Preparing for a Bathroom Remodel

Bathroom remodeling is tricky because both plumbing and wiring are typically involved, hardly things you want to mix together, and it means you’ll need a plumber and an electrician as subcontractors. No two bathrooms are the same: Thus, bathroom remodeling prep steps are likely to be modified for your project, but there are also several universal concepts that can be applied before your bathroom contractor arrives. Just remember that when it comes to fast and accurate advice, nobody is better than your remodeling contractor.

Bathroom Remodeling Prep Steps

Flow of Traffic

Think about where your bathroom contractor will park his vehicle, which door he will be coming through, and his path from the door to the bathroom. Most contractors will need to make several trips back and forth, and asking them to remove their boots each way is really unrealistic and impractical. No matter what type of flooring you have, find some old towels or buy some carpet scraps and lay them in the path of traffic. This way, you protect your floors without interrupting the bathroom contractor’s process.

Remove All Objects

Remove anything that is mobile from any area where the bathroom professional may be working. Doing these few things before the bathroom professional ever arrives will allow him to go right to work. Here are a few reminders:

• Bathtub & Shower: Remove all soaps, shampoos, washcloths, razors, and rubber ducks.
• Toilet: Remove toilet cover and anything sitting on the back of the toilet.
• Sink: Remove all soaps, candles, and any other item that is sitting on the counter of the sinks.
• Sink Base: Remove all items underneath the sink that may be in the way of the plumbing. If the sink base will be replaced, take everything out of the drawers as well.
• Floor: Remove all bathmats, magazines, trash cans, scales and anything sitting on the floor.
• Walls: If you are replacing the walls, pull off any towel racks that you can. If you have a medicine cabinet, remove everything inside of it.

Advanced Prep Steps for Do It Yourselfers

If you are really handy and have checked with the bathroom professional before you do anything, there are a few things you can do to help the contractor work a little more quickly, and maybe save you a little money. Do not do any of these things without checking with your contractor before hand.

• Removing Tile: If you have tile or linoleum and you are capable of tearing out the existing floor, remove all that you can. This can save everyone involved a lot of resources. Get some dos and don’ts from your bathroom pro first.
• Turn the Water Off: If the contractor is going to rip out most of the fixtures and reroute the plumbing, he will need to turn water off first. This is a simple task, but the contractor will appreciate not having to do it himself.
• Shower Doors: Whether you have shower doors or a curtain, removing these can help the contractors either by getting things out of their way or by doing a task they would have had to do themselves.

Many of the above topics are also part and parcel of bathroom maintenance.

Bathroom Remodeling Preparations

Of course, before you prepare your bathroom, you may need to prepare your finances. Whether you’re paying for the project through cash reserves or through financing, you’ll need some idea of how much the project is going to cost. Naturally, exact estimates can only be had through specific contractors, but we can give you a few clues about the possible range of expenses. The average cost of a bathroom remodel from HomeAdvisor customers is approximately $9,000, but keep in mind this figure includes surface-level, partial, complete, and luxury bathroom remodeling projects. Remodeling Magazine, on the other hand, uses industry standards for a complete bathroom remodel with a few bells and whistles, such as a new tile surround, recessed medicine cabinet, and new flooring and wallpaper. Their cost estimate for a bathroom remodel is $15,899. See additional bathroom remodeling costs here.

Once you have mustered your financial resources and completed the basic prep steps for your remodeled bathroom, it’s time to step back and let the professionals go to work. These items will be a big help, and they also let the contractors know that you are thinking of them and wanting to make their job easy. Just don’t try to overdo it. They are professionals, and while they will appreciate your preparation, they have everything else under control.

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