A bathroom remodel is one of the highest return home projects you can take on, and also one of the easiest to underestimate. In St. Petersburg, the expensive bathroom problems are usually the ones you cannot see yet: cast iron drains closing up inside the slab, old plumbing behind tile, moisture damage, shower pan failures, and flood zone rules that can change the scope of the project. This page lays out the real numbers for the St. Petersburg market in 2026, walks through the city permit process step by step, and explains how CMK Construction handles a remodel from the first conversation to the final walk through.
CMK is a state certified general contractor (CGC 1516665) and a state certified plumbing contractor (CFC 1430533). We also hold a registered electrical license (ER 13016498), which matters in bathroom remodeling because plumbing, waterproofing, ventilation, lighting, and electrical work all have to be coordinated correctly.
What a Bathroom Remodel Costs in St. Petersburg
Pricing moves with one main factor: are you updating the room within its existing layout, or are you changing the footprint and moving plumbing. Everything else, tile selection, fixtures, glass, and the condition of what we find behind the walls, adjusts the number from there. The ranges below reflect complete, professionally installed and permitted remodels in the St. Petersburg market in 2026. They are planning ranges, not quotes. For a full line by line breakdown across Tampa Bay, see our bathroom remodel cost guide, or request an in home consultation for an exact figure on your home.
| Project type | Typical St. Petersburg range (2026) | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Functional update, existing layout | $20,000 to $35,000 | New vanity, toilet, tub or shower in the same location, new tile, lighting, paint, and fixtures. No plumbing relocation. |
| Mid range full remodel | $30,000 to $50,000 | Full tear out, stone top vanity, tiled shower or tub surround, updated lighting and ventilation, quality fixtures, full waterproofing. |
| Primary bath with layout changes | $50,000 to $75,000 | Relocated fixtures, walk in shower with frameless glass, double vanity, larger format tile, and higher end finishes. |
| Large or extensively customized | $75,000 and up | Significant structural or layout work, custom millwork, and the highest finish levels. Waterfront and historic homes often land here. |
What Drives the Price Up or Down
A few line items account for most of the swing between a budget and a higher estimate:
- Moving plumbing. Relocating a toilet, shower drain, or vanity typically adds about $2,000 to $5,000 before you choose a single tile, because it means opening the slab and rerouting lines.
- Tile quantity and type. Tile is almost always the largest single line item. Running it floor to ceiling in the shower, across the floor, and around a tub surround is a lot of precise, slow work. Material alone ranges from a few dollars per square foot for ceramic to far more for stone.
- Walk in shower conversions. Converting a tub to a curbless or walk in shower commonly runs about $4,000 to $12,000 depending on size, glass, and tile. See our tub to shower conversions.
- What we find behind the walls. More on this below. In older St. Petersburg homes it is the single biggest source of surprise cost.
- Permits and inspections. A bathroom permit across Pinellas County generally runs about $300 to $800 depending on scope.
The Older Home Factor in St. Petersburg
Many St. Petersburg homes, especially in Old Northeast, Historic Kenwood, Snell Isle, and Shore Acres, were built before the 1970s and still have original cast iron drain lines. Cast iron corrodes from the inside out, so a pipe can look fine and be nearly closed internally. When a remodel uncovers failed cast iron, replacing it can add roughly $10,000 to $20,000, which is why we recommend running a camera down the drain lines before you commit to a budget. Knowing what is in the walls up front is the cheapest insurance in bathroom remodeling, and it keeps your project off the path of mid job change orders.
A note on resale. Bathroom remodels in the St. Petersburg market generally return somewhere around 50 to 70 percent of their cost at resale, among the strongest of any home improvement. The larger payoff, though, is daily use. You are in this room every single day, so it is worth designing for how you actually live rather than for a hypothetical future buyer.
Permits for a Bathroom Remodel in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg regulates remodeling through the Construction Services and Permitting Division of the Planning and Economic Development Department. Applications are submitted online through the city ePlan system, and work must meet the current Florida Building Code. Here is how it applies to a bathroom.
When a Permit Is Required
Cosmetic work that stays in place, new paint, a new vanity that reuses the existing connections, or replacing a fixture in its current location without rearranging valves or pipes, generally does not require a permit. The moment a remodel touches the systems, it does. Under the city rules, any rearrangement of valves, pipes, or fixtures requires a plumbing permit, and replacing or installing a water heater always requires one. Most true bathroom remodels, anything involving a new shower pan, moved plumbing, or new electrical circuits, will require permits and inspections. A bathroom remodel also triggers a shower pan inspection, which verifies the waterproofing before tile goes down.
The St. Petersburg Process at a Glance
- Plans and the application are submitted through the city ePlan system.
- The Construction Services and Permitting Division reviews for code compliance.
- Contractor license status is verified through the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board.
- Once issued, the permit must be posted on site and inspections are scheduled at each stage, including the shower pan inspection before tile.
- Final inspection closes out the permit.
City review currently takes around three to five weeks before work can begin, which is why we start the permit process early and lock in your tile and fixture selections during that window so nothing stalls construction later.
Flood Zones and the Substantial Improvement Rule
This is the rule most St. Petersburg homeowners have never heard of and most need to know. If your home is in a FEMA flood hazard area, federal and local rules say that when the cost of improvements reaches 50 percent or more of the structure market value, the entire structure may have to be brought up to current flood standards, which can be far more involved and expensive than the bathroom itself. Many St. Petersburg projects are deliberately scoped to stay under that threshold. After the 2024 storm season, this matters more than ever for homes near the water in neighborhoods like Shore Acres and along the coast. The threshold is property specific and tied to your home assessed value and flood zone, so it should always be confirmed with the city for your exact address. We help homeowners scope projects with this rule in mind so there are no surprises.
Why licensing is not just paperwork. In Florida, a licensed contractor can pull the permit and take responsibility for the work. Homeowners may have limited owner builder options, but that puts the responsibility on the homeowner. With CMK, the permit is pulled under our licensed team, inspections are scheduled properly, and the project has a documented record of code compliant work.
Why St. Petersburg Homeowners Choose CMK
CMK has remodeled Tampa Bay homes since 2004, and bathroom remodeling is core work, not a sideline. A few things set the experience apart:
- In house licensed trades. We are a state certified general contractor and a state certified plumbing contractor, with a registered electrical license as well. The plumbing and electrical that make a bathroom complicated are handled by our own crews, which means tighter schedules and accountability that stays in one place.
- Waterproofing done right. We build showers on the Schluter waterproofing system, a full membrane behind the tile that is built for Florida humidity and protects the work for the long term.
- A true design build process. Design and construction live under one roof, so the plan you approve is the plan that gets built, by the people who created it.
- A track record you can check. More than 7,136 projects, a 4.8 Google rating across 400 plus reviews, and six straight Tampa Bay Times Best of the Best awards.
Once you move forward with your project, you work one on one with an accredited designer and select your finishes in our 4,000 square foot Design Studio, where you can see and feel full size tile, cabinetry, quartz, and fixtures in person rather than guessing from small samples. It is one of the parts of the process clients tell us they value most.
What CMK Bathroom Clients Say
After meeting with salesman and estimator John Muir, we hired CMK to completely remodel our master bathroom. CMK does an excellent job of communicating with you during all phases of the project. Our Project Manager, Davis, was always available and kept us apprised of the time different workers would be out to work on our project. Our project took a little under a month from demolition to final clean up. While CMK may not be the lowest bid you receive, I can assure you they will do the best work. I would highly recommend CMK Construction.
My husband and I had our Owner’s Suite bathroom remodeled over the past 5 weeks and are thrilled with CMK and the work performed under the direction of CMK’s Project Manager Barry. He estimated 6 to 8 weeks but our project was completed in just under 6 weeks. He made sure to tell us when to expect their electrician, plumber, cabinet installers, and tile layers, and they always showed up on time and were very courteous. They laid construction paper down on the floors to prevent any damage and cleaned up after each job was completed.
CMK did a fantastic job with our master bathroom. Our sales person Chris was crystal clear on what would happen and it did. The design session was fun choosing all the products to update our bathroom. Construction started and was on time, our project manager was here 2 to 3 times a week. We are thrilled with the price and the results, we couldn’t be happier.
Read more CMK Construction reviews from Tampa Bay homeowners.
FAQ
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in St. Petersburg?
For a complete, permitted remodel in 2026, most St. Petersburg projects fall between roughly $20,000 and $75,000, and larger or more customized projects go higher. A functional update that keeps the existing layout tends to land in the $20,000 to $35,000 range, a mid range full remodel runs about $30,000 to $50,000, and a primary bath that involves moving plumbing and adding a walk in shower with frameless glass commonly runs $50,000 to $75,000. The biggest single variable is whether you keep the existing footprint or move fixtures, since relocating plumbing typically adds $2,000 to $5,000 on its own. Tile choices, glass, and the condition of the existing plumbing then move the number from there. The only way to get an accurate figure is an in home consultation where we can see the space and your existing systems.
Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom in St. Petersburg?
In most cases, yes. Purely cosmetic work, paint, or swapping a vanity without touching the plumbing connections generally does not require a permit. But as soon as you rearrange valves, pipes, or fixtures, add a shower pan, replace a water heater, or add electrical circuits, the city requires a permit and inspections. Since a real bathroom remodel almost always involves at least one of those, you should plan on permits. CMK prepares and submits the plans through the city ePlan system, pulls the permit under our own license, schedules every inspection including the shower pan inspection before tile, and closes the permit out at the end. That paper trail is what protects you at resale and with your insurer.
How long does the St. Petersburg permit process take?
City review currently takes around three to five weeks before construction can begin, though it varies with the season and the scope of the project. We treat that window as productive time rather than dead time. While the permit is in review, we finalize your design and lock in your tile and fixture selections, so that the day the permit is issued we are ready to start and there are no mid project delays waiting on materials or decisions.
My home is in a flood zone. Does that change anything?
It can, and it is worth understanding before you set a budget. If your home is in a FEMA flood hazard area, there is a federal and local rule, often called the substantial improvement or 50 percent rule, that says when the cost of improvements reaches half or more of your structure market value, the whole structure may have to be brought up to current flood standards. That can be a much larger undertaking than the bathroom alone. This is top of mind for many homeowners near the water in areas like Shore Acres and along the coast. The threshold depends on your specific property value and flood zone, so it always needs to be confirmed with the city for your address.
How long does a bathroom remodel take from start to finish?
Once construction begins, a typical bathroom remodel runs a few weeks, with primary baths and projects that involve moving plumbing or significant tile work taking longer. Between design, finish selection, and the city permit review of roughly three to five weeks, the planning phase often takes longer than the build itself. We give you a realistic schedule up front that includes all of it, not just the construction window. Older homes can add time if we uncover failed plumbing or subfloor issues during demolition, which is another reason we recommend scoping the pipes before we begin.
Do I need to move out during the remodel?
For most single bathroom projects, no, as long as you have another working bathroom in the home. We seal off the work area to control dust, protect your floors and walkways, and keep the rest of your home livable. If we are remodeling the only bathroom in the house, we will talk through the timeline with you in advance so you can plan around the days when the room is offline.
What makes remodeling an older St. Petersburg home different?
St. Petersburg has a lot of beautiful older housing stock, and with it comes original cast iron drain lines, outdated wiring, and the occasional subfloor surprise. Cast iron corrodes from the inside, so a pipe can look intact and be nearly closed. When that turns up during a remodel, replacing the drain lines can add roughly $10,000 to $20,000. We almost always recommend running a camera down the drains before finalizing a budget so we can show you exactly what we are dealing with and price it honestly up front, rather than hitting you with a change order once the walls are open.
Can you convert my tub into a walk in shower?
Yes, tub to shower conversions are one of the most requested projects we do, both for the modern look and for easier, safer accessibility. Depending on the size of the space, the glass you choose, and the tile complexity, a conversion commonly runs about $4,000 to $12,000 as part of a larger remodel. We build the new shower on a full waterproofing system and can design it with features like a curbless entry, a built in bench, niches, and a linear drain.
Do you handle the plumbing and electrical yourselves?
Yes, and it is one of the most important differences between CMK and a general contractor who subcontracts everything. We are a state certified plumbing contractor (CFC 1430533) in addition to being a state certified general contractor (CGC 1516665), and we hold a registered electrical license (ER 13016498). Keeping it in house means tighter scheduling, fewer hand offs between companies, and one team that is accountable for the whole result.
What waterproofing system do you use?
We build showers on the Schluter waterproofing system. In a humid climate like St. Petersburg, the waterproofing behind the tile is the part of the job you never see but absolutely cannot cut corners on. A proper membrane system protects the wall and subfloor from moisture for the long haul, which is what keeps a beautiful shower from becoming a hidden mold and rot problem a few years down the road.
What areas do you serve around St. Petersburg?
We serve St. Petersburg and the surrounding Pinellas County communities, including nearby Clearwater, along with the wider Tampa Bay area we have worked in since 2004. Because our general contractor and plumbing licenses are state certified, we are licensed to work throughout the region, including the historic and waterfront neighborhoods of St. Petersburg.
What is the first step to getting started?
The first step is a no obligation in home consultation. We come to you, look at the space and your existing systems, talk through what you want to accomplish and your budget, and give you a clear, honest estimate based on what your specific project actually involves. If you decide to move forward, that is when the design process begins in earnest, including working with an accredited designer and selecting your finishes in our Design Studio.
