Moving Plumbing
The single decision that most changes the price.
Cost to move a shower 3 to 6 ft on a joist floor
Moving a shower 3 to 6 ft on a wood floor over joists
$700 – $2,500
about $1,600 typical · this is the ADDER, on top of the fixture and the finishes
| Cost to move it | $700 – $2,500 |
|---|---|
| Same move on a wood floor, short distancethe cheapest version of this move, for comparison | $500 – $1,750 |
| Fixturea 2″ drain with slope, plus the valve body inside the wall | a shower |
| Floorthe pipe runs in the joist bay; access from below decides how easy | a wood floor over joists |
| Distancelikely crosses a joist — headers or a re-route | 3 to 6 ft |
| Multiplier against the base | 1× |
Notes
- This is an adder, not a price for the work. It is what moving the fixture costs on top of the fixture itself, the tiling, the waterproofing and the finishes. A layout change that moves three fixtures stacks three of these.
- Moving a shower is one of the cheaper changes, because the drain is small and the slope requirement is easier to satisfy over a short run. If the layout has to change, moving this rather than the toilet is where the money is.
- Joist floors are the easy case, and access decides how easy. An unfinished basement below means the plumber works from underneath and the bathroom floor barely gets touched. A finished ceiling below means opening it and closing it again, which is drywall, paint and another trade.
- At 3 to 6 ft the run usually stays simple, which is why this is the version of the change worth designing toward.
- Keeping the layout is the single biggest saving in a bathroom remodel. New fixtures in the existing positions, with new tile and a new vanity, produces most of the visible change for a fraction of the plumbing cost. It is worth pricing both versions before falling in love with a drawing.
- Ask what happens if the existing drain is cast iron. Older houses often are, and cutting into it means transition couplings and frequently discovering the rest of the line is worse than expected. That is the most common mid-job surprise on this work.
Cost to move a bathroom fixture
24 calculations · browse all
- Cost to move a vanity under 3 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a vanity under 3 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a vanity 3 to 6 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a vanity 3 to 6 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a vanity over 6 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a vanity over 6 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a shower under 3 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a shower under 3 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a shower 3 to 6 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a shower 3 to 6 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a shower over 6 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a shower over 6 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a bathtub under 3 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a bathtub under 3 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a bathtub 3 to 6 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a bathtub 3 to 6 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a bathtub over 6 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a bathtub over 6 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a toilet under 3 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a toilet under 3 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a toilet 3 to 6 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a toilet 3 to 6 ft on a concrete slab
- Cost to move a toilet over 6 ft on a joist floor
- Cost to move a toilet over 6 ft on a concrete slab