Service area ยท Culver City, CA
Bathroom remodeling in Culver City's bungalows and post-war homes
Plenty of Culver City houses were built with one bathroom for the whole family. Remodeling it well, adding a second, or building one into an ADU are the projects we are asked about most.
Housing
What Culver City bathrooms tend to need
Much of Culver City's single-family housing dates from the 1920s through the post-war years: Spanish and Craftsman-influenced bungalows, small traditional cottages, and the modest ranch-style houses that filled in after the war. They were built for households that expected one bathroom, and that bathroom was sized accordingly.
Eighty or ninety years later, the original bath has usually been remodeled at least once, often over the top of what was there. Opening the walls tends to reveal layers: newer tile over older tile, a tub set on a patched floor, galvanized or copper supply lines of mixed ages, and cast-iron or clay drain lines that may be near the end of their service life.
The other thing these houses often have is a raised foundation with a crawlspace. That is useful. With access under the floor, relocating a toilet, adding a shower drain or running new supply lines to a second bathroom is usually more straightforward than on a concrete slab, where the floor has to be cut and patched.
Newer houses, additions and many ADU sites are on slabs, which does not rule out a plumbing change. It changes the method and the cost, and it is worth knowing which you have before you fall in love with a layout.
Three common projects, compared
A rough sense of what each involves. Every house is different, so treat this as a map of the questions, not the answers.
| Project | Typical scope | What usually decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Remodel the existing bathroom | Demolition to studs, new waterproofing, fixtures, tile, vanity, lighting and ventilation; plumbing replaced where it is old | Condition of the drains and floor framing once opened; whether the tub stays |
| Add a second bathroom | Converting a closet, part of a bedroom or a service porch; new drain, vent and supply runs; new electrical circuit | Where the new drain and vent can reach the existing system; crawlspace access; the loss of the space it takes |
| Bathroom for an ADU | A complete new bathroom inside a garage conversion or new structure, usually compact and on a slab | Sewer connection route, the ADU's overall plans and permit, and a layout that fits a small footprint |
What we work on in Culver City
The services most relevant to houses here, and why.
Full remodels
Taking an older bungalow bath back to the framing so the plumbing, waterproofing and floor are sound, then rebuilding it with a layout that suits how you live now.
Complete bathroom remodelingADU bathrooms
Compact, durable bathrooms for garage conversions and backyard units. Choices that hold up to renters or family members and are easy to maintain.
Bathrooms for ADUsSmall-footprint planning
Original bungalow baths and new second baths are both small. Wall-hung fixtures, pocket doors and a shower in place of a tub can change how the room works.
Small bathroom remodelsKeeping what is worth keeping
Not every original bathroom needs to disappear. A deep cast-iron tub in good condition, a well-proportioned window, or a run of original tile can anchor a remodel that otherwise brings the room up to date. We will tell you honestly when an old element is worth the effort to save and when it is holding the project back.
We also look at the rooms around the bathroom. In a small house, a few inches borrowed from a hall closet or a door moved along a wall can do more than an expensive finish. Our article on layouts for older Los Angeles homes goes into those moves in more detail.
Permits in Culver City
Culver City is its own city with its own building department. Work in Culver City is permitted there, not through LADBS. Adding a bathroom, changing plumbing or electrical, and building an ADU are the kinds of work that commonly require a permit and inspections.
Rules for ADUs in particular have changed several times in recent years across California. Confirm current requirements for your lot with the City of Culver City's building and planning staff before you design around an assumption. We check this as part of planning. For the design side, see our ADU bathroom design guide.
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