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Remodeling a Bathroom in Livingston, NJ

Livingston is our hometown, and this is what we have learned working in it: which jobs the township needs a permit for, what a 1950s house hides behind the tile, and what the work costs.

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4.9 on Google · 51 reviewsNJ HIC reg. #13VH10766600Building in New Jersey since 2019

Marble-look bathroom with a wood linen cabinet and a backlit mirror

Two kinds of Livingston house.

Census figures put nearly half of Livingston's 10,700 homes in the 1950s and 1960s. About one in eight was built in 2010 or later. The bathroom work in each is different.

The postwar house

The township went from about 9,900 residents in 1950 to about 30,100 in 1970, and the ranches, split-levels and colonials of those years are still most of the housing. Their bathrooms were built to last: tile set in a thick mortar bed, a cast-iron tub, often a galvanized supply line or a cast-iron drain stack inside the wall.

That is good news and work at the same time. Demolition is heavy and slow, and it is the first chance in decades to see the drain, the subfloor and the framing around the tub. We price what we can see at the visit and put anything else in writing before we touch it.

The newer house

In homes built in the last fifteen years, the rooms are bigger and the plumbing is modern. The requests change with them: a larger walk-in shower in place of a builder-grade tub, frameless glass, a double vanity, better light and ventilation.

Here the question is less about what is behind the wall and more about how the shower was waterproofed the first time. When we rebuild one, it goes on the Schluter system.

Black and white patterned tile shower with a linear drain

Livingston permits, in plain words.

The township's own building FAQ draws the line clearly. Here is how it applies to bathroom work.

No permit: swapping a sink, toilet or tub for a new one in the same spot.
Permit: anything else, which covers a tub-to-shower conversion, a moved drain or toilet, a new circuit or fan wiring, and any wall that comes out.
The application goes to the Building Department at Town Hall, 357 South Livingston Avenue, on the state construction permit forms. We prepare and file it.
Inspections are requested through the township's online portal. We book them so the rough plumbing and wiring are seen before the walls close.

Permit fees are set by the township and added at cost, in writing. We do not promise how long the township takes to issue a permit.

What a bathroom costs in Livingston.

In a postwar house, most requests are a hall bath or a tub-to-shower conversion. In a newer house, it is usually the primary bath. These rows come from our NJ cost guide.

Project	Labor only
Tub-to-shower conversionThe cast-iron tub comes out and a tiled walk-in shower goes in, in the same spot.	$6,500 – $16,750
Hall or guest bath, full remodelDown to the studs: floor, walls, shower or tub, vanity and toilet.	$12,000 – $26,000
Primary bath, same layoutEverything new, with the drain and toilet where they are.	$23,000 – $30,000
Primary bath, new layoutA bigger or curbless shower, a moved drain, a freestanding tub.	$30,000 – $50,000+

Labor only: demolition and disposal, prep, Schluter waterproofing, installation and cleanup. You buy the tile, vanity, fixtures and setting materials from the product list we give you. Permit fees, and anything we find behind the walls, are separate and priced in writing. Your real number comes in writing after the visit.

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Walk-in shower with a brushed gold sliding glass door, built-in bench, niche and a white arabesque tile floor

Union County, NJ · April 2025

A primary and a guest bath, one house.

The kind of two-bathroom job we often see in Livingston: the primary got a walk-in shower with a built-in bench and a brushed gold sliding door, a freestanding tub and a dark wood double vanity; the guest bath got a matte black door and a patterned floor.

Google: 4.9 stars from 51 reviews
Bathrooms: 200+ remodeled
Showers: Every one built on the Schluter waterproofing system
Registered: NJ HIC reg. #13VH10766600

See the finished projects

How a Livingston job runs.

We are a short drive away, so the visit is quick to schedule and someone can stop by when an inspector is due. Payments follow progress; see the ways to pay.

Step 1

Written range, then a free visit

A written price range within one business day. If it works for you, we measure, check the floor and the access to the drain, and tell you whether your job is a no-permit swap or a permitted remodel.

Step 2

A written scope

One price broken out by phase, with every product listed for you to buy.

Step 3

Permit and inspections

We file at Town Hall when the work needs it and book each inspection through the township portal.

Step 4

Final walkthrough

We walk the finished room together and close the punch list before the last payment.

Livingston bathroom questions.

Do I need a permit to replace my toilet, sink or tub in Livingston?

Not if it is a direct replacement in the same location. The township's building FAQ says a permit is required otherwise, so moving a fixture, converting a tub to a shower or adding wiring needs one. We tell you which case you are in at the visit.

Does a tub-to-shower conversion need a permit in Livingston?

Yes. It is not a like-for-like swap: the tub becomes a shower with a new valve and drain. We file with the Building Department at Town Hall and schedule the plumbing inspection.

How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Livingston?

For labor, a tub-to-shower conversion runs $6,500 to $16,750, a full hall bath $12,000 to $26,000, and a primary bath $23,000 to $30,000 in the same layout or $30,000 to $50,000 or more with a new one. Materials are separate and bought by you. The calculator gives a range in a minute.

My house was built in the 1950s. What do you usually find?

Tile in a thick mortar bed, a cast-iron tub and sometimes galvanized supply pipe or a cast-iron drain in the wall. We check what we can at the visit and price anything found after demolition in writing before doing it.

Do you work on newer Livingston homes too?

Yes. In newer houses the work is usually the primary bath: a bigger walk-in shower, frameless glass, a double vanity and better ventilation.

Are you really based in Livingston?

Yes. Our office is in Livingston, and we are registered and insured, NJ HIC reg. #13VH10766600. Most of our visits are in Essex, Morris and Union counties.

Got it. Your range is on the way.

Expect your written price range by email or text from (973) 577-9383 within one business day. If it works for you, we schedule a free visit to confirm measurements.