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Screw & Glue is the podcast for contractors, remodelers, and professionals in the bathroom remodeling industry who want to build smarter, more profitable businesses.
Each episode dives into the real-world side of bath remodeling — from acrylic shower wall systems and tile-look panels to installation efficiency, supplier relationships, product access, and contractor marketing strategies. We break down what’s working in today’s shower and bathroom market, what’s costing contractors money, and how to increase margins without increasing overhead.
Whether you’re searching for a reliable acrylic shower wall supplier, exploring wholesale bathroom product opportunities, or looking to streamline your remodel process, Screw & Glue delivers practical insights, industry conversations, and actionable takeaways you can apply immediately.
We cover:
• Acrylic shower walls and tile-look panel systems
• Subway, hexagon, and herringbone shower designs
• Installation methods and labor cost comparisons
• Dealer programs and supplier relationships
• Marketing strategies for bathroom remodelers
• Scaling a bath remodeling business
• Industry trends and product innovation
This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s an insider conversation about the business of bathroom remodeling — what works, what doesn’t, and how to build a system that sticks.
New episodes weekly.
Episode 4
How to Price a Bathroom Remodel for Profit (Markup vs Margin Explained)
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If you’ve ever Googled:
“How do I price a bathroom remodel?”
“What’s a good profit margin for contractors?”
“Am I charging enough?”
You’re not alone.
Most remodelers hit a point where they’re busy…
Jobs are coming in…
But the money doesn’t feel right.
And usually the problem isn’t leads.
It’s not skill.
It’s pricing.
More specifically…
It’s not understanding the difference between markup and margin—
And not knowing your real cost.
So in this episode, we’re breaking this down simply:
* How to price a bathroom remodel
* What markup vs margin actually means
* Why most remodelers are undercharging without realizing it
* And how to fix it without just “raising prices and hoping”
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Section 1: The Core Problem
Most remodelers price like this:
Material cost + labor + “this feels right”
And if the job sells, they assume it worked.
But here’s the issue…
You’re not pricing based on actual cost structure.
You’re pricing based on:
* Guessing
* Past jobs
* What competitors are charging
And that’s how you end up:
Busy… but tight on cash
Booked out… but stressed
Growing… but not scaling
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Section 2: Markup vs Margin
This is where most guys get it wrong.
Let’s say a job costs you $10,000.
You add 30%…
You sell it for $13,000.
You think:
“I made 30%.”
You didn’t.
Your margin is actually about 23%.
That gap matters.
Because if you think you're running at 30% but you're actually at 20–23%…
You don’t have enough room to cover:
* Overhead
* Mistakes
* Delays
* Growth
That’s where things start breaking.
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Section 3: What Your REAL Cost Actually Is
When someone searches:
“How to price a bathroom remodel…”
They’re usually only thinking:
Materials + Labor
That’s not your real cost.
Your real cost includes:
1. Materials
* Panels, tubs, valves, doors, vanities
* Adhesives, fasteners, consumables
* Freight, tax, waste
2. Labor
* Demo
* Install
* Plumbing
* Electrical
* Cleanup
But also:
* Payroll taxes
* Workers comp
* Downtime
* Callbacks
3. Shadow Labor
* Home Depot runs
* Waiting on parts
* Rework
* Travel time
* Job setup
That’s real labor you’re paying for.
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Section 4: The Hidden Killers
Here’s where most remodelers lose money:
They ignore:
* Procurement time
* Missed parts
* Schedule gaps
* Small mistakes that turn into half days lost
That’s not rare.
That’s every job.
And if you’re not pricing for that…
You’re eating it.
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Section 5: Overhead, This Is Where It Gets Real
Every job also has to carry your business.
That means:
* Insurance
* Vehicles
* Marketing
* Lead generation
* Office/admin
* Software
* Phone systems
* Owner salary
If your overhead is $40K/month…
And you’re doing 20 jobs…
Each job needs to carry $2,000 just to break even on overhead.
Most remodelers don’t calculate this.
That’s why they feel like:
“I’m making money… but I don’t know where it’s going.”
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Section 6: The Shift
You don’t price jobs based on:
Materials + Labor
You price jobs based on:
All-In Cost + Target Margin
That includes:
* Production labor
* Shadow labor
* Materials
* Overhead allocation
* Risk buffer
Then you apply margin.
Not markup guessing.
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Section 7: Why Supplier Strategy Matters
This is where most people don’t connect the dots.
Your supplier directly affects your pricing.
Because if your supplier causes:
* Multiple trips
* Missing parts
* Long lead times
* Limited product access
That increases your:
Labor cost
Time cost
Schedule risk
Customer frustration
Which means…
You either:
* Raise prices and lose deals
OR
* Eat the cost and lose margin
That’s why supplier structure matters.
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This is one of the reasons we built Soke Systems the way we did.
Not just to supply product…
But to reduce friction inside the job.
Things like:
* Full product access from one place
* No buy-in
* No minimum order requirements
* Faster shipping cycles
* Simplified ordering
Because when you reduce:
Trips
Decisions
Missing parts
You reduce labor cost.
And when labor cost drops…
Your margin improves without raising prices.
That’s real leverage.
If you're evaluating how to tighten your numbers…
You can check out the dealer program at SokeSystems.com.
No cost to join. No pressure.
Just see if it fits how you want to run your business.
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If you’ve been asking:
“How do I price a bathroom remodel correctly?”
Start here:
Stop guessing markup.
Start understanding the margin.
Start calculating real cost.
Because the difference between:
Busy
and
Profitable
…is usually just math.
That’s it for today.
Next episode, we’re going deeper into:
“What is a good profit margin for a remodeling business—and where you should actually be.”
This is Screw & Glue.
Build smarter.
Become a dealer for free and gain access to 100+ different acrylic bath wall styles at
Sokesystems.com
Soke Systems is an acrylic bathwall manufacturer located in the United states.