Short answer
A bathroom remodel in Chicago typically costs $7,400 to $22,300 in 2026, about $14,900 on average, based on Fixr's national range adjusted for Chicago trade wages from BLS (May 2025). Published Chicago data disagree: Angi averages $10,939, while Cost vs Value 2025 prices a defined midrange bath at $24,072. Scope, plumbing moves and finishes decide where you land.
Key facts
- Our 2026 Chicago estimate for a typical bathroom remodel is $7,400 to $22,300, from Fixr's national $6,000 to $18,000 with half the cost treated as labor and adjusted by BLS wages.[6]
- Cost vs Value 2025: a midrange bath remodel costs $24,072 in Chicago, versus $26,138 nationally; an upscale bath costs $76,524 in Chicago, versus $81,612.[5]
- Angi (February 2026): the average Chicago bathroom remodel costs $10,939, with most homeowners spending $6,677 to $16,542.[4]
- Chicago's 2026 building permit fee tables set a $602 minimum for permits priced under those tables (other than temporary structures).[7]
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Chicago-area tile and stone setters earn a median $35.90 an hour, versus $26.77 for the U.S.[1]
Bathroom remodel cost in Chicago at a glance
Three views of the same job. Our estimate adjusts Fixr's national scope ranges for Chicago labor, the same base our Houston and Dallas pages use. Angi's Chicago page and the Cost vs Value report are shown as published.
| Scope | Our Chicago estimate | Angi Chicago[4] |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (cosmetic, keep layout) | $3,000 to $12,400 | $3,020 to $10,060 |
| Partial (replace one or more main fixtures) | $7,400 to $31,000 | $10,060 to $25,150 |
| Full (replace all fixtures and surfaces) | $11,200 to $37,200 or more | $25,150 to $78,400 |
| Typical project | $7,400 to $22,300, average $14,900 | $6,677 to $16,542, average $10,939 |
| Cost vs Value 2025 project | Chicago job cost | National job cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bath remodel, midrange | $24,072[5] | $26,138[5] |
| Bath remodel, universal design | $38,963[5] | $42,183[5] |
| Bath remodel, upscale | $76,524[5] | $81,612[5] |
National detail by size and tier is on the bathroom remodel cost guide.
How we got this number
The base is Fixr's national 2026 bathroom remodel range: most remodels $6,000 to $18,000, average $12,000, with scope tiers of $2,400 to $10,000 (minor), $6,000 to $25,000 (partial) and $9,000 to $30,000 or more (full)[6]. Fixr puts labor at about 50% of a remodel[6], so half of each figure was adjusted. Angi's national figures ($6,651 to $17,660, average $12,153[3]) are close to Fixr's.
The adjustment uses BLS May 2025 median wages for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro[1] and the nation[2]:
| Trade (SOC code) | Chicago | U.S. | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | $49.70[1] | $30.67[2] | 1.62 |
| Tile and stone setters (47-2044) | $35.90[1] | $26.77[2] | 1.34 |
Equal weight on both trades gives a labor factor of 1.48. Half the cost at 1.48 and half at 1.00 is a multiplier of 1.24:
| Figure | National[6] | Chicago (x 1.24), nearest $100 |
|---|---|---|
| Typical low | $6,000 | $7,400 |
| Average | $12,000 | $14,900 |
| Typical high | $18,000 | $22,300 |
The published Chicago figures disagree with this and with each other. Angi's Chicago scope ranges are within about 2% of its national ones[3][4], while Cost vs Value prices Chicago baths 6% to 8% below national[5]. Wages say Chicago labor costs more; finished-job surveys do not show it. We publish both so you can see the spread.
What changes the price in Chicago
Permit fees. Chicago prices most alteration permits from fee tables, with a $602 minimum in 2026 for permits other than temporary structures[7]. The city's online calculator estimates the fee from construction type, occupancy, area and scope[8]. Nonstructural interior alterations in a single home can use the Express Permit path up to 2,000 square feet[9].
Old buildings. About 39% of Chicago homes were built in 1939 or earlier[10]. Angi says Chicago's mix of brick bungalows, vintage walk-ups and high-rises shapes remodel costs, and rough-in plumbing for a Chicago remodel averages about $6,860[4].
Lead-safe work. The EPA says that, in general, anyone paid to disturb paint in housing built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices[11].
Condos and high-rises. Building rules on work hours, elevators and insurance can add cost. Ask the management office before you collect quotes.
Questions to ask a Chicago contractor
- Which permit does this scope need, and is the city fee in your price?
- Who is the licensed plumbing contractor, and is your firm a licensed general contractor in Chicago?
- Are you EPA lead-safe certified, if the home was built before 1978?
- What is your allowance for surprises behind plaster walls or under the floor?
- Which line items are allowances (tile, vanity, fixtures) and which are fixed?
- How many weeks from demolition to final inspection?
When to call a pro
- Moving walls or doorways: an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer for drawings[9].
- Any change to plumbing or wiring: licensed trades on a city permit.
- Pre-1978 paint: a lead-safe certified firm for demolition[11].
- To compare bids: ask each contractor for an itemized quote with the same scope.
More questions
Is a bathroom remodel cheaper in Chicago than the national average?
The data point both ways. Cost vs Value 2025 prices a midrange Chicago bath about 8% below the national job cost, and Angi's Chicago average is below its national one. But BLS shows Chicago plumbers earning about 1.62 times the national median wage.
What permit does a Chicago bathroom remodel need?
It depends on scope. Replacing fixtures in place can use the plumbing Express Permit. Nonstructural remodeling that changes plumbing within limits can use the interior alteration Express Permit. Moving walls needs drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer.
How much of a Chicago bathroom remodel is labor?
Nationally, Fixr puts labor at about 50% of a bathroom remodel, and 40% to 65% depending on the work. In Chicago that share can run higher, because local plumbers and tile setters earn well above the national median, per BLS.
Sources
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, SOC 47-2152 and 47-2044 hourly median wages (series OEUM001698000000047215208, OEUM001698000000047204408), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: national estimates, SOC 47-2152 and 47-2044 hourly median wages (series OEUN000000000000047215208, OEUN000000000000047204408), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- How much does a bathroom remodel cost? (2026 data, updated Jul 9, 2026), Angi. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Chicago, IL? (updated Feb 25, 2026), Angi. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- 2025 Cost vs Value Report: Chicago, Illinois, Journal of Light Construction. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- How much does a bathroom remodel cost? (2026 data, updated Jan 27, 2026), Fixr. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- Building Permit Fee Tables, effective January 6, 2026 (amended), City of Chicago, Department of Buildings. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- Calculate the cost of a building permit, City of Chicago, Department of Buildings. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- Express Permit Program: interior alteration (nonstructural interior work), City of Chicago, Department of Buildings. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, tables B25034 and B25035 (year structure built), Chicago city, via Census Reporter, U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed 2026-10-15.
- Lead renovation, repair and painting program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed 2026-10-15.
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