Complete remodels · Los Angeles
Full bathroom renovation in Los Angeles
A full remodel takes the room back to studs and subfloor, then rebuilds it in the right order. We plan the layout, the plumbing and the finishes together, so nothing gets decided on the fly once the walls are open.
What a full renovation actually covers
A cosmetic refresh keeps the bones and changes the surfaces. A full renovation replaces nearly everything you can see and a good deal you can't: tile, backer board, waterproofing, fixtures, supply and drain lines inside the room, the vanity, lighting, the exhaust fan and often the window trim and door. The room is rebuilt from the framing out.
It is the right call when several things are failing at once. A shower pan that has started to weep, a toilet flange sitting on soft subfloor, a vanity that never had enough storage and a fan that vents into the attic are four separate problems, but fixing them one at a time usually means tearing out new work to reach the next issue. Doing it all together costs less per problem solved and gives you a room that was designed as one piece.
If only the shower is the issue, a shower remodel may be all you need. If the room is small and the goal is mostly to make it work better, see our notes on remodeling small bathrooms.
Scope, in order
From demolition to trim
The sequence matters more than any single step. Each trade has to leave the room ready for the next, and inspections, where they apply, happen before anything gets covered up.
Protection and demolition
Floors and paths through the house are covered, dust is contained, and the room is stripped to framing and subfloor. This is when the real condition of the house shows itself.
Structure and subfloor repairs
Rotted plywood or planking comes out, joists get sistered where needed, and walls are shimmed or furred so tile has a flat, plumb surface to land on.
Rough plumbing and electrical
Drains, vents and supply lines are run to the new layout. New circuits, lighting boxes and fan ducting go in while the walls are open.
Backer board and waterproofing
Cement board or foam board goes up, then a continuous membrane in the wet areas, with the shower pan built and flood-tested before tile.
Tile and stone
Floors and walls are set, grouted and sealed where the material calls for it.
Cabinetry, tops and fixtures
Vanity, countertop, toilet, faucets, shower trim, glass, mirrors and lighting are installed.
Paint, trim and punch list
Final paint, door and base trim, accessories, caulk joints and a walkthrough together before we call the room finished.
Changing the layout and moving plumbing
Most bathrooms in Los Angeles were laid out decades ago around a tub on the long wall, a toilet beside it and a small vanity near the door. Moving things around is often what turns a room that merely looks new into one that works better.
What it takes depends on the foundation. In a house on a raised foundation with a crawlspace, drain lines can usually be rerouted from below with reasonable access. On a slab, relocating a toilet or shower drain means saw-cutting and trenching concrete, then patching it, which adds time and cost. On a second floor, joist direction decides where a drain can run without notching structure. In a condo, the building's shared stacks set hard limits.
We look at all of this before the design is fixed. Sometimes the best layout is the one that moves a single fixture, not three. Our journal piece on layout ideas for older Los Angeles homes walks through common floor plans and what changing them involves.
Older houses
What we commonly find behind the tile
A lot of the city's housing was built between the 1920s and the 1960s. Those rooms were often well built, but they have had many decades of water, settling and earlier repairs.
Galvanized supply lines
Galvanized steel pipe corrodes from the inside, which is why older bathrooms often have weak pressure or rusty first draws. When the walls are open, replacing the runs inside the room is usually the sensible choice, and it is worth discussing how far back toward the main to go.
Cast-iron drains and stacks
Cast iron can last a long time, but older lines may be scaled, cracked or partly rusted through at the bottom. We look at what's exposed and, if something looks doubtful, suggest a camera inspection of the lines beyond the room.
Subfloor rot around the toilet and tub
Slow leaks at a wax ring or a failing tub drain soften the subfloor for years before anyone notices. It gets cut out and replaced to solid framing, never tiled over.
Out-of-plumb walls and uneven floors
Settling, old plaster and past patching leave walls that bow and floors that slope. Large-format tile and frameless glass show every irregularity, so flattening surfaces is part of the scope, not an extra.
Mortar-bed tile and old wiring
Many pre-war and mid-century bathrooms have tile set in a thick mortar bed over wire lath. It is heavy work to remove. Older rooms may also have ungrounded circuits or no dedicated bathroom circuit at all.
We build a contingency into every older-home plan and walk you through anything we find before it's repaired. Nothing hidden gets fixed without your approval.
Design and selections
Deciding everything before demolition
Layout and elevations
A measured plan and wall elevations fix fixture positions, niche heights, tile layout and where the grout lines land. Those drawings are what the trades build from.
Finish schedule
Tile, stone, vanity, counters, plumbing trim, glass, lighting and hardware are chosen and ordered early, because a single late item can stall the whole room.
Water and ventilation
California holds fixtures to strict efficiency standards, and WaterSense-labeled options perform far better than older low-flow products. We also size exhaust fans and ducting to actually clear the room.
For fixtures that save water without feeling stingy, see our overview of water-efficient bathroom fixture options.
Permits and project management
Many cities require a permit for work that alters plumbing, electrical or structure, which describes most full renovations. The City of Los Angeles is served by LADBS, while Santa Monica, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Culver City each run their own building departments. Requirements and review times change, so we confirm them for your address before the schedule is set. Our article on bathroom remodel permits in Los Angeles covers the general picture.
During construction, one person is your point of contact. You get a schedule that shows each phase and inspection, notice before any trade arrives, and a clear list of decisions still open. If you live in the house during the work, we plan dust control, water shut-offs and daily cleanup around that.
Budget
What drives the cost of a full remodel
No two bathrooms price the same way. These are the factors that move a number most, roughly in order of influence.
- Layout changes
- Keeping fixtures where they are is the biggest saving available. Relocating drains, especially through a slab, is one of the larger line items.
- Condition of the house
- Subfloor repair, pipe replacement and wall flattening in older homes can add meaningful scope.
- Tile and stone
- Material choice matters, but so does labor: small mosaics, patterns and full-height walls take far longer to set than a simple field tile.
- Fixtures and glass
- Thermostatic valves, wall-hung toilets and custom frameless glass typically cost more than their standard counterparts.
- Cabinetry
- A stock vanity and a custom one built to fit an odd wall are very different line items.
- Access and building rules
- Hillside lots, upper floors and condo buildings with elevator bookings or restricted hours affect labor.
Where we work
We handle full renovations across Los Angeles, including these neighboring cities.
Questions
Full renovation FAQ
How long does a full bathroom remodel take?
It depends on scope, material lead times and whether permits and inspections are involved. Construction itself is usually measured in weeks, and planning plus ordering should happen before demolition starts. We give you a schedule specific to your room once the design is settled.
Can I stay in the house during the work?
Usually, yes, as long as there is another working bathroom. We contain dust, protect walkways and plan water shut-offs in advance. If it's your only bathroom, we talk through options before the start date.
Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Los Angeles?
Work that changes plumbing, electrical or structure commonly needs one, but the answer depends on your city and exact scope. Confirm current requirements with LADBS or your city's building department; we check this for each project.
What happens if you find damage after demolition?
We stop, show you what we found, explain the options and price the repair before doing it. Older homes nearly always reveal something, which is why we plan a contingency from the start.
Should I replace old galvanized pipes during the remodel?
If the walls are open and the supply lines are galvanized, replacing them inside the room is almost always worthwhile. How far beyond the bathroom to go is a separate decision we can talk through.
Call us
Talk to us about your bathroom
Call and tell us what isn’t working in the room. We’ll talk through scope, materials and timing, then set up a visit to measure and see the plumbing and structure.
Call for a consultation
(213) 566-7696Open daily, 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Tell us whether it’s a house, condo or ADU
- Describe which bathroom and what you’d like to change
- We arrange a visit to measure and look at the room