Compare St. Louis bathroom estimates side by side. Call (855) 215-7855 or describe your project once and participating local pros send Risk-Free Estimates. No obligation.
What bathroom remodeling services are available in St. Louis?
Participating St. Louis pros handle full remodels of original bathrooms in brick homes, walk-in showers, tub-to-shower and shower-to-tub conversions, basement bathroom additions, bath liners, fixture replacement, floor tiling and accessibility upgrades. The typical South City job is the single 1900s to 1930s bathroom gutted to the brick, with galvanized and cast iron replaced and a real exhaust fan added for the first time.
Full bathroom remodels. In South City the typical project is the single original bathroom in a 1900s to 1930s brick home: open the plaster, replace galvanized and cast iron, add a proper exhaust fan for the first time, and rebuild in a layout that works. In the 1950s and 1960s ranches of Lindenwood Park, South Hampton and the inner suburbs, it is usually a dated hall bath brought current.
Walk-in showers and tub-to-shower conversions. The most requested change in post-war ranches and in the gingerbread homes, where a 1940s tub has become a step-over hazard. Benches, hand-held sprays and blocking for grab bars go in as standard.
Basement bathrooms. Many St. Louis homes have full basements, and a half or three-quarter bath downstairs is a common addition. Below-grade drains, ejector pumps and the city's older combined sewers all factor into the estimate.
Shower-to-tub conversions. Young families in Tower Grove, the Hill and Southampton who need a tub where a previous owner put a stall.
Bath liners and surrounds. A one-day fit-over for a sound tub in a two-family flat or rental.
Vanity, toilet and faucet replacement, floor tiling, accessibility. Comfort-height toilets, slip-resistant porcelain, reinforced grab bars. For a seated bathing option see walk-in tubs.
Why are St. Louis bathrooms different?
St. Louis bathrooms sit inside brick walls with plaster applied directly to them, which leaves no cavity for plumbing or a niche, and they live through humid summers, cold winters and the freeze-thaw swing between. Cast-iron stacks, clay sewer laterals and a combined sewer in parts of the city make a basement bathroom a drainage question before it is a design question.
Brick, plaster and narrow rooms. Many South City bathrooms have plaster applied directly to brick on one or two walls, which means no stud cavity for plumbing or a recessed niche, and demolition that produces a lot of dust. Pros who work these homes plan the plumbing runs and the niche locations around the brick, not through it.
Humid summers, cold winters, freeze-thaw. St. Louis gets both extremes. Summer humidity grows mildew in bathrooms without real exhaust, and the swing from humid to heated-dry stresses grout and caulk. Flexible sealants at every joint and a fan vented outdoors are not upgrades here; they are the baseline.
Old drains and the combined sewer. Cast-iron stacks and clay sewer laterals are common in homes built before 1950, and parts of the city still run on a combined storm and sanitary sewer. Backups during heavy rain are a known problem; a basement bathroom estimate should address a backwater valve.
Basements and water. Clay soils and old stone or block foundations mean many basements take on moisture. A finished basement bathroom starts with moisture control, then plumbing.
Lead-era materials. Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint on trim and windows, and the pro handles that under the EPA renovation rules when those surfaces are disturbed.
Permits. Inside city limits the City of St. Louis Building Division issues permits. Most of the suburbs, from Kirkwood to Florissant, permit through St. Louis County or their own municipal offices, and the rules differ.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in St. Louis, and how long does it take?
A mid-range full remodel of an original bathroom in a St. Louis brick home typically runs $12,000 to $26,000, including plumbing replacement, and a tub-to-shower conversion $6,000 to $14,000. A basement bathroom with an ejector pump and backwater valve usually lands between $15,000 and $30,000. Conversions take two to five working days and full remodels three to five weeks.
- Tub-to-shower conversion: $6,000 to $14,000, two to five working days.
- Full remodel with plumbing replacement: $12,000 to $26,000, three to five weeks.
- Basement bathroom with ejector pump and backwater valve: $15,000 to $30,000.
- Furring out a brick wall for plumbing or a niche: usually $800 to $2,500 depending on the wall.
- Permit: City of St. Louis Building Division inside city limits; Kirkwood, Florissant and other municipalities issue their own. The pro pulls it.
Which St. Louis neighborhoods do we hear from most?
Tower Grove South, Shaw and Dutchtown, brick homes from the 1900s to the 1920s. Princeton Heights, St. Louis Hills and Southampton, 1930s and 1940s gingerbread homes with tiny bathrooms. Lindenwood Park and South Hampton, post-war ranches and bungalows. The Hill and Soulard, where historic character and modern plumbing have to coexist. Central West End, condos and converted buildings with their own building rules.
How does the bathroom remodel process work in St. Louis?
The process has four steps: a consultation that checks the brick and plaster, the stack and the sewer path for any basement work, written estimates compared side by side, construction, and a final walkthrough with any backwater valve tested. Allow six to ten weeks of calendar time for a full remodel once you pick a pro.
- Consultation. Submit the form or call. Participating pros that serve your St. Louis zip code visit, measure, look at the brick and plaster situation, and check the stack and the sewer path if a basement bath is involved.
- Design and estimates. Written estimates with scope, materials, ventilation and sealant details, and a schedule. Compare them side by side.
- Construction. Conversions take two to five working days. Full remodels in brick homes run three to five weeks when the plumbing is replaced. Basement baths depend on the drain and sewer situation.
- Final walkthrough. Fixtures run, fan and any backwater valve tested, permit closed, then final payment.
Compare written estimates from participating St. Louis pros. Call (855) 215-7855 or request Risk-Free Estimates.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in St. Louis?
Estimates in the St. Louis area typically run $12,000 to $26,000 for a mid-range full remodel of an original bathroom in a brick home, including plumbing replacement, and $6,000 to $14,000 for a tub-to-shower conversion. Basement bathrooms and sewer-related work are separate ranges. Written estimates from more than one pro are the only reliable number.
Can you put a recessed niche or move plumbing in a brick wall?
A niche or new plumbing cannot go into a St. Louis brick wall itself without a lot of cost. Pros usually fur out the wall a few inches to create a cavity, or place the niche and plumbing on an interior framed wall. The consultation settles which walls are brick.
My basement backs up in heavy rain. Can I still add a bathroom?
Often yes, a basement bathroom is still possible in a St. Louis home that backs up, with a backwater valve on the lateral and, where the drain sits below the sewer, an ejector pump. The pro checks the sewer path first; in some combined-sewer areas it is the main cost driver.
Do I need a permit in St. Louis?
Yes for plumbing, electrical or structural changes. The City of St. Louis handles homes inside the city; county municipalities handle their own. The pro pulls the permit.
What about lead paint in my 1920s home?
If painted trim or windows from before 1978 are disturbed, the work follows the EPA's renovation rules for lead-safe practices. Ask each pro how they handle it; it should be in the estimate.
How long is the bathroom out of service?
Two to five working days for a conversion. Three to five weeks for a full remodel in an older brick home. In one-bathroom homes, pros usually keep the toilet usable each night.