Bathroom Remodeling in Media, PA

What Media borough bathroom remodels actually cost

Bids for a project like this land all over the map — and the lowest one is usually the one that climbs the most once the walls come down. We’d rather hand you the honest range up front.

Tier	Range	Typical Media project
Bath Refresh	$25,000 – $40,000	Powder room or basic hall bath refresh
Full Bath Remodel	$35,000 – $65,000	Borough hall bath with tub-to-shower and replumb
Primary / Master Bath	$50,000 – $90,000+	Borough primary suite with replumbing and footprint expansion

Two dials set the price: scope and finish — and they move independently. Scope is how much work and how big the project is — a bath refresh updates surfaces and fixtures in place; a full bath remodel rebuilds within the room, often converting a tub to a walk-in shower; a primary suite is the biggest by nature, expanding the footprint and replumbing. Some of that is locked in — a primary bath is always the largest room — but finish is the separate dial: a refresh can still get Brizo or Waterworks fixtures, while a full primary suite can stay measured with Delta fixtures and a Tribeca vanity. Every shower, at any tier, is built on a fully-bonded Schluter KERDI, Wedi, or RedGard system. We’ll install whatever you spec — the brands below are simply the lines we reach for most.

Media pre-1940 borough bathrooms typically land in the upper end of the published ranges because of the replumbing, subfloor work, and structural realities of expanding the footprint. The Primary Bath tier doesn’t carry a hard ceiling — fully custom primary suites with millwork integration, premium fixtures, and footprint expansion regularly exceed $90K.

Aging-in-place additions are common in Media primary baths. Curbless showers, grab bars (designed to look like towel bars), comfort-height fixtures. Adds $3K–$8K at any tier.

Where we source for Media bathroom projects

• Plumbing fixtures: Ferguson (Delaware) — Wilmington, DE showrooms available
• Tile and stone: The Tile Shop (Wilmington, DE)
• Flooring: Avalon Flooring (Wilmington, DE)
• Appliances: Gerhard’s Appliances (Malvern)

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Media?

Media bathroom remodels run $25,000 to $90,000+ depending on scope. A hall-bath refresh starts around $25K–$40K; a full borough hall bath with a tub-to-shower conversion and replumb runs $35K–$65K; a primary suite with full replumbing, footprint expansion, frameless shower, and freestanding tub runs $50K–$90K+, and fully custom suites go beyond that. Media projects tend to land at the upper end of each tier because the cast-iron-and-galvanized replumb and subfloor work pre-1940 borough homes need adds real cost. The free cost guide above breaks every tier down line by line.

How long does a Media borough primary bath remodel take?

Most Media primary-bath remodels run 5–7 weeks of active construction once tile and fixtures are on site. The full timeline from first call to final walkthrough is typically 2.5–4 months, because a pre-1940 borough home adds steps a newer home doesn’t — selective demo around plaster, cast-iron-and-galvanized replumb, subfloor leveling, plaster ceiling restoration below, and Media Borough inspections between phases. We give you a hard date at proposal and update it weekly in the JobTread portal so you’re never guessing where the project stands.

What’s included in your fixed-price quote?

Everything we can see at signing: design, all materials (tile, vanity, fixtures, hardware), all labor and trade partners (plumbing through our plumber, electrical through our electrician, tile, finish carpentry), permits, inspections, dumpster, project management, and the final walkthrough. The known old-house work — cast-iron-and-galvanized replumb, subfloor reinforcement, plaster ceiling repair below — is priced in, not left as an allowance that balloons mid-project. The only thing that changes the number is scope you choose to add after signing, documented and approved by you in writing first.

What happens when you open a wall in a 1920s Media home?

In a pre-1940 Media stone twin or rowhome we almost always find something — corroded cast-iron waste lines, galvanized supply, knob-and-tube wiring, an out-of-level or under-built subfloor, or old water damage under the tub. None of it surprises us; it’s why these projects take real expertise to run. We document whatever we find, photograph it, price the fix, and get your written approval before proceeding. No silent change orders.

Can you expand my primary bath into the adjacent closet or bedroom?

Yes — it’s the single most common Media primary-bath ask. Original borough primary baths run 40–60 sq ft, which won’t fit a double vanity, walk-in shower, and freestanding tub. Absorbing an adjacent closet, small bedroom, or hall section is usually feasible; we bring in a Pennsylvania-registered structural engineer when a load path is involved. Adding 30–60 sq ft typically adds $15K–$30K depending on whether we’re moving a load-bearing wall and relocating plumbing.

Should I keep the old tub, or convert to a walk-in shower?

Honestly, most Media homeowners convert. The original built-in tubs and the jetted tubs added in 80s and 90s renovations rarely get used, and they eat space a frameless walk-in shower would use far better. If you genuinely take baths, we’ll design in a freestanding soaker instead — easier to clean and a better fit for a period borough home. If you don’t, converting almost always improves daily use and resale. We give you our honest read for your specific room, not a default upsell.

Do you have to replace the cast-iron drains?

Often, yes. On pre-1940 Media homes the original cast-iron waste lines and galvanized supply are usually partially corroded — restricted flow and the occasional pinhole leak. Well-maintained cast iron can last another 50 years, so we replace when the home shows corrosion signs or when the new layout requires drain runs the existing system can’t accommodate. If we’re already opening the floor for a footprint change or a freestanding tub, replacing them while access is open is far cheaper than coming back later. On a typical primary-bath replumb, budget $3K–$6K. We scope and price it before signing — never as a surprise change order.

Will the remodel damage the plaster ceiling in the room below?

Plan on some plaster ceiling restoration below — it’s nearly unavoidable when you replumb a second-floor Media bath, since the original bath usually sits directly above the kitchen and the plumbing is reached from below. We include it in scope from the start rather than treating it as a surprise. Where the ceiling is historic or has decorative plaster, we restore it properly rather than just drywalling over it, and we tell you up front which approach your specific room calls for and what it costs.

Can you do aging-in-place modifications without it looking institutional?

Yes — and that’s the case for doing it during the remodel instead of bolting it on later. A curbless walk-in shower, blocking in the walls for future grab bars, a comfort-height toilet, and a bench detail all integrate cleanly when planned from the start. Built in at the framing stage it adds roughly $3K–$8K, and done right you’d never read it as “aging-in-place” — it just looks like a well-designed bathroom that happens to work at any age.

What does Media Borough permitting cost for a bath project?

Permit fees through Media Borough typically run 1–2% of contract value. On an $80,000 primary bath, expect roughly $800–$1,600. We pull every required permit, schedule the inspections around the production schedule, and show the permit cost as a transparent line item on the proposal — it’s never buried in markup or sprung on you mid-project.

Do I need to hire my own designer?

No separate designer needed — we’re design-build, so the team that designs your Media bath is the team that builds it; nothing gets drawn that we can’t build for the price quoted.

How will you communicate with me during construction?

During construction you get one point of contact (Alex or your project manager) who answers calls and texts, weekly progress updates, and a heads-up before anything becomes a problem, plus the live JobTread portal showing schedule, budget, and invoices. On a 100-year-old borough home, that communication is the difference between a manageable project and a stressful one.

Do you also do kitchen remodels in Media?

Yes — see Media kitchen remodeling for pre-1940 borough kitchen scope, Media Borough permitting, and recent Media kitchen projects. See everything we do in Media.