The short answer
A mid-range full bathroom remodel in Atlanta runs about $7,650 to $23,800 by our cost-adjusted figures, and local remodelers often quote $12,000 to $25,000 for a hall bath. The shower pan and the crawlspace under it matter most. A pan that fails the flood test can soak framing that stays hidden for years.
What a bathroom remodel costs in Atlanta
The figures apply the Atlanta cost factor of 0.85 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to national remodeling cost data. The same bathroom costs about 15% less here than the national average.
| Job | Atlanta (typical range) | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Half bath (powder room) remodel | $3,400–$11,900 | $4,000–$14,000 |
| Full bathroom, cosmetic refresh | $4,600–$14,300 | $5,400–$16,800 |
| Full bathroom remodel, mid-range | $7,650–$23,800 | $9,000–$28,000 |
| Full bathroom, high-end | $11,500–$35,700 | $13,500–$42,000 |
| Primary bathroom remodel | $17,000–$51,000 | $20,000–$60,000 |
| Tub-to-shower conversion | $1,700–$10,200 | $2,000–$12,000 |
| Tile, installed | $8.5–$34/sq ft | $10–$40/sq ft |
| New toilet, installed | $300–$680 | $350–$800 |
| New faucet, installed | $100–$255 | $120–$300 |
Estimates for 2026, including labor and standard parts. Atlanta prices use the metro's construction cost factor of 0.85 (US average = 1.00) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors. Your quote depends on access, materials and the condition of the home.
For your own room size, finish level and ZIP code, use the cost estimator below or open the full bathroom cost estimator.
What drives an Atlanta bathroom budget
| Choice | Lower cost | Higher cost |
|---|---|---|
| Shower | Tub with tile surround, same spot | Walk-in shower with glass, tub removed ($1,700 to $10,200 for the conversion here) |
| Tile | Ceramic on the walls, from about $8.50 per sq ft installed | Large-format porcelain or stone, up to about $34 per sq ft |
| Toilet | Standard model swapped in place, $300 to $680 installed | Wall-hung toilet with a new carrier in the wall |
| Layout | Everything stays | Toilet or shower moved, wall shifted |
Small bathrooms cost more per square foot, because the valve, toilet and vanity cost the same whether the room is 40 or 80 square feet. A powder room at $3,400 to $11,900 is the cheapest way into a remodel, and a primary bath at $17,000 to $51,000 is the most expensive.
Moving a drain: crawlspace or slab
Moving a toilet or shower drain is one of the larger line items in a bathroom. The cost depends on what the house sits on. Atlanta's permit list includes basement buildouts and finishes as a standard residential permit type (ATL311). In a house with a crawlspace, a plumber can often reach new drain lines from below. On a slab, the floor gets cut and patched.
The housing stock decides which you have. Decatur is the oldest in the metro, with a median year built of 1975 and 22.7% of homes built before 1940. DeKalb County is 44.1% pre-1980. Gwinnett County is 64.8% built since 1990, and Alpharetta is 70.3% since 1990, so most of those homes are on slabs. A toilet also needs a 3-inch drain with a vent close enough to satisfy the plumbing code, which is why a small move can turn into a big one.
Waterproofing and shower rules in Atlanta
A leaking shower soaks the framing and subfloor long before anyone sees a stain, and in a humid climate it does not dry out fast. Atlanta gets 50.43 inches of rain a year and 47 days at 90°F or hotter, according to NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Hartsfield-Jackson. A bathroom that stays damp grows mold.
What the inspector checks in the shower
Georgia enforces the 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia amendments, adopted by the Department of Community Affairs and effective January 1, 2026 (DCA). Under that code, a shower needs:
- A waterproof pan tied into the drain and flood-tested before any tile goes down.
- Smooth, hard, nonabsorbent wall surfaces above the pan.
- An anti-scald valve that keeps the water temperature steady when someone opens a tap elsewhere.
- Tempered or laminated safety glass in doors and enclosures.
- A door that swings out and leaves a clear opening.
Ask your remodeler which waterproofing system they use and whether they flood-test the pan before tile. A pan that fails inspection has to come out, which is the most expensive mistake in the job.
Ventilation that keeps mold out
A bathroom with a tub or shower needs an exhaust fan ducted outside, with a backdraft damper. Venting into the attic fails inspection and dumps moist air above the ceiling. Georgia's energy code is the 2015 IECC with Georgia supplements and amendments, and the metro sits in Climate Zone 3A, warm and humid (Southface). That means a fan sized for a steamy summer and run long enough after a shower to clear the room.
Why old Atlanta showers usually need more than new tile
Tile set over sound backer board with the fixtures left alone needs no permit in most of the metro. Once old tile comes off a shower that is more than 20 years old, the backer behind it is often soft. Replacing the backer and swapping the valve while the wall is open turns the job into a permitted remodel, so plan for that before demolition starts, especially in Decatur and intown Atlanta, where the housing is oldest.
Water-saving fixture rules in Georgia
Georgia's plumbing code sets fixture flow limits, and the 2024 International Plumbing Code with Georgia amendments is the current state minimum. The practical rules for an Atlanta bathroom:
| Fixture | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Toilet | A standard 1.28 gallon-per-flush model is what showrooms stock |
| Showerhead | Low-flow heads are standard; check the label before you buy |
| Faucet | Aerators keep flow down without changing the look |
Georgia has no statewide rule that forces you to replace every old toilet in the house when you remodel one bathroom. Your city or county may add its own amendment, so ask the permit office when you apply. If your home is on a septic system in unincorporated DeKalb, the Board of Health has to authorize any residential addition, and a bathroom remodel that adds fixtures counts (DeKalb County).
Planning for aging in place
A bathroom remodel is the cheapest time to make the room work for someone with a walker, a bad knee or a wheelchair, because the walls and floor are already open.
| Feature | What it involves | When to decide |
|---|---|---|
| Wood blocking for grab bars | Added in the wall framing before backer board goes up | During framing |
| Grab bar | Installed into blocking or studs | After tile |
| Curbless shower | Recessed or sloped floor, linear drain, wider waterproofing | Before the plumber roughs in |
| Wider clearances | Room in front of and beside the toilet | Before walls move |
Recessing the floor framing for a curbless entry is structural work, so the project needs plan review instead of a simple permit. In a narrow hall bath, the space beside the toilet often decides whether a wider shower fits at all. If someone in the house uses a wheelchair, have the designer draw the turning space before you pick tile. For drawings and layout help, see our guide to 3D renderings.
Do you need a permit?
In most of the Atlanta metro, yes, if you replace or move a toilet, tub, shower valve or sink, add a circuit, or install a fan. Who issues it depends on where the house sits: inside a city, the city issues permits; in unincorporated areas, the county does.
| Area | Permit office |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | City of Atlanta, Office of Buildings |
| Marietta | City of Marietta Permits and Inspections; unincorporated Cobb goes to Cobb County |
| Sandy Springs | City of Sandy Springs Community Development |
| Decatur | City of Decatur; unincorporated DeKalb goes to DeKalb County |
| Lawrenceville | City of Lawrenceville Planning and Development; unincorporated Gwinnett goes to Gwinnett County |
| Alpharetta and Roswell | City offices; confirm jurisdiction before you apply |
City of Atlanta
Applications go through the Accela Citizen portal, except Express permits, which are accepted only in person. The residential permits line is 404-330-6906. The minimum is around $175 including the technology fee, and it is more for larger jobs. Permits needing plan review pay 50% of the total building permit fee up front (ATL311). Work exempt from a permit includes replacing existing bathroom fixtures, sinks, tubs and showers, and any repair work under $10,000 total valuation. In a landmark or historic district, the exemptions do not apply to exterior work, and only repair work under $2,500 needs no certificate of appropriateness (Work Exempt from Permit).
Cobb County and Marietta
Cobb County changed how it calculates fees on July 1, 2024. Fees are now based on square footage and flat fees. A trade permit for electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas work costs $80 plus a $15 technology fee. A residential building permit for construction of $15,001 to $25,000 is $150, and $25,001 to $50,000 is $300. Building without a permit is penalized at double the permit fee, up to $1,000 (Cobb County).
In the City of Marietta, residential permit fees are $4 per $1,000 of total construction cost with a $50 base fee and no plan review fee. All permitting is online through SAGES. A homeowner may act as their own building contractor under O.C.G.A. 43-41-17(h) with a notarized affidavit, but homeowners cannot apply for mechanical, electrical or plumbing permits; the licensed professional must apply (Marietta).
DeKalb County
DeKalb adopted the 2024 ICC codes effective January 1, 2026. Plans go through ProjectDox. Plumbing permits must be submitted by a licensed plumbing contractor, and electrical permits by a licensed electrical contractor. The minimum permit fees total $245 (DeKalb County).
Sandy Springs
Applications go through the Build Sandy Springs portal. The administrative fee is $25, and residential permit fees are $5.00 per $1,000 of building valuation, with a $50 minimum for jobs up to $5,000. Paying by card online adds a 5% processing fee. A Certificate of Completion is required for alterations to occupied homes, and it costs $50 (Sandy Springs).
Gwinnett County and Lawrenceville
Gwinnett issues permits for unincorporated areas through its ZIP Portal. No permit is needed for cosmetic work such as painting, new flooring or cabinets. The City of Lawrenceville issues permits for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and structural work through its LPP Portal (Lawrenceville).
How long a bathroom remodel takes in Atlanta
| Scope | Permit time | Build sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Fixtures swapped in place | Same day to 1 or 2 weeks | Demo, rough-in, final |
| Fixtures moved or shower enlarged | About 3 to 8 weeks | Adds a rough plumbing test before walls close |
| Gut remodel with structural change | About 6 to 14 weeks | Adds framing inspection and plan review corrections |
Sandy Springs says each plan review round may take 3 to 10 business days. Issuing the permit card may take up to five more. On site, the work follows a fixed order: demolition to the studs, framing repairs and grab bar blocking, rough plumbing, electrical and fan, one rough inspection, backer board and waterproofing with the pan flood test, then tile, fixtures, glass and the final inspection. Glass is measured after the tile is done. If this is the only bathroom in the house, agree with the remodeler on how you will have a working toilet each night.
How to check a bathroom remodeler before you hire
Georgia licenses residential and general contractors through the Secretary of State's State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors. A residential contractor license is required when the total value of the work exceeds $2,500 (O.C.G.A. 43-41-2(9)). A contract signed with an unlicensed contractor is unenforceable by that contractor, and the contractor has no lien rights.
| License | Who holds it | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Residential-basic contractor | Remodelers who manage several trades on a house | A full bathroom remodel over $2,500 |
| General contractor | Unlimited as to type of work | Larger or mixed projects |
| Master plumber | Plumbers | Valve, drain or fixture work |
| Electrical contractor | Electricians | New circuits, heated floors, fan wiring |
| Conditioned air contractor | HVAC | Fan and duct work when the system changes |
A residential-basic license requires at least two years of experience, an exam, and general liability insurance of at least $300,000 (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 553-3-.01).
- Look up the license at verify.sos.ga.gov. Confirm it is active and the name matches.
- Check the business license on the Secretary of State site under Business, then Search for a Business.
- Ask how they build the shower pan, which waterproofing system they use, and whether they flood-test before tile.
- Ask who pulls the permit and whether the bid includes the trade permits.
- Keep the down payment at 25% or at most one-third of the total cost, as the Georgia Attorney General's consumer office advises (Consumer Ed).
If your home was built before 1978, the remodeler needs Georgia EPD lead-safe certification, because Georgia runs its own program (Georgia EPD). Our guide to paying a contractor covers milestones and lien waivers. For plumbing problems outside a remodel, see our Atlanta plumbing guide.
Areas we cover
GOLDGCP bathroom remodelers work across the Atlanta metro, including:
- Atlanta
- Marietta
- Alpharetta
- Sandy Springs
- Decatur
- Roswell
- Lawrenceville
Enter your ZIP code below to see bathroom prices for your area and the remodelers who cover it.
How GOLDGCP works
- Describe the bathroom through the form, a call or WhatsApp: its size, what you want to change, and whether the toilet or shower moves.
- We match you with up to 3 vetted, licensed remodelers in your area, and you see ZIP-based prices before anyone visits.
- Each remodeler has passed license, insurance, background and reference checks, a portfolio review, and onboarding.
- Your remodeler pulls the permit and books the inspections.
- You pay in milestones, each one after you approve that stage, and follow the job in the client portal.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Atlanta?
By our cost-adjusted figures, a mid-range full bathroom costs about $7,650 to $23,800, a powder room $3,400 to $11,900, and a primary bath $17,000 to $51,000. Local remodelers often quote $12,000 to $25,000 for a hall bath. Moving drains, especially on a slab, pushes costs higher.
Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Atlanta?
Yes, if you replace or move a toilet, tub, shower valve or sink, add a circuit, or install a fan. The City of Atlanta issues permits through its online portal, and the minimum is around $175 including the technology fee. Paint, accessories and floor tile alone need no permit.
What does an Atlanta inspector check in a new shower?
A waterproof pan flood-tested before tile, smooth nonabsorbent walls above the pan, an anti-scald valve, safety glass in doors and enclosures, and an exhaust fan ducted outside, never into the attic. Georgia enforces the 2024 IRC with Georgia amendments.
How much does it cost to move a toilet in an Atlanta bathroom?
The price depends on what the house sits on. In a crawlspace house, a plumber can often reach new drain lines from below; on a slab, the floor gets cut and patched. Decatur and DeKalb have the oldest housing stock, while Gwinnett and Alpharetta are mostly built since 1990 on slabs.
Who issues the permit in Marietta or Sandy Springs?
The city does. Marietta Permits and Inspections handles the city limits. Unincorporated Cobb addresses go to Cobb County. Sandy Springs Community Development handles its own permits through the Build Sandy Springs portal. Check the parcel's jurisdiction before you apply.
Can I get a curbless shower in an older Atlanta house?
Usually, but recessing the floor framing for a zero-threshold entry is structural work, so it needs plan review instead of a simple permit. Add grab bar blocking while the walls are open. In a narrow hall bath, the space beside the toilet often decides whether a wider shower fits.
Is a bathroom remodel worth it in Atlanta?
A bathroom is one of the rooms buyers look at first. A mid-range remodel keeps the house competitive in a metro where Decatur and intown Atlanta homes are often 50 years old or more, and keeping the layout and drains in place is the easiest way to stay near the lower end of the range.
How we calculate these prices
GOLDGCP starts from national price ranges for each job, taken from published 2026 cost guides and checked against local price guides where they exist. To get a local price, we multiply the national range by the construction cost factor for the metro from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors (US average = 1.00). Where that table has no entry for a metro, we use the nearest listed location or the state value. For ZIP codes outside the 50 largest metros, the cost estimator uses the state's price level from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. Ranges include labor and standard materials but not unusual site conditions, so a written quote after an inspection is always the final price.
Sources
- ATL311
- Georgia DCA
- southface.org
- DeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability
- City of Atlanta
- Cobb County Government
- City of Marietta, GA
- DeKalb County, GA
- City of Sandy Springs, Georgia
- City of Lawrenceville
- Cornell Law School
- Georgia Secretary of State
- Consumer Ed, Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division
- Georgia EPD
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
About this guide
Written by the GOLDGCP editorial team. Prices come from national cost guides adjusted with official construction cost factors for Atlanta; rules and statistics come from the agencies and reports linked in the text. We update this page when prices or codes change.