Bathroom Remodel cost in Des Moines, IA
Des Moines, IA · updated August 2026
$17,900
Typical local cost
$8,700 – $40,700
Typical range
- per bathroom
- $8,700 – $40,700
- Permit
- It depends
- Typical timeline
- 3-6 weeks
Installed, local pricing
$145 – $590 in fees
3-6 weeks
Des Moines runs -3% against the U.S. average · data confidence Medium · modeled estimate, not a quote
Most Des Moines homeowners pay around $17,900. The local adjustment for this trade is x0.969 — driven mainly by Polk County labor rates and 20% exposure to local code requirements.
Estimate your Des Moines job
Priced with this market's cost index, so the calculator, the size table and the ranges on this page all agree.
Tiles needed
57 tiles
Includes 12% waste
- Boxes to buy
- 8 boxes
- Thinset (50 lb bags)
- 2 bags
- Grout (25 lb bags)
- 1 bags
- Tile cost estimateMaterial only
- $252 – $907
Estimates only. Local pricing, site conditions and code requirements change the real number.
Cost by project size
Generated from the same unit pricing the calculator uses.
| Project size | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| 1 bathroom | $8,700 – $40,700 |
| 1 bathroom | $8,700 – $40,700 |
| 1 bathroom | $8,700 – $40,700 |
| 1 bathroom | $8,700 – $40,700 |
| 1 bathroom | $8,700 – $40,700 |
Based on Des Moines pricing of $8,700–$40,700 per bathroom.
Where the money goes
- Labor
- $9,000
- 49% of median
- Materials
- $9,000
- 49% of median
- Permit & fees
- $370
- 2% of median
Des Moines project costs-3% vs U.S. average
Based on Polk County labor rates, local material logistics and permit-fee posture for this trade.
What the project looks like start to finish
Typical sequence for this scope. Timing varies with contractor backlog and plan-review queues.
01
Planning & quotes
Scope, material choice, contractor selection
02
Permit application
Filed with City of Des Moines building department
03
Materials & staging
Order lead time on non-stock materials
04
Installation
3-6 weeks
05
Inspection
Rough plumbing, Shower pan water test, Final inspection
06
Closeout
Final sign-off, warranty and documentation
Des Moines labor intelligence
What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.
Loaded hourly rate
$48–$63
Interior crews in Polk County · -5% vs U.S. ($58/hr)
Typical crew
3 × 7 days
On-site time for a typical bathroom job here.
Labor in the price
$9,000
50% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.
Because labor is 50% of this job, Des Moines wage levels move the price far more than material prices do. A quote well under this labor figure usually means a smaller crew, a longer schedule, or unlicensed help.
Basis: Hometriva labor model: national interior crew rates adjusted by the Polk County labor factor (x0.948). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology
Why Des Moines differs from the national average
The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.
Trade labor rates-$475
Polk County crews price 5% below the national average, and labor is 50% of this job.
Material and delivery-$200
Materials are nationally traded, so they move less — but delivery into this market runs 2% under baseline.
Code and inspection load+$100
Bathroom Remodel carries 20% exposure to local code requirements, and this jurisdiction's review load indexes at x1.03.
Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Des Moines median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Des Moines building department, Hometriva methodology
Des Moines vs Iowa vs the U.S.
Change the inputs, see your number
The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.
Simulated bathroom remodel in Des Moines
$18,270
Likely range $9,070 – $41,070
Simulated from the same local model as the numbers above — it changes the inputs, not the pricing method.
What makes the number move
- Tub-to-shower conversion versus like-for-like replacement
- Tile area and material
- Vanity, fixtures and glass enclosure
- Whether plumbing is relocated
- Waterproofing and subfloor repair
Who issues each permit
Tracked per discipline — the building permit issuer is not always the body that reviews electrical, plumbing, zoning or fire.
| Discipline | Issuing authority |
|---|---|
| building | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| electrical | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| mechanical | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| plumbing | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| zoning | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
| fire | City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate |
Permit requirement in Des Moines
It depends on scope. Like-for-like cosmetic work in Des Moines is often exempt, but a permit is required as soon as you change structure, plumbing, electrical or the building envelope.
- Permitting authority
- City of Des Moines building departmentModeled estimate
- Permit fee
- Estimated allowance $145–$590Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.
Inspections
- Rough plumbing
- Shower pan water test
- Final inspection
Local conditions that change this job
Only the exposures that materially affect bathroom remodel.
Humidity
High62/100
Deep frost line and derecho wind history change footing depth and roofing decisions relative to milder Midwest markets.
Owner-occupied homes
58%
Owner-occupied share of the housing stock, which drives how much of this work is homeowner-funded versus landlord-funded.
Households in market
85,653
Approximate household count in Des Moines, used to size the contractor pool for this trade.
Permit activity index
x0.98
Relative permit volume and fee load versus the national baseline.
Nearby market comparison
| Market | Local factor | Median | Per bathroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines (this page) | x0.969 | $17,900 | $8,700 – $40,700 |
| Omaha | x0.959 | $17,700 | $8,650 – $40,300 |
| Minneapolis | x1.147 | $21,200 | $10,300 – $48,150 |
| Kansas City | x0.988 | $18,300 | $8,900 – $41,500 |
What Des Moines homeowners actually paid
Real reported invoices from this market, aggregated. Add yours — it takes 20 seconds and no personal details.
Quotes homeowners were given in Des Moines
Quotes run ahead of final invoices. Reporting yours shows the local spread and where there is room to negotiate.
How Hometriva estimates Des Moines bathroom costs
Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Des Moines estimate for bathroom remodel is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:
- National baseline$18,500
Typical U.S. cost for bathroom remodel on a single-family home.
- Local labor factorx0.948
Des Moines-area trade labor rates, weighted at 50% of this job.
- Material factorx0.978
Material and delivery pricing into Polk County, weighted at 50%.
- Regulatory factorx1.029
Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 20% for this project type.
- Applied multiplierx0.969
Blended Des Moines adjustment specific to bathroom remodel.
- Permit component$145 – $590
Budgeted separately from the contract price because it is paid to the jurisdiction.
Because labor, material and regulatory factors are weighted per project, bathroom remodel in Des Moines carries a different local adjustment than other trades in the same market.
Reviewed by
Hometriva Cost Data Desk
Maintains the unit-cost baselines, local adjustment factors and material pricing. Reviewed for bathroom remodel pricing in Des Moines, IA.
- • National unit-cost baselines against current trade pricing
- • Local labor and materials factors for the market
- • Material installed-cost ranges and service life
Last reviewed August 2026 · Editorial standards · Report an error
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel?
Replacing a vanity, toilet or fixtures in the same location is usually permit-exempt. Rebuilding a shower pan, moving drain lines or adding circuits requires a plumbing or building permit and inspection.
Sources
Sources & verification
- City of Des Moines building department
- Des Moines permit portal
- Iowa Department of Public Safety
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Last verified August 2026. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing — they are not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.