A Princeton bathroom remodeler, 9.5 miles down the road#
The 5th Wall LLC works from 106 Glenview Dr, Lawrence, NJ 08648. That is about 9.5 miles by road from Nassau Hall, roughly a 16-minute drive outside rush hour (OpenStreetMap routing, OSRM). Tony Karpontinis has spent over twenty years in the trades across Central New Jersey; he and his son Stefanos made the company official in 2020. The 5th Wall LLC is registered as a New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor, #13VH14128900, with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, and carries $2M in general liability insurance.
On a Princeton bathroom that means the person who measures the room is the person who builds it. Stefanos runs the schedule and the crew and keeps you informed; Tony is on the tools. There is no sales representative and no project manager you have never met. Meet the two of us →
Call (609) 954-3659 or request a free bathroom estimate →. We work in every part of Princeton: the downtown streets around Nassau and Witherspoon, the neighborhoods of the former township such as Littlebrook, Riverside and the Western Section, and the historic districts covered further down this page.
What a bathroom remodel costs in Princeton, NJ#
A full bathroom remodel in New Jersey usually costs $15,000 to $45,000. Powder rooms start around $5,000 to $10,000, and large custom primary bathrooms often reach $75,000 to $100,000 or more. Most New Jersey homeowners land between $25,000 and $45,000 for a bathroom that is fully gutted, waterproofed, tiled, inspected and rebuilt with durable mid-range materials. These figures come from our NJ bathroom remodel cost guide, which places Mercer County in the middle of the New Jersey cost spectrum: below Bergen and Essex counties, above the state average.
| Scope | New Jersey range (2026) | What it covers | Princeton permit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powder room refresh | $5,000 to $10,000 | Half bath: vanity swap, paint, flooring, fixtures | Usually not, if no piping or wiring changes |
| Basic full bathroom remodel | $15,000 to $25,000 | Same layout, standard tile, new vanity, tub or shower refresh | Usually yes |
| Standard full remodel | $25,000 to $40,000 | Full gut, new tile, waterproofing, fixtures, fan, lighting | Yes |
| Tub-to-shower conversion | $25,000 to $45,000 | Tub out, tiled walk-in shower and glass in | Yes |
| Primary bathroom remodel | $40,000 to $75,000 | Larger bath, double vanity, walk-in shower, upgraded finishes | Yes |
| Custom luxury bathroom | $75,000 to $100,000+ | Layout changes, premium tile, steam, custom cabinetry, structural work | Yes |
The permit column follows the state rule explained in the permits section below: replacing a fixture with a similar one in the same place is ordinary maintenance; changing piping or wiring is not.
Bathroom remodel cost by size#
| Bathroom | Typical size | Budget | Mid-range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half bath or powder room | 20 to 30 sq ft | $5,000 to $10,000 | $10,000 to $18,000 | $18,000 to $30,000 |
| Standard hall bath | 40 to 60 sq ft | $10,000 to $18,000 | $25,000 to $40,000 | $40,000 to $60,000 |
| Primary bathroom | 70 to 100 sq ft | $15,000 to $25,000 | $40,000 to $65,000 | $60,000 to $90,000 |
| Large primary bath | 100 to 150+ sq ft | $20,000 to $35,000 | $55,000 to $80,000 | $80,000 to $120,000+ |
Source: NJ bathroom remodel cost guide, cost by size. A walk-in shower on its own is priced in our walk-in shower installation cost guide.
Is $10,000 enough to remodel a bathroom?#
For a powder room, usually yes: a half-bath refresh with a new vanity, faucet, mirror, light, toilet, paint and flooring runs $5,000 to $10,000 in New Jersey. For a full bathroom, $10,000 sits below the $15,000 starting point of a basic same-layout remodel. It can cover a cosmetic update that keeps the tub, the tile and the layout (new vanity, toilet, faucet, lighting and paint), but not new shower tile with a waterproofing system behind it.
What is the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel?#
Moving plumbing. Our NJ guide calls plumbing relocation the single biggest cost driver: it adds $3,000 to $10,000 depending on how far the fixtures move, because the floor and walls are opened, a licensed plumber reroutes the drain and supply lines, and the municipal plumbing inspector tests them before they are closed up. Relocating a shower or tub alone runs $3,000 to $7,000, a toilet $2,000 to $5,000. By share of the budget, tile and flooring is the largest line at 25 to 30 percent, followed by the vanity and countertops and by plumbing at 15 to 20 percent each. Keeping the existing layout is the surest way to save.
What a Princeton bathroom adds to the price#
Our cost guide names the factors that move a Mercer County bathroom above the state average, and they apply directly to Princeton's older houses:
- Behind the walls. Older homes, including parts of Princeton, can reveal galvanized pipes, outdated electrical, undersized ventilation, damaged subfloor or water damage hidden behind tile once a wall is opened. We carry a written line for hidden conditions instead of surprising you with a change order.
- Waterproofing. A full waterproofing system behind a walk-in shower adds $1,200 to $3,500. We use Schluter KERDI or Laticrete Hydro Ban on every shower, because it protects everything behind the finished tile.
- Inspections. Mercer County municipalities inspect thoroughly, and the state code requires every inspection to be passed before final payment is made (more on that below).
Bathroom remodeling in Princeton: what we build#
- Full bathroom remodels. Gut to the studs, new waterproofing, tile, vanity, fixtures, fan and lighting, in the same layout or a new one. Bathroom remodeling in Princeton →
- Tub-to-shower conversions and walk-in showers. A tiled walk-in shower with a niche, glass and, where the floor allows, a linear drain. Walk-in shower costs →
- Primary bathrooms. Double vanities, a larger shower, a freestanding tub, heated tile floors, a separate water closet.
- Hall baths and powder rooms. Same-layout refreshes that keep the plumbing where it is and spend the budget on finishes.
- Adding a bathroom. A second full bath in a one-bath house, carved from a closet or bedroom, or built into an addition (see the additions section below).
- Small bathrooms. Layouts and fixtures for the tight baths common in older houses. Small bathroom remodel ideas →
A standard same-layout bathroom takes 3 to 5 weeks of construction and 6 to 10 weeks from first visit to final inspection; a primary bath with layout changes takes 12 to 18 weeks in total. The full schedule, including how long Princeton's permit review typically takes, is in our bathroom remodel timeline guide.
Ready to price your Princeton bathroom? Call (609) 954-3659 or request a free estimate →.
Princeton bathroom permits: what the Building Department requires#
Since the former Borough and Township of Princeton consolidated on January 1, 2013, one office handles construction permits for the whole town (Princeton, New Jersey, Wikipedia):
- Princeton Building & Construction Department, 400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08540. Phone 609-921-7078, email buildingdept@princetonnj.gov. Office hours Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm; building, electrical and plumbing inspections Monday through Friday, 8 am to 2 pm. Construction / Building Official: Dan Taglieri (Building Inspections, princetonnj.gov · Building & Construction, princetonnj.gov).
- The department reviews plans and inspects under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, with the New Jersey editions of the International Residential Code and the plumbing, mechanical and electrical codes. It states that the code requires all inspections to be completed and approved before final payments are made, which is why we schedule every inspection ourselves and are on site for each one.
Does a bathroom remodel need a permit in Princeton?#
It depends on whether piping or wiring changes. New Jersey's ordinary-maintenance rule, which every town including Princeton must follow, lets you do the following without a permit (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7):
- Painting and wallpapering; new flooring; new trim and moldings; new cabinets and bathroom accessories
- Replacing a faucet, a shower or tub-shower valve, or a fixture with a similar fixture, as long as the piping arrangement does not change
- Replacing a receptacle, switch or light fixture with a like or similar item (where GFCI protection is required, the new receptacle must provide it)
- Replacing drywall or plaster on less than 25 percent of the wall area in a one- or two-family home
A permit is needed once you add, move or alter water supply, drain, waste or vent piping, add or change wiring, or cut into a load-bearing wall. Moving a toilet, turning a tub into a walk-in shower with a new drain location, or adding a fan circuit all fall on the permit side.
What Princeton charges for a bathroom permit#
From the Building Department's published fee schedule (PDF), for one- and two-family homes:
- Building subcode, renovations: $15 per $1,000 of estimated cost for the first $75,000; $14 per $1,000 for the next $75,000
- Plumbing: $15 per fixture (toilet, sink, tub, shower, floor drain); $40 for a water heater
- Electrical: $40 for the first 25 fixtures and devices, $8 for each further block of 25
- Each schedule lists a $50 minimum fee
Worked example: a $35,000 bathroom with a new toilet, sink and shower carries a $525 building fee (35 × $15), plus the $50 plumbing minimum (three fixtures at $15 come to $45) and the $50 electrical minimum, about $625 in Princeton's own fees. The department makes the final call on estimated cost. Permit fees appear as their own line on every estimate we write.
Historic districts: when a Princeton remodel needs preservation review#
Princeton has designated 21 areas as historic preservation overlay zoning districts. Its nine-member Historic Preservation Commission reviews changes there under the town's 2014 Historic Preservation Ordinance and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards (Historic Preservation Commission, princetonnj.gov).
- Two kinds of district. Type 1 districts (the former township, for example Princeton Battlefield–Stony Brook, the Delaware & Raritan Canal district and Princeton Basin) review work visible from anywhere in the district or from a public right-of-way. Type 2 districts (the former borough, including the Central, Mercer Hill, Bank Street and Jugtown districts, and the Witherspoon-Jackson district) review work visible from a public right-of-way (Historic Preservation Ordinance 2014-44, PDF).
- An interior bathroom remodel does not normally need it. The town's application states that ordinary maintenance, repair or replacement in kind, and work not visible from the public right-of-way typically do not require a Historic Preservation Plan application, as determined by the Historic Preservation Officer (Historic Preservation Plan Review application, PDF).
- Watch the outside of the house. A new or enlarged bathroom window, a new exhaust vent on a street-facing wall, or an addition changes the exterior; if that change is visible as described above, it needs a preservation plan. When in doubt, the town asks owners to check with the Historic Preservation Officer before filing.
- How review works. The application fee is $75. The Historic Preservation Officer has 15 calendar days to check a stand-alone application for completeness; a project with no significant impact can be approved administratively by the Officer and the Commission chair, and anything else goes to a public Commission meeting (application, PDF · Office of Historic Preservation).
Room additions and home additions in Princeton#
When a Princeton family needs more room but wants to stay on its street, an addition keeps the schools, the walk to town and the neighbors. We build ground-floor room additions and bump-outs, first-floor primary suites with their own bathroom, second-story additions, in-law suites, sunrooms and garage conversions, matched to the existing roofline, siding and trim so the new space reads as part of the original house.
What a room addition costs in Princeton#
These working ranges come from our NJ home addition cost guide, which cites Bankrate, Angi, Design Build Planners and the NJ building subcode. Princeton-specific planning notes are in our Princeton home addition cost guide.
| Addition type | Working range (Central NJ, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Standard ground-floor room addition | $175 to $375 per sq ft; a 400 sq ft room runs $70,000 to $150,000 |
| Primary suite (bedroom plus full bath, about 500 sq ft) | $106,920 to $173,700; NJ average $146,980 |
| Bathroom-heavy or kitchen-heavy addition | $325 to $650+ per sq ft |
| Second-story addition | $300 to $550 per sq ft |
| Sunroom | $150 to $300 per sq ft |
| Adding 1,000 sq ft | $250,000 to $500,000 |
Labor is 40 to 60 percent of an addition's cost, and New Jersey labor and permit costs run 15 to 25 percent above national averages. Luxury home additions, such as a primary suite with a spa bath or a second story over the whole house, sit at the top of these ranges because bathrooms and kitchens are the most expensive square feet in any addition. Every estimate we write is itemized: foundation, framing, roof tie-in, exterior matching, mechanicals, permits and finishes on separate lines.
What Princeton requires for an addition#
- Two sets of signed and sealed plans, the construction permit application with its subcode technical sections, and zoning approval, which must show the HVAC if it is being added or replaced (Construction Prior Approval Requirements, princetonnj.gov). An architect or engineer is part of the team from the start.
- Adding a bedroom? The town requires a Princeton Sewer Department sign-off before you apply to the Building Department (same source).
- The building fee for the added portion is $0.080 per cubic foot of the addition for a home, with plumbing and electrical charged per fixture and device as above (fee schedule, PDF).
- Historic district? An addition is new construction and goes through preservation plan review if the house is in one of the 21 districts (see above).
- Footings go 36 inches below grade. Mercer County falls in New Jersey's northern frost-depth zone under the state building subcode, so addition footings are dug at least 36 inches down (NJ IRC 2021, chapter 3, UpCodes).
Home additions in Princeton → · Princeton home addition cost guide →
A Princeton address is not always Princeton#
Princeton's ZIP codes, 08540 to 08544, reach past the town line (Princeton, New Jersey, Wikipedia). Princeton Junction is part of West Windsor Township (Princeton Junction, Wikipedia), and homes at the edge of Lawrence Township carry Princeton mailing addresses (Lawrence Township, Wikipedia). Permits always go to the municipality the house sits in, not the one on the envelope: a Princeton Junction bathroom is filed with West Windsor, a Lawrence one with Lawrence Township. We file in whichever town your house is in. West Windsor → · Lawrence Township →
Kitchens and the rest of the house#
- Kitchen remodeling. Period-appropriate kitchens for older Princeton houses and full layout changes for newer ones. Kitchen remodeling in Princeton → · Princeton kitchen remodel guide →
- Historic home renovation. Plaster, original millwork and old systems handled with care. Renovating a historic Princeton home →
- Basement finishing, roofing and whole-home renovation. Basement finishing in Princeton → · Roofing in Princeton → · Whole-home renovation in Princeton →
Our published project write-up so far is a 1,200 sq ft basement finished in Mercer County in 2024, with the build photos: Residential basement full remodel →
Why Princeton homeowners call The 5th Wall LLC#
- Close by. 106 Glenview Dr, Lawrence, about 9.5 miles from Nassau Hall. The owners can be at your house the same day when something comes up.
- Registered and insured. NJ Home Improvement Contractor #13VH14128900 and $2M general liability. We bring the documents to the first visit.
- Father and son on the job. The people who walk the estimate run the project.
- Written, itemized estimates. Materials, labor, waterproofing, permit fees, dumpster and cleanup on separate lines before you sign.
- Permits and inspections handled. We file with the Princeton Building Department, flag anything that needs historic-district review before work starts, and stay on site for every inspection.
Start your Princeton bathroom or addition#
Whether it is a hall bath that needs a walk-in shower, a primary bathroom in a 1920s house or a room addition that lets your family stay put, The 5th Wall LLC is the contractor just down the road in Lawrence.
Call (609) 954-3659 for a free, no-obligation estimate, or fill out our estimate form →.