← Blog · Remodeling
Realistic Southern California bathroom remodel costs, where the money actually goes, and why plumbing decisions early in the design save you the most.
Ray May Plumbing has been remodeling Inland Empire bathrooms since 1961 — long enough to have remodeled some of the same bathrooms twice. Here's what we tell people before they start.
Southern California cost guides for 2026 put a basic bathroom refresh (stock vanity, standard fixtures, new tile) at roughly $12,000–$20,000, a mid-range remodel (custom vanity, stone counters, tiled shower, framed glass) at $20,000–$35,000, and high-end work (curbless walk-in showers, slab stone, custom millwork) at $35,000–$60,000 and up. Numbers vary with size and finish level, but those brackets are honest for our region.
The single biggest budget swing is moving plumbing. Keeping the toilet, sink, and shower where they are keeps costs predictable; relocating drains and supply lines through a slab adds thousands per fixture moved. The second is tile and stone; the third is glass. A remodel that keeps the layout and spends on fixtures and finishes usually delivers the most visible change per dollar.
A remodel is the cheapest moment you will ever have to fix what's behind the walls: replace old angle stops and supply lines, update a corroded drain, add a pressure regulator if your home needs one, and bring fixtures up to California's water-efficiency standards (a permit-triggering remodel requires it — new toilets at 1.28 gallons per flush, for example). Skipping that work to save a little now means opening finished tile later.
Design help starts in our Upland showroom — fixtures, colors, and finishes you can actually touch, with people who have installed all of it. Then one team takes the job from first sketch to final fixture: demolition, rough plumbing, fixtures, and the finish work. One of our customers put it best: "They said they would help me with everything, and they followed through."
Thinking about a remodel? Come by the showroom or call (909) 624-4509 — the consultation is free.