A bathroom remodel looks chaotic from the outside — contractors coming and going, dust everywhere, your vanity sitting in the garage for three weeks. But there's actually a precise order to it, and every step has to happen in sequence. You can't tile over rough plumbing that hasn't been inspected. You can't set a vanity before the floor is down. When homeowners in Stoneham, Winchester, and Newton ask us how long their project will take, the honest answer depends on how well each phase lines up with the next.
This guide walks through the complete bathroom remodel process we use at Schlickmann Construction — from the morning the first tile comes off the wall to the final walkthrough where you sign off. We'll cover the permits, the inspections, the realistic timelines, and the points where projects commonly stall. As a licensed Massachusetts general contractor (CSL-121587) who self-performs the work with no subcontractors, we control the schedule from start to finish, which is exactly why the sequence below actually holds together.
Before Demo Day: Permits, Materials, and Planning
The work that happens before anyone swings a hammer determines whether your project runs smoothly. In Massachusetts, a full bathroom remodel that touches plumbing or electrical requires permits pulled through your local building department. Under the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), any alteration to plumbing requires a separate plumbing permit, and electrical work requires an electrical permit — these are filed in addition to the building permit for the overall renovation.
In towns like Lexington, Medford, and Arlington, the permit application typically asks for a scope of work and, for larger jobs, a plan. We pull these permits under our license, which matters: an unlicensed job or a DIY permit can create real problems when you sell the house and the inspection surfaces unpermitted work.
The other pre-demo task is material selection, and this is where most delays actually originate. Tile, vanities, and especially custom glass shower enclosures can have lead times of two to six weeks. We don't start demo until the long-lead items are ordered and confirmed. There's no point tearing out your only bathroom and then waiting a month for a vanity to show up.
What You Decide Before We Start
- Layout changes — moving a toilet, tub, or shower drain adds plumbing rough-in work and cost
- Tile selections — floor tile, wall tile, accent/niche tile, and the grout colors
- Fixtures — vanity, faucets, shower valve, toilet, lighting, and exhaust fan
- Waterproofing system — we'll recommend the right approach for your specific shower or wet area
Week 1: Demolition and Discovery
Demo day is the one everybody pictures. We protect flooring and walls along the path from your door to the bathroom, set up dust containment, and strip the space down to the studs and subfloor. A typical single bathroom demo takes one to two days.
Demo is also when we find out what the previous contractors — or the 1950s original builder — actually did behind the walls. In older Greater Boston homes, especially in Somerville, Cambridge, and Watertown, we regularly uncover:
- Rotted subfloor around the toilet flange or tub, from years of slow leaks
- Old cast iron or galvanized plumbing that should be replaced while the walls are open
- Knob-and-tube wiring that can't legally remain in a finished wet area
- No insulation or improper venting on exterior walls
This is why we build a contingency conversation into every project. Discovering rot behind a shower is not a sign something went wrong — it's the reason you're remodeling in the first place. Because we don't use subcontractors, we handle these surprises in-house without waiting on another trade to come assess it.
Week 2: Rough Plumbing, Electrical, and Framing
With the space opened up, the "rough-in" phase begins. This is the invisible work that makes everything else possible, and it's the phase that gets inspected before we close the walls.
Plumbing Rough-In
We relocate or replace supply lines and drain/waste/vent piping as needed for your new layout. If you're moving a shower or converting a tub to a walk-in shower, this is where the drain gets repositioned. Massachusetts plumbing code requires proper venting and specific pitch on drain lines — a shower drain, for example, needs correct slope to the vent so it drains completely and doesn't trap odors. We set the shower valve and tub/shower rough during this phase.
Electrical Rough-In
Electrical rough includes running wiring for new lighting, GFCI-protected outlets (required by code within six feet of a water source), the exhaust fan, and any heated-floor systems. Massachusetts electrical code requires at least one GFCI-protected receptacle in every bathroom, and any outlet serving the bathroom countertop area must be GFCI protected. If we're adding an exhaust fan — and in a tight, tiled bathroom you absolutely want one — it has to be vented to the exterior, not into the attic or a wall cavity.
Framing happens alongside this: blocking in the walls for grab bars (smart to add even if you don't need them yet), framing a shower niche, and building any curbs or benches.
Then we stop and wait for inspection. The plumbing and electrical rough-ins must pass town inspection before we insulate and close the walls. This is a hard stop in the bathroom remodel process that homeowners sometimes don't expect — the schedule depends partly on when your town's inspector is available, which can mean a day or two of waiting.
Week 3: Waterproofing, Backer Board, and Insulation
Once rough inspections pass, we close things up. Insulation goes into exterior walls. Then comes the single most important part of any bathroom remodel for long-term durability: waterproofing.
Cement backer board replaces drywall in wet areas — never use regular drywall behind tile in a shower. On top of or integrated with the backer board, we install a waterproofing membrane system (sheet membrane or liquid-applied) across all shower walls, the shower pan, and up over the curb. Done right, this creates a continuous waterproof envelope so that even if water gets past the grout and tile — and over time, it will — it has nowhere to go.
This is where cutting corners costs homeowners the most. A beautiful tile job over improper waterproofing will look great for two years and then start rotting the structure behind it. We've torn out plenty of recent remodels in Woburn and Belmont that failed because someone skipped the membrane. In the rest of the bathroom, standard moisture-resistant drywall goes up and gets taped and finished.
Week 4: Tile, Flooring, and the Finished Look
Now the project starts to look like a bathroom. Tile is the most labor-intensive finish phase and usually takes several days depending on the size and complexity of the pattern.
- Floor tile goes down first, often over a heated-floor mat if you've chosen one — a popular upgrade in our colder Massachusetts winters
- Wall and shower tile gets set, including any niche, accent band, or mosaic detail
- Grouting and sealing happens after the thinset cures, typically the next day
Tile work can't be rushed. Thinset and grout need proper cure time, and a patient tile setter is the difference between crisp, even grout lines and a job that looks amateur. Because the same crew carries your project from demo through finish, the person tiling your shower already knows exactly how the waterproofing and framing were done behind it.
Week 5: Fixtures, Trim, and Final Walkthrough
The finish phase is where everything gets installed and connected. We set the vanity, countertop, and sink; install the toilet with a new wax ring and flange; hang the mirror, lighting, and towel bars; install the shower glass; and connect all the plumbing trim — faucets, shower head, valve trim.
Electrical trim-out means installing the light fixtures, switches, GFCI outlets, and exhaust fan cover. The final plumbing and electrical inspections happen now, with everything connected and working, to verify the completed system meets code.
Then we do the final walkthrough with you. We run every fixture, check for leaks, confirm the exhaust fan pulls air, point out how your waterproofing and shower system work, and address any punch-list items — a smudge on the glass, a caulk line to touch up. We don't consider the job done until you've walked it with us and signed off. Our 5.0-star Google rating and BBB A+ record come from treating that walkthrough as the real finish line, not the tile.
How Long Does a Bathroom Remodel Take in Massachusetts?
A standard full bathroom remodel runs about three to five weeks of active work. That assumes materials are in hand, no major structural surprises, and reasonable inspection scheduling from your town. Larger jobs — moving walls, converting a tub to a curbless walk-in shower, or building out an fully accessible ADA bathroom — can run six to eight weeks. The biggest variables are always material lead times and inspection availability, not the labor itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my bathroom during the remodel?
No — once demo starts, that bathroom is out of service until the final fixtures are installed and inspected, usually three to five weeks. If it's your only bathroom, we'll talk through this during planning. Many homeowners stage the project around a second bathroom, and we sequence the work to minimize the days you're without a working toilet.
Do I really need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Massachusetts?
Yes, if you're touching plumbing, electrical, or structure — which nearly every real remodel does. Under 780 CMR and the Massachusetts plumbing and electrical codes, these require permits and inspections pulled by a licensed contractor. Skipping permits creates problems at resale and voids any protection from the state's contractor regulations. We pull all required permits under our license, CSL-121587.
Why don't you use subcontractors?
Because the bathroom remodel process depends on tight handoffs between plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, and tile. When one company self-performs all of it, there's no finger-pointing, no waiting on another crew's schedule, and one point of accountability for the entire job. It's also why our timelines are more reliable — we're not coordinating three different companies' calendars.
Ready to Start Your Bathroom Remodel?
Schlickmann Construction is a fully licensed and insured Massachusetts general contractor (CSL-121587) serving Stoneham, Lexington, Winchester, Medford, Woburn, Newton, Cambridge, and the surrounding Greater Boston area. We hold a BBB A+ rating, a 5.0-star Google review record, and we self-perform every phase of your project — no subcontractors. If you want a clear timeline, honest pricing, and a crew that treats your home with care from demo day to final walkthrough, explore our bathroom remodeling services and contact us for a free estimate today.
