Bathroom Remodel Cost in Rockford, IL (2026 Prices)
Updated
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By scope
Bathroom remodel cost by scope
No cost guide publishes a Rockford bathroom remodel price. The nearest local figure is the 2025 Cost vs. Value report for Chicago; every other range on this site is a national figure and is labelled that way. The guides agree on the shape of it, though. Angi puts a full remodel at $6,651 to $17,661 for most homeowners, from 28,374 verified projects, with an average of $12,155. This Old House, from a survey of 1,000 homeowners who had just remodeled, gives $6,456 to $24,715 and an average of $15,586.
The bigger split is scope. Angi sorts bathroom jobs into three bands: a minor refresh of fixtures, paint and a vanity at $3,000 to $10,000, a partial remodel at $10,000 to $25,000, and a full gut and rebuild at $25,000 to $80,000. Most of what people call "redoing the bathroom" in an older Rockford house is a partial remodel: new shower or tub, new valve, new vanity, new floor, with the toilet and drains staying where they are.
Read the chart as dollars. A half bath and a small full bath sit at the bottom because there is little room to fill. A minor refresh overlaps the low end of a full remodel, and a full gut runs off the top of the others: it is the band where walls, subfloor, plumbing and wiring are all new.
Angi's per-square-foot figure is $70 to $250 a square foot. Small rooms land at the high end per foot, because a valve, a fan and a toilet cost the same in a 5 by 7 bath as in a big one. The small bathroom page and the primary bath page break the two ends down.
| Job | What each guide says |
|---|---|
| Full bathroom remodel |
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| Minor refresh (fixtures, paint, vanity) |
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| Partial remodel |
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| Full gut and rebuild |
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| Per square foot |
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| Small bathroom |
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| Half bath or powder room (about 15 sq ft) |
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| Small full bath (about 30 sq ft) |
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| Small bath (40 to 60 sq ft) |
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| Primary bath (100+ sq ft) |
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| Midrange bath remodel, Chicago |
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| Upscale bath remodel, Chicago |
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By size
Bathroom remodel cost by size
Two guides publish size bands. Angi's run from a 25 square foot half bath to a 100 square foot primary bath. This Old House groups by small and large. Measure the floor of your bathroom, multiply length by width, and find the row.
| Bathroom size | Angi range, national |
|---|---|
| 25 sq ft (half bath) | $1,800 to $6,300 |
| 40 sq ft (small full bath, 5x8) | $2,800 to $10,000 |
| 50 sq ft | $3,500 to $12,500 |
| 75 sq ft | $5,300 to $18,800 |
| 100 sq ft (primary bath, 10x10) | $7,000 to $25,000 |
Angi, bathroom remodel cost, updated October 27, 2026.
| Bathroom size | This Old House, national |
|---|---|
| Half bath, about 15 sq ft (Angi) | $2,250 to $3,000 |
| Small full bath, about 30 sq ft (Angi) | $4,500 to $6,000 |
| Small bath, 40 to 60 sq ft | $12,695 to $14,845 |
| Primary or large bath, 100+ sq ft | $22,370 to $24,715 |
This Old House, bathroom remodel cost, updated July 2, 2026; Angi, small bathroom and half bath remodel cost, updated October 6, 2026.
The two guides do not line up exactly, because one counts verified projects and the other surveys homeowners. Use the overlap as the middle of the market and a written quote as the real number.
Showers
Shower, walk-in shower and tub-to-shower cost
Showers are where most Rockford bathroom budgets go. A tub-to-shower conversion runs $1,200 to $15,000 on Angi and $2,000 to $12,000 on This Old House. The spread is the difference between a prefab base with wall panels and a custom tiled shower, which Angi prices on its own at $3,500 to $15,000.
A walk-in shower runs $6,000 to $12,000, about $9,000 on average. A shower replacement in the same footprint runs $4,448 to $12,373, with an average of $8,204, from 7,466 verified Angi projects. A prefab stall kit alone is $1,000 to $8,000 before labor, an acrylic insert $500 to $2,000, and a new shower door $600 to $1,350.
For a tile shower, the tile itself is $2 to $17 a square foot for material, and Angi puts installed tile flooring at $10 to $50 a square foot. A standalone custom tile shower (guides price tile per square foot and tiled conversions instead). Labor is most of a tiled shower, because the pan, the waterproofing and the setting all take time.
| Job | What each guide says |
|---|---|
| Tub-to-shower conversion |
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| Custom tiled walk-in conversion |
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| Prefab shower stall kit (kit only) |
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| Walk-in shower |
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| Shower installation or replacement |
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| Shower remodel |
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| Acrylic shower insert (material) |
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| Shower tile (material) |
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| New shower door |
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Tubs and accessibility
Bathtub, walk-in tub and accessible bathroom cost
A bathtub replacement runs $2,104 to $9,756 on Angi, with an average of $5,929. The low end is a straight alcove swap; the high end is a soaking or freestanding tub with new tile around it. Getting a cast iron tub out of an upstairs bath in an old house is part of the labor.
A walk-in tub runs $4,000 to $15,000, about $8,000 on average, and $10,000 to $16,000 for a wheelchair-accessible model. An accessible bathroom remodel runs $5,600 to $12,000 on Angi and $2,700 to $16,000 on HomeAdvisor, both around $8,400 on average. Illinois has no state tax credit for accessibility work; the accessible bathroom page covers the property tax exemptions that do exist.
| Job | What each guide says |
|---|---|
| Accessible bathrooms | |
| Universal design bath, Chicago |
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| Accessible bathroom remodel |
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| Tubs | |
| Bathtub replacement |
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| Walk-in tub |
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| Wheelchair-accessible walk-in tub |
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Chicago figures
What the 2025 Cost vs. Value report says about Chicago bathrooms
The Cost vs. Value report from JLC and Remodeling magazine prices a set list of projects in each metro and asks real estate professionals what each one adds at resale. Rockford is not in it. Chicago is the nearest metro it covers, so its column is the closest local figure there is. Treat it as Chicago, not as a Rockford price.
Its midrange bath remodel is a 5 by 7 foot room with a new tub and tile surround, a pressure-balanced shower valve, a solid-surface vanity top and a tile floor. In Chicago that job costs $24,072 and adds $15,985 at resale, recouping 66.4%. Nationally, the report puts the same job at $26,138 nationally and recoups 80%.
The lesson in the table is plain. A bathroom remodel adds value but rarely pays for itself, and the more upscale it gets, the less of it comes back. Remodel for the people living in the house. If you are selling soon, the midrange job is the one that holds its value best.
| Project, Chicago | Job cost | Resale value | Recouped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midrange bath remodel | $24,072 | $15,985 | 66.4% |
| Universal design (accessible) bath | $38,963 | $23,809 | 61.1% |
| Midrange bathroom addition | $56,165 | $27,006 | 48.1% |
| Upscale bath remodel | $76,524 | $26,201 | 34.2% |
Cost vs. Value 2025, Chicago (JLC / Remodeling), 2025 report. Chicago is the nearest metro in the report; Rockford is not listed.
Price drivers
What drives the price of a bathroom remodel
Labor. Angi puts labor at 40% to 65% of a bathroom remodel. A bathroom packs several trades into a small room: demolition, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, tile and paint, each waiting on the one before.
Moving plumbing. Keeping the toilet, tub and sink drains where they are is the biggest single saving. Angi puts moving one fixture 3 feet or more at $500 to $1,000, and a full bathroom rough-in at $3,000 to $20,000. Toilets and tubs are the costliest to move. In Rockford, moving a drain also triggers a plumbing permit.
Tile or panels. Acrylic or solid-surface wall panels go up in a day. Tile walls need a waterproofed backer, setting time and grout. Small tiles, patterns and a niche or bench add hours.
What is behind the wall. Older Rockford houses hide galvanized supply pipe, cast iron drains and subfloor softened by years of slow leaks. This Old House's survey found that a third of homeowners spent more than expected because of hidden plumbing or structural problems. Ask for an allowance in the contract for what demolition turns up.
Lead-safe work. In a house built before 1978, anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces must be EPA certified in lead-safe practices, and demolition of a painted wall is always covered. Containment and cleanup take time and show up in the price.
The valve and the fan. Any new shower valve must be an anti-scald valve set to 115 F or less. A bathroom fan installed runs $120 to $900 on Angi. Both are easy to leave off a cheap quote and expensive to add later.
EPA lead-safe rule
“In general, anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices. This includes all firms, even sole proprietorships.”
Parts and additions
Vanity, toilet, fan and new bathroom cost
Not every bathroom job is a remodel. A vanity replacement runs $400 to $2,200 installed with the vanity, about $1,500 on average, plus $150 to $500 to take the old one out. A toilet install is $224 to $533 in labor. At the other end, adding a bathroom runs $5,000 to $75,000, about $35,000 on average, and a midrange bathroom addition in Chicago costs $56,165 in the Cost vs. Value report.
Dates: Angi, vanity installation cost updated September 11, 2026; Angi, toilet installation cost updated May 30, 2026; Angi, bathroom exhaust fan installation cost updated September 10, 2026; Angi, bathroom remodel cost updated October 27, 2026; Angi, cost to run new bathroom plumbing updated September 22, 2026; Angi, cost to add a bathroom updated July 10, 2026; Cost vs. Value 2025, Chicago (JLC / Remodeling) 2025 report. National figures except the Chicago rows (Cost vs. Value); no guide publishes a Rockford price.
Permits and fees
Permit fees for a bathroom remodel near Rockford
Angi's national range for a bathroom permit is $100 to $1,000. Locally, the fee depends on who issues the permit. Permit fee schedules on the city, village and county sites are undated or years old, so confirm the current fee with the permit office before relying on a dollar figure.
Rockford prices alterations and remodels at 0.55% of the reported job value, labor and materials included, plus $56 for each trade permit under the building permit, with a technology surcharge. A fixture replaced in the same spot with no trap or pipe moved needs no plumbing permit.
Loves Park charges $15 per plumbing fixture opening plus a $40 processing fee on its posted 2018 schedule, so a toilet, vanity and shower are three openings.
Winnebago County, which issues permits for unincorporated areas and several villages, charges $40 per trade permit and values interior remodel work from a table. Starting work without a permit doubles the fee in Rockford, Loves Park and Machesney Park.
Who can pull a plumbing permit (225 ILCS 320/18)
“a city, town, village, township, or county that requires a permit for installation and repair of plumbing may not issue that permit without verification that the applicant has a valid plumbing license or that the applicant is the owner occupant of a single family residence that is the subject of the permit.”
The permit fee is small next to the job. What matters more is who pulls it: the contractor, or a licensed plumber for the plumbing. A quote that asks you to pull the permit in your own name is a red flag, because the owner-occupant exemption puts the work on you.
| Place | Permit office | Published fee rule | Water supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford | City of Rockford, Construction and Development Services | 0.55% of job value + $56 per trade permit (confirm) | Rockford Water Division (city wells) |
| Loves Park | City of Loves Park Building Department (also inspects for Machesney Park) | $15 per fixture + $40 processing (2018 schedule, confirm) | Loves Park city wells; North Park PWD in parts |
| Machesney Park | Machesney Park Building Division (inspections by Loves Park) | Set by the Building Clerk (no published formula) | North Park Public Water District |
| Roscoe | Village of Roscoe (zoning) plus Winnebago County Building Division | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | North Park PWD in parts; private wells elsewhere |
| Rockton | Village of Rockton (zoning) plus Winnebago County Building Division | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Village of Rockton (village wells) |
| South Beloit | Winnebago County Building Division (city adopts county permits and fees) | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Illinois American Water |
| Cherry Valley | Winnebago County Building Division (Cherry Valley village) | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Village of Cherry Valley (wells) |
| Winnebago | Village of Winnebago, Building Safety and Permitting | Set by the Building Inspector | Village of Winnebago (wells) |
| Pecatonica | Village of Pecatonica, Village Hall | Fee ordinance 2014-23; double fee if started without a permit | Village of Pecatonica (wells) |
| Durand | Village of Durand zoning approval, then Winnebago County Building Division | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Village of Durand (two wells) |
| New Milford | Village of New Milford (zoning) plus Winnebago County Building Division | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Village of New Milford water department |
| Lake Summerset | Winnebago County Building Division (unincorporated areas) | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Mostly private wells; some subdivision systems |
| Westlake Village | Winnebago County Building Division (unincorporated areas) | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Mostly private wells; some subdivision systems |
| Argyle | Winnebago County Building Division (unincorporated areas) | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Mostly private wells; some subdivision systems |
| Unincorporated Winnebago County | Winnebago County Building Division (unincorporated areas) | $40 per trade permit + valuation table (2016 schedule, confirm) | Mostly private wells; some subdivision systems |
From each city, village and county permit page, fee schedule and water quality report; every town page quotes its rule and links the source. Fee schedules are undated or years old, so confirm before budgeting.
Saving money
Ways to keep a bathroom remodel on budget
- Keep the layout. Leave the toilet, tub or shower and sink drains where they are. Moving one fixture alone runs $500 to $1,000.
- Panels where tile is not needed. Solid-surface or acrylic shower walls cost less to install than a full tile surround, and have no grout to clean.
- Tile the floor, not every wall. Tile wainscot or a tiled shower with painted walls above gives the look for less.
- Choose finishes before demolition. A room that sits open while a special-order vanity ships is a room you cannot use.
- Refinish a sound tub. If the cast iron tub is solid and you want to keep a tub, refinishing costs far less than a replacement.
- Ask about the property tax exemption. Illinois exempts up to $75,000 of added value on an owner-occupied home for 4 years after a remodel. Your township assessor handles it.
Red flags
Red flags in a bathroom remodel quote
- No written contract on a job over $1,000, which Illinois requires, or no "Know Your Consumer Rights" pamphlet.
- One lump-sum number with no materials listed. The law requires parts and materials listed with reasonable particularity.
- No line for the shower valve, the fan or the permit.
- No plan for what demolition finds: no allowance, no unit price for subfloor or pipe repair.
- A request for a large cash deposit before anything is ordered.
- A same-day price from a door-to-door salesperson, with pressure to sign now.
815 ILCS 513/15
“Prior to initiating home repair or remodeling work for over $1,000, a person engaged in the business of home repair or remodeling shall furnish to the customer for signature a written contract or work order that states the total cost, including parts and materials listed with reasonable particularity and any charge for an estimate.”
Remodelers in Illinois also have to carry liability and property damage insurance, and someone 65 or older who signed at home with an uninvited salesperson has 15 business days to cancel. Compare quotes on the same scope, line by line, before you compare totals.
Common questions
Bathroom remodel cost questions
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Rockford, IL?
No cost guide publishes a Rockford price. Angi's national range for a full remodel is $6,651 to $17,661, about $12,155 on average, and This Old House gives $6,456 to $24,715. The nearest local figure is $24,072 for a midrange bath in Chicago (Cost vs. Value 2025). See small bathroom remodels.
How much does a tub-to-shower conversion cost?
Angi's national range is $1,200 to $15,000, and This Old House gives $2,000 to $12,000. A custom tiled conversion runs $3,500 to $15,000. Prefab panels sit at the low end and tile at the high end. See tub-to-shower conversions.
How much does a walk-in shower cost?
Angi puts a walk-in shower at $6,000 to $12,000, about $9,000 on average. A curbless shower that needs the floor lowered sits at the top of that range. See walk-in showers.
Is it cheaper to replace a tub or convert it to a shower?
A straight tub swap usually costs less, because the drain and the wall layout stay the same. Angi puts a bathtub replacement at $2,104 to $9,756 and a conversion at $1,200 to $15,000, both national. The conversion costs more when it is tiled. See bathtub replacement.
How much does an accessible bathroom cost?
Angi's national range is $5,600 to $12,000, and HomeAdvisor's is $2,700 to $16,000, both around $8,400 on average. A full universal design bath in Chicago costs $38,963 in the 2025 Cost vs. Value report. Illinois has no state tax credit for it. See accessible bathrooms.
How much does it cost to add a bathroom?
Angi's national range is $5,000 to $75,000, about $35,000 on average. A new half bath runs $4,000 to $12,000 and a full bath $10,000 to $50,000. A basement bath below the sewer adds an ejector pump. See adding a bathroom.
How much is a bathroom permit in Rockford?
Rockford's fee schedule prices remodels at 0.55% of the job value plus $56 for each trade permit, and a same-spot fixture swap needs no plumbing permit. The schedule is undated, so confirm with Construction and Development Services. Other towns are on the service area pages.
What is the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel?
Labor, at 40% to 65% of the total in Angi's guide. Moving plumbing comes next: Angi puts moving one fixture 3 feet or more at $500 to $1,000, and a full rough-in at $3,000 to $20,000. See shower replacement for a same-footprint job.
Get a real number for your bathroom
The ranges above are national and Chicago figures. Tell us which bathroom and what you want changed, and get a written price before anything starts.