10 Questions to Ask on Your First Call About a Bathroom Remodel

Bathrooms are small rooms with a lot going on: water, ventilation, electrical and tile all packed into a few square feet. The first call is your chance to find out whether a contractor knows how to build one that lasts.

Here are the 10 questions I want every homeowner to ask me. Ask every contractor the same ones and compare the answers.

1. Should I go with a tiled shower or a shower system?

Custom tile and solid-surface panel systems both work well. Tile offers the most design options. Panel systems, like the Onyx systems we install, go in faster and have fewer grout lines to clean. Ask which fits your budget and how you use the room.

2. How do you waterproof the shower?

Tile and grout are not waterproof on their own. Ask what goes behind the tile and under the floor of the shower, and how it is tested. This is the part you never see and the part that matters most.

3. Can we keep the toilet, sink and drain where they are?

Moving plumbing is one of the biggest cost drivers in a bathroom. Our bathroom remodel cost guide explains what raises and lowers the price.

4. What happens if you find water damage?

Old tubs and toilets often hide rotted subfloor. Ask how the contractor checks for it, how repairs are priced, and how you approve them before work continues.

5. Can you make this bathroom work as we get older?

A low-threshold or curbless shower, blocking for grab bars and a comfort-height toilet are easy to add during a remodel and hard to add later. Our aging in place page covers more.

6. How is the bathroom ventilated?

A fan ducted to the outside protects paint, drywall and grout from moisture. Ask where the fan vents and whether it is sized for the room.

7. How long will we be without this bathroom?

Ask for a realistic timeline and what drives it, like tile choices, glass lead times and inspections. Our post on bathroom remodel timelines walks through each phase.

8. When do I need to choose tile, fixtures and the vanity?

Selections made before demolition keep the schedule moving. Ask when choices are due and whether the contractor helps you make them.

9. Who pulls permits, and who will be in my home?

Plumbing and electrical work usually needs a permit. Know who is on site each day, who supervises, and who your point of contact is.

10. What happens after the project is done?

Ask about the warranty and how to reach the contractor if something needs attention. We follow up at 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months after every project, and our Kansas contractor license is GEN-000052-2019.

Use our bathroom planning checklist before the call, compare walk-in showers and tub-shower combos, and read our bathroom remodeling guide for the full process.

When you are ready, start a conversation or learn how our First Call works. Read more about our bathroom remodeling services.