How an estimate is built
- Multiply each item’s national material and labor ranges by its quantity. Adjust labor for the selected state, then add materials, labor and any administrative fees at each endpoint.
- Add the item ranges to form the subtotal. A full gut bathroom remodel includes the separately disclosed general conditions and contractor markup row.
- Calculate bathroom contingency from the subtotal, using the same rate at both endpoints. The default is 10%; the supported range is 10–15%.
- Add subtotal and contingency for the bathroom total. Deck scenarios use their subtotal as the total, with no contingency line.
subtotal = sum of item ranges
contingency = subtotal × contingency rate
bathroom total = subtotal + contingency
We keep internal precision and round only for display: low endpoints down, high endpoints up, to whole dollars. In the guide, the displayed subtotal is the sum of the displayed item rows; the displayed total is exactly that subtotal plus the displayed contingency. No separate uncertainty allowance or display-layer range expansion is applied beyond outward dollar rounding.
Estimates are ranges, never single-point predictions. Missing required prices are not treated as zero, and a partial sum of known costs is never shown as a complete project estimate.
Materials & labor
National material ranges. State adjustments apply to labor only.
Each priced item has separate material, labor and fee channels. Materials use national unit ranges multiplied by quantity. Labor uses national labor ranges multiplied by quantity and the state wage ratio. Permits and other administrative fees use their own fee ranges; the state labor multiplier does not apply to them.
State labor adjustments
laborMultiplier(state) = state hourly mean wage ÷ national hourly mean wage
The wage series is BLS OEWS May 2023, SOC 47-0000, Construction and Extraction Occupations, using hourly mean wages for both the state and the nation. This is a statewide labor proxy, not a ZIP-level estimate or a contractor billing rate.
The multiplier is derived from the raw wages in the data package at calculation time. Rounded multipliers are not stored, and no artificial minimum or maximum clips the ratio.
The current package contains published BLS values for all 50 states and DC. No state currently needs a national fallback. Selecting the national average explicitly uses a multiplier of 1.00.
If a required state wage is unavailable, the current calculator withholds the complete estimate rather than silently substituting a national wage.
General conditions & contractor markup
Homewyse’s example-estimate notes say the example excludes general contractor overhead and markup for organizing and supervising a project, and instruct readers to “Add 13% to 22%” when a general contractor supervises the work. We use that published band as a separate model input, not as an adjustment hidden in trade unit prices.
For a full gut remodel only, the low endpoint is the trade subtotal’s low endpoint × 13%, and the high endpoint is the trade subtotal’s high endpoint × 22%. The resulting row is included in the subtotal before contingency is calculated.
Partial and Cosmetic scopes are modeled as work contracted directly by trade and do not receive this row. Deck estimates also do not receive it. Homewyse example-estimate notes, retrieved 2026-11-11.
Benchmark checks
Four frozen scenarios are checked individually against the applicable published Fixr, Angi and Cost vs Value comparisons: a standard full bathroom remodel, a smaller partial remodel, an upscale bathroom remodel, and an independent deck project. Scope, size, finish, location and contingency assumptions stay fixed during the comparison.
For each comparable source, deviation is the difference between our range midpoint and the published midpoint, divided by the published midpoint. A point-cost source is compared at its published point; we do not invent a source range. Open-ended ranges and mismatched specifications are identified explicitly.
The tolerance gate is ±25% per comparable source. A result outside that tolerance needs a reproducible specification explanation and review; missing totals or comparable evidence cannot count as a pass.
Three of the four frozen scenarios are within tolerance. The Upscale scenario did not pass its tier-matched review, and results for that tier are not published pending a review decision.
Data sources & versions
Source years describe the underlying evidence, not the date this page was built. The core reference framework is listed below; individual rates in the data package also retain their own provenance, including supplemental item-level sources.
| Source | Data year / version | Retrieved | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixr bathroom cost guide | 2026 edition (updated Jan 27, 2026) | 2026-11-11 | Bathroom cost evidence and national benchmark comparisons |
| Angi bathroom remodel cost article | 2026 (updated Oct 27, 2026) | 2026-11-11 | Published bathroom scope ranges and benchmark comparisons |
| Cost vs Value Report | 2025 | 2026-11-11 | Defined midrange and upscale project benchmarks; point costs are not ranges |
| Fixr deck cost guide | 2023 (updated Jan 11, 2023) | 2026-11-11 | Deck material evidence and national benchmark comparisons |
| BLS OEWS (SOC 47-0000) | May 2023 | 2026-11-11 | State and national hourly mean wages for labor adjustments |
| Homewyse example-estimate notes (general conditions band only) | — | 2026-11-11 | The disclosed general conditions and contractor markup band only |
Dates & updates
Data year is the year of the source evidence. A 2023 wage series or deck guide remains 2023 data even when it is retrieved later.
Retrieved date records when each source was accessed and is stored with that evidence in the data package.
Content updated date records a substantive update to the page’s content. The “Updated November 2026” label comes from the data package’s UPDATED_AT value. Styling changes and rebuilds do not move it forward.
Our policy is to review the data package at least annually, checking source editions, unit ranges, wage coverage and benchmark comparability. A retrieval date alone does not make older data current, and we do not apply an undisclosed inflation adjustment.
Finish levels & fixture mapping
Scope determines what work happens; finish level describes the replacement specification. The finish labels map to the calculator’s Budget, Midrange and Upscale tiers. Upscale specifications are disclosed here without publishing an estimate for that tier.
| Finish | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Budget | Acrylic alcove tub/shower, ceramic floor, painted walls, stock single-sink vanity with integral top, standard toilet. No custom tile. |
| Midrange | Alcove tub with ceramic surround, porcelain floor, painted walls, stock single-sink vanity with integral solid-surface top, standard toilet. No premium stone or custom cabinetry. |
| Upscale | Custom hardwood double-sink vanity with stone top, upgraded toilet, stone floor and dry-wall tile, tiled shower and soaking tub. |
Cosmetic refresh scope note
A Cosmetic refresh includes only regrouting, painting and surface refinishing; it does not include replacement work. Published Fixr and Angi minor-remodel ranges describe replacement-oriented scopes. They are not equivalent specifications and are not used as a like-for-like benchmark for Cosmetic estimates.
Disclaimer
This calculator gives a planning estimate, not a quote. Actual costs vary with local labor rates, material choices and site conditions. Get 2–3 written quotes from local contractors before you commit.