Bathroom remodeling spans small fixture updates and major layout changes. The figures below describe U.S. activity, spending, motivations, design choices, accessibility, professional involvement, and funding across several measurement periods.
Key Bathroom Remodeling Statistics
The most useful headline figures are:
- 7.5 million bathroom remodel projects were recorded among U.S. home-improvement projects during 2021–2023.
- $68.9 billion in bathroom-remodel expenditures were recorded in the United States during 2021–2023.
- $5,000 was the median U.S. homeowner expenditure for a bathroom remodel during 2021–2023.
- $15,000 was the median spend for surveyed U.S. bathroom remodels completed in 2023.
- 51.6 million U.S. homeowners made home improvements during 2021–2023.
- 59% of U.S. homeowners made home improvements during 2021–2023.
- 27% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators cited making the space more accommodating as a 2024 motivation.
- 26% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators cited improving resale value as a 2024 motivation.
- 64% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators addressed at least one special need in 2024.
- 46% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators addressed future aging needs in 2024.
- 41% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators increased shower size in 2024.
- 38% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators changed the bathroom layout in 2024.
- 61% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators upgraded bathroom systems in 2024.
- 86% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators upgraded faucets in 2024.
- 45% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators chose low-curb showers in 2024.
- 83% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators relied on professionals in 2024.
Contents
- Bathroom remodeling activity in the United States
- Bathroom remodeling spending and project budgets
- Why homeowners remodel bathrooms
- Bathroom layout, systems, and finish trends
- Accessibility, aging in place, and shower or tub changes
- Professionals and financing in bathroom remodeling
Bathroom Remodeling Activity in the United States
The Census Bureau’s 2023 Home Improvements Infographic provides the broadest scale context. It covered 86.9 million U.S. homeowners in 2023, while its homeowner universe included all home-improvement activity rather than bathroom remodelers specifically (2023 Home Improvements Infographic).
During 2021–2023, 51.6 million U.S. homeowners made home improvements, equal to 59% of homeowners. Those homeowners spent $827 billion across all home-improvement categories, so the totals are not bathroom-only measures.
The same Census infographic recorded 140 million home-improvement projects during 2021–2023. Bathroom remodels accounted for 7.5 million of those projects, while do-it-yourselfers completed 36% of all projects and professionals completed 64% (2023 Home Improvements Infographic).
These figures establish bathroom remodeling as a substantial project category, but they should not be read as a population-wide percentage of bathrooms remodeled. The project categories and medians are rounded, and the broader homeowner figures include every home-improvement type.
Bathroom Remodeling Spending and Project Budgets
The Census and Houzz figures use different populations and definitions, so their medians should not be combined into one benchmark. The Census figure is an AHS project-category median, while Houzz reports surveyed homeowners with recent, current, or planned primary or full guest/family bathroom projects.
| Measure | Period and population | Median or total |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom remodel expenditure | U.S. homeowners, 2021–2023 | $5,000 per remodel |
| All surveyed bathroom remodels | U.S. Houzz respondents, projects completed in 2023 | $15,000 |
| Surveyed minor remodels | Houzz respondents, 2022 | $8,000 |
| Surveyed minor remodels | Houzz respondents, 2023 | $8,500 |
| Minor remodels in bathrooms at least 100 square feet | Houzz respondents, 2023 | $11,500 |
| Minor remodels in smaller bathrooms | Houzz respondents, 2023 | $6,000 |
The Census median was rounded to the nearest $100 and follows the AHS project definition (2023 Home Improvements Infographic). Houzz’s $15,000 median rose from $13,500 in 2022 to $15,000 in 2023, in nominal dollars (2024 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study).
For minor remodels, Houzz defines the project as keeping the shower area as is. The median increased from $8,000 to $8,500 between 2022 and 2023; among bathrooms at least 100 square feet, it increased from $10,000 to $11,500, while smaller bathrooms rose from $5,000 to $6,000.
Broader spending context comes from Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies tabulations of American Housing Survey data. Kitchen and bath remodels together accounted for $121 billion, or 30% of U.S. owner-occupied home-improvement spending in 2023, but that combined category is not bathroom-only (Improving America’s Housing 2025).
Why Homeowners Remodel Bathrooms: Motivations and Outcomes
The 2024 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study surveyed 1,247 U.S. homeowners aged 18 or older who had completed, were undertaking, or planned a primary or full guest/family bathroom remodel or addition. It was fielded June 27–July 30, 2024, and its percentages are survey results rather than population-wide prevalence estimates (2024 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study).
In that survey, 27% cited making the space more accommodating and 26% cited improving resale value. The accommodation share increased from 23% in 2023 to 27% in 2024, while the resale-value share declined from 31% to 26%; motivations can overlap, and the year-over-year comparison is not a causal estimate.
Accessibility and household planning were prominent goals. In 2024, 64% addressed at least one special need, 37% addressed the present needs of aging household members, and 46% addressed future aging needs.
Wet rooms represented 13% of upgraded bathrooms in the 2024 Houzz study. Among surveyed homeowners who chose a wet room, 66% cited better use of space and 39% cited universal design; these subgroup reasons also could overlap (11 Big-Picture Bathroom Remodeling Trends).
Bathroom Layout, Systems, and Finish Trends
Bathroom renovations often combine structural changes with visible finish upgrades. In the 2024 Houzz survey, 41% increased shower size, 38% changed the layout, 37% modified walls, 10% modified the ceiling, and 9% modified flooring as a major change (2024 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study).
Systems and feature upgrades were measured separately, and percentages are not additive because a project could include several changes.
| Bathroom element | Share of surveyed renovators, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Upgraded bathroom systems | 61% |
| Added or upgraded ventilation fans | 59% |
| Added radiant heating | 13% |
| Added tankless water heaters | 8% |
| Upgraded faucets | 86% |
| Upgraded flooring as a feature | 82% |
| Upgraded lighting fixtures | 81% |
| Upgraded wall finishes | 80% |
| Upgraded vanity cabinets | 71% |
| Upgraded medicine cabinets | 29% |
The distinction between major flooring changes and flooring as a feature matters: 9% reported flooring as a major change, while 82% upgraded flooring as a bathroom feature. The feature, system, shower, tub, and vanity measures come from Houzz’s bathroom study (See the Bathroom Features Homeowners Want).
Accessibility, Aging in Place, and Shower or Tub Changes
Shower form was a major design choice in the 2024 Houzz results. Low-curb showers were selected by 45% of surveyed renovators, alcove showers by 44%, curbless showers by 21%, and corner showers by 16%; Houzz defines alcove showers as shower-tub combinations (See the Bathroom Features Homeowners Want).
Tub decisions varied. Thirty-two percent upgraded their bathtub, while 27% removed a bathtub entirely; among the bathtub-removal subgroup, 79% enlarged the shower area.
Among surveyed homeowners who removed a tub, 18% made the shower more than 50% larger and 20% made it less than 25% larger. These are subgroup percentages, not shares of all bathroom renovators.
Vanity choices also show a mix of customization and standardized purchasing. Custom or semicustom vanities were selected by 57% of surveyed renovators, compared with 31% selecting stock vanities (See the Bathroom Features Homeowners Want).
Professional Involvement and Financing in Bathroom Remodeling
Professional help was common in the 2024 Houzz survey: 83% of surveyed U.S. bathroom renovators relied on professionals. Provider categories could overlap, with 46% hiring general contractors, 17% cabinetmakers, 11% bathroom designers, 9% interior designers, 7% architects, and 6% design-build firms (2024 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study).
The broader financing picture comes from JCHS analysis of U.S. owner-occupied home-improvement projects in 2023, not bathroom-only projects.
- Cash was the primary funding source for 76% of U.S. home-improvement projects in 2023.
- Home-equity-based financing was primary for 5% of projects.
- Credit cards were primary for 6% of projects.
- Contractor-arranged financing was primary for 2% of projects.
These funding shares describe all home-improvement projects, so they should be treated as context for bathroom budgeting rather than bathroom-specific financing rates (Improving America’s Housing 2025). The Houzz bathroom figures likewise describe a defined survey population and should not be interpreted as national prevalence estimates.