Bathroom Remodel Bid Teardown: Line by Line, With the Red Flags
A full gut of a 5×8 hall bathroom (~40 sq ft) with mid-range finishes in Long Beach. The quote came in at $38,900. Here it is line by line.
Representative, anonymized example built from common 2026 Southern California bid patterns — not a specific client's project. Ranges reflect current market pricing.
A full-gut bathroom at this size should land around $26,000. This bid runs high on demo and tile, but the real danger is that waterproofing — the single most important step — is buried inside the 'tile package' with no system named.
The bid, line by line
| Line item | Quoted | Fair | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
Demo & disposal A 40 sq ft bathroom is a 1–2 day demo. $3,800 is roughly double fair market. | $3,800 | $1,200–$2,000 | Red flag |
Tile (floor + shower surround) ~120 sq ft of tile. Get the tile price per sq ft and labor separately — 'tile package' lump sums hide both markup and the waterproofing scope. | $9,500 | $5,000–$7,500 | Check it |
Waterproofing Waterproofing is the most important step in a bathroom. It should be its own line with a named system (e.g. Schluter or RedGard). 'Included' gives you nothing to hold them to if it fails. | "included in tile" | itemized, with a named system | Red flag |
Shower glass (frameless) Frameless glass for a standard alcove. In range only at the very high end. | $2,800 | $1,400–$2,200 | Check it |
Vanity + top Should be an allowance so you pick the exact vanity — not a fixed line at the contractor's chosen price. | $3,200 | allowance $1,200–$2,500 | Check it |
Plumbing fixtures + labor Reasonable if it includes a new valve, drain, and trim. Confirm whether the fixtures are an allowance or 'included.' | $5,400 | $3,500–$5,000 | Check it |
Electrical (fan, GFCI, lighting) In range for a code-compliant exhaust fan, GFCI, and vanity lighting. | $2,600 | $1,500–$2,500 | Fair |
Permits Pass-through cost with no figure shown — ask for the city's actual fee and the permit number. | "included" | $400–$1,200 | Red flag |
Overhead & profit No O&P line means margin is hidden inside the inflated demo and tile lines. | not listed | 10–20% | Red flag |
The red flags, summarized
- Waterproofing buried inside 'tile' with no system named — the #1 thing that causes bathroom failures.
- Demo priced at roughly double fair market.
- Vanity quoted as a fixed line instead of an allowance you control.
- 'Permits included' with no figure.
- No overhead-and-profit line.
What to do before you sign
- Require waterproofing as its own line with a named, warrantied system.
- Itemize tile material (per sq ft) separately from labor.
- Convert the vanity and fixtures to written allowances.
- Get the permit number, not 'included.'
- Compare against two more bids for the identical scope.
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See fair bathroom remodel pricing, read other teardowns, or brush up with our guides.