Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable Bathroom Remodeling Across San Jose
A full bathroom remodel in San Jose typically runs $10,620 – $33,040, and most projects take three to six weeks depending on whether you’re moving plumbing, replacing a tub, or working around an existing concrete slab. We give you a written price before we pull a single permit, and a 365-day guarantee in writing before the first tile is set. If you’re weighing whether to remodel or move, call (669) 274-2362 and ask for Trevor Nash. He’ll walk you through what’s realistic for your house and your budget.
We’ve scoped bathrooms in Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, the East Foothills, and dozens of San Jose neighborhoods in between. What we’ve learned is that no two houses here are the same, even when they look identical from the curb. A 1962 ranch off Meridian has different bones than a 1974 two-story near Evergreen, and both change the way we quote plumbing, electrical, and waterproofing. That’s why our estimates come from knocking on the door and looking under the sink, not from a price-per-square-foot spreadsheet.
One call reach a live person, any hour. Not a voicemail system. Not a callback at some vague point. Call (669) 274-2362 and you’ll get a real human who can talk through your remodel, schedule a walkthrough, and get you a written number.
Why Penhallow Remodeling San Jose Is San Jose’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
San Jose homeowners have been burned before. A contractor who gave a verbal estimate, then changed the number after demo. A crew that showed up for three days, disappeared for two weeks, and left the shower torn out. Or the classic: a remodel that looked fine for six months, then cracked grout and a leaking pan with nobody answering the phone. We know that history because we hear it on nearly every first call. So we run our business to be the opposite of that.
Every project starts with a written price. Not a ballpark, not an estimate range with a wink. A line-item quote that includes the permit path, the drain routing, the waterproofing method, and the fixture allowance. That number doesn’t move unless you change the scope in writing. And every job at our San Jose location carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if something fails inside a year, we come back and fix it at no charge. That promise is backed in writing on every project, along with a free return visit if a repair fails.
Our technicians are background-checked and arrive in uniform. You’ll know who’s in your home, and that person will explain what “cement board substrate” means (it’s the moisture-resistant layer behind your tile) without making you feel clueless for asking. We’re part of the Kingswell family of companies, operating under the Kingswell standard since 2004, and every location is independently owned and operated. That structure matters because it means the people quoting your San Jose remodel are accountable locally, not hiding behind a corporate brand.
Styles & brands we work with
Shower Remodel in San Jose
A Shower Remodel in San Jose usually means replacing a failing enclosure, rebuilding a curb, or converting an awkward neo-angle stall into something you can actually stand up in without hugging the wall. In older San Jose homes, the original shower pan is often a hot-mop over plywood that rotted out years ago, or a fiberglass unit cracked at the corners. We see this constantly in tract homes built between 1955 and 1980. A shower remodel here runs $3,540 – $10,030, and when we rebuild one, we replace the pan, the substrate, and the valve, not just the pretty tile on top.
The Typical Scope
We pull the old pan down to the joists (or to the slab, depending on the house), inspect what’s under it, and replace rotted framing before any tile goes back. That step is non-negotiable. Skipping it is how you get a shower that fails the county’s rough-in inspection, or a pan that leaks through the ceiling below six months after the final walkthrough.
When the Drain Moves
If you’re moving the shower footprint or converting a tub, the drain has to move too. On slab foundation homes, that means cutting concrete. On a raised foundation, it’s easier. Either way, we’ll tell you in the written quote exactly where the drain goes and what the trenching adds. That’s a change order item people on unincorporated San Jose lots often forget to budget for.
Tub to Shower Conversion in San Jose
A Tub to Shower Conversion in San Jose is the most common request we get from homeowners in aging ranch homes who are tired of stepping over a tub wall they never use. It typically costs $4,130 – $11,800. The job involves removing the tub, running a new drain line sized for shower flow, waterproofing to full height, and usually upgrading the valve. In San Jose homes with original galvanized supply lines, we often recommend replacing the exposed supply runs while the wall is open, because you don’t want a 60-year-old pipe hidden behind a new shower wall.
Slab Homes Need Trenching
Most San Jose homes sit on concrete slab foundations. A tub has a 1½-inch drain; a shower needs 2 inches. That difference means we have to break the slab to route the larger line, and we do that after marking existing plumbing so we don’t hit a radiant heat loop or a water line. On the East Foothills and Almaden Valley acreage lots, the drain trench sometimes has to work around a septic line or a shallow footer, and we factor that into the quote before you sign.
When the Panel Can’t Take It
A tub-to-shower conversion doesn’t add electrical load, but if you’re adding a heated floor or a lighted niche at the same time, the math on the panel changes. Homes with original 100-amp panels fail the load calculation fast. We’ll tell you in the quote if a panel upgrade needs to happen first. No surprise electrical line after the walls are open.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Jose
We install materials from brands that stand behind their products the same way we stand behind our work. Cambria quartz is a common choice for shower curbs, benches, and vanity tops in San Jose bathrooms, and it carries its own lifetime warranty alongside ours. We also work with Silestone and Caesarstone for vanities and tub decks, and Wellborn cabinetry for built-ins. Because we order materials direct from trade suppliers, a San Jose customer isn’t waiting three weeks for a special-order part if something arrives damaged or short. We stock common replacement parts locally and can usually turn around a warranty fix within days, not months.
See the difference
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AfterCommon Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in San Jose Homes
- The address isn’t in the City of San Jose. Almaden Valley, the East Foothills, and several pockets around San Jose are unincorporated Santa Clara County. The county requires septic and well setback sign-offs before any bathroom rough-in inspection, even if you’re not touching a wall. We check this before we quote.
- Original galvanized supply lines. Homes built in the 1950s and 1960s in San Jose were plumbed with galvanized steel. After 60 years, the inside diameter is often down to a pencil eraser. When we open a wall for a shower or vanity, we check the supply lines and flag them if they need replacing. It’s cheaper to do it while the wall is open than to re-open it later.
- Slab-on-grade with no subfloor. Since most San Jose ranch homes sit on concrete, there’s no crawlspace for a plumber to reroute a drain. Moving a toilet or shower means cutting the slab, and doing that wrong means a failed county inspection and a re-opened trench. We schedule two inspections: pre-pour and rough-in. Skipping either one is a costly mistake.
- 100-amp panels that can’t handle a modern bathroom. A heated floor, a towel warmer, more lighting, maybe a steam generator – it adds up. Original 100-amp panels fail the load calc, especially in Eichler-inspired homes built in the 1960s. We flag the panel before demo, not after the inspection fails.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in San Jose, CA
A full bathroom remodel in San Jose ranges from $10,620 to $33,040. A small bathroom runs $5,900 – $14,160. A walk-in shower installation is $5,310 – $14,160, and a tub-to-shower conversion is $4,130 – $11,800. Shower replacement sits at $3,540 – $10,030, and a vanity installation runs $945 – $3,540. Here’s the exact breakdown:
| Scope | San Jose Price Range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $10,620 – $33,040 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,900 – $14,160 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $5,310 – $14,160 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $4,130 – $11,800 |
| Shower Replacement | $3,540 – $10,030 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $945 – $3,540 |
What moves the number up or down? Moving plumbing on a slab adds trenching cost. A county septic and well setback review adds time and paperwork if you’re in an unincorporated pocket. Panel upgrades, drain reroutes, waterproofing method, and tile choices all shift the line items. When we quote, we put every one of those in writing. You’ll know what you’re paying and why. Call (669) 274-2362 for a free estimate, and you’ll have a written number before any work starts.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Jose
Our San Jose customers are our priority, and we also take on bathroom remodels in Santa Clara, Cupertino, Mountain View, and Los Gatos. If you live in one of these nearby cities, we’re happy to come take a look. Our Bathroom Remodeling team handles everything from a small shower replacement to a full gut-and-rebuild. And for those inside the city limits, San Jose is where most of our work is.
Serving San Jose, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Jose area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Bathroom Remodeling in San Jose
Yes. Unincorporated pockets around Almaden Valley and the East Foothills fall under Santa Clara County jurisdiction, not the City of San Jose. The county requires septic and well setback sign-offs before any bathroom rough-in inspection, even when the work stays inside the existing footprint. We handle this paperwork for you, but you need to know it exists, because a homeowner who starts without checking jurisdiction finds out the hard way at the first inspection. Call (669) 274-2362 and we’ll verify your address before quoting.
It can fail if the plumber cuts the slab without a proper plan and no pre-pour inspection. A tub drain is 1½ inches; a shower drain is 2 inches. On a concrete slab, that means cutting the floor, routing the larger line, and getting the county to inspect it before concrete goes back. We do this on San Jose slab homes all the time. It’s routine work if it’s done in the right order, and a costly mess if it’s not. Our written quote includes the trenching, the pre-pour inspection, and the drain routing, so there’s no change order when the wall comes open.
Because San Jose’s dry summers and heavy winter rains expose drainage problems, and on acreage lots in Almaden Valley or the East Foothills, a poorly graded swale can send runoff toward the foundation. If we’re already cutting slab for a drain reroute, we check the grading around the exterior at the same time. It’s not a line item we mark up. It’s just something we look at while the crew is already there, because a remodel that fixes a bathroom and leaves water pooling at the footing is not a remodel we want our name on.
Yes, in most cases. If the toilet stays put and you’re only replacing the shower, tub, or vanity, the septic system generally doesn’t care. But Santa Clara County still wants to see a septic clearance letter before rough-in inspection if your address is in an unincorporated pocket. We coordinate that. If you do move the toilet, the setback to the septic tank and drain field gets more complicated, and we’ll tell you before you sign anything.
You cannot cut the slab blind. Radiant heat lines run through the concrete, and hitting one turns a shower remodel into a slab repair and a dead heating zone. Before we trench for a drain, we map the heat lines with the original plans or a thermal scan. That’s the difference between a clean walk-in shower install and a house with half a cold floor. We also confirm the panel has room for the shower’s electrical load if you’re adding heated flooring on top of the existing radiant system. That’s a real consideration in San Jose’s Eichler-inspired neighborhoods, and we scope it before quoting.
Ready to get a real price? Call Penhallow Remodeling San Jose at (669) 274-2362 for your free, written estimate. Ask for Trevor Nash. He’ll come out, look at your bathroom, check your address against San Jose and county permitting, and put a number in writing before any work starts. And every job carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise, in writing, on the day you sign.
Written by Trevor Nash, Owner at Penhallow Remodeling San Jose.
