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Welcome to the USA Cabinet Store podcast. I am

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Chris, and today we are talking about something

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every Houston homeowner wants to know. How much

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does a bathroom remodel actually cost in 2026?

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I have got Jessica here with me. She has been

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digging into the latest pricing data, and some

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of these numbers might surprise you. Jessica,

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what is the big picture? Hey, Chris. Okay, so

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the average bathroom remodel in Houston comes

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in around $12 ,994. But honestly, that average

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hides a lot. Most projects actually fall between

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$600 - $900 and $50 ,000. And luxury master bath

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renovations? Those can blow past $90 ,000. The

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good news is Houston runs about 8 % cheaper than

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the national average for construction costs.

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So you do get more for your money here compared

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to, say, Dallas or Austin. That is a massive

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range, though. 6 ,000 versus 90 ,000? How do

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people figure out where they will land? It really

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comes down to four things. Bathroom size, the

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materials you pick, how deep the demolition goes,

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and which professionals you hire. Let me break

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down size first. A half bath, so just a toilet

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and sink, runs $2 ,000 to $7 ,500. A small bathroom

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under 35 square feet costs $6 ,000 to $15 ,000.

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Medium bathrooms, 35 to 75 square feet, hit $15

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,000 to $30 ,000. Enlarged master baths over

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75 square feet, that is $30 ,000 to $50 ,000.

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For primary bathroom renovations specifically,

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most Houston homeowners spend $29 ,000 to $50

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,000 at the mid -range level. What about per

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square foot? I know people love that metric for

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comparing projects. Sure. Budget cosmetic refreshes

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run $80 to $120 per square foot. Mid -range quality

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work hits $180 to $280. High -end reaches $300

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to $450. And luxury custom builds top $500 to

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$800 plus per square foot. But here is an important

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catch. Small bathrooms actually cost more per

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square foot because plumbing and waterproofing

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are fixed costs. They do not shrink with the

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room. A 20 -square -foot powder room gut can

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hit $900 per square foot for that exact reason.

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Now... Labor's a huge chunk of the budget, right?

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I keep hearing that skilled workers are getting

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more expensive. Yes, and this is the biggest

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story for 2026. Labor now eats 30 -50 % of your

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total project cost. Rates are up 4 -6 % this

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year alone. Licensed plumbers charge $45 to $200

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per hour. Master electricians run $80 to $140.

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Tile setters are $60 to $100. The Gulf Coast

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has a real shortage of these skilled trades and

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it is the number one reason costs keep climbing.

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Inner loop jobs in Heights, Montrose and Upper

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Kirby cost even more because parking is harder.

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City rules are stricter and the old homes need

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more expertise. Speaking of neighborhoods, how

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much does your location within Houston affect

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the price? A lot. Montrose and Houston Heights

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run 15 to 25 percent above the city average.

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Those older homes often have galvanized pipes

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and outdated wiring that need full replacement

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before any cosmetic work even starts. That alone

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can add $10 ,000 to $20 ,000. Upper Kirby starts

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at $25 ,000 for renovations and commonly exceeds

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$50 ,000 for master baths. But if you are in

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Katy or Cypress, the newer homes and more contractor

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options keep mid -range projects at $15 ,000

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to $28 ,000. Perland is similar at $14 ,000 to

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$22 ,000. Okay, one thing I keep hearing about

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is walk -in showers. That seems to be the number

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one upgrade people want. What does that cost?

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It is by far the most requested job. A tub -to

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-shower conversion averages about $9 ,000 in

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Houston. Custom tile builds with frameless glass

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enclosures can reach $15 ,000 to $20 ,000. Standard

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porcelain tile installation runs $12 to $22 per

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square foot, and fancier patterns like herringbone

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or natural stone push that to $30 per square

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foot. If you are removing an old bathtub, add

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$500 to $1 ,500 or just for demolition. So after

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spending all that money, what do people actually

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get back when they sell? Is it worth the investment?

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It really is. Mid -range bathroom renovations

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return 70 to 80 percent of their cost at resale

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in Houston. That is one of the best ROIs of any

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home improvement project. Upper Kirby specifically

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hits 70 to 80 percent ROI with quality finishes.

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Heights and Montrose average 65 to 75 percent.

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Katy and the suburbs deliver 60 to 70 percent

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on mid -range work. The rule of thumb is to spend

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five to ten percent of your home's value on a

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primary bath for the best return. And universal

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design features like walk -in showers and comfort

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height toilets are getting more popular because

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they appeal to the widest range of buyers. Okay,

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before we wrap up, give us the best ways to save

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money. And I know Houston humidity is a big deal.

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How does that factor in? Smart planning can cut

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15 to 30 percent off the total. Number one, keep

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the existing layout. Not moving pipes saves $1

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,500 to $5 ,000, especially on Houston's slab

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foundations where moving a toilet means jackhammering

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concrete. Number two, book in January or February.

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Contractors often offer 10 % to 15 % discounts

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in the off season. Number three, do your own

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demo to save $1 ,000 to $3 ,000. And number four,

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splurge where it shows, like the tile wall in

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Vanity. and save on hidden stuff like subflooring.

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One more thing. In Texas, remodel labor is not

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taxed, but materials are at 8 .25%. Now about

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humidity. Houston's 90 % plus humidity wrecks

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poorly built bathrooms. Waterproofing, oversized

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exhaust fans, and mold -proof drywall are not

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upgrades. They are requirements. Spend on the

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invisible infrastructure first. The tile and

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glass get the compliments, but the waterproofing

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keeps your home safe for decades. Such great

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advice. And before we go, I have to mention this.

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Our Houston showroom just won the NKBA Innovative

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Showroom Award at KBIS 2026. That is the National

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Kitchen and Bath Association recognizing our

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team for creating one of the best design center

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experiences in North America. So if you are planning

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a bathroom remodel, come see those hands -on

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displays in person. You can book a free consultation

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at our Upper Kirby or Houston North showrooms.

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Just visit usacabinetstore .com. Jessica, thanks

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so much for breaking all this down. Thank you,

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Chris. And to everyone listening, plan smart,

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hire right, and do not skip the waterproofing.

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We will see you next time on the USA Cabinet

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Store podcast.