During a bathroom remodel, it’s common for homeowners to have a lot of questions. Our team at Lamont Bros. Design & Construction understands how important it is for homeowners to have these questions answered before they embark on the journey of remodeling their bathroom. In this video, we’ll cover some of the most common questions we hear regarding bathroom remodel projects.
How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost?
The cost of a bathroom remodel depends on the complexity of the project and the quality of the materials used to build it. In order to provide helpful budget ranges, we’ve broken bathroom remodels down into 2 categories.
Guest Bathroom — $40,000 – $60,000
A guest bathroom remodel might involve a new walk-in shower, sink vanity, toilet, plumbing fixtures, and flooring. These types of projects tend to feature less custom work and few layout changes.
Primary Bathroom — $60,000 – $100,000+
When remodeling a primary bathroom, most homeowners want to make more customized changes to the space. This might involve moving fixtures, rearranging the layout, or even extending the bathroom entirely.
Can I Do Any Work Myself to Save Costs?
We typically recommend leaving most of the work to professional remodelers. However, there are certainly some aspects of a bathroom remodel that you could take on in order to reduce the cost of the project. This ultimately comes down to how comfortable you are performing your own remodeling work and how much money you are looking to save.
Can I Live at Home During My Bathroom Remodel?
One of the most common questions we get during a bathroom remodel is whether or not you should live at home during construction. You use your bathroom on a daily basis, and having one under construction means you won’t be able to use it until the project is complete.
The decision to stay in the home is entirely up to you. If your home only has one bathroom, you might want to consider finding a short-term rental or staying with relatives until the project is complete. However, your construction team will take steps to ensure that your home still remains a livable space throughout the project.
Is it Difficult to Move a Toilet?
Sometimes, the remodel designs involve moving a toilet, bathtub, or shower. Whenever you move plumbing lines, you can expect the cost of the project to increase. The amount of increase depends on where the plumbing is originally located.
Main Floor or Over Crawl Space
When moving plumbing on a main floor, the crawl space below contains the water supply and drainage lines. In this case, it’s usually pretty easy to go under the house and re-position the lines to meet the design’s requirements.
Upper Floor
Moving plumbing features becomes more difficult on an upper floor. In order to access and alter the existing lines, your team may have to demolish part of the ceiling below the bathroom. This can add extra drywall and finishing costs.
Basement or Over Slab Foundation
If the plumbing to be moved sits underneath a concrete slab, such as those found in basements, you’re in for a challenge. In this case, the construction team will have to use specialty equipment to cut through the concrete. Once through, they can lay down new plumbing lines and cover them over with new concrete.
What is the Best Flooring for a Bathroom?
One of the most common questions homeowners ask during a bathroom remodel is “What is the best type of flooring?” Because of the high moisture, the most important thing to consider is how waterproof the flooring material is.
1. Tile
Most experts would agree that tile is the top choice when it comes to bathroom flooring. It’s durable, long-lasting, and comes in plenty of shapes, sizes, and designs. However, it also tends to be very expensive due to the labor required to install it.
2. Luxury Vinyl Tile or Plank
Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is a click-together flooring that resembles tile but is made of vinyl. It tends to be very waterproof and requires less time to install, which means less labor costs. Alternatively, luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is made of the same material but looks more like wood rather than stone or porcelain tiles.
3. Laminate Plank
In the past, laminate has gotten a bad rap as a bathroom flooring due to its wood particle core. However, many current manufacturers offer laminate with a waterproof core, making it just as effective as vinyl at keeping water out.
How Long Will My Bathroom Remodel Take?
It’s important to consider not only the time it takes to physically construct your remodel, but also the time it will take to design it. For most bathroom remodel projects, the design process typically lasts 1-2 months. This involves planning the layout, features, and finishes that will make your remodel uniquely fit to your needs and style.
The actual construction phase of the bathroom remodel usually takes anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks. However long it takes to build the project depends largely on its scope and complexity. A simple pull-and-replace bathroom will sit in the lower end of that range, while a full-scale custom primary bathroom can take up the full 8 weeks or longer.
How Does Your Remodeling Team Communicate During the Remodel?
Most reputable remodeling companies will use some form of project management software to oversee the remodel and provide you with regular progress updates.
At Lamont Bros., we use a system called Buildertrend. This program manages the entire project. You can review your product selections, view weekly project updates on your remodel, or contact your team all from the same place.
Who Will Be Doing the Work on My Bathroom Remodel?
Depending on the contractor you hire for your remodel, the work may either be performed by subcontractors or by an in-house team employed by the contractor.
At Lamont Bros., most of our work is done by our in-house remodeling teams, lead by a superintendent and crewed by remodeling carpenters. The only jobs we regularly subcontract are electrical and plumbing, which require a specialized trade license.
How Long Will My Utilities Be Off?
During the remodel, there will be times when your construction team will need to turn off the electricity or water in order to complete a task. Most of the time, the utilities will only be turned off for a few hours at a time.
While this may happen several times throughout the project, it should rarely happen without warning. When your team anticipates having to turn off the utilities, they will communicate this with you ahead of time. You’ll know when and for how long the outage will last.
How Many Jobs Do You Have Running at Once?
Many contractors will take on multiple jobs at a time and split their time between job sites. This can be frustrating for homeowners, who often feel like their project is not a priority when their contractor is spending a lot of time on other projects.
At Lamont Bros., we have nine dedicated remodeling teams, which means we typically run about 9 remodel projects at a time. However, each team is assigned to one project at a time, meaning they are not splitting their time between jobs. Instead, you have a team that is committed to seeing your remodel through to completion before moving to the next one.
When Can We Start?
Remodeling is exciting, and it’s good to be enthusiastic about getting started. Before you begin, here are two things to make sure you have ready.
1. Design Plans
It’s important to have remodel design plans to provide a clear roadmap for the project. They ensure that you and your build team are on the same page, prevent costly mistakes and delays, and ensure that the project’s final build will be exactly as you want it. Design plans can take anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks to complete, but their benefit is well worth the added time.
2 Permits
Building permits ensure that construction is carried out responsibly and in accordance with established standards. Obtaining permits is a crucial part of guaranteeing safety, structural integrity, and adherence to zoning restrictions. For large-scale projects such as additions, custom kitchens, and whole-home remodels, you can expect to spend several weeks waiting for permit approval before you can begin construction. In some areas in Oregon, wait times for permits can take between 4-8 weeks or more.
Want To Know More About Bathroom Remodeling?
While this video aims to answer the most common questions about bathroom remodel projects, perhaps you have more questions that are unique to your project. To continue learning more about bathroom remodeling, check out our Ultimate Bathroom Remodel Guide. Here, we’ll walk you through the process of remodeling your bathroom so you know exactly what to expect from the process.