Luxurious primary bathroom with freestanding soaking tub, walk-in shower with frameless glass, neutral tile, warm lighting, and elegant vanity

BATHROOM REMODELING IN LAKE FOREST, IL

Lake Forest primary baths get one chance to be done right.
Since 1968, that has been our job.

Century Kitchens & Bath designs and builds custom primary suite, secondary bath, and powder room renovations for Lake Forest homeowners. Veteran-owned. Family-run since 1968. Bertch vanities. Kohler, Moen, Delta, and Grohe fixtures. Schluter waterproofing. In-house licensed plumbers. Written limited lifetime warranty signed by the owner.

Serving Lake Forest baths since 1968
Aging-in-place and accessibility design experience
Free in-home consultation
Custom 3D rendering at no charge
Written limited lifetime warranty
Book a Free Lake Forest Bathroom Consultation See Our Bathroom Work

Speak directly with owner Steve Donato: (847) 395-3418

1968

The year Century opened. Older than every direct Lake Forest bathroom competitor.

$25K–$200K

The full Lake Forest bathroom pricing range. Most secondary baths run $35,000 to $60,000. Most primary suites run $90,000 to $175,000.

5–10 Weeks

Typical on-site build time for a Lake Forest bathroom remodel. Powder rooms run shorter. Primary suites with custom showers run longer.

Lifetime

Written limited warranty on every product and service we install. Signed by the owner.

WHAT KIND OF LAKE FOREST BATH ARE WE TALKING ABOUT

Powder room, secondary bath, primary suite. Three different projects, three different price ranges, three different design directions.

The biggest mistake homeowners make researching Lake Forest bathroom remodel costs is comparing pricing across project types that are not comparable. A powder room and a primary suite are not the same project. Here is how the three break down in the Lake Forest market.

Elegant powder room with furniture-style vanity, decorative mirror, designer light fixture, and statement wallpaper or tile

Lake Forest Powder Room Remodels

Powder rooms in Lake Forest homes are typically 18 to 35 square feet, with a toilet and a single vanity or pedestal sink. They are the smallest bathroom in the home, but they are the most visited by guests, and in Lake Forest homes hosting frequent entertaining, the powder room is the room non-family members see first. The most common Lake Forest powder room project we run involves replacing the original vanity with a statement piece (often a furniture-style vanity, antique-style console, or custom-built piece), installing decorative tile or grass cloth wallpaper, upgrading to a designer lighting fixture, and replacing the toilet.

Investment range:

$25,000 to $50,000 in Lake Forest. The high end of the powder room range here reflects the design-detail expectations and the custom or designer fixture lines typical of Lake Forest projects.

What is typically included:

New vanity and countertop, new toilet, new flooring, statement tile or wallpaper, new lighting, new mirror, plumbing fixture upgrade, paint, and decorative hardware. Plumbing typically stays in place.

Typical timeline:

Three to five weeks on site.

Secondary bathroom with tub-shower combination, single vanity, clean neutral tile, and functional family-friendly design

Lake Forest Secondary Bathroom Remodels

Secondary bathrooms in Lake Forest homes include children's bathrooms, hall baths, guest baths, and the secondary suites that are increasingly common in post-2000 Conway Farms and Westleigh construction. These are typically 40 to 80 square feet, with either a tub-shower combination or a walk-in shower, a single vanity, and a toilet.

For homes with children, we typically retain a tub. For Lake Forest empty nesters where the secondary bath is rarely used as a primary bath, the tub often comes out in favor of an expanded walk-in shower. For East Lake Forest historic homes, secondary baths often have original construction conditions that require careful planning: original tile that may contain asbestos, galvanized plumbing supply lines, and ungrounded electrical that needs to be brought to code.

Investment range:

$35,000 to $60,000 in Lake Forest. Estate-scale secondary baths in larger homes with custom tile work and premium fixtures can run $75,000 or more.

What is typically included:

New vanity and countertop, new tub or walk-in shower, new toilet, new flooring, full tile (shower walls, surround, floor), new fixtures and lighting, new mirror and accessories, exhaust fan upgrade, and plumbing and electrical updates as required by code.

Typical timeline:

Five to eight weeks on site.

Luxurious primary suite bathroom with frameless walk-in shower, freestanding tub, double vanity, custom tile, heated floors

Lake Forest Primary Suite Bathroom Remodels

Primary suite bathrooms in Lake Forest are the most complex bathroom projects we build and the most significant per-room investment most Lake Forest homeowners make outside of a kitchen or addition. These are typically 100 to 250 square feet, often with a connecting walk-in closet, dressing area, or vestibule, and they account for the majority of bathroom-specific budget across the Lake Forest market.

Most Lake Forest primary suite projects we run involve removing the original 1990s or early 2000s formula (garden tub, separate enclosed shower, double vanity with a dated profile, low-end tile) in favor of a curbless or low-curb walk-in shower with frameless glass, a freestanding tub or tub deck if the homeowner still wants one, a double vanity with a furniture-style profile, heated floors throughout, custom tile from floor to ceiling, and full lighting design with multiple zones.

Investment range:

$90,000 to $175,000 in Lake Forest. Estate-scale primary suites with steam showers, marble or quartzite throughout, custom storage built-ins, and integrated dressing rooms can exceed $200,000.

What is typically included:

Full demolition, framing changes if the layout is being reconfigured, plumbing rough-in and finish, electrical rough-in and finish (including dedicated circuits for heated floors, exhaust, lighting zones, and any steam or smart-shower systems), custom tile throughout (shower walls, niche, bench, floor, accent), walk-in shower with frameless glass (often curbless), freestanding tub or tub deck, double vanity with quartz, marble, or quartzite, comfort-height toilet, heated floor, towel warmer, full lighting design, custom mirror, and complete finishes.

Typical timeline:

Eight to twelve weeks on site.

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WHAT A LAKE FOREST BATHROOM ACTUALLY COSTS

Real pricing, calibrated to the Lake Forest market.

Lake Forest bathroom remodels run higher than the Lake County average because the homes are larger, the finish expectations are higher, and the construction often involves complications the rest of the county does not have. Here is how the pricing breaks down for Lake Forest specifically.

Pricing summary by bathroom type

  • Powder room: $25,000 to $50,000
  • Secondary bathroom: $35,000 to $75,000
  • Primary suite bathroom: $90,000 to $200,000

Where the budget actually goes (typical $130,000 Lake Forest primary suite)

Tile (walls, floor, shower, accent)
20–28%
Labor & project management
18–25%
Plumbing (rough-in, finish, fixtures)
15–22%
Vanity and countertop
12–20%
Shower glass, tub, shower system
8–15%
Electrical (heated floor, lighting, exhaust)
6–10%

Tile is the single biggest budget category in a Lake Forest primary bath, often surpassing cabinetry. The variance from $5 per square foot ceramic to $40+ per square foot stone or designer porcelain is the largest swing factor in primary bath pricing, and Lake Forest projects routinely select the upper end of that range. For estate-scale projects, hand-cut marble or stone mosaics in shower niches and accent walls can push individual feature areas to $100+ per square foot.

Permit costs for Lake Forest bathroom remodels typically run $400 to $1,200 depending on scope. For projects in or affecting properties within the city's five Local Historic Districts, Certificate of Appropriateness review may be required and adds four to eight weeks to the pre-construction timeline.

Every Century estimate is itemized line by line.

Get Your Itemized Lake Forest Bathroom Estimate

WHICH VANITY AND FIXTURE LINES FIT YOUR LAKE FOREST BATHROOM

Every brand we install is one we would put in our own home. Here is how they fit the Lake Forest buyer.

Vanity Lines

Bertch Bath

Tier: Semi-custom. Price tier: Mid to upper. Origin: Waterloo, Iowa.

The vanity line we recommend most often for Lake Forest primary baths. Three distinct series (Classic, Furniture, and Linea), 25 door styles, hand-rubbed stained finishes with catalyzed conversion varnish topcoat. Bertch is what you choose when you want furniture-grade bathroom cabinetry without crossing into fully custom pricing. Lead times typically four to six weeks.

Custom Local Cabinet Builders

For estate-scale primary suites. Price tier: Premium. Lead times: 8–14 weeks.

For estate-scale Lake Forest primary suites requiring non-standard sizes, integrated millwork that ties the bathroom to an adjacent closet or dressing room, or specific historical design detail, we work with regional custom cabinet builders. The custom path adds $10,000 to $30,000 to the vanity portion of the budget compared to Bertch's top tier.

Wellborn Forest and Kith for Kitchen-Connected Primary Baths

When the primary bath connects directly to a recently-remodeled kitchen, we often match the kitchen cabinet line (Wellborn Forest or Kith) for visual consistency across the suite.

Plumbing Fixtures

The Four Established Brands

The four established brands we install across Lake Forest projects are Kohler, Moen, Delta, and Grohe, plus upper-tier subbrands and specialty lines for higher-end Lake Forest projects.

Tier 1 & Tier 2: Secondary Baths and Powder Rooms

Kohler and Delta are most common for traditional and transitional design directions. Moen for value-focused projects. Grohe for contemporary applications.

Tier 3 & Tier 4: Primary Suites and Estate Projects

Delta's Brizo subbrand and Kohler's Artifacts and Purist collections are common. For estate-scale projects: Waterworks, Lefroy Brooks, Newport Brass, and Rohl, sourced through our showroom partners.

Walk-In Shower Systems and Waterproofing

Schluter Waterproofing

Schluter waterproofing is our standard for all custom tile shower installations including curbless designs. Schluter's KERDI membrane and DITRA-HEAT underfloor heating systems are what we specify because they perform reliably and are manufacturer-warranty backed when installed by certified trades.

Frameless Shower Glass

Frameless shower glass is standard in Lake Forest primary suites and is fabricated and installed locally. Curbless installations require precise framing and waterproofing, which is why this work matters.

Tile and Stone

Sourced through our supplier partners across porcelain, ceramic, and natural stone. For Lake Forest projects specifically, natural stone selections (marble, quartzite, limestone) are common in primary baths, with the trade-offs around sealing and maintenance walked through during selection.