A Bathroom Renovation, Week by Week

"How long will it take?" is the second question on every bathroom call, right after cost. For a full gut of a standard bathroom, the honest answer is three to five weeks of construction — and here's what actually happens in each of them.

Before Week One: The Part People Skip

The schedule is won or lost before demo. All materials — tile, vanity, fixtures, glass — should be selected and on-site or confirmed in transit before we open a wall. The single biggest cause of stalled bathrooms in Chicago isn't labor; it's a faucet on backorder discovered in week two.

Week 1: Demo and Rough-In

Protection goes up, then the room comes out — tile, fixtures, often down to the studs. With walls open, plumbing and electrical get reworked to the new layout: valves moved, drains corrected, dedicated circuits and venting added. If there's hidden damage (and in pre-war Chicago buildings there often is), this is when we find it and price it transparently.

Week 2: Inspections, Then Closing the Walls

Rough plumbing and electrical inspections happen before anything gets covered — that's the point of them. After sign-off: insulation, cement board in wet areas, and waterproofing. The waterproofing membrane is the most important thing in the room you'll never see; it's the difference between a 20-year bathroom and a 5-year one.

Weeks 3–4: Tile and Finishes

Tile is the slow, skilled middle of every bathroom: floors, walls, niches, with proper layout and flat substrates. Rushing tile is visible forever, so we don't. Then the room reassembles — vanity, toilet, lighting, trim, paint, hardware.

Week 5: Glass and Final Details

Custom shower glass is measured only after tile is done, and fabrication takes one to two weeks — which is why glass usually defines the finish line. Final plumbing connections, caulk, touch-ups, and a walkthrough where every drawer, valve, and grout line gets reviewed together.