A real to-the-studs bathroom remodel takes about 10 to 14 days and costs $18,000 to $50,000. A one-day remodel is faster and cheaper at roughly $4,000 to $9,000, but it covers your old surfaces with acrylic instead of fixing what is behind them. CraftLine is a licensed design build contractor and we build bathrooms the right way, on a 10-day schedule.
One-Day vs 10-Day vs Full Remodel
| Approach | What Happens | Tampa Bay Price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-day liner | Acrylic liner and walls over existing surfaces, no flooring or vanity | $4,000 to $9,000 | 1 to 2 days |
| CraftLine 10-day | To-the-studs rebuild of the wet area, real tile and waterproofing | $18,000 to $35,000 | 10 to 14 days |
| Full remodel | New layout, vanity, flooring, and fixtures | $30,000 to $50,000+ | 2 to 3 weeks |
See the full tier breakdown in our Tampa bathroom cost guide or estimate your bathroom in the free calculator.
The Problem With One-Day Remodels
A one-day remodel installs a custom-fit acrylic liner over your existing tub and walls. It looks new the day it is done. The issue is what it hides. An overlay cannot fix a soft subfloor, a rotted wall, or a failing moisture barrier, the exact problems older Florida bathrooms tend to have. Acrylic liners typically last 5 to 15 years, and the seams and joints are weak points where water gets in and damage spreads silently behind the liner.
- Seams and joints let water get behind the liner over time
- It cannot fix a spongy floor, hidden rot, or a bad moisture barrier
- Liners crack, lift, or discolor in 5 to 15 years
- Not every tub can be lined, and a musty smell means you need a real remodel
Why 10 Days Is the Honest Number in Tampa Bay
Florida humidity and decades-old plumbing make subfloor and moisture issues common in St. Petersburg, Gulfport, and South Tampa bathrooms. A 10-day to-the-studs build is the only way to open the wall, replace the moisture barrier, fix any rot, and waterproof correctly before new tile goes in. That is the difference between a bathroom that looks fixed and one that is fixed. Both Hillsborough and Pinellas require permits for this work, which also means an inspector verifies the waterproofing, something a one-day overlay skips.
What Happens on Each of the 10 Days
The companies selling one-day baths are right about one thing: nobody enjoys losing a bathroom for two weeks. So here is exactly where those days go, and why none of them are padding.
| Day | Work | Why it cannot be skipped |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Protection, demo to the studs, haul off | You cannot inspect what you cannot see |
| 2 | Subfloor and framing repair | Soft plywood and rotted bottom plates show up here, not before |
| 3 | Rough plumbing, drain and supply | Slab cuts and drain moves happen while the floor is open |
| 4 | Rough electrical, lighting, exhaust fan, GFCI | Older Florida baths are usually under-vented and under-circuited |
| 5 | County rough inspection | An inspector signs off before anything gets covered |
| 6 | Backer board, shower pan, waterproof membrane | This is the layer that decides whether the bathroom lasts |
| 7 and 8 | Tile the floor, walls, and shower | Thinset and large-format tile need real set time |
| 9 | Grout, seal, set vanity, top, toilet, and fixtures | Grout needs to cure before water hits it |
| 10 | Glass, trim, paint touch-up, final inspection, walkthrough | Frameless glass is measured after tile, not before |
Two of those ten days belong to the county, not to us. Custom glass, a special-order vanity, or a drain relocation under a slab pushes the schedule to 12 or 14 days. That is the honest range.
Where the Money Goes in a Real Bathroom Build
A liner job is cheap because it skips most of this list. Not because anyone found a smarter way to build a bathroom.
| Line item | Typical Tampa Bay cost |
|---|---|
| Demolition and debris removal | $800 to $1,500 |
| Plumbing installation and modifications | $2,000 to $5,000 |
| Electrical, lighting, and ventilation | $1,500 to $3,500 |
| Tile installation, floors and walls | $3,000 to $8,000 |
| Shower waterproofing, per sq ft of surface | $15 to $25 |
| Vanity and countertop installation | $500 to $1,200 |
| Fixture installation, toilet, shower, tub | $800 to $2,000 |
| Painting and finishing | $600 to $1,200 |
| Final cleanup and detailing | $300 to $600 |
Labor is 40 to 50 percent of a bathroom budget, which is why the one-day model works financially. Cut the labor to a single crew for a single day and the price drops. What drops with it is every step between demo and finish. Full tier by tier numbers are in our Tampa bathroom cost guide.
What We Find Behind Tampa Bay Bathroom Walls
Demo day is when a bathroom tells the truth. In pre-1960 South Tampa and St. Petersburg homes, the common finds are cast iron drain lines with rusted-through hubs, galvanized supply that has narrowed to a pencil-width opening, and a wet bottom plate under the old tub apron. In 1960s and 1970s Pinellas block ranches it is usually the shower pan, an old lead or hot-mopped pan that has been leaking slowly into the slab for years. In 1990s and 2000s slab homes across Brandon, Riverview, and Wesley Chapel the framing is fine and the problem is ventilation, a builder-grade 50 CFM fan vented into the attic instead of through the roof, which is how a Florida bathroom grows mold above the ceiling.
None of that is visible from the outside, and none of it is fixable under an acrylic liner. That is the whole argument. A liner is a finish, and the problems in older Florida bathrooms are structural and mechanical. For what those hidden problems cost once a liner has been over them for a few years, read our one-day bathroom remodel problems guide, which prices the overlay and the permitted rebuild side by side.
Permits differ by address too. Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, and Pinellas County each run their own building department, and a remodel that moves a drain or adds a circuit is permitted and inspected in all three. We pull the permit for your address and schedule the inspections as part of the job. See the tier comparison in our bathroom remodel ideas guide or price yours in the free calculator.
What Homeowners Say
CraftLine Remodeling holds a 5.0 rating across 93 Google reviews. We are a licensed and insured Tampa Bay contractor and a NARI Tampa Bay member. You can see real before and after work on our Tampa Bay project showcase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a one-day bathroom remodel worth it?
Only if your bathroom is structurally sound and you just want a quick cosmetic update. If there is any hidden water damage, soft floor, or old plumbing, a one-day liner covers the problem instead of fixing it.
Why does a real bathroom remodel take 10 days?
A to-the-studs remodel has to demo, repair the subfloor and framing, install a moisture barrier, set the pan, waterproof, tile, and cure. Rushing that is how leaks and rot start. Ten to fourteen days is the honest schedule.
How much does a full bathroom remodel cost in Tampa?
A 10-day to-the-studs remodel runs $18,000 to $35,000. A full remodel with a new layout, vanity, and flooring runs $30,000 to $50,000 or more.
Do one-day remodels pass Florida permit inspections?
A true to-the-studs remodel is permitted and inspected in Hillsborough and Pinellas, so an inspector checks the waterproofing. Many one-day overlay jobs are sold as cosmetic and skip that verification, which is a real risk in humid Florida homes.
What happens if you find rot behind the wall?
We stop, photograph it, and price the repair before we continue. Subfloor and framing repair is day two of the schedule for exactly this reason. On a liner job that damage stays where it is, sealed behind new acrylic.
Can you finish faster than 10 days?
Not honestly. Two of the ten days are county inspections we do not control, and mortar, waterproofing, and grout each need cure time. Anyone compressing that is skipping a step or covering wet material.
Can I use the rest of my house during the build?
Yes. We isolate the bathroom, protect the path in and out, and haul debris daily. Most clients stay in the home the entire time as long as there is a second bathroom.
Get a Real Number on Your Project
Want a fixed price for your own home? Schedule a free quote or call (813) 522-4359. CraftLine is a licensed design build contractor serving Tampa, St. Petersburg, Brandon, and the rest of Tampa Bay.