Bathroom Remodeling in Illinois
From Chicago's bungalow belt to Rockford and the capital city of Springfield, we connect Illinois homeowners with licensed plumbers and vetted local bathroom remodeling contractors.
Illinois at a Glance
| Factor | Illinois | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median year homes built | 1971 (all housing units, 2020–2024 ACS 5-year) | Census Reporter (U.S. Census Bureau ACS) |
| Plumbing licensing | Under the Illinois Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), plumbing installation, alteration, and repair must be performed by plumbers licensed through the Illinois Department of Public Health | Illinois Department of Public Health |
| General contractor licensing | Illinois has no statewide general contractor license — GCs are licensed locally, and the City of Chicago requires its own general contractor license issued by the Department of Buildings | City of Chicago Department of Buildings |
| Chicago housing age | The median Chicago home was built in 1953 — nearly two decades older than the statewide median | Census Reporter (ACS 2020–2024) |
Every figure above is from the named public source. We don't publish estimates we can't cite.
What Illinois Homeowners Should Know
Illinois splits contractor oversight in a way that trips up many homeowners. There is no statewide general contractor license — cities and villages license remodelers locally, and Chicago goes further, requiring general contractors to hold a City of Chicago license from the Department of Buildings. Plumbing is the opposite: it is regulated at the state level under the Illinois Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320), which requires that plumbing systems be installed, altered, or repaired only by plumbers licensed through the Illinois Department of Public Health, whose license numbers must even appear in their advertising. For a bathroom remodel, that means your GC's credentials are checked with your municipality, while the plumber on the job is verified with the state.
Climate drives the technical scope. Illinois winters bring extended hard freezes, and supply lines routed through exterior walls — common in Chicago bungalows and pre-war two-flats — are a perennial burst-pipe risk that a remodel can fix permanently with relocation and insulation. Water hardness is the other regional constant: much of the east-central U.S. sits on carbonate aquifers that the USGS classifies as producing hard to very hard water, so scale on fixtures, glass, and water heaters is a fact of life in most Illinois communities, particularly those on groundwater.
The housing stock is old. The median Illinois home dates to 1971, and Chicago's median is 1953 — deep into the era when galvanized steel supply pipe (common in homes plumbed from the 1940s through the 1960s, with a 40–50 year expected life per Roto-Rooter) and cast-iron drain stacks (50–60 years per InterNACHI) were standard. In Rockford (median 1963) and older Springfield neighborhoods, the same math applies: a bathroom remodel is frequently the trigger for replacing plumbing that has quietly outlived its design life.
Verify your contractor: Verify the plumber on your project through the Illinois Department of Public Health's official Plumbing License Verification, and check other state-regulated professions (such as roofing contractors) via the IDFPR license lookup; general contractors are licensed by your municipality — in Chicago, through the Department of Buildings.
Illinois Metro Areas We Cover
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Bathroom Remodeling in Illinois: FAQ
Does Illinois license general contractors for bathroom remodels?
Not at the state level. Illinois licenses plumbers statewide through the Department of Public Health, but general contractors are regulated by cities and villages. Chicago requires a Department of Buildings general contractor license; suburbs and downstate municipalities each have their own registration rules. Always check your own city hall's requirements plus the state plumbing license of whoever touches the pipes.
Can a handyman do the plumbing in my Illinois bathroom remodel?
No. The Illinois Plumbing License Law (225 ILCS 320) requires that plumbing installation, alteration, and repair be performed by an IDPH-licensed plumber (or supervised apprentice). Licensed plumbers must include their license number in advertisements, and you can verify any license on IDPH's free online plumbing license verification tool before work begins.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Illinois?
Angi's 2026 data puts the national average at $12,142, with most projects between $2,500 and $30,000. Chicago-area labor and permit costs typically push projects toward the upper half of that range, while Rockford and Springfield often come in lower. Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value report shows a midrange bath remodel averaging $26,138 nationally and recouping about 80% at resale.
My Illinois home has galvanized pipes. Should they be replaced during the remodel?
Almost always. With a statewide median home built in 1971 — and Chicago's median at 1953 — original galvanized supply lines are common, and their expected 40–50 year life (Roto-Rooter) has passed for most installations. Cast-iron drain stacks last roughly 50–60 years (InterNACHI). Replacing accessible runs while the bathroom walls are open costs far less than doing it after new tile is up.
How do Illinois winters affect bathroom plumbing?
Hard freezes are routine, and supply lines in exterior walls or above unheated spaces are the classic failure point. A remodel is the ideal time to relocate those runs inboard, insulate what stays, air-seal the wall cavity, and add shut-off valves — permanent fixes that a licensed plumber can fold into the project at modest cost.
Is hard water a problem for Illinois bathrooms?
In most of the state, yes. The USGS maps much of the east-central U.S., including Illinois, as hard to very hard water territory (above 121 mg/L and 180 mg/L respectively), especially where communities draw on groundwater. Expect scale on showerheads, spotted glass, and reduced water-heater efficiency; softeners, scale-resistant valves, and coated shower glass are common remodel add-ons.
Is a tub-to-shower conversion a good idea in Illinois?
It is one of the best value plays: about $3,000 on average nationally (Angi, 2026) to convert a little-used tub into an accessible walk-in shower. For aging-in-place needs, a walk-in tub averages roughly $13,100 installed (HomeAdvisor, 2025), and a full universal-design remodel averages $42,183 with about 61% recouped at resale (Zonda, 2025).
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