Bathroom remodel cost in Seattle, WA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (45 sq ft)
- $5,750 – $28,600
- Per sq ft
- $123 – $617
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +23%
- US $14,000
- Rank of 300 metros
- #3
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a bathroom remodel in the Seattle area: $5,750 to $28,600 for 45 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 23% higher than the US figure. Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn a median of $45.78 an hour in the Seattle area, 49% above the US median of $30.67.
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Estimated cost for 45 sq ft in Seattle, WA, standard level
$12,600 to $21,800
About $271 to $469 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,650 | $8,000 |
| Labor | $7,600 | $13,100 |
| Permits and fees | $420 | $690 |
| Total | $12,600 | $21,800 |
Cost breakdown for 45 sq ft in Seattle, WA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,100 | $6,300 | $10,500 | 37% |
| Labor | $3,450 | $10,300 | $17,200 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $220 | $560 | $890 | 3% |
| Total | $5,750 | $17,200 | $28,600 | 100% |
Where the Seattle price comes from
Labor is 60% of the midpoint bill here, against 53% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (25%), tile and stone setters (25%), carpenters (20%), electricians (10%), drywall and ceiling tile installers (10%), painters, construction and maintenance (10%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Seattle the blended ratio comes out at 1.39.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Seattle is at 104.0 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $6,100 nationally becomes $6,300 here (midpoint, 45 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 111.1: $220 to $890.
Related projects, priced for Seattle
Jobs that often go together with bathroom remodel are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Seattle wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, shower pan comes out highest (+28%) and kitchen remodel lowest (+11%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shower pan | 1 pan | $1,300 – $3,500 | +28% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $20,500 – $34,900 | +11% |
| Kitchen cabinets | 25 linear ft | $4,800 – $16,800 | +18% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $5,050 – $16,500 | +11% |
| Kitchen backsplash | 30 sq ft | $370 – $1,800 | +19% |
Bathroom remodel: what moves the price in Seattle
Tile
New tile costs $10-$50 per square foot installed, and regrouting runs $7-$28 per square foot.
Moving plumbing
Keeping the toilet, tub and vanity in place keeps plumbing costs down. Moving them does not.
Contractor fee
A general contractor charges $50-$150 an hour or 10-20% of the project cost.
Cost by quality level and size in Seattle
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Seattle. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from half bath (20 sq ft) to primary bath (100 sq ft).
Basic
$5,750 to $14,900
Cosmetic refresh: vanity, fixtures, paint, flooring
Standard
$12,600 to $21,800
Full remodel with new tub or shower and tile
Premium
$19,500 to $28,600
Primary bath, custom tile, layout change
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| half bath (20 sq ft) | $2,700 – $6,900 | $5,850 – $10,100 | $9,000 – $13,200 |
| small full bath (40 sq ft) | $5,150 – $13,300 | $11,300 – $19,400 | $17,400 – $25,600 |
| average bath (60 sq ft) | $7,600 – $19,700 | $16,700 – $28,800 | $25,800 – $37,900 |
| primary bath (100 sq ft) | $12,600 – $32,600 | $27,600 – $47,600 | $42,600 – $62,600 |
Seattle against nearby metros and the rest of Washington
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 45 sq ft range from $15,100 to $17,200 across Seattle and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WAthis page | $5,750 – $28,600 | $17,200 | |
| Bremerton, WA40 miles | $5,550 – $27,600 | $16,600 | −4% |
| Olympia, WA60 miles | $5,500 – $27,200 | $16,300 | −5% |
| Yakima, WA90 miles | $5,100 – $25,200 | $15,100 | −12% |
| Bellingham, WA95 miles | $5,750 – $28,500 | $17,100 | −1% |
| Portland, OR135 miles | $5,650 – $27,900 | $16,800 | −2% |
| Washington (statewide) | $5,550 – $27,600 | $16,600 | −4% |
| United States | $4,700 – $23,300 | $14,000 | −19% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Seattle ranks #3 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Seattle is 4% above the Washington figure.
Elsewhere in Washington
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane, WA | 255,820 jobs | $5,200 – $25,900 | $15,600 | −10% |
| Olympia, WA | 130,300 jobs | $5,500 – $27,200 | $16,300 | −5% |
| Kennewick, WA | 129,490 jobs | $5,600 – $27,900 | $16,700 | −3% |
| Yakima, WA | 97,010 jobs | $5,100 – $25,200 | $15,100 | −12% |
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $5,550 – $27,600 | $16,600 | −4% |
| Bellingham, WA | 91,390 jobs | $5,750 – $28,500 | $17,100 | −1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Seattle against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $5,650 – $28,000 | $16,900 | −2% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 1,951,650 jobs | $5,600 – $27,700 | $16,600 | −3% |
| Phoenix, AZ | 2,375,760 jobs | $4,550 – $22,500 | $13,500 | −21% |
| Detroit, MI | 1,904,530 jobs | $4,950 – $24,600 | $14,800 | −14% |
Who does the work: Seattle trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 6 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Seattle the blend is 1.39.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 25% of the weighting: a median of $45.78 an hour, 49% above the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $29.83 and $60.93 an hour. About 6,350 work in the metro. That is 30.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.0 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Tile and stone setters (47-2044), 25% of the weighting: a median of $38.00 an hour, 42% above the US median of $26.77. The middle half of them earn between $33.37 and $48.26 an hour. About 450 work in the metro. That is 2.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.3 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Carpenters (47-2031), 20% of the weighting: a median of $36.74 an hour, 26% above the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $30.64 and $47.93 an hour. About 14,970 work in the metro. That is 71.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For electricians (47-2111, weighted 10%) the local median is $48.93 an hour, which is 61% above the national $30.38. The middle half of them earn between $36.35 and $60.55 an hour. BLS counts 9,750 of them working in the area, 46.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 48.7), so the local bench is about average.
For drywall and ceiling tile installers (47-2081, weighted 10%) the local median is $36.33 an hour, which is 28% above the national $28.33. The middle half of them earn between $30.94 and $49.23 an hour. BLS counts 1,840 of them working in the area, 8.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 5.3), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Painters, construction and maintenance (47-2141), 10% of the weighting: a median of $29.06 an hour, 22% above the US median of $23.75. The middle half of them earn between $23.86 and $33.64 an hour. About 5,140 work in the metro. That is 24.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 14.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $920 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $970. That is a swing of roughly 5.6% to 5.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has 2,086,210 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 13th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 25% | $29.83 | $45.78 | $60.93 | $30.67 | 1.49 | metro |
| Tile and stone setters (47-2044) | 25% | $33.37 | $38.00 | $48.26 | $26.77 | 1.42 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 20% | $30.64 | $36.74 | $47.93 | $29.12 | 1.26 | metro |
| Electricians (47-2111) | 10% | $36.35 | $48.93 | $60.55 | $30.38 | 1.61 | metro |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers (47-2081) | 10% | $30.94 | $36.33 | $49.23 | $28.33 | 1.28 | metro |
| Painters, construction and maintenance (47-2141) | 10% | $23.86 | $29.06 | $33.64 | $23.75 | 1.22 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.39 | |||||
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Bathroom remodel in Seattle: your questions
+How much does it cost to remodel a bathroom in Seattle?
For 45 sq ft, expect $5,750 to $28,600 in the Seattle area. A standard-spec job lands at $12,600 to $21,800. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for bathroom remodel in Seattle?
About $123 to $617 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $220 to $890 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $100 to $500.
+Is bathroom remodel cheaper in Seattle or Bremerton?
Bremerton is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 45 sq ft there is $16,600, which is 4% less than Seattle ($17,200). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Seattle?
About 60% at the midpoint, or $10,300 out of $17,200. Materials are 37% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 53%.
+What would average bath (60 sq ft) cost in Seattle?
$7,600 to $37,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does bathroom remodel need a permit in Seattle?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $220 to $890 for fees in the Seattle area (our national range of $200 to $800 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Seattle expensive for bathroom remodel compared with the rest of Washington?
Seattle is 4% above the Washington statewide estimate ($16,600 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Washington; see the state page to compare them.
+What do plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn in Seattle?
The BLS median is $45.78 an hour in the Seattle area, compared with $30.67 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $29.83 to $60.93.
+What do basic and premium bathroom remodel work cost in Seattle?
For 45 sq ft, basic work runs $5,750 to $14,900 and premium work $19,500 to $28,600. Basic means: cosmetic refresh: vanity, fixtures, paint, flooring. Premium means: primary bath, custom tile, layout change.
Bathroom remodel near Seattle
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Cost to Renovate: Renovation Labor Report 2026: Where the Money Goes (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Note on derived figures: Materials = 45% of the installed price, from Cost to Renovate's mid-range split for bathroom projects (50% labor, 45% materials, 5% permits and design). Their sample is their own guides, not a survey of contractors, so treat the split as approximate.