What a complete bathroom quote includes

Water is the one thing that destroys a bathroom, and every part of the job that deals with it is invisible by the time you see the room.

That makes bathroom quotes unusually hard to compare, because the most important lines are the ones describing work you will never look at. Here is what belongs in the document and what each line is for.

Waterproofing, before any tile

This is the part that decides whether the bathroom lasts, and it is the part most often left off a page.

A waterproofing membrane behind the board

Look for A membrane on its own line, described as going in before tile.

The membrane behind the board goes in before a single tile. Tile and grout are not waterproof on their own; the membrane behind them is what keeps water out of the framing.

Slope built to the drain

Look for Slope mentioned explicitly, as built rather than assumed.

The correct slope is built to the drain before tile goes up. Water that does not reach the drain sits, and a shower floor that holds water is a shower floor that will fail.

What the tile is set over

Look for The substrate named.

Custom tiled showers, tub surrounds and niches are set over proper substrate. A niche in particular is a hole cut into a wet wall, and how it is built is worth asking about.

Behind the wall

Once the tile is on, this is all sealed for the life of the bathroom.

Licensed rough-in, inspected before close-up

Look for Named licensed trades and an inspection step.

Rough-in plumbing is done by licensed trades and inspected before close-up. It is the part behind the wall that you can never easily get back to.

Fixture moves, if anything is relocating

Look for Which fixtures move, and what that involves.

Moving the toilet, vanity or shower is real plumbing work rather than a layout preference, and the cost sits mostly in what is under the floor.

Grab-bar backing, if accessibility matters at all

Look for Blocking or backing built into the walls, even where no bar is going in yet.

Backing built into the wall now costs very little. Adding it later means opening finished tile. Worth including even if the bar is years away.

Drying the room out

The single most commonly undersized line on a bathroom quote.

An exhaust fan sized to the room

Look for A fan with a rating, not just "fan included".

A bathroom that does not dry out grows the problems you cannot see, no matter how good the tile looks.

Vented outside, not into the attic

Look for Where the duct terminates, stated.

A fan vented into the attic moves the moisture out of the room and into the roof structure. It has to terminate outside the building.

Surfaces and fixtures

Subfloor checked and levelled first

Look for Floor preparation before the finished floor.

Tile or luxury vinyl plank goes over a subfloor that is checked and levelled first. Tile over a floor with movement in it cracks at the grout lines.

In-floor heat, in or out

Look for Stated either way, with the cost separated.

In-floor heat is an option, and it has to be decided before the floor goes in rather than after.

Tile layout planned

Look for Any mention of where full tiles and cuts fall.

The layout is planned so full tiles lead the eye and cuts fall where they are least seen. Level, plumb and consistent grout lines are what separate a real tile job from a fast one.

Vanity set level and fixed to solid backing

Look for Installation described, not just the vanity supply.

Floating and standard vanities are set level and secured to solid backing. A floating vanity in particular carries its whole load on that connection.

The job around the build

Lighting roughed in before drywall

Look for Lighting and switching planned at design.

Lighting and its switching are roughed in before the drywall goes on. Adding it later means opening a wall that is already tiled or painted.

Permits where a wall or plumbing is moving

Look for Who prepares the package and whether the cost is included.

Any wall or plumbing move is built to code and permitted where required.

Definition →

Not sure what you are looking at?

Send us the quote and we will walk you through it.

Bring us the written estimate you already have and we will go through it line by line so you understand what is in it, what is not, and what the words mean. No obligation and no pressure. If it covers everything above, we will tell you that too.

Send us your quote Call (587) 447-9009

Common questions

Is tile waterproof on its own?

No. Tile and grout shed most water but they are not a barrier. The waterproofing membrane behind the board is what actually keeps water out of the framing, and it goes in before any tile.

Why does a shower floor need slope built into it?

So water reaches the drain. Slope is built in before tile goes up. A floor that holds water anywhere is a floor that will eventually let it through.

Where should a bathroom fan vent to?

Outside the building. A fan vented into the attic moves moisture out of the bathroom and deposits it in the roof structure, which is a worse problem than the one it solved.

Can a curbless shower go in any bathroom?

Where the layout allows. It depends on the floor structure, because the slope and drain have to be accommodated within it. It is worth asking early rather than assuming.

Should I put grab-bar backing in even if I do not need it yet?

It is one of the cheapest things you can add during a renovation and one of the most expensive to add afterward, because later means opening finished tile. Blocking built into the wall now costs very little.