Bathroom remodeling in NYC and Long Island: 2026 costs, permits, board rules, waterproofing and timelines from a licensed team. Get a free estimate.
Ready to turn a tired bathroom into a room that works every day and lasts? This page explains what a bathroom remodel actually involves in New York City and on Long Island, what it costs in 2026, and which approvals can delay the start. We cover co-ops, condos, brownstones, walk-ups and houses, because the building you live in shapes the job as much as the tile you choose.
We build bathrooms start to finish: design, permits, demolition, plumbing and electrical coordination, waterproofing, tile and the final glass and fixtures. If you want numbers for your own space now, request a free bathroom estimate.
People use the two words interchangeably, and for a quote it rarely matters. The distinction does help you describe scope clearly, so here is a practical version.
A remodel changes how the bathroom looks and sometimes how it is arranged: new tile, vanity, fixtures, lighting, a different shower. It works with the existing footprint.
A renovation restores or upgrades what is behind the surface: failing pipes, rotted subfloor, outdated wiring, poor ventilation, or waterproofing that has failed. Many projects are both at once.
Why it matters for you: a pure finish update may avoid a DOB permit, while moving a toilet, adding a shower, replacing risers or altering a wall usually triggers filings and board review. When you call, tell us which of these you are picturing, and we will tell you what approvals follow. The NYC renovation permits guide covers the filing types in detail.
Bathrooms are small, but they pack plumbing, electrical, tile, waterproofing, ventilation and glass into a few dozen square feet. That density is why the cost per square foot looks high. These are typical 2026 planning ranges, not quotes, and a written itemized quote governs your price.
| Bathroom project | Typical 2026 planning range | Typical construction time |
|---|---|---|
| Full bathroom renovation | $30,000 to $60,000+ | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Tile only, shower walls | $30 to $80 per sq ft installed | 1 to 2 weeks with waterproofing cure |
| Tile only, floor | $20 to $45 per sq ft installed | Days |
| Tile removal | $4 to $12 per sq ft | Days |
| Waterproofing membrane system | $3 to $10 per sq ft added | Part of tile phase |
| Design, engineering and filings, when required | Roughly 15 to 25% on top of construction | Weeks to months |
Want a full-house view? Our NYC renovation cost guide for 2026 compares bathrooms to kitchens and full gut jobs.
Different bathrooms need different scopes. These are the projects we take on most often.
A full strip to the studs, new rough-ins, waterproofing, tile, vanity, lighting and glass. This is the right choice when the layout, plumbing or moisture damage means a surface update will not hold.
Common in pre-war apartments where owners want a safer, more open shower. The work involves removing the tub, modifying the drain, building a waterproofed pan or curb and tiling the walls. If you are aging in place, a low-threshold design makes the room easier to use for decades.
Rain heads, handheld sprays, thermostatic valves and steam generators. These need correct valves, sloped pans and ventilation, and they add load to the water supply, so plumbing capacity is checked early.
Floating vanities, medicine cabinets and storage built around plumbing. In plaster-wall buildings, we reinforce and anchor carefully because old walls rarely hold fasteners the way new drywall does.
Large-format porcelain, marble, glass mosaics and patterned floors. Layout, flatness and substrate preparation drive the finish quality. See our tile installation guide for how tile type, setting materials and grout choices affect longevity.
Replacing old supply lines, galvanized pipe or failing valves while the walls are open. It is far cheaper to do this during a remodel than to reopen a finished bathroom later. Where work extends into risers or building lines, the building usually controls the schedule.
Below-grade baths need a plan for drainage, often an ejector pump, plus moisture control and egress considerations. Basement work in houses may require a filing, and flood-prone areas add rules. Our additions and remodeling page covers larger below-grade projects.
Custom-fitted enclosures installed after tile and curb are complete. Glass is measured after the tile is set, not before, which adds lead time to the schedule.
Restrooms for offices, retail and mixed-use buildings, scoped around accessibility and code requirements. Tell us the use and location so the right drawings and approvals are included.
A bathroom is the most failure-prone room in any home. Water finds the weak point in a poorly built shower, and the damage usually appears in the ceiling of the apartment below, in a neighbor's complaint, or in a board letter. A DIY or handyman job that skips a proper waterproofing system, slopes the pan incorrectly or buries a leaking valve behind new tile can cost several times the original price to unwind.
Licensing and process matter here too. Residential remodeling in NYC generally requires a Home Improvement Contractor license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and permit-level work requires filings by a registered architect or licensed engineer. A contractor who cannot show these credentials, or who suggests skipping the board, is transferring risk to you.
N.Y. Renovation Services is licensed and insured and builds in-house, from blueprints to the final coat of paint. One team coordinates the drawings, the board package, the plumbers and electricians, the tile crew and the glass installer. That sequencing is what keeps a six-week schedule from becoming a twelve-week one.
Every bathroom follows the same backbone. What changes is how much time each stage takes in your building.
We measure, review the existing plumbing and discuss how you use the room. Drawings show fixture locations, tile layout and any wall changes. For permit-level work, a registered architect or licensed engineer prepares the plans.
For co-ops and condos, the package typically includes the scope of work, a schedule, drawings, license and insurance documents and a signed alteration agreement. Boards meet on their own calendars, so submit early.
Work that moves plumbing or alters walls is filed through DOB NOW: Build. The NYC Department of Buildings explains how to obtain a permit, and simple filings often take weeks while complex ones take longer. Cosmetic work often does not need a DOB permit, but board rules may still apply.
Floors and hallways are protected, dust is contained and debris leaves through the route your building allows. In buildings from before 1987, suspect materials may need testing before we touch tile or walls, and in pre-1978 homes lead-safe practices apply.
With walls open, plumbers set new supply and drain lines, electricians add circuits, fans and lighting, and any needed framing is done. Inspections occur before walls close.
The waterproofing membrane is installed and tested, then tile, grout, fixtures, glass and paint go in. Cure times are respected, because rushed grout and thin-set fail early.
Most bathroom failures start behind the tile, not on it. Tile and grout are not waterproof on their own. A continuous membrane over the shower floor, walls and curb is what keeps moisture out of the framing, the subfloor and the unit below.
We build wet areas as a system: properly sloped pan, membrane that wraps corners and penetrations, flood testing before tile when appropriate, and correct ventilation. A membrane system typically adds roughly $3 to $10 per square foot, a small fraction of the cost of repairing a ceiling and the floor below.
Ask any contractor you interview three questions: What waterproofing system do you use? Will you flood test the pan? How is the curb or threshold detailed? Vague answers are a warning sign. Our gut renovation guide explains why hidden conditions like this should be priced and handled before finishes go in.
The building rules are as important as the design.
Houses and brownstones have fewer board layers but more building-specific surprises, such as old cast-iron stacks, plaster-and-lath walls, out-of-level floors and lead paint. We plan for these during the site visit rather than discovering them on day three.
A few decisions shape durability more than any trend.
If you are also redoing adjacent floors, our flooring installation guide helps you coordinate transitions. Fresh paint in the finish stage matters too; see the interior painting guide for moisture-resistant options.
Our office is at 1 Teleport Dr, Staten Island, NY 10311, and we remodel bathrooms across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County and western Suffolk, and nearby New Jersey. The housing stock changes the work in each area.
Your bathroom remodel can also support a cause. N.Y. Renovation Services donates 5 percent of total project cost to a nonprofit of your choice. It is not a discount, and it does not change your quote: it is a pledge we make in addition to the work itself.
Alongside that pledge, you get what a good contractor should always provide: a detailed, itemized contract, transparent pricing with no hidden fees, and a team that handles permits and board paperwork on request. Our About Us page explains more about how we work, and the contact page lists our hours and ways to reach us.
Before you request a quote, a little planning saves weeks later.
Ready to talk specifics? Here is the simplest route.
The figures on this page are typical planning ranges as of October 2026. Your written quote, based on your building and your choices, is the document that counts.