Though it is tricky to estimate the total time for a bathroom renovation, still, the scope and the complexity can give you a rough idea about the timelines.

But before going ahead with the actual renovation work, how about investing your time in some preparation?

Preparation for a bathroom renovation

This is the first and a crucial step for a bathroom renovation. It is quite obvious that you will have some specific requirements and ideas for your bathroom space. Hence, finding out whether these ideas are feasible for not is a good plan

Additionally, a good bathroom design is not just limited to choosing colours, tiles and fixtures.

Take a closer look at the bathroom designs that fascinate you and understand how they have incorporated the following aspects:

• Lighting
• Placement of electrical outlets and appliances
• Carpentry work
• Cabinetry
• Window or skylight placement

If you feel confident about your bathroom renovation plan and you think you will be able to explain your requirements to a bathroom renovator, you can move ahead with the actual bathroom renovation process.

Bathroom renovation process – stages and timelines

Right from getting the permits to installing skylights and rerouting plumbing, several factors contribute to determining the timeline for your bathroom renovation project.

Considering that nothing is redone during or after the renovation process, we have broken down the process for you stage-wise.

Receiving quotes from bathroom renovation experts

It’s advisable to entrust the responsibility of your bathroom renovation to the professionals. So, the first thing that you need to consider is narrowing down the list of the contractors or bathroom renovation experts.

Schedule meetings with them and check their previous work. This will give you an insight into their skills and expertise.

You can also call the shortlisted bathroom renovators to your site so that they are able to give you a more precise timeline as well as an estimated price quote.

Timeline: One to two weeks

Why: You will take one to two weeks’ time to complete this initial stage which involves talking to a few contractors, meeting them, scheduling site visits, getting price quotes and finalising one.

Selecting a contractor

After comparing several bids and seeing their work – you can take the final call. This step is simple. Arrange a meeting if you have any queries and get all things clear at your end.

Lastly, sign the contract after reviewing it. The contract must include the description of the work to be done, the final costs and approximate time for the completion of the project.

Timeline: A day or two

Why: You have already narrowed down your list of bathroom contractors. All you need to do is discuss your queries and hire the contractor formally by signing the contract.

Obtaining permits / approvals from the building commission

A bathroom renovation may include rerouting of plumbing or electrical work. This may push the timeline a bit.

The experienced contractors will easily be able to pull out the permits but considering different factors like your neighbourhood or municipality concerns and the scope of your project, there are high chances of this process getting delayed.

Timeline: Two weeks to three months

Why: The nature of the project, experience of the contractor and the municipality of your area will contribute to the duration of getting the required approval or permits.

Sourcing the supplies

It is essential for you to have a thorough idea of where to get the supplies from! Or else, it will unnecessarily take more time in finding the rightly priced and high-quality supplies.

Whether you source materials yourself or ask your bathroom renovator to do it, remember that certain materials like granite have longer waiting times than others. This may push your timeline further.

Timeline: One to three weeks

Why: Considering the right sources, availability of supplies and lead time of certain supplies, the total time of ordering and getting them delivered to your work site may take up to three weeks.

Plumbing and electrical work post demolition

Once you have received the permit, demolition of your existing bathroom takes place to make space for new materials.

Further, rerouting work for plumbing and electrical lines is carried out. The demolition will tentatively take half a day and the rerouting work can stretch up to a full day, depending on the size and style of your bathroom.

Timeline: A day or two

Why: A demolition work will take half a day as you need to free the space by removing existing bathroom fixtures. Additionally, it can extend up to one more day in case of rerouting plumbing and electrical lines.

Installing the floor tiles

As you have already decided on the tiles while sourcing your supplies, this step is done immediately after the plumbing and electrical work. Any experienced contractor will be quick at installing the floors in your bathroom in the least time possible.

Timeline: In a day

Why: As you have the tiles ready, all you need is an expert installing them in your bathroom. It is a simple process and the biggest of the bathrooms will also take just a day to get the tiles installed.

Completing the installation

Once the flooring is installed, the process moves ahead with the installation of the tub, vanity, toilet, sink, fixtures and the shelves. Further, the lighting, hardware will be installed simultaneously. This will complete the entire installation process of your bathroom.

Timeline: Two to three days

Why: The installation, lighting and hardware fittings will usually take two to three days, depending on the facilities that you wish to include and the skills/ team size of contractors.

Cleaning up and final inspection

The bathroom renovation team must leave the site clean. Also, before using the facilities like shower or tub of your freshly renovated bathroom, it is recommended to inspect the bathroom with your contractor to ensure that it works perfectly.

Timeline: Less than a half day

Why: This is a wrap-up process once the renovation is completed. Cleaning up won’t take more than a couple of hours. The contractor will inspect your bathroom in a few hours.

Final timeline for a bathroom renovation project

Your bathroom renovation timeline will depend on many factors, including the approval time and expertise of the contractor to carry out the entire renovation work.

From arranging the supplies to final inspection – there is a lot to do. Ideally, you can expect a timeline of around 5-7 weeks for your bathroom renovation project, considering there is no delay in getting permits.

It is important to hire a reliable team for your bathroom renovation job. Make sure you hire leading experts in bathroom renovation.

To avoid any sort of disappointments from the final outcome, ensure to set a timeline for every single stage of your bathroom renovation process. After all, you would love to see your renovated bathroom exactly the way you wanted, won’t you?