I added an addition so my numbers are higher than a remodel, but with a second floor addition over an existing sunroom, three expensive windows, heated floor, Grohe fixtures, average tile, large shower, architect, radiators, plumbing, labor and new walkway and driveway (for we added plumbing to a side of the house where none exists ) I paid over 500 per sq ft. Take away driveway, exterior plumbing costs and structure and it was still over 300 per square foot. I live on the Connecticut shoreline so a high COLA.

..expensive.

I left the tile and the tub in one of the baths in the new house-the only place we didn't gut to abate asbestos...because asbestos was hidden very safely under this (unloved by me)tile, and it saved us 10-12 K minimum (labor only, no materials included, no changes in plumbing, small bath)

The master bath was built from scratch as it was part of the addition..several things were included in the general quote like custom vanity, shower surround or how it's called, two windows..we went with (relatively) expensive tiles and tried to save like crazy on fixtures and lights...the counter was included in the quote but by that time we had some disagreements with our GC lol, so it happened so we payed ourselves for it..:) but it was dirt cheap since it was a remnant..we found it by pure chance..The GC's guy fabricated and installed it for us though.

Long story short. I don't even want to know how much it cost. With all the problems we had with it, materials that went to waste, mistakes in framing, ordering a different tub because of the mistakes in the framing..(the GC payed for it, since their mistake; but the right thing to do was to redo half the bathroom completely)..they still have to re-tile there some edge that went wrong, because drywall guys..well let me stop here lol.

It's a rather big space that we made too complicated. We didn't know at that time it would turn so complicated, and the GC probably really wanted to make us happy, so the blueprint was-after a long brainstorming- created, approved-but one inch lost here, one inch there, and you have a problem on your hands. The framer was generally good btw. Maybe he just had a bad day. Or two days:) And no one re-measured right after..including us..

I realize it's not the answer to the question, lol. But on HGTV, they usually cover labor costs..they show materials cost only..

Or maybe depending on a show-they cover material costs:)

In short. don't believe it. Has nothing in common with reality. It's entertainment..scripted and all...

I watched one season of this Flip or Flop(no cable, just whatever they put on Netflix)..I live where these guys live..:) They buy in cheaper parts of the county, and of course they are given totally different costs than a homeowner who has one job and not forty to hire out...and still..multiply it by what millworkman said. Well maybe less if a small space and very simple finishes.

We did an average/small bathroom gutted to the studs. I forget the dimension but not large. it cost $40,000 Can. I know we could have gone cheaper and it was hired out except for tiling the floor and painting the ceiling and walls. But it wasn't particularly high end either. The vanity is only 45 inches wide but we did buy some tall linen cabinets and I paid extra for the finish I wanted on the cabinetry. But I got the cabinetry on sale thru Home Depot too. It is Thomasville. It could have been done for $30,00 and compromise some of the things we liked, but not much less. Plus, try and get a contractor you trust and is willing to do the work! Not easy around here these days.

As a DIY engineer - I did the down stairs bath for about $9,000 - that was materials only. The master bath was $15,000 materials only. Both baths were gutted down to the studs.

Those TV shows are crap. Sure you can get cheap sh*t materials: $100 toilets that don't flush properly, faucets that drip, cheap lighting fixtures, the list goes on and on.

Ditto, I am into 50 large on a 10 x 12 complete gut. But to be fair, with many high enf "goodies". Labor came in at 22000 of that total. All plumbing and electric was moved...

@Bob: My master bath (with the $15k of materials)... The final inspector told me I had a $40k bath.

We're at about $32,000 for a gut renovation of a 5 x 7 bathroom in NYC with a second 60" vanity area but that includes architect fees.

Large master bath, total gut renovation in the Los Angeles area with high end finishes. Total materials and labor came in at $400/sq.ft..

Wow! These costs seem high to me.W e hired out for everything. Granted, ours is nothing fancy - but we gutted our small (tiny, actually) main floor bathroom - removed laundry, replaced with tub/shower, had subway tile installed (with intricate hexagon feature), wood-look ceramic tile flooring, installed new pocket door, and it cost about 6K. I live in a suburb outside of Boston, MA.

Wow Rebecca! I could not redo my hall bath for that even if I did the work myself. My labor and waterproofing, excluding the cost of tile, just for my shower stall cost more than that...add my shower fixtures and tile costs, glass door and it was more than double your whole bath:( you did good! It looks like a million bucks!

Thanks, Roarah. We definitely had to make some budget-conscious decisions. I think the biggest cost savings was the shower curtain instead of glass. My husband really wanted just a shower (no tub) but I love the option of a bath. We managed to squeeze it in there! Its small but funtional. We relocated our laundry to a hallway closet just down the hall. I'm saving the bigger budget remodel for our upstairs bathroom!

My DD's bathroom is 61 x 76 plus a 36x60 alcove. She lives in a Midwest metropolitan area and did complete gut remodel with everything new except the toilet. She used Dal-tile porcelain tiles, Florida Tile mosaic with Schluter Quadec edging, Kohler's Archer tub, Kohler Forte faucet, shower head, and accessories, Fieldstone cabinetry, NuHeat under-floor heating, quartz countertop, Porsher sink, Tech Lighting bath bar, recessed lights, Panasonic exhaust fan, and a Crate and Barrel mirror. She hired a contractor to do all the work except painting. Her remodel cost was $13,300.

My son did a similar size bathroom full gut remodel using the same contractor, and similar materials with the exception of using a Kohler cast iron shower base and glass shower doors and some wall cabinets which increased his costs slightly so his bathroom was about $15,000.

Well I probably over paid, those are some beautiful bathrooms! I will says when I step out of my steamy jetted shower I feel I got my money's worth:)

Almost completed bath, still need trim on wardrobes and built in bench where the crates are.