Bathroom Remodeling
A bathroom is the smallest room in the house and the one with the most going on inside its walls. Water under pressure, water draining, steam, ventilation, electrical near all of it — and every one of those systems hidden behind a surface that is expensive to open twice.
That is the whole argument for doing it properly the first time. The tile is the part you see; the reason a bathroom lasts twenty years or fails in three is behind it.
What goes on behind the tile
Tile is not waterproof. Grout is not waterproof. Both are porous, and in a shower both are permanently wet. What keeps water out of the wall is the layer underneath — and that layer is invisible the moment the job is finished, which is exactly why it is the first thing skipped on a cheap remodel.
Done right, a shower gets:
- The right board — moisture-resistant or cement board in wet areas, never standard drywall
- A waterproofing layer over the board, sealed continuously at every corner and change of plane
- A properly sloped pan so water goes to the drain instead of standing
- Sealed penetrations wherever a valve or fixture passes through the wall
If you are getting quotes and one is noticeably cheaper, this is usually where the difference lives. Ask what goes behind the tile — it is a fair question and any straight answer will tell you a lot.
Ventilation, the part nobody asks about
Most bathroom mold problems are not plumbing leaks. They are steam that had nowhere to go, condensing on cold surfaces every day for years.
An exhaust fan has to actually move air outside — not into the attic, which is a surprisingly common shortcut and one we look for on older houses. If your mirror stays fogged long after a shower, or paint peels near the ceiling, the fan is usually the story rather than the plumbing.
Small jobs, not just full remodels
A full remodel is the visible service, but most calls are smaller and worth making:
- A leak, or a stain on the ceiling of the room below
- Mold or soft drywall around the tub or shower
- Grout and caulk failing at the joints
- Dated fixtures, a vanity, a toilet, a mirror
- Regrouting and resealing rather than replacing
Fixing a small water problem early is the difference between a repair and a drywall section — and eventually between drywall and framing.
A full remodel, from the studs out
Demolition, basic plumbing, moisture-resistant board, waterproofing, tile, tub or shower, toilet, sink and vanity, lighting, and the finishes that make it read as done.
The sequence is unforgiving here: waterproofing before tile, tile before fixtures, and each with its own curing time. Most bathrooms run one to two weeks of active work depending on tile area and what demolition uncovers behind the old walls.
What it looks like while we are there
The bathroom is out of service for the duration — there is no version where it is not. If it is the only bathroom in the house, say so when you call, because it changes how we stage the work: we compress the phases that make it unusable and give you the schedule up front rather than day by day.
Demolition is loud and dusty for a day or two, and tile cutting is loud in shorter bursts. The rest is quieter than people expect.
Across the Bay Area
We remodel and repair bathrooms in San Rafael, Tiburon, Mill Valley and across Marin, in San Francisco, and out through Berkeley, Orinda, Walnut Creek and Vallejo.
Call and describe what you have — the size, whether it is a tub or a shower, and whether anything is leaking or staining right now. If it is a repair, send a photo; it usually tells us more than the description does.