Someone sent me a bathroom quote last month. $27,500 for a full gut renovation in Hempstead. Twelve line items, three of them labeled "TBD based on selections." I’ve seen that story before. TBD means your $27,500 quote becomes a $36,000 invoice. Here’s what the real line items should look like, and what each one actually costs in Nassau County right now.
Quick answer: A midrange bathroom gut in Hempstead, NY runs $18,000 to $32,000 depending on size and fixtures. Labor is 40 to 50% of that total. Demo and tile work account for another 25 to 30%. If your quote has TBD on tile, vanity, or fixtures, ask for a revised contract with real numbers before you sign anything.
What a Full Bathroom Renovation Scope Covers
A full gut renovation means tearing out everything down to the studs. Not a refresh (new fixtures, paint). Not a cosmetic update (new vanity top, new toilet). A gut. Here’s what the line items should include.
- Demo and debris removal ($800 to $1,500 for a standard 50 sq ft bath)
- Waterproof membrane and cement backer board behind tile areas ($900 to $1,600)
- Floor tile and installation ($12 to $22 per sq ft installed, depending on tile choice)
- Wall tile for shower surround ($14 to $28 per sq ft installed)
- Plumbing rough-in and fixture hookup ($1,800 to $3,500)
- Toilet replacement ($280 to $650 installed)
- Vanity, mirror, and lighting ($800 to $3,000+ depending on selections)
- Exhaust fan replacement ($280 to $450 installed)
- Drywall, paint, and trim ($600 to $1,200)
That’s nine line items. Every one of them should have a real number on your contract before demo starts. If any are blank or TBD, you don’t have a fixed-price contract. You have an estimate with a floor and no ceiling.
Typical Cost Ranges for a Hempstead Bathroom in 2026
Here’s how the math stacks up. These are Nassau County labor rates with standard material grades, not builder-grade, not luxury. Normal homeowner selections from a mid-tier showroom.
| Scope Item | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demo and disposal | $800 | $1,100 | $1,500 |
| Waterproofing and backer board | $900 | $1,200 | $1,600 |
| Floor tile (installed) | $1,200 | $1,800 | $3,000 |
| Shower tile (installed) | $1,800 | $2,800 | $5,000 |
| Plumbing rough-in and fixtures | $1,800 | $2,600 | $3,500 |
| Vanity, mirror, and lighting | $800 | $1,800 | $3,200 |
| Toilet | $280 | $420 | $650 |
| Drywall, paint, and trim | $600 | $900 | $1,200 |
| Labor (full project) | $6,000 | $8,500 | $12,000 |
| Total estimate | $14,180 | $21,120 | $31,650 |
That range is real. The low end gets you a functional bathroom with tile from a big-box store and a mid-grade vanity. The high end gets you a walk-in shower with frameless glass, a floating vanity, and a designer light fixture. The difference isn’t mostly labor. It’s selections.
Three Things That Make Bathroom Quotes Balloon
A $22,000 quote becomes $31,000 for three predictable reasons. None of them involve a contractor cheating you. Most are selections you didn’t price out before signing.
Frameless glass enclosures. A framed shower door runs $600 to $900 installed. A frameless glass surround? Add $1,800 to $2,400. Plus another $400 to $700 if your walls aren’t plumb (most Long Island houses from the 1960s and 70s aren’t). That one upgrade adds $2,500 before you’ve picked a single tile.
Tile math is tricky. Homeowners pick tile at a showroom and see a per-square-foot price. Then forget the schluter trim pieces, decorative border tiles, and the extra 15% ordered for cuts and waste. A $4 per sq ft tile ends up costing $11 per sq ft installed. Get a full tile materials estimate before you commit to a pattern.
Hidden plumbing. Old cast iron drain lines in Nassau County houses sometimes need replacement during a gut. Most contractors can’t see it until demo. Ask specifically what their change-order rate is for unexpected plumbing discoveries, and get that answer in writing before demo day.
Where to Cut Budget Without Wrecking the Room
Most homeowners cut in the wrong places. They downgrade the toilet (saves $200) or skip the lighting upgrade (saves $300). Then overspend on a chandelier fixture that doesn’t work in a humidity zone.
Here’s where to actually cut. The vanity: the difference between a $900 vanity and a $2,200 one is mostly a drawer soft-close mechanism and a brand name. Nobody will know. The shower floor tile: porcelain mosaic runs $4 to $6 per sq ft and looks nearly identical to $18 per sq ft marble mosaic once it’s grouted. And the exhaust fan: a $60 fan moves the same cubic feet per minute as a $280 one. Skip the Bluetooth speaker version. (That part surprises most people. But it’s true.)
Where not to cut: the waterproof membrane. Every dollar saved on Schluter-KERDI or similar waterproofing is a dollar you’ll pay back times ten when tile delaminates in three years. Don’t let any contractor skip the membrane to trim costs. It’s not optional.
The TBD Problem: What to Check in Your Bathroom Contract
Count the TBD line items before you sign. More than two and the contract needs revision. Here’s what a locked-in bathroom contract should specify on every line: exact tile product name and SKU (or a dollar allowance in writing), plumbing fixture model numbers, vanity dimensions and manufacturer, and a change-order threshold with a written authorization process.
If a contractor gives you a quote and says selections get finalized later, that’s fine. But finalize them before you write the deposit check. A contract with TBDs is not a fixed-price contract. It’s cost-plus with a floor and no ceiling. Before you sign a remodeling contract, count the line items marked TBD, blank, or based on selections. More than two? Send it back for revision.
Getting a Real Quote for Your Hempstead Bathroom
If you’re comparing quotes and want to see what line-by-line pricing actually looks like from a licensed Nassau County contractor, start with the bathroom remodeling work and pricing examples on Selective Remodeling’s main bathroom page. They run a client portal that shows your project timeline and costs in real time. No mystery charges after demo. For Hempstead-area homeowners who want to talk numbers before committing to anything, connecting with a trusted bathroom remodeling contractor close to you means fewer surprises on the final invoice. And if you want to see how these decisions play out in neighboring Babylon, that post covers similar scope and scheduling questions from a different neighborhood angle.
The number on a bathroom quote isn’t the number you’ll pay unless every line item is locked. Know what you’re signing before you hand over the deposit. That’s the move.