Key takeaways
- A Las Vegas bathroom typically runs $9,000–$22,000 for a mid-range remodel and $30,000+ for a full gut with a layout change.
- Tile and waterproofing are where bathrooms fail. Saving money there is the most expensive mistake in the room.
- A tub-to-shower conversion is one of the highest-value bathroom projects for older Las Vegas housing stock.
Bathrooms are small rooms with a lot going on: water, tile, plumbing, electrical and ventilation, all in a space barely big enough to turn around in. That density is why they cost more per square foot than any other room.
The three levels of bathroom project
| Level | What it includes | Typical Las Vegas range | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refresh | New vanity, mirror, fixtures, toilet, paint, re-caulk, new flooring | $5,000 – $12,000 | 4–7 days |
| Mid-range remodel | New tile shower or tub surround, vanity, toilet, flooring, lighting, exhaust fan | $9,000 – $22,000 | 2–3 weeks |
| Full gut remodel | Layout changes, moved plumbing, new tub or walk-in shower, full tile, new everything, permits | $30,000 – $55,000+ | 4–6 weeks |
Tub-to-shower conversions
This is one of the most requested projects we do on Las Vegas homes built in the 1980s and 1990s, and it is usually driven by accessibility rather than style. A conversion typically runs $9,000–$18,000 depending on whether the drain is relocated and how the surround is finished.
- Tub removed and hauled away, and the alcove re-framed where needed
- Cement backer board installed — never drywall behind a shower
- Roll-on or sheet waterproofing membrane over every wall and the pan
- New shower valve, trim and glass door or curtain rod
- Tile, grout, silicone at all changes of plane, and a final seal
Where the money goes
| Category | Share of budget |
|---|---|
| Tile and waterproofing | 20 – 28% |
| Vanity and countertop | 12 – 18% |
| Labour and installation | 18 – 25% |
| Shower or tub and fixtures | 12 – 18% |
| Plumbing and electrical | 8 – 14% |
| Flooring | 6 – 10% |
| Paint, trim, mirror and lighting | 5 – 8% |
| Permits and contingency | 5 – 10% |
What drives the price up fastest
- Moving the toilet or the drain. Slab work and drain relocation are expensive in a single-storey Las Vegas home.
- Discovering no waterproofing behind the existing tile — the norm on older homes, not the exception.
- Large-format tile or a walk-in shower with a linear drain.
- Structural changes, like removing a wall or converting a tub to a curbless shower.
- Ventilation. If there is no working exhaust fan, one has to be added — and mould follows when it is not.
- Water damage found in the subfloor around the toilet or the shower pan.
The detail that matters more than any finish
Waterproofing. We open bathrooms every week where tile was set directly over drywall with no membrane behind it. It looks fine for years and then it fails all at once — feeding the subfloor, the framing and the room below. No tile choice makes up for a missing membrane.
How to keep a bathroom on budget
- Keep the plumbing where it is. The layout is the single biggest cost lever.
- Choose tile from what is in stock, and buy the extra box now rather than ordering later.
- Spend on waterproofing and ventilation, save on decorative finishes.
- Hold a 10% contingency for what is behind the tile.
- Get one written scope with line-item pricing and one point of contact.
What we typically see in Las Vegas homes
Based on our own repair work
What we find when we open bathrooms in Las Vegas homes:
- Roughly half the showers we open had tile set directly over drywall with no waterproofing. It is the most common defect in this room by a wide margin.
- Exhaust fans are frequently not working at all — humming, but not moving air. That is a large part of why mould shows up in bathrooms here despite the dry climate.
- Water damage around the toilet flange is the second most common surprise. If the flooring gives at all beside the toilet, the subfloor is part of the scope.
- Tub-to-shower conversions are the most requested single item we do in this room, and almost always for accessibility rather than style.
A Peccole Ranch condo had reported low shower pressure and a damp smell for weeks. The valve body had been leaking inside the wall, and the tile had been set directly over drywall with no waterproofing, so the substrate had to come out entirely.
Replaced the shower valve body and verified the supply lines under pressure, removed the tile and the failed substrate back to the framing, installed cement backer board in place of the drywall, applied a roll-on waterproofing membrane with every seam and penetration taped and sealed, set the new tile from a dry-laid layout, grouted, applied 100% silicone at all changes of plane, and installed a new glass door. Five working days.
Peccole Ranch, Las Vegas, NV
