How much does a luxury bathroom renovation cost in 2026? Interior designer Joelle Uzyel breaks down real costs across Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Miami Beach, and New York.
A high-end bathroom renovation costs between $85,000 and $400,000+ depending on scope, market, and finish level. In Los Angeles (Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Malibu), most full primary suite renovations land between $150,000 and $280,000. In Miami Beach, comparable work runs 10–20% less. In New York City, it runs 15–25% more.
After working on $250M+ in residential projects across Los Angeles, Miami Beach, and New York, I can tell you the number one mistake clients make is budgeting for the bathroom they want to see without accounting for what it actually takes to get there. Labor costs in Los Angeles have risen significantly. Lead times on materials with real provenance, including natural stone, unlacquered brass, and custom millwork, are long and getting longer. And in a market where your home competes against spec builds with six-figure bathrooms as a baseline, underbuilding is a liability, not a savings.
This guide gives you the numbers I actually work with. Not national averages pulled from a renovation platform. What it costs to do it right, in the cities where I work, in 2026.
Refined Refresh: Los Angeles $85K–$130K, Miami Beach $70K–$110K, New York City $100K–$150K.
Full Renovation: Los Angeles $130K–$220K, Miami Beach $110K–$185K, New York City $160K–$260K.
Primary Suite Transformation: Los Angeles $220K–$400K+, Miami Beach $185K–$340K+, New York City $260K–$500K+.
These are real project ranges, not contractor estimates. They include design, materials, labor, and permitting. They do not include furniture, art, or decorative accessories.
Three factors move the number more than anything else, and they are consistent across every market I work in.
1. Whether the layout changes: Moving plumbing, such as relocating a toilet, shifting the shower, or adding a freestanding tub where a shower was, triggers permits, structural work, and subcontractor coordination. In Los Angeles, that process adds $30,000–$60,000 in hard costs before a single tile is set. In New York, where building approvals and co-op board reviews layer on top of city permits, the cost and timeline impact is even more significant. In Miami Beach, layout changes in older Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival buildings often surface surprises in the walls and floors that add cost regardless of plan.
2. The material tier: There is no neutral material decision in a high-end bathroom. Calacatta marble, book-matched slabs, hand-formed plaster walls, unlacquered brass fixtures, and custom stone sinks are not decorative choices. They are the difference between a bathroom that photographs well and one that holds its value in a $5M+ home. The stone alone in a well-specified primary bath runs $40,000–$90,000. Fixtures from Waterworks, Lefroy Brooks, or Kallista, which is what I specify, run $15,000–$35,000 for the full suite.
3. Custom millwork versus semi-custom: A floating vanity designed for the specific dimensions of your bathroom, built by a local millwright with integrated lighting and soft-close hardware, is a different product than a cabinet shop piece. Custom millwork in a primary suite bathroom runs $18,000–$45,000 depending on complexity and market. It is worth it in homes where the rest of the finishes are at that level. In homes where they are not, I tell clients to go semi-custom and put the savings toward stone.
$85K–$130K: The Refined Refresh. This is the right scope when the bones are solid, layout is functional, plumbing is in the right place, and the goal is to elevate the finish level significantly without touching the structure.
What this covers: Full tile replacement (floor and walls, up to 200 sq ft). New vanity and countertop: semi-custom or high-end ready-made. Fixture replacement: faucets, shower system, towel bars, lighting. Mirror and hardware refresh. Paint, caulk, and finish work throughout.
What it does not cover: Layout changes or plumbing moves. Custom stone or book-matched slabs. Steam system or soaking tub addition. Heated floor in homes with subfloor complications.
In Miami Beach, this budget goes slightly further given lower labor costs. In New York, it covers a well-executed guest bath in a prewar apartment but not a primary suite at any meaningful finish level.
$130K–$220K: The Full Renovation. This is the most common scope in the Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Malibu projects I work on, and in the Miami Beach waterfront properties I work on as well. Complete gut. Everything comes out. Full design control over layout, materials, and the custom details that elevate a room from nice to notable.
What this covers: Full demolition and subfloor evaluation. Layout adjustments within the existing plumbing zone. Designer stone: marble, travertine, or large-format porcelain. Custom floating vanity with integrated lighting. Designer fixtures: Waterworks, Lefroy Brooks, or equivalent. Frameless glass shower enclosure, custom dimensions. Heated floor: electric radiant. Recessed niches, built-in storage, and detail work. Full lighting design: ambient, task, and accent layers. Permitting and inspections.
In New York City, this same scope typically runs $160,000–$260,000 due to higher labor costs, building management requirements, and the complexity of renovating in occupied residential buildings.
$220K–$400K+: The Primary Suite Transformation. This scope is for primary suites where the bathroom is a destination in its own right. In Beverly Hills and Bel Air, this is the bathroom that moves the needle on resale. In Miami Beach, it is what separates a waterfront property from an estate-level residence. In New York, it is the renovation that makes a pre-war apartment compete with new construction.
At this level, the bathroom is not a utility room. It is an argument for the value of the home.
What this covers: Structural modifications if required. Freestanding soaking tub: cast iron or stone resin ($8K–$22K for the fixture). Full steam shower system with digital controls. Book-matched stone feature wall or custom floor medallion. Full custom millwork: vanity, linen tower, integrated cabinetry. Heated floor throughout, including the shower floor. Smart mirror with integrated lighting and defogging. Designer fixture suite: Waterworks, Zuma, or custom unlacquered brass. Full lighting plan with dimming and scene programming. Designer tile details: Zellige, terra cotta, or honed marble mosaic.
Understanding where your investment goes helps you make decisions when tradeoffs come up, and they always come up. Here is a typical allocation for a full renovation at the $160,000 level in Los Angeles.
Where your $160K bathroom investment goes: Tile and Stone: 30% or $48,000. Labor and Installation: 25% or $40,000. Fixtures and Hardware: 20% or $32,000. Custom Millwork: 15% or $24,000. Design Services: 10% or $16,000.
Los Angeles: Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Malibu, Pacific Palisades. The highest labor costs of any market I work in, and the most demanding permit environment. Beverly Hills specifically runs 6–12 weeks for residential permits on scope that involves plumbing or electrical. Contractor availability at the high end is limited. The best teams are booked 3–6 months out. Material delivery logistics in the canyons add cost and scheduling complexity. This is my primary market, and it is where I have the deepest contractor relationships.
Miami Beach: South of Fifth, Sunset Harbour, Mid-Beach, Bal Harbour. Labor costs run 10–20% lower than Los Angeles for comparable scope, which gives a meaningful budget advantage at the high end. The trade-off is material selection. Humidity-specific choices are non-negotiable: teak accents, marine-grade hardware, and stone sealants rated for coastal environments. Properties in historic Art Deco districts have renovation constraints that add design complexity. For the right client, Miami Beach offers the best value per square foot of any market I work in.
New York City: Upper East Side, Tribeca, West Village, Hudson Yards. The most expensive market for bathroom renovation work, driven by high labor costs, building management requirements, noise restrictions, and the complexity of working within existing plumbing stacks in high-rise buildings. A full primary suite renovation that costs $180,000 in Beverly Hills typically runs $220,000–$260,000 in Manhattan for identical scope and materials. The results are just as strong, but the process requires more coordination and more patience.
Hold 15% in contingency. Always. Plumbing surprises, such as corroded pipes, outdated venting, and unexpected subfloor damage, are not rare in Los Angeles homes built before 1990. In homes built before 1970, they are nearly guaranteed. In pre-war New York buildings, they are assumed from day one. The contingency is not pessimism. It is planning.
Do not value-engineer the fixtures. The faucet is what your hand touches every morning. The shower system is where the experience of the room lives. These are not the places to recover $4,000 on a $200,000 renovation. Buy the right fixture once.
Design the lighting last, not first. Most bathroom lighting is planned at the beginning and regretted by the end. Light the mirror well: color-corrected, dimmable, at the right height. Everything else follows from that decision.
In Los Angeles specifically: start early. Permit timelines, contractor availability, and material lead times make bathroom renovations in Beverly Hills and Bel Air a 6–9 month process from first meeting to final walkthrough. Clients who start the conversation in January are moving into the finished bathroom in September.
For primary suite or bathroom renovation projects in Los Angeles, Miami, or New York, the first step is a private discovery consultation to explore design goals, scope, and what the room is capable of becoming.
A high-end bathroom renovation in Los Angeles ranges from $85,000 for a refined finish upgrade to $400,000+ for a full primary suite transformation. In Beverly Hills and Bel Air, most full renovations fall between $130,000 and $220,000. Primary suite transformations with steam, soaking tub, and full custom millwork run $220,000–$400,000.
Miami Beach bathroom renovation costs run approximately 10–20% lower than Los Angeles for comparable scope and finish level. A renovation that costs $180,000 in Beverly Hills typically runs $150,000–$160,000 in Miami Beach for the same scope.
New York City is the most expensive market for high-end bathroom renovation. A full primary suite renovation that costs $180,000 in Beverly Hills typically runs $220,000–$260,000 in Manhattan due to higher labor costs, building management requirements, and plumbing stack complexity.
From design to completion, a full bathroom renovation in Los Angeles typically takes 5 to 9 months. Design and selection run 6 to 10 weeks. Permitting in Beverly Hills adds 6 to 12 weeks. Construction runs 8 to 14 weeks. Custom materials carry 12 to 20 week lead times that run concurrently with permitting.
Across Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, the fixture brands most commonly specified at the high-end residential level are Waterworks, Lefroy Brooks, Kallista, and Zuma. A full fixture suite at this level runs $15,000–$35,000.
In Beverly Hills and Bel Air, a well-executed primary bathroom renovation returns 70–85% of its cost in appraised value and significantly reduces time on market. Buyers in this market compare directly against new construction where six-figure bathrooms are standard. An underbuilt primary suite is a negotiation liability.
Yes. Any work involving plumbing, electrical, or structural changes requires a permit in Beverly Hills and throughout Los Angeles. Permitting timelines in Beverly Hills run 6 to 12 weeks for standard residential projects. Cosmetic work, such as tile replacement or fixture swaps that do not move supply or drain lines, typically does not require a permit.