Bathroom remodeling in Richmond
Richmond came in a little under the national average in the 2024 Cost vs. Value report, at $25,0041 for a midrange bathroom remodel against $25,2512 nationally. What changes the job most is the age of the city's houses: 28%3 of Richmond city homes predate 1940, so many bathrooms sit in houses that have been through several rounds of plumbing.
Calls are recorded. One independent company that handles bathroom remodels in the Richmond area answers.
Updated October 11, 2026
What the job costs here
These are Richmond's own figures from the 2024 Cost vs. Value report. The 2025 edition left Richmond out, so there's nothing newer for the city.
| Measure | Richmond | U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| Midrange bathroom remodel, job cost | $25,0041 | $25,2512 |
| Upscale bathroom remodel, job cost | $78,1651 | $78,8402 |
| Universal-design bathroom remodel, job cost | $40,4011 | $40,7502 |
All three Richmond figures land slightly under the national ones. In an older city house that gap can vanish quickly if the drain has to move or the floor framing under a heavy tub needs reinforcing.
How old the houses are
Census counts by decade built draw a sharp line between Richmond city and the rest of the metro around it.
| Measure | Richmond city | Metro |
|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1980 | 71%3 | 44%3 |
| Homes built before 1940 | 28%3 | 9%3 |
| Homes built 1950–1969 | 25%3 | 17%3 |
A bathroom in a Fan or Church Hill rowhouse may have been redone more than once, sometimes right over the original floor. Ask the contractor to open the floor or a wall before fixing a price on drain and supply work.
What homes are worth
Owner-occupied homes in Richmond city and in the wider metro have nearly identical median values.
What the trades earn
BLS wage data for the Richmond metro covers the four trades a bathroom job draws on most. Here they are next to the national medians.
| Measure | Richmond metro | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, median hourly wage | $29.56/hr5 | $30.67/hr5 |
| Electricians, median hourly wage | $29.50/hr5 | $30.38/hr5 |
| Carpenters, median hourly wage | $24.94/hr5 | $29.12/hr5 |
| Tile and stone setters, median hourly wage | $24.10/hr5 | $26.77/hr5 |
All four trades earn somewhat less here than the national median, in line with Richmond's job costs sitting a little under the national figures.
Climate the room has to handle
In an old brick house, supply pipes may run along uninsulated outside walls, and an original bathroom may rely on a window instead of a fan. Winter freezes and humid summers, as measured at Richmond's airport, make both worth fixing during a remodel.
What's in the water
The city's Department of Public Utilities treats James River water and lists hardness in its annual drinking water report. The latest report covers 2025.
| Measure | City of Richmond water |
|---|---|
| Water hardness, 2025 | 81 mg/L8 |
The USGS classes water at 61 to 120 mg/L of hardness as moderately hard.9 Richmond's reading sits toward the soft end of that band, so scale builds slowly and a regular wipe of glass and chrome keeps it in check. Homes on Henrico or Chesterfield county water should look at that utility's report instead.
Permits
These rules cover homes inside the City of Richmond. Henrico and Chesterfield counties run their own permit offices with their own rules, so if the house is outside the city line, check with the county. In the city, new finishes and like-for-like fixture swaps are usually the simple part; moving or adding plumbing or wiring needs a separate trade permit. The city's permit pages don't give a typical total cost or timeline for a bathroom job, so ask the contractor to build permit timing into the schedule.
- Richmond requires a residential building permit for new homes and for additions, alterations, repairs and renovations to existing homes, except for work the Virginia Residential Code exempts.10
- Under the Virginia Residential Code exemptions Richmond lists, replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the supply, drain or vent piping, replacing switches, outlets and light fixtures, and putting in new floor or wall finishes, cabinetry, trim, paint or wallpaper don't need a permit.11
- In Richmond, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas piping work can't be included on a residential building permit; each trade needs its own permit application.11
- Richmond needs confirmation of a valid Virginia contractor license from DPOR before it routes a residential permit application for review, unless the owner files a sworn statement that they aren't subject to contractor licensing.11
- Richmond takes residential building permits and all residential trade permits (electrical, gas piping, mechanical and plumbing) through its Online Permit Portal.12
- Richmond's inspectors no longer test shower liners; the installer tests the shower pan, and the contractor or owner gives the building inspector a completed shower liner test certificate at the final inspection.12
- Henrico County requires a permit for alterations that add or remove walls or change the water supply, drain or vent piping or the electric wiring, and for the first-time installation of bathtubs, showers, sinks, toilets, exhaust fans and light fixtures.13
Checked October 11, 2026
Talk to a pro who handles bathroom remodels in Richmond
Calls are recorded. You'll be connected to one independent company that handles bathroom remodels in your area. We never call or text you. Privacy Policy ·Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Remodeling an older Richmond bathroom
Richmond city had already built 28%3 of the homes standing there today before 1940; across the metro the figure is 9%3. Those prewar houses fill neighborhoods like the Fan, the Museum District and Church Hill, and their bathrooms tend to be narrow rooms with tall ceilings, where cast iron drains and tile set in a thick mortar bed may still be under the newer finishes.
Before demolition, ask about the pipes and the floor. The EPA notes that lead can collect inside galvanized pipe and later reach drinking water, and that solder made before 1986 contained high levels of lead.14 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.15
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.16
Planning for aging in place
More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.17 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.18 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.19
Richmond's page in the 2024 Cost vs. Value report put a universal-design bathroom at $40,4011. In a narrow rowhouse bath, a wider doorway or a curbless shower can mean borrowing space from a hall or closet, so ask early how the layout would change. NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.20
What happens when you call
You call the number on this page. The call is recorded, and we connect you to one independent company that participates in our network and handles bathroom remodels in the Richmond area. You talk with them directly about your project, timing and price.
That company pays us for the call. You don't pay us anything, and we never call or text you. How we make money
After you're connected
Before you sign anything, look the company up yourself. Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation advises hiring only licensed contractors, and its License Lookup shows a license's status and any past disciplinary actions.21 Check a Virginia license
Questions people ask
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Richmond?
Richmond's 2024 Cost vs. Value figures are $25,0041 for a midrange bathroom remodel and $78,1651 for an upscale one. In a prewar city house, expect the final price to lean on what the old drains, supply pipes and subfloor need.
Are Richmond homes harder to remodel?
Often, inside the city: 71%3 of Richmond city homes predate 1980. Old cast iron drains, layered flooring and plaster walls can add steps, and a careful contractor will tell you up front how they deal with each.
Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Richmond?
It depends on the work. Under the Virginia Residential Code exemptions Richmond lists, replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the supply, drain or vent piping, replacing switches, outlets and light fixtures, and putting in new floor or wall finishes, cabinetry, trim, paint or wallpaper don't need a permit.11 In Richmond, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas piping work can't be included on a residential building permit; each trade needs its own permit application.11 Henrico and Chesterfield counties have their own permit offices.
How do I check a contractor's license in Virginia?
Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation advises hiring only licensed contractors, and its License Lookup shows a license's status and any past disciplinary actions.21 Richmond also wants proof of a valid contractor license before it reviews a permit application, so ask which license will go on yours. Check a Virginia license
Sources
Page updated October 11, 2026. How we source our numbers
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2024, Richmond. Released 2024. Richmond. Industry source.
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2024, national. Released 2024. United States. Industry source.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25034. Released January 29, 2026. Richmond city, Virginia, Richmond, VA metro.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25077. Released January 29, 2026. Richmond city, Virginia, Richmond, VA metro.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released May 15, 2026. Plumbers, Richmond, VA metro, Plumbers, United States, Electricians, Richmond, VA metro, Electricians, United States, Carpenters, Richmond, VA metro, Carpenters, United States, Tile and stone setters, Richmond, VA metro, Tile and stone setters, United States.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Released 2021. Richmond International Airport (station USW00013740).
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Comparative Climatic Data, average relative humidity, period of record 1948–2018. Released November 2024. Richmond International Airport (WBAN 13740).
- City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities, 2025 Consumer Confidence Report (drinking water quality). Released May 2026. City of Richmond public water.
- U.S. Geological Survey, Water Science School: Hardness of Water. No publication date. View source.
- City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review, Homeowners Residential Building Permit Process Guide. Released February 10, 2025. View source.
- City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review, Residential Building Plan Review Requirements, 2021 code cycle. Released February 4, 2025. View source.
- City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review, Permits and Inspections. No publication date. View source.
- Henrico County Department of Building Construction and Inspections, Permit Center: When a Building Permit is Required. No publication date. View source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sources of Lead in Drinking Water. Released August 2017. 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, Facts About Older Adult Falls. Released September 4, 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.
- National Association of Home Builders, Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS). No publication date. View source. Industry source.
- Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, DPOR Consumer Guide: Hiring a Contractor. No publication date. View source.