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What a bathroom remodel costs in New Jersey, line by line

A full bathroom remodel with AB Contracting & Design starts at $12,000, material included. Four decisions move it up from there: the size of the room, whether any plumbing moves, how much of the wall gets tile, and the tub or shower you choose.

Below are the per-item prices we charge and a calculator that adds them up for your room. After that come the New Jersey permit, tax and contract rules that apply. The written proposal after a site visit sets your final price.

Published September 24, 2026 by AB Contracting & Design LLC, Belleville, NJ. N.J. HIC Reg. #13VH11431800.

Remodeled bathroom with marble-look wall tile, sliding glass tub door and vanity
A bathroom we remodeled: marble-look wall tile, a sliding glass tub door and a vanity.

Our prices for bathroom work

The full remodel is priced as a job. The rest are our published per-item prices, which the calculator below uses.

AB Contracting & Design bathroom prices
JobPrice
Bathroom remodelIncludes material$12K+ per bathroom
Tile installationLabor; you pick the tile from our suppliers$10–$20+ per sq ft
Plumbing fixture installLabor$950+ per fixture
Electrical fixture installLabor$300+ per fixture
Drywall, hung and finishedLabor and material, spackled and sanded ready to prime (minimum job size applies)$220 per 4×8 sheet

Add up the trade work in your bathroom

It opens on a common hall bathroom: 5 × 8 ft with a standard 5-ft tub, three plumbing fixtures and three lights or fans. That comes to $4,730–$5,710 and up in tile, plumbing and electrical labor. Change the numbers to match your room.

A 5 × 8 ft bathroom with a 5-ft tub has about 28 sq ft of floor to tile: 40 sq ft, less the tub.

Tile 7 ft high around a standard 5 × 2.5 ft tub is about 70 sq ft. Add any wainscot or backsplash.

A toilet, a sink and a tub count as three.

Each light fixture or exhaust fan counts as one.

Leave at 0 if the walls stay. A minimum job size applies to drywall; ask us for it on a small room.

Your trade labor, at our prices

Your trade labor, at our prices
Tile installation98 sq ft × $10–$20$980–$1,960+
Plumbing fixture installs3 × $950$2,850+
Electrical fixture installs3 × $300$900+
Drywall, hung and finished0 sheets × $220, with material$0
These lines add up to$4,730–$5,710+

Not in this total: demolition, waterproofing, the tile itself, the vanity, toilet, tub or shower, glass and other material.

A full remodel with us starts at $12,000 including material. Your written proposal prices every line.

What moves the price

  • Moving plumbing. Keeping the toilet, sink and tub where they are keeps the plumbing to replacements. Moving them means new piping, which brings the job under the permit rules below.
  • Wall tile. Tile labor is $10 to $20 a square foot. Every 10 sq ft of wall you tile adds $100 to $200 in labor, before the tile itself.
  • The tub or shower. A glass enclosure, a large-format or patterned tile and a tiled niche all add labor.
  • More fixtures. Each plumbing fixture is $950 and up to install. Each light or fan is $300 and up.
  • The size of the room. More floor and more wall mean more tile, drywall and paint.

See the bathrooms we build and what a remodel includes

How other New Jersey price guides compare

Published ranges for New Jersey bathrooms, checked September 24, 2026:

  • The Powder Room Guys (2026 guide): $4,000–$8,000 for a powder room, $12,000–$18,000 for a three-piece bathroom and $25,000–$40,000+ for a luxury bath.
  • NJ Dream Builders: $18,000–$35,000 all in for a full bathroom. Google's AI answer for “bathroom remodel cost nj” showed this range that day. The firm works at the Shore, in Ocean City, Margate, Ventnor and Longport.
  • Fixr (updated March 2025): a $13,776 New Jersey average, with most projects between $6,888 and $19,516.
  • Chapter: $20,000–$70,000+ for typical full renovations in New Jersey.
  • AB Contracting & Design: from $12,000 including material, with every per-item price published above.

Our $12,000 is a starting price for a full remodel, not an average, and it sits at the low end of these ranges. Each guide ties its spread to the same things: size, finishes and whether the layout changes.

Do you need a permit for a bathroom remodel in New Jersey?

It depends on what changes. The state construction code (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2) sorts bathroom work into three groups.

No permit or notice: ordinary maintenance (5:23-2.7)

  • Replacing a fixture with a similar one, with no change to the piping
  • Replacing faucets, and shower or tub valves
  • Replacing or installing flooring
  • New drywall or plaster on less than 25% of the wall area, in a one- or two-family home
  • Replacing a light fixture, switch or outlet with a like one
  • Cabinets, bathroom accessories, trim and paint

Notice first, permit within five business days: minor work (5:23-2.17A)

  • Renovation in an existing one- or two-family home that doesn't alter primary structural members
  • New fixtures in existing space, if the water lines, water service and house drain don't need to get bigger
  • Replacing wiring with new wiring of the same capacity
  • Up to five new outlets on existing circuits that can carry the load

A permit before work starts (5:23-2.14)

  • Cutting into a load-bearing wall, or removing a beam or bearing support
  • Any work affecting structural or fire safety
  • Anything outside the two groups above, unless your construction office says otherwise

Plumbing and electrical work must be done by licensed contractors. The one exception is a homeowner working on their own single-family home (5:23-2.15). We check with your town's construction office before work starts and pull the permits the job needs.

Sales tax on a bathroom remodel

New Jersey treats a new tiled bath and new bathroom fixtures as exempt capital improvements (S&U-2). Here is what that means on your bill:

  • Give your contractor a completed Form ST-8, and they may not charge you sales tax on materials or labor.
  • Your contractor pays the tax on materials when buying them, and may not charge you sales tax on them.
  • Flooring installation is the exception the state lists as taxable, at the 6.625% rate (S&U-3).
  • Small repairs work differently. Fixing a few loose tiles is a repair, and repair labor is taxable. Replacing all the tile is a capital improvement.

Before you sign: New Jersey contract rules

From the Division of Consumer Affairs guide to hiring home improvement contractors:

  • A job over $500 needs a written contract.
  • It shows the contractor's legal name, business address and registration number.
  • It lists the start and completion dates, the work and the total price.
  • The contractor gives you a copy of their liability insurance policy and the insurer's phone number.
  • You can cancel for any reason before midnight of the third business day after you get your copy.
  • The contractor can't demand the final payment before the work is done. Final inspections come first.

Our registration number is #13VH11431800.

Bathroom cost questions

Can I remodel a bathroom for $10,000?

Not a full remodel with us: ours start at $12,000 including material. $10,000 can cover smaller jobs we price per item, like retiling a floor or replacing fixtures where they are. The calculator on this page prices those pieces.

What is a realistic budget for a bathroom remodel in New Jersey?

With us, plan from $12,000 including material for a full remodel. Add for a bigger room, moved plumbing, more wall tile and upgraded fixtures. Published New Jersey guides run from Fixr's $13,776 average to $18,000–$35,000 for a full bath at the Shore.

Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom in NJ?

Not for like-for-like swaps: replacing fixtures without changing the piping, new faucets and valves, new flooring, or new drywall on under 25% of the walls. A renovation that adds fixtures or rewires is usually minor work: notify the construction office first, then file the permit within five business days. Structural work needs a permit before it starts.

Do I pay sales tax on a bathroom remodel in NJ?

A new tiled bath and new bathroom fixtures are exempt capital improvements. Give your contractor a completed Form ST-8 and they may not charge you sales tax on materials or labor. Flooring installation is the exception the state lists as taxable, at 6.625%.

How is tile priced?

Tile installation is $10 to $20 and up per square foot, labor. You pick the tile from our suppliers, and the tile itself is extra.

Can I finance a bathroom remodel?

Yes. Financing is available on every project. Ask about it when we go over your proposal.

Is the estimate free?

Phone estimates are free. An in-person estimate is $50, and that $50 comes off your contract when you sign.

Sources

  1. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2, Uniform Construction Code, administration and enforcement, current through August 17, 2026: sections 2.7, 2.14, 2.15 and 2.17A.
  2. NJ Division of Taxation, S&U-2, Sales Tax and Home Improvements.
  3. NJ Division of Taxation, S&U-3, Contractors and New Jersey Taxes, for the 6.625% rate.
  4. NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, Hiring Home Improvement Contractors.
  5. Competitor ranges from each linked page, checked September 24, 2026.

Want the number for your bathroom?

Call to talk the job through with Andrew, or send the details and Andrew will get back to you. An in-person estimate is $50, and it comes off your contract when you sign.

Call 908-331-0796Request an estimate