Bathroom remodeling
A bathroom remodel is scoped fixture by fixture: what comes out, what goes in, what happens to the plumbing and walls behind it, and how the room will be ventilated.
Bathrooms in older Chicago buildings are small, often have plaster or tile walls over masonry, and frequently have no exhaust fan at all. Basement bathrooms add their own questions about drainage and moisture.
We start with what you want the room to do: a walk-in shower instead of a tub, more storage, a second sink, better light. Then we look at what the existing plumbing, framing and floor can support, and write that into the scope.
What is included
- Removal of old fixtures, tile and finishes
- Tub, shower, toilet, vanity and faucet installation
- Plumbing changes for new fixture locations, coordinated with a plumber where required
- Exhaust fan and lighting, coordinated with an electrician
- Tile floors and walls, waterproofing behind tile
- Mirrors, accessories, trim and paint
- Small repairs: replacing a spout, rehanging a mirror, fixing a running toilet
In Chicago-area homes
Many older bathrooms share walls and drain lines with the unit above or below. We check where the lines run before promising a fixture can move.
A bathroom with no window and no fan is a common source of peeling paint and mold in older buildings. We price ventilation as its own line so it is never an afterthought.
Plumbing changes usually need a permit. We confirm the requirements for your city or village and take care of them before work starts.
How it is priced
A bathroom is priced mostly by what sits behind the finish. Waterproofing, the shower or tub, any drain or supply moved, the exhaust fan and the tile are separate lines. Leaving the fixtures in place is usually the biggest single difference in the scope. Changes need your written approval first. How scopes, changes and invoices work
Homes where this comes up
Questions
Can you convert a tub to a walk-in shower?
Usually, yes. It depends on the drain location and the floor structure, which we check at the walk-through before it goes into the written scope.
Do you handle small bathroom repairs too?
Yes. Replacing a spout, rehanging a mirror or fixing a fixture can be its own small job or part of a larger punch list.
How long will the bathroom be out of use?
It depends on the scope. The written scope describes the work up front, and we talk through how long the room will be out of use before work starts.
Related services
Tell Robert about your project.
Call, email or send an estimate request with photos. You deal directly with the person running your job. Robert replies within 2 business days.