What is the flow of work in a bathroom remodeling project?
So, you are getting ready to remodel your bathroom! Congratulations! This is so exciting!
As you plan your project, you probably have questions. Are you wondering how the work will progress?
What is the sequence of tasks in a construction project? How will the remodeling work progress? Should the plumbers do their work before the electricians? Or, does the electrical work come first? How do you know which tasks come first, and which come last?
Let’s walk through the workflow of a typical bathroom remodel, and get you some answers!
What is the sequence of work in a bathroom remodel?
Design & Planning phase
Planning is, hands down, the most crucial part of a remodel!
The planning phase also tends to be the part of the project that everyone is tempted to rush through! Design decisions are fun to make, but once you know what flooring you want to walk on, what tub you want to soak in, and what showerhead you want to enjoy, it is tempting to jump right into the building phase!
This is understandable, but a good project manager understands that the 5 Ps (proper planning prevents poor performance) are critical for a successful (and stress-free) remodeling experience.
A good project manager will make sure everything is planned out in intricate detail before anyone swings a hammer!
Demolition phase
Yay! Demo day is so much fun! You get to see an old space torn down to make space for something better!
Demo day is a messy, chaotic day, where your bathroom is torn apart and thrown into a dumpster! And that means that you will be relaxing in your new bathroom soon!
Framing/ structural phase
After the room is demolished, and the old fixtures and finishes are removed, it will be time to address any structural issues in the room.
This is the phase where the floor framing is leveled, the walls and ceiling are flattened, and blocking or beams are added, if necessary.
Sometimes structural work is tedious and time-consuming, but it is usually pretty fast-paced when it is only being done in a single room, like a bathroom. The framing phase of a bathroom remodel will typically last a couple of days.
Mechanical, electrical, & plumbing phase
When the framing/ structural work is done, it is time for the mechanical, electrical, & plumbing (MEP) work to begin. This work will last anywhere from a couple of days to a week or more, depending on how extensive the remodel is.
During this phase, heating ducts will be run, drain pipes installed, water pipes run, and electrical boxes, in-wall fixtures, and wires installed, usually in that order.
MEP work is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. But, it is well worth the time and expense. Quality MEP work will ensure you will be safe and comfortable in your transformed space!
Insulation phase
After all of the ducts, pipes, and wires are installed, and the inspectors have signed off on that work, it is time to insulate the exterior walls, ceilings, & floors! This will keep your space warm in even the coldest New Hampshire winters!
Insulation can also be installed in interior walls, ceilings, & floors to reduce sound transmission and ensure that your family members in the neighboring rooms don’t disturb your quiet time!
Drywall phase
Once the things that need to be in the walls are installed, it is time to install drywall!
Drywall day is another exciting day! Your bathroom will go from feeling like a war zone to feeling like a living space in a single day!
The sheets of drywall go up fast, but finishing all of the corners and seams is a messy, time-consuming process. Drywall can be installed in a bathroom in a single day, but finishing it will usually take a few more days.
Finishes phase
After the drywall is finished, sanded, & primed, it is time for wall, floor, & ceiling finishes.
How the finishing work is sequenced depends on the products and finishes that are used.
For example, Porcelain tile flooring will be installed under the vanity, while vinyl plank flooring often gets installed after the cabinet is installed. Likewise, doors usually get installed before the flooring, but sometimes it makes more sense for the trim carpenters to do their work once the flooring guys are done.
In a bathroom remodeling project, the task sequencing often looks like this: the tile guys do their work first, the trim carpenters next, the MEP trades after that, and the painters complete their work last. Custom glass shower doors need to be templated after the tile is installed, then manufactured off-site. This means that, if they are used, glass shower doors are usually one of the last things to be installed.
Punch List phase
While every trade does their best to do great work, and to complete everything flawlessly, sometimes there are odds and ends that need to be finished at the end of the project.
Maybe one trade can’t complete all of their tasks until another trade is done. Maybe a defective product needs to be reordered and replaced. Or, maybe, a few spots need to be touched up with paint.
All of these touch-ups, replacements, and other odds and ends are taken care of in the punch list phase.
The rest of your life phase!
Okay, you’ve got me! This isn’t technically a phase of construction. But, it is a phase of your life!
Once all of the construction phases are complete, you are free to move your linens, decorations, toiletries, and any other items into your transformed space so that you can start enjoying it!
This is the phase you have been looking forward to! Waking up and brush your teeth in front of your new medicine cabinet, or coming home from work to spend your evening relaxing in your new bathtub!
This is a new phase of your life where you have the space you need to live your best life! How exciting is that?!!
