How Much Does a 5x8 Bathroom Remodel Cost?
A 5x8 bathroom remodel costs $12,000 to $16,000 in 2026 for a mid-range pull-and-replace, where everything comes out and new fixtures go back in the same spots. A budget version with standard tile, a vanity under $500 and a tub-shower combo lands at $8,000 to $10,000. Move the toilet, and you can add $2,000 to $7,500 to whatever number you started with.
Updated 2026-08-14 · 8 min read · 1,746 words
Bathroom project - T&JThat 40 square feet is the most common bathroom footprint in Wisconsin homes, and it is also the size that surprises people most. A 5x8 costs nearly as much as a bathroom twice its size, because the price is driven by the number of fixtures and trades involved, not by floor area. You still need a plumber, an electrician, a tile setter and a painter whether the room is 40 square feet or 90.
The 2026 Numbers for a 5x8 Bathroom
Here is what the three realistic scope levels cost in southeastern Wisconsin.
| Scope | What it includes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Budget pull-and-replace | Mid-level fixtures in existing locations, standard ceramic tile, vanity under $500, tub-shower combo | $8,000 to $10,000 |
| Mid-range pull-and-replace | Better tile, quality vanity, new lighting and exhaust fan, all fixtures stay put | $12,000 to $16,000 |
| Layout change | Any of the above plus moving the toilet, tub or vanity to a new wall | $16,000 to $25,000+ |
Those mid-range totals already include a 15 to 20 percent contingency. If a bid you are holding does not carry one, the number on it is not the number you will pay.
Labor is 40 to 60 percent of a small bathroom remodel. On a $10,000 5x8 project, $4,000 to $6,000 of it is labor spread across four or five trades.
For the wider picture beyond this one size, see our bathroom remodel cost guide for Wisconsin.
Where the Money Actually Goes
Labor on a 5x8 breaks down roughly like this by task.
| Trade | Typical labor cost |
|---|---|
| Demolition | $300 to $600 |
| Plumbing | $400 to $900 |
| Electrical | $300 to $700 |
| Drywall | $200 to $500 |
| Tile setting | $600 to $1,200 |
| Painting | $200 to $400 |
Bathroom - T&JHourly rates behind those figures: plumbers $75 to $150, electricians $80 to $150, tile setters $60 to $120. When someone tells you a bathroom is expensive "because of the tile," they usually mean the tile setter's hours, not the tile itself.
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The One Decision That Moves the Price Most
Keep the fixtures where they are, or move them.
In a 5x8, the toilet, tub and vanity almost always sit on a single wet wall. Leave them there and the plumber's work is a swap. Move the toilet even a few feet and the drain has to move with it, which means opening the floor. On a slab that is concrete cutting. On a joisted floor it can mean structural work if the new drain run crosses a joist the wrong way.
That single change adds $2,000 to $7,500, and it is the most common reason two quotes for "the same bathroom" are thousands apart. Before you compare bids, decide whether the layout is actually changing, and make sure every bidder is pricing the same answer.
In a 40 square foot bathroom, moving one fixture can cost more than every tile in the room combined.
What a Complete 5x8 Quote Includes
Small bathrooms are where scope gaps hide, because the total is small enough that a missing $800 item does not look obvious. Ask every bidder to line-item these.
- Demolition and disposal, including the dumpster
- Waterproofing behind the shower or tub surround, named by system, not described as "we waterproof it"
- Subfloor inspection and an allowance if rot is found under the toilet, which is common in bathrooms over 20 years old
- Exhaust fan sized for the room and vented outside, not into the attic
- Electrical to current code, including a GFCI circuit
- Vanity, top, faucet, toilet and trim with named allowances rather than "fixtures included"
- Tile quantity and setting pattern, since a herringbone layout costs more labor than a straight lay on identical tile
- Paint and trim
- Permit
- Contingency, 15 to 20 percent
A bid that names all ten is comparable. A bid that names four is a starting position.
Permits and Wisconsin Code
Swapping a vanity in place or repainting generally does not need a permit. The moment you move plumbing or add a circuit, you are in permit territory under Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.
Two code items catch people out in small bathrooms specifically. A bathroom needs mechanical ventilation to the exterior, and an exhaust fan discharging into the attic is a moisture problem waiting to become a mold problem. And receptacles need GFCI protection, which in an older Waukesha County home often means a new circuit rather than a new outlet.
Bathroom - T&JIs a 5x8 Worth Remodeling, or Should You Expand It?
Homeowners often ask whether they should knock out a wall and make the bathroom bigger instead. Usually the answer is no, and the arithmetic is straightforward.
Expanding a 5x8 means moving at least one wall, which means the fixtures move, which triggers the $2,000 to $7,500 plumbing relocation above, plus framing, plus new flooring in whatever room lost the space, plus almost certainly electrical rerouting. You are turning a $14,000 project into a $30,000 one to gain a few square feet that a buyer will not pay a premium for.
The exception is the home with one bathroom and a growing family, where the functional gain is real and the resale question is beside the point. Everywhere else, a well-executed 5x8 with good storage and a proper shower reads as a finished, quality bathroom. Size is not what buyers notice. Condition is.
How Long Will You Be Without It?
Two to three weeks of on-site work for a straightforward pull-and-replace, plus lead time for materials before demo starts. Layout changes push that to four weeks or more because of the added rough-in and its inspection.
We wrote the full sequence up separately in how long a 5x8 bathroom remodel takes, including which stages can overlap and which cannot.
If yours is the only bathroom in the house, say so when you request quotes. It changes how a good contractor sequences the work, and any bidder who does not ask is not thinking about how you will actually live through it.
Getting a Real Number for Your Bathroom
The honest answer is that nobody can price a 5x8 accurately without seeing it. What is behind the tile, what the subfloor looks like under the toilet, whether the circuit is shared, and whether the layout is changing all move the number by thousands, and none of them are visible in a photo.
Our free in-home estimate exists to answer exactly that. We measure, look at the wet wall, check the panel, and tell you which of the three tiers above your bathroom actually falls into before you start comparing bids. You can see our full bathroom remodeling services or read more about how T&J Remodeling works with homeowners across Waukesha County.
Bathroom - T&JFrequently asked questions
How much does it cost to remodel a 5x8 bathroom?
Budget $12,000 to $16,000 for a mid-range remodel where fixtures stay in their existing locations, including a 15 to 20 percent contingency. A budget-level pull-and-replace with standard tile and a vanity under $500 runs $8,000 to $10,000. If you are moving the toilet, tub or vanity to a different wall, add $2,000 to $7,500 for the plumbing relocation alone and expect a total closer to $16,000 to $25,000. Labor accounts for 40 to 60 percent of the project regardless of which tier you choose.
Why does a small bathroom cost almost as much as a big one?
Because cost follows fixtures and trades, not floor area. A 5x8 needs the same plumber, electrician, tile setter and painter as a bathroom twice the size, and each one has a minimum practical visit. The tile quantity changes, but tile material is a small share of the total. This is also why doubling the size of a bathroom does not double the price, and why halving it saves far less than people expect.
Is 5x8 too small for a bathroom?
No. 5x8 is the standard American full-bath footprint and it comfortably fits a tub-shower combo, toilet and vanity in a workable layout. It is tight for two people at once and it rewards good storage planning, but it is not undersized. The homes where 5x8 feels cramped are usually suffering from a bad layout or a bulky vanity rather than from the dimensions themselves.
How much is labor for a 5x8 bathroom remodel?
Expect $4,000 to $6,000 of labor on a $10,000 project, or 40 to 60 percent of the total. By trade that breaks down to roughly $300 to $600 for demolition, $400 to $900 for plumbing, $300 to $700 for electrical, $200 to $500 for drywall, $600 to $1,200 for tile setting and $200 to $400 for painting. The hourly rates behind those numbers are $75 to $150 for plumbers, $80 to $150 for electricians and $60 to $120 for tile setters.
Do I need a permit to remodel a 5x8 bathroom in Wisconsin?
Not for cosmetic work like painting or swapping a vanity in the same spot. Yes for anything that moves plumbing or adds electrical circuits, which falls under Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code. In practice most full remodels need at least a plumbing permit, and adding a GFCI circuit needs an electrical permit. Your contractor should pull them. Unpermitted bathroom work becomes a disclosure problem when you sell.
Why is one 5x8 quote thousands lower than another?
Almost always scope, not markup. The common omissions are the dumpster and disposal, waterproofing behind the surround, an allowance for rotted subfloor under the toilet, a properly vented exhaust fan, GFCI electrical, the permit, and any contingency at all. A quote that assumes the layout stays put will also come in far below one that prices moving the toilet, so confirm every bidder is pricing the same layout before you compare totals.
Figures come from T&J project records plus pricing from recent Waukesha County projects. Written by John (PM, 14 yrs) and reviewed by Telli, who has been remodeling in Wisconsin since 1989. Updated 2026-08-14.
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