the midrange scope.
2. Tub and shower decisions. In 26% of remodels in the Houzz study, a bathtub was removed, and 79% of those homeowners used the space to enlarge the shower. When homeowners added or replaced a tub, 72% chose a soaking tub.
3. Room size. Major remodels of larger bathrooms carried a $30,000 median in the Houzz study, compared with $25,000 for major remodels overall.
4. Cabinetry and storage. Vanities wider than 72 inches were chosen in 21% of vanity upgrades, now more popular than 60-inch or 72-inch models.
5. Tile coverage and finish selections, from floor-only tile to floor-to-ceiling shower walls.
6. 
   
7. Accessibility features such as curbless showers and wider doorways, which we design in from the start on an accessible bathroom remodel.

Most homeowners hand this work to professionals: 89% of renovating homeowners in the Houzz study hired at least one pro.

Why Can Older Lancaster County Homes Cost More to Remodel?

Older homes carry more unknowns behind the walls, and Lancaster County has more of them than the national average. According to Lancaster County Indicators, 20% of the county’s housing was built before 1940, compared with 12% nationally, and 54% of homes in the City of Lancaster date to before 1940.

Many older homes in our area come with plaster walls, uneven floors, and dated wiring, so we plan for those conditions during design rather than discovering them mid-project. That planning is part of why we review the full scope with you before construction begins.

Homes built before 1978 add one more step. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint, and its Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in those homes to be certified in lead-safe work practices. If your home predates 1978, ask any contractor you interview how they handle lead-safe work.

How Do We Price a Bathroom Remodel?

We price every bathroom from a finished design rather than a guess. During design, we measure your bathroom, create 2 to 4 floor plan options, and show your new space in detailed 3D renderings, so you see what you are paying for before you commit.

We offer good, better, and best pricing options as you make selections, which lets you decide where to invest and where to save. Before you sign a construction agreement, we review the scope of work, project plan, price and payment schedule, and timeline with you. Once you move forward, we obtain your building permit and give you a calendar that shows, day by day, what will happen in your home.

You can read how each phase works in our design-build process, or see what we build on our bathroom remodeling in Lancaster page.

What Does Pennsylvania Law Say About Remodeling Deposits?

Pennsylvania caps deposits on larger home improvement jobs. Under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, for a home improvement contract with a total price over $5,000, a contractor may not take a deposit larger than one-third of the contract price, or one-third plus the cost of special order materials designated in the written contract.

The same law prohibits a contractor from demanding or receiving any payment before the home improvement contract is signed. Contractors must also register with the state. Our Pennsylvania registration number is PA015613, which you can look up through the Attorney General’s Home Improvement Contractor search.

Is a Bathroom Remodel Worth the Cost?

Usually, though not dollar for dollar. In the Middle Atlantic region, the midrange bathroom remodel in the Cost vs. Value Report recouped 79.9% of its cost at resale, while the upscale remodel recouped 42.2%.

For most homeowners, resale is not the main reason to remodel. In the Houzz study, 47% of homeowners renovated because they could not stand the look of their old bathroom, and 35% because it had deteriorated. That is why we design around how your household uses the room every day. If you are weighing projects with an eye on selling, our guide to the best renovations for resale value compares the options.

Bathroom Remodel Cost Questions

Start With a Bathroom Design and Price You Can See

You will know what your bathroom costs once you see it designed.

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