Bathroom Remodel – Philadelphia, PA
This 70-square-foot bathroom remodel in Philadelphia was completed in eight working days. The project converted the original layout to include a walk-in shower, replaced the vanity and toilet, installed small-format tile throughout, updated the plumbing fixtures, and added new lighting and a new door. At $9,300 for 70 square feet with an eight-day completion, this project sits at the efficient end of the full bathroom remodel range in Philadelphia.
Scope of Work
- Walk-in shower built and tiled
- Small-format tile installed throughout
- New vanity installed
- New toilet installed
- Plumbing fixtures updated
- New lighting fixtures installed
- New door installed
Eight Working Days for a Walk-In Shower Conversion
Eight working days for a 70-square-foot bathroom that includes a walk-in shower build, tile throughout, new vanity, new toilet, and updated plumbing and lighting is a tight schedule that requires the planning to be complete before day one. The walk-in shower is the most labor-intensive element — it involves framing the enclosure if the layout changed, setting the shower base correctly, installing cement board substrate, and then tiling the floor and walls before any fixtures can be set. That sequence has to run without rework for the project to finish on schedule.
The approximate sequencing: demolition and rough-in on day one, substrate and shower base on days two and three, tile work on days three through six, vanity and fixture installation on day seven, door and punch list on day eight. Each phase closes before the next opens. Eight days for this scope means the rough-in was correct, the substrate was properly prepared, and the tile work proceeded without adjustment.
Walk-In Shower
The walk-in shower is the defining change in this bathroom. Converting from a tub or standard shower stall to a walk-in enclosure requires building the shower base from scratch — a mortar or pre-sloped base set at the correct height and slope to drain properly — and framing or reframing the enclosure walls to define the new footprint. The shower walls were then tiled as part of the small-format tile scope, with cement board substrate providing the moisture-resistant backing that tile in a wet zone requires.
In a 70-square-foot bathroom, the walk-in shower takes up a defined portion of the floor area that determines how the vanity, toilet, and circulation space are arranged around it. Getting the shower footprint right at the planning stage — before the framing goes up — is what makes the finished layout work without feeling cramped at any fixture.
Small-Format Tile Throughout
Small-format tile was selected for the shower walls, shower floor, and bathroom floor. In a walk-in shower, small-format tile on the floor provides more grout lines per square foot than large-format alternatives — those grout lines create traction on a wet, sloped surface where grip matters. On the shower walls, small-format tile creates a more detailed surface texture than large tiles, which suits a compact enclosure where the tile is close at hand.
Consistent tile format across the shower and the main bathroom floor creates a visual connection between the two zones that makes the room read as cohesive rather than as separate tiled areas that happen to be in the same space. In a 70-square-foot bathroom, that visual continuity matters — the room is small enough that discontinuities in the tile are immediately noticeable.
Vanity, Toilet, and Fixtures
A new vanity replaced the original, providing an updated cabinet and sink configuration consistent with the remodeled tile and shower. Plumbing fixtures throughout — faucet, showerhead, and related hardware — were updated to match the new aesthetic and ensure reliable performance. A new toilet was installed. In a full bathroom remodel, updating the toilet alongside the vanity and shower makes sense both functionally and visually: an original toilet in a fully remodeled bathroom is the one element that reads immediately as original.
Lighting and Door
New lighting fixtures were installed to improve illumination in the bathroom and at the vanity. Vanity-level lighting above the mirror provides even, close-range illumination for daily grooming — something that overhead-only lighting does not deliver well because it casts downward shadows on the face at the mirror. A new door was installed as part of the finish scope, giving the bathroom a clean, consistent perimeter detail that connects the remodeled interior to the adjacent hallway.
Bathroom Remodeling in Philadelphia
Philadelphia rowhouses, twins, and single-family homes contain bathrooms of varying size and age, many of which have layouts that no longer serve how the household uses the space. A focused remodel that converts the bathing fixture to a walk-in shower, updates the tile and fixtures, and completes in under two weeks is a practical scope for a Philadelphia homeowner who needs the disruption minimized. Belmax Remodeling works throughout Philadelphia. For more on our bathroom work, see our bathroom remodeling service page. Homeowners in Philadelphia can also visit our Philadelphia bathroom remodeling page for more completed local projects.
Considering a Similar Project?
Bathroom remodels in the 70-square-foot range with a walk-in shower build, tile throughout, vanity, toilet, and fixture update typically fall in the $8,500–$12,000 range in Philadelphia. This project came in at $9,300, completed in eight working days in November 2022. To discuss what your bathroom would involve, request a free estimate.