How Long a Bathroom Remodel Really Takes (and Why Mine Ran Long)

I want to walk you through a recent primary bathroom in Redlands that ran two weeks long. Not because we messed up. Because of a specific problem I see constantly in IE homes and most homeowners never hear about.

The scope

Tub-to-shower conversion, new vanity, full-height tile, new toilet, recessed lighting, and an exhaust fan upgrade. Standard primary bathroom. We quoted three weeks.

What we found on day three

Original galvanized supply lines behind the shower wall. In a 1968 home that is not surprising. What was surprising was how bad. Corroded through in one spot, restricted flow in three others. We stopped and called the homeowner.

Two options. One, re-pipe the bathroom while the walls are open. Two, patch the one bad spot and leave the rest. We recommended option one. The walls were already open. Labor to re-pipe was 2,400 and material was 600. If we closed it up and the next pinhole leaked in two years, we would be cutting open new tile to fix it.

Why this adds time

Re-piping adds a day for the plumber, another day for inspection, and a day for drying time on new drywall. Three working days, which often becomes a full week once you factor schedule shuffling.

What I tell every bathroom client now

If your home is older than 1985, budget an extra 10 percent and an extra week for the unknown. If we do not use it, we return it. But having the room in the plan means you are not stressed if the wall opens and we find a problem.

For more on timelines and scope, see our bathroom remodeling service page and our post on what a good contractor quote looks like.