Bathroom remodeling in Prince George's County
In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, a midrange bathroom remodel in the Washington, DC market ran about $25,9361, against $26,1382 nationally. What sets Prince George's County apart is the age of its houses: 54%3 were built before 1980 and the 1960s were its busiest decade, so budget for what an original tub, subfloor and drain lines may need.
Calls are recorded. One independent company that handles bathroom remodels in the Prince George's County area answers.
Updated October 11, 2026
What the job costs here
There's no Prince George's County market in the 2025 Cost vs. Value report. Its figures come from the Washington, DC page, the nearest market the report covers.
| Measure | Washington, DC market | U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| Midrange bathroom remodel, job cost | $25,9361 | $26,1382 |
| Upscale bathroom remodel, job cost | $80,9941 | $81,6122 |
| Universal-design bathroom remodel, job cost | $41,8321 | $42,1832 |
A compact hall bath can come in under the midrange figure on finishes and still run over once the old tile and subfloor come up. Hold part of the budget back until demolition is done.
How old the houses are
Census estimates show the 1960s as Prince George's County's biggest building decade, and homes from that decade make up a much larger share of the county's housing than they do across the Washington metro.
| Measure | Prince George's County | Washington metro |
|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1980 | 54%3 | 45%3 |
| Homes built 1950–1969 | 30%3 | 20%3 |
| Homes built 1960–1969 | 18%3 | 11%3 |
If the bath can't grow, ask the contractor what fits inside the existing footprint: a wider vanity, a niche in the shower wall, a quieter fan that actually vents outdoors.
What homes are worth
The county's median home value sits well below the metro median. Weigh that when deciding how far to take a remodel, since the street, not the bathroom, sets what a buyer will pay.
What the trades earn
These are BLS median hourly wages for the Washington metro, which takes in Prince George's County. BLS doesn't publish them for the county alone.
| Measure | Washington metro | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, median hourly wage | $34.55/hr5 | $30.67/hr5 |
| Electricians, median hourly wage | $36.50/hr5 | $30.38/hr5 |
| Carpenters, median hourly wage | $29.23/hr5 | $29.12/hr5 |
| Tile and stone setters, median hourly wage | $23.65/hr5 | $26.77/hr5 |
Tile setters earn less here than nationally while plumbers and electricians earn more, so an update that redoes the tile but leaves the plumbing in place spends more of its budget where local labor costs less.
Climate the room has to handle
The county sits between two of NOAA's major airport stations: Reagan National on the Potomac to the west, and BWI to the northeast, which logs far more freezing nights.
| Measure | Reagan National | BWI Airport |
|---|---|---|
| Days a year with a low at or below freezing | 60 days6 | 93 days6 |
| July afternoon relative humidity | 53%7 | 52%8 |
A split-level's lower bath may sit partly below grade against cold masonry. Ask how the pipes there will be kept from freezing, and how the room will shed summer moisture.
What's in the water
WSSC Water says the area around Laurel gets Patuxent water, the middle of Prince George's County gets a blend from both plants, and a large portion of lower Prince George's County gets Potomac water.9 So how hard your water is depends on where in the county you live.
| Measure | WSSC Water |
|---|---|
| Hardness, yearly average, Patuxent Water Filtration Plant | 70 mg/L10 |
| Hardness, yearly average, Potomac Water Filtration Plant | 154 mg/L10 |
WSSC Water describes Potomac River water as hard, typically averaging about 120 to 130 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium, and Patuxent water as soft, typically averaging about 60 to 65 mg/L.9 The USGS classes water at 121 to 180 mg/L of hardness as hard.11 Homes on Potomac water will see more scale on fixtures and shower glass than homes near Laurel on Patuxent water.
Permits
Prince George's County's Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) issues the building and electrical permits for a bathroom alteration, but not the plumbing permit: that comes from WSSC Water, which also inspects the plumbing. Swapping a counter or an existing fixture generally needs no permit, while new or moved wiring does. The rules shift inside the county's municipalities, where a town permit may be needed alongside the county's or in place of it.
- Prince George's County treats any construction or renovation of an existing structure, other than a repair or an addition, as an alteration, and some alteration projects need more than one permit.12
- Prince George's County's permit chart lists painting, installing carpet, replacing a kitchen or bathroom counter, installing kitchen cabinets and replacing an interior door as work that needs no permit.13
- In Prince George's County, replacing existing plumbing fixtures generally doesn't need a permit, except for water heaters and testable backflow devices.14
- DPIE doesn't review plumbing plans or issue plumbing permits; all plumbing permits in Prince George's County are issued by WSSC Water, which also handles plumbing inspections.14
- Prince George's County's permit chart lists replacing electrical wiring and relocating switches, outlets, lighting fixtures or sub-panels as work that needs an electrical permit, which only a licensed electrical contractor can obtain.13
- Electrical work for an alteration of an existing home in Prince George's County needs an electrical permit applied for by a master electrician licensed by the State of Maryland.12
- Prince George's County building permits are applied for online through the Momentum portal, and an interior alteration application needs structural and architectural drawings plus the county's plan screen checklist for residential projects.12
Checked October 11, 2026
Talk to a pro who handles bathroom remodels in Prince George's County
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Remodeling a 1960s Prince George's bathroom
30%3 of homes in the county were built from 1950 through 1969, against 20%3 across the metro. Some of those bathrooms have been redone more than once; others still have the tile and fixtures they were built with.
Postwar bathrooms often paired pastel ceramic tile with tubs, sinks and toilets in matching colored enamel; pink is the color most tied to the 1950s.15 Many postwar interior materials can't be made anymore and some may be hazardous, so test what they're made of before deciding to keep or remove them.16
Resilient flooring is the other thing to ask about before anything is torn out. The EPA lists vinyl floor tile, vinyl sheet backing and flooring adhesives among products that may contain asbestos, which is released mainly when the material is disturbed.17 The EPA advises having an accredited asbestos professional inspect before a remodel that could disturb suspect materials, and not sanding or power-stripping suspect flooring yourself.18
Making a hall bath safer as you age
In a small hall bath, a few changes go a long way. The CDC's home fall-prevention checklist recommends grab bars in and beside the tub and next to the toilet, and a non-slip surface on tub and shower floors.19 The National Institute on Aging suggests non-skid surfaces wherever a floor can get wet and a light left on in the bathroom at night.20 More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.21
For a fuller rebuild, the 2025 Cost vs. Value report priced a universal-design bathroom at $41,8321 in the Washington, DC market. NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.22 It's fair to ask whether anyone on the crew has that training.
What happens when you call
Call the number on this page and we'll put you through, on a recorded line, to one independent company that handles bathroom remodels in the Prince George's County area. The conversation about your project, timing and price is between you and them.
Our fee comes from the company you reach, never from you, and once the call ends we never contact you by phone or text. How we make money
After you're connected
Run the company through Maryland's license search on your own, ideally before the first estimate visit. Maryland's Home Improvement Commission licenses home improvement contractors and salespersons, and its License Search shows whether a license is current.23 Check a Maryland license
Prince George's County says that unless the homeowner does the work, every home improvement project must use a contractor licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission, and a home in a subdivision with a homeowners association may also need the association's approval.12 In Prince George's County, installing plumbing or natural gas piping requires an application by a master plumber or gasfitter licensed by WSSC Water, and plumbing installation by a homeowner is generally not permitted.12
An issued Prince George's County building permit stays valid only if inspections take place within a six-month period; if no inspections are scheduled, it expires automatically.24 Ask how inspections will be scheduled so the permit doesn't lapse partway through the job.
Questions people ask
What does a hall bath remodel cost in Prince George's County?
For the Washington, DC market, the 2025 Cost vs. Value report put a midrange bathroom remodel at $25,9361 and a universal-design one at $41,8321. In a house built before 1980, as 54%3 of the county's homes were, leave room for what the walls and floor reveal.
Do I need a permit to replace a vanity or toilet?
In Prince George's County, replacing existing plumbing fixtures generally doesn't need a permit, except for water heaters and testable backflow devices.14 Prince George's County's permit chart lists painting, installing carpet, replacing a kitchen or bathroom counter, installing kitchen cabinets and replacing an interior door as work that needs no permit.13 Moving fixtures or pipes is a different job, and those plumbing permits come from WSSC Water rather than the county.
Does my city or town have its own permit rules?
Prince George's County has 27 municipalities, and permit requirements vary depending on the municipality.24 DPIE's municipal permit matrix shows the City of Laurel handling residential permits itself, while Bowie, College Park, Greenbelt and many smaller towns require both a municipal and a county residential permit.25
Is the water hard in Prince George's County?
It depends on the neighborhood. WSSC Water says the area around Laurel gets Patuxent water, the middle of Prince George's County gets a blend from both plants, and a large portion of lower Prince George's County gets Potomac water.9 WSSC Water's 2025 report put the Patuxent plant's yearly hardness average at 70 mg/L10 and the Potomac plant's at 154 mg/L10.
Sources
Page updated October 11, 2026. How we source our numbers
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, Washington, DC. Released 2025. Washington, DC. Industry source.
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, national. Released 2025. United States. Industry source.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25034. Released January 29, 2026. Prince George's County, MD, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25077. Released January 29, 2026. Prince George's County, MD, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro, Montgomery County, MD.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released May 15, 2026. Plumbers, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro, Plumbers, United States, Electricians, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro, Electricians, United States, Carpenters, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro, Carpenters, United States, Tile and stone setters, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro, Tile and stone setters, United States.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Released 2021. Reagan National Airport (station USW00013743), BWI Airport (station USW00093721).
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Comparative Climatic Data, average relative humidity, data through 2023. Released November 2024. Reagan National Airport (WBAN 13743).
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Comparative Climatic Data, average relative humidity, period of record 1949–2018. Released November 2024. BWI Airport (WBAN 93721).
- WSSC Water, Where Does My Water Come From?. Released August 12, 2026. View source.
- WSSC Water, 2025 Tap Water Analysis Report. Released August 6, 2026. WSSC Water, Patuxent plant.
- U.S. Geological Survey, Water Science School: Hardness of Water. No publication date. View source.
- Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement, Residential Building Permits: Alteration. No publication date. View source.
- Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement, When Is a Permit Required?. No publication date. View source.
- Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement, Residential Building Permits: Plumbing. No publication date. View source.
- Preservation Idaho, Idaho Modern Field Guide. No publication date. View source. Industry source.
- National Park Service, NCPTT, Identifying the 1950s Ranch House Interior as a Cultural Resource. No publication date. View source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Learn About Asbestos. Released July 13, 2026. View source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos. Released June 25, 2026. View source.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, STEADI: Check for Safety, a home fall prevention checklist for older adults. No publication date. View source.
- National Institute on Aging, Preventing Falls at Home: Room by Room. Released September 12, 2022. View source.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Facts About Older Adult Falls. Released September 4, 2026. View source.
- National Association of Home Builders, Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS). No publication date. View source. Industry source.
- Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland Home Improvement Commission. No publication date. View source.
- Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement, Information about the Permit Process. No publication date. View source.
- Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement, DPIE Plan Review and Permit Responsibilities in Municipalities. Released November 3, 2014. View source.