Bathroom Remodeling
Bathroom Remodeling in Palatine, IL — With the Labor Ranges Published
Full renovations, custom tile showers, tub-to-shower conversions. We publish what the labor costs so you can decide before anyone walks through your door. Palatine and the NW suburbs — from Arlington Heights to Schaumburg, Elgin and Vernon Hills.
Request a Free Estimate
We reply fast. No pressure.
We do not subcontract your bathroom out. The two people who measure it are the two people in it every morning until it's finished.
Waterproofing goes in as a full system — sealed corners, sealed penetrations, a shower pan built to the actual slope of your drain — and it gets checked before a single tile goes on.
Plumbing is performed by licensed plumbing partners — the shower valve, the drain, any line that moves. That's the part of a bathroom an inspector looks at first, and it's never a side job on our projects.
We publish our ranges because the fastest way to waste your Saturday is a free consultation that ends in a number you were never going to accept.
Proudly serving Palatine and the NW suburbs: Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Prospect Heights, Mount Prospect, Barrington, Des Plaines, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Rolling Meadows, Elgin and Vernon Hills.
Full Bathroom Renovation — Labor Only
We specialize in full bathroom renovations and custom tile showers. No shortcuts. No patchwork. One team responsible for the entire labor scope.
Why our number is higher than the estimate you got last week
Search "bathroom remodel cost Palatine" and the aggregators will tell you $10,000 to $14,000, all in. Our small-bathroom remodels start at $10,500 — for labor alone, with the materials on top — and a mid-size bathroom runs well past that. That gap is real and we're not going to pretend it isn't. Here is exactly what it buys.
One crew, start to finish. The people who measure your bathroom are the people standing in it every morning until it's done. No subcontractor rotation. No "the tile guy said Thursday, probably." When a customer wrote about us on Yelp, she named both of the people who did the work — Costa and Mike. That's the whole company on your job.
Waterproofing as a system, not a liner and optimism. Full assembly, installed and checked before a single tile goes on. Sealed corners, sealed penetrations, a shower pan built for the actual slope of your drain. This is the part you will never see and the part that costs five figures to fix in year four.
The last 10%. Grout lines that meet in the corners. Silicone cut clean. Caulk that doesn't split in month four. Tile that lines up with the niche instead of dying into it. This takes two extra days at the end of the job, and it is the part you look at every morning for the next ten years.
One number, held. What we quote is what you pay — unless you change the scope, or we open a wall and find something. If we find something, you see a photo of it before we touch it, and you decide.
And the part most contractors won't put in writing: the numbers themselves. We publish our ranges instead of hiding them behind a free consultation, so there are no surprises for anyone — you see the same figures we quote from, before anyone walks through your door.
Small Bathrooms (~40–60 sq ft)
$10,500 – $14,000
Tub remodel from $10,500 · Shower remodel from $11,000
Mid-Size Bathrooms
$14,000 – $18,000+
depending on scope and complexity
Large / Primary Bathrooms (75+ sq ft)
$25,000 – $35,000+
What’s included (labor)
- Demolition + haul-away of debris
- Preparation & leveling
- Custom shower base
- Waterproofing system
- Tile installation
- Wall & ceiling repairs and painting
- Fixture installation (labor only)
What typically affects the final price
- Niches, benches, shelves
- Curbless / walk-in shower designs
- Large-format tile, patterns, mosaics
- Moving plumbing locations or changing layout
- Subfloor or wall repairs after demolition
Materials and fixtures are not included (tile, vanity, lighting, glass, etc.).
Plumbing is performed by our licensed plumbing partners; electrical work by licensed professionals as required — all coordinated by our team.
Their scope is quoted separately (labor only), depending on your layout and fixtures.
Partial Bathroom Renovation
Not every project requires a full remodel. We also offer targeted bathroom upgrades.
Shower Remodel Only
$9,000 – $15,000
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
$10,000 – $16,000
Freestanding Tub Installation (labor only)
$4,500 – $7,500
If these ranges align with your expectations, we’d be happy to schedule an on-site walkthrough and provide a detailed proposal.
Recent Bathroom Remodels
Real projects. Real photos. Each one is labeled with location and scope. See all recent work →
Custom tile, waterproofing, niche installation
Wall tile + floor tile + finish details
Shower pan + waterproofing system
Full project stories: Palatine · Hoffman Estates · Hoffman Estates (two baths) · Prospect Heights · Prospect Heights (double vanity) · Mount Prospect (powder room)
Bathroom Remodeling Services
A clear scope (so you know what’s included). We’ll confirm details during the estimate.
- Full bathroom remodels
- Custom tile showers
- Shower pan & waterproofing systems
- Wall & floor tile installation
- Vanity, toilet & fixture installation
- Drywall repair & prep
- Grout & silicone sealing
- Bathroom painting & finish work
Good to know
- No “mystery crews” — the same team estimates and completes the work.
- No upselling — we recommend only what your bathroom needs.
- Clean jobsite — we work carefully in lived-in homes.
Why Homeowners Choose HandyHawks
- Local Palatine-based remodeling team
- Focused on bathrooms & finish work
- Clean jobsites & clear communication
- No upselling — only what your bathroom needs
- Licensed general contractor — Palatine, Arlington Heights & Schaumburg
- Insured & bonded
- Plumbing by licensed plumbing partners
- Free in-home estimates
FAQ
Why is bathroom remodeling priced in this range?
A proper bathroom renovation involves demolition, preparation, waterproofing, tile work, finishing, and coordination. We price based on scope and responsibility — not just square footage or tile installation.
What factors affect the final price?
- Bathroom size and layout
- Type and size of tile (penny tile, large-format, patterns)
- Custom shower base, niches, benches
- Curbless or walk-in shower designs
- Wall and floor condition after demolition
- Permit or inspection requirements
Are materials included in the price?
No. Tile, fixtures, vanities, lighting, and glass are selected separately. This gives homeowners full control over design choices and budget.
Do you handle plumbing and electrical work?
Plumbing is performed by licensed plumbing partners we bring in and coordinate ourselves. Electrical work is likewise handled by licensed professionals as required. Both scopes are quoted separately, labor only.
Do you do partial bathroom remodels (shower-only)?
Yes — we do shower remodels, tub-to-shower conversions, and targeted upgrades when the scope is clear.
Do you offer free estimates?
Yes. After an on-site walkthrough, we provide a clear scope and detailed labor proposal.
How long will my bathroom be out of service?
On the projects we've documented, a full shower rebuild ran about one to two weeks including cure and dry times, and a powder room about two to four days. A full bathroom remodel with new tub, tile and fixtures ran one to two weeks. If something structural turns up behind the old tile, it goes longer — and you'll hear that from us the day we find it, not at the end.
Can you make the shower bigger than it is now?
Often yes. On two Prospect Heights bathrooms we moved a wall to enlarge the shower footprint — in one of them we split the room into a shower area and a separate toilet room. It's a layout question, not a plumbing question, and we'll tell you at the walkthrough whether your room allows it.
Do I have to replace the vanity?
No. If the cabinet boxes are solid, repainting them is usually the smarter move — on a Hoffman Estates bathroom we kept the existing double vanity boxes, repainted them and put the money into the tile instead. We'll tell you which way we'd go, and we don't make more on one than the other.
Custom shower pan or a prefab base?
We build custom pans. It lets us size the shower to the room instead of the room to the shower, and it gives us direct control of the slope to the drain. Slope is the single most important thing in a shower that nobody ever sees.
What if I already have a plumber or an electrician?
Fine. Plumbing and electrical are licensed-trade work either way — through our licensed plumbing partners or through the contractor you already have. That scope is quoted separately, labor only.
Who buys the tile?
You do. Tile, vanity, lighting and glass are yours to choose, which is why our published numbers are labor only. It keeps you in control of the half of the budget that's about taste rather than about construction.
What our customers actually wrote
This service was absolutely amazing. Costa was responsive on the request, flexible on when to do the work, provided a reasonable price estimate, and he showed up on time. He is super skilled and worked very hard.
Verified review on Yelp →
He has a very good and honest personality and is energetic and helpful. He did the work in a meticulous professional way.
Verified review on Yelp →
Straight answer: the reviews above mention smaller jobs — none of our public reviews are for a full bathroom remodel yet. Several of those same clients later came back and trusted us with one, and much of our remodel work comes through trade partners — so the review goes to the partner, not to us. We ask every remodeling client for a review when the job is done, and we'll put those here the day they show up.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Process
- Free in-home consultation — you show what you want, we confirm options
- Clear scope & estimate — what’s included, timeline, next steps
- Scheduled start date — we lock in the plan
- Professional remodel & clean-up — steady progress, clean finishing
- Final walkthrough — review together, punch list if needed
What to send us (optional)
- 2–5 photos of the bathroom
- What you want to change (tile, shower, vanity, layout)
- Your preferred timeline (flexible is OK)
Usually booked together
Doing two of these at once saves a mobilization and keeps the finish consistent across the rooms. Say so at the estimate and we'll price them as one job.
Ready to Remodel Your Bathroom?
Get a free in-home estimate for your bathroom remodel in Palatine, IL or nearby suburbs.
Fast reply. Clear scope. No pressure.