Bathroom Reno Quotes: How to Price Jobs the Smart Way

Most bathroom remodelers don’t lose work because of pricing - they lose it because of confusion. Vague quotes, incomplete scopes, or missing items open the door for mistrust.
Clients don’t just want a number, they want to know exactly what they’re paying for, what’s included, and what’s not.

It’s not always about being the cheapest. More often, it’s about being the most transparent. Bathroom renos are emotional projects, clients are investing in something personal, functional, and visible. When your quote is hard to read or leaves room for surprises, it makes them nervous.
A clear, professional quote gives you authority and it sets the tone for the entire job.
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Stop guessing: Use a standardised quoting formula

Every contractor has their own style, but the best remodelers use a consistent pricing formula for every quote.

Materials + Labour + Overheads + Margin = Quote.

Simple, but powerful. Break it down, line by line. 

If you’re quoting “by feel” or constantly adjusting prices per client, you’ll eventually underquote and bleed profit. 

Create a repeatable structure so you’re not recalculating everything from scratch each time. This protects your margins and saves you hours. Apply it to every job, whether it’s a budget revamp or a luxury ensuite build.
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Bathroom-specific pitfalls that can wreck your profit

Pricing bathrooms like you’d price other rooms is a fast track to underquoting.

Think about it: you’ve got multiple trades (plumber, tiler, electrician) often working in a 2x2m space.
That means slower progress, careful sequencing, and high precision - all of which affect labour time. Make sure your quote reflects that. Include extra time for waterproofing inspection delays or tile layout adjustments. 

Always include a line item for demolition, debris removal, and surface prep. These can vary wildly depending on the age and condition of the existing bathroom.
‍And don’t forget access - tight hallways or upper floors = more labour.
‍These are small oversights that kill margin.

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Give clients options, but set the boundaries clearly

Offer clients two to three levels of finish - budget, standard, and premium, but keep the scope tight on each. Present multiple options with clear differences in finish, fixtures, or layout. That way, you’re not stuck adjusting one quote five times. Don’t let quotes become open-ended “maybe” lists.

Clients love choice, but they need structure. This also lets you upsell without pressure - "Here’s what’s included, and here’s what you can upgrade to.”
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Build contingency into every bathroom quote - Period

Bathroom remodels are notorious for unexpected issues behind walls and under tiles. No matter how good your site visit is, surprises happen, especially in older bathrooms. Hidden leaks, rotted subfloors, non-compliant plumbing.

That’s why every quote needs a built-in contingency line, usually 10–15%. Be upfront about it. Explain it’s there to cover unknowns, not extra profit. Clients respect transparency and it gives you breathing room when things go sideways.
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Know your labour costs cold (and track them like a hawk)

Labour is the biggest variable and arguably the biggest risk in any quote. You can’t quote profitably if you don’t know what your labour actually costs. That means understanding how long each part of the job really takes and what you’re paying per hour, including travel, setup, breaks, and admin.
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Tracking this over time helps you quote smarter. Don’t guess that tiling takes 2 days if it always takes 3. That extra day is your margin, gone. Always keep a record of install times across previous jobs. That way you can draw accurate estimates and stop undercharging. 

Bonus: when your team starts logging hours per task, your future quotes become razor-sharp.

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Organise your pricing info once, use it forever

If you’re rewriting every quote from scratch, you’re burning time and setting yourself up for inconsistencies. Build a price book with your typical jobs - vanity installs, shower waterproofing, tile labour, lighting upgrades. Keep costs updated and apply them as needed. It turns quoting from a creative process into a business system.

Over time, you’ll build predictable, repeatable margins into your quotes. This also helps when training junior estimators or offloading quoting work later on.
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Make it easy to turn a quote into a job

Your quote shouldn’t just win the job, it should launch it. Include everything your team needs to start: specs, supplier lists, drawings if needed. The faster you go from quote to job card to schedule, the less time you spend doubling back. This is where systems come in handy - tools like MotionOps let you flow from quote to schedule to site plan without missing a beat. ‍

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Quoting is where profit is made or lost. If you’re still adjusting numbers on instinct or copying old quotes, you’re leaving money, and control, on the table. Systemising your quoting process means better margins, faster turnarounds, and fewer disputes. 

And if you're ready to simplify the quoting-to-job handover? 

Book a demo - we’ll show you how other remodelers are already doing it.

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