Most of our full bathroom remodels run six to eight weeks on site, assuming selections are locked and permits are in hand before demo. Here is the typical cadence.
Week 1 — Protection and demo
Floor protection goes down, dust control up. Fixtures out, tile down to the subfloor. This is also when we confirm joist direction and check for any surprises hidden behind the old tile.
Week 2 — Rough trades
Licensed plumber and electrician back on site. Water lines moved if the design calls for it, drain positions confirmed, exhaust fan vented properly to the outside (this is skipped in a lot of older Boston-area homes, and it causes real problems).
Week 3 — Substrate and waterproofing
Backer board goes up, Kerdi or Schluter membrane on the shower. Shower pan is rebuilt with a proper slope. We pressure-test the pan before tile goes in — a leak after tile is a different universe of problem.
Week 4 — Tile
Floor tile, wall tile, shower surround. Grout waits for full cure. This is the most visible week and also the week where layout decisions you made on paper finally show up on the wall.
Week 5 — Cabinetry and stone
Vanity installed, counters templated and set. Counters often come in week 5 even if everything else is ready — stone fabricators template off the installed vanity, so this step cannot start any earlier.
Week 6 — Finish trim
Faucets, shower trim, toilet, sconces, mirror, exhaust fan trim. At this point the room looks almost done.
Weeks 7–8 — Paint, punch, walk-through
Paint touch-ups, caulking, hardware, silicone lines, punch-list walk, town inspection if required. Written warranty handoff at the walk-through.
What slows jobs down
- Selections not locked before demo — the number-one cause of delay
- Stone or tile with a long lead time ordered after start
- Town permitting timelines that vary week to week
- Unexpected conditions behind old tile — rot, mold, non-code wiring
Ready to put this into practice?
A 30-minute consult is usually enough to confirm whether we are the right fit.
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