Bathroom remodel timeline, New York City

An average bathroom renovation takes between 4 and 8 weeks, depending on the scope and complexity of the project. This page sets out the major steps that are part of most bathroom remodels, in the order we do them, and then explains what makes the same bathroom a four-week job in one New York City building and an eight-week job in another.

Project	Time frame	Source
An average bathroom renovation, through the five stages below	Between 4 and 8 weeks, depending on scope and complexity	Our own schedule for bathroom remodels
One client’s bathroom in a pre-war co-op: complete re-tiling of the floors and walls, tub re-glazing and general updating	4 weeks on the dot	The client’s own review (Kyle Z., June 2014)

The bathroom renovation schedule, stage by stage

These are the five stages and the steps in each. Understanding them will help you communicate with our construction team and understand when your new bathroom will be ready.

Stage	What happens
Preparation	The permit is acquired. The construction schedule is established. The water and the toilet are disconnected, and the electrical service for the bathroom is disconnected if possible. Dust isolation and protection go up for the surrounding areas. The path to the dumpster is established and protected. Negative air pressure is created to keep dust out of the living area. The vanity and medicine cabinet are established, to guide the plumber and the electrician, and ordered.
Bathroom demolition	Existing floor and wall tiles are removed. The vanity and medicine cabinet are removed, and the existing tub if a new tub will be installed. The new standing shower is framed or the new tub installed, with a niche if required. Plaster is stripped from walls and ceilings. Walls and ceilings are de-nailed. All remaining debris is swept and vacuumed to limit the spread of dust during construction.
Framing	Walls are framed for new doors and cabinetry. Beams are installed for enlarged openings. The wall framing is inspected for level and evenness. The floor framing is evaluated and adjusted if required.
Mechanical	An electrical walk-through with you confirms the location of lighting, switches and outlets. Plumbing for drains and water supplies is installed. Wiring, plumbing and framing are inspected. Insulation is installed and inspected.
Finish installation	Green wallboard is installed, with cement board in wet areas, and plastered. Interior trim is installed. The floor is waterproofed, and the shower area up to the ceiling. Floor tiles are installed, then wall tiles. The vanity and medicine cabinet are installed. Painting and other specialty finishes. Plumbing and electrical are connected and finished. Final cleanup and walk-through.

What each stage involves, and how we design the room before any of it starts, is on our bathroom renovation page.

A bathroom that took four weeks

One client wrote down exactly how long his projects took. He lives in a pre-war co-op whose rules allowed construction only between 9 am and 5 pm, and he and his wife stayed in their one-bedroom apartment throughout. His kitchen was quoted at 10 weeks and finished in 10 weeks and one day. About the bathroom he wrote:

That bathroom sits at the short end of our range: by his description the tub stayed in place and was re-glazed rather than replaced. A bathroom that moves its tub, its toilet or its walls has more of every stage in it.

What moves the date in New York City

The steps are the same in most bathrooms. What changes is how much there is of each, and how much of the calendar the building and the city let us use.

What moves the date	Why
The scope	A bathroom that keeps its tub, toilet and walls in place has little framing and short plumbing runs. Moving them adds framing, new drains and water supplies, and more to inspect before the walls are closed.
Your building’s consent	In a co-op or a condo no work starts until the board has consented in writing, after the building’s own architect or engineer has reviewed the plans. Under the New York City Bar Association’s model co-op agreement, the managing agent, the superintendent and that engineer also get at least five days’ written notice of the start date.
A city permit	Replacing fixtures needs no permit. A job that goes past what a licensed master plumber may do without one needs a permit before work starts: for repair and replacement work the plumber can file a limited alteration application, and beyond that an architect or an engineer files plans. Our schedule begins with the permit acquired.
The age of the building	In a building from before April 1987 the city wants an asbestos assessment before it issues a permit. If asbestos has to be removed, that is a separate job by a licensed abatement contractor, filed with the Department of Environmental Protection at least seven days before it starts.
Landmark status	In a landmark building or a historic district, a bathroom that needs a city permit needs a Landmarks permit too. The commission says complete applications for a Certificate of No Effect can often be approved within 10 business days.
The working day	The city allows construction from 7 am to 6 pm on weekdays. A building may allow less: the model co-op agreement limits work to Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, between hours that each building fills in. A shorter day means fewer working hours in every week.
Orders and deliveries	The vanity and the medicine cabinet are chosen and ordered during preparation, because their positions guide the plumber and the electrician. A fixture that ships late holds up the trade that installs it: a faucet two weeks late means the plumber has to be rescheduled.
The way out of the building	Our preparation stage establishes and protects the path debris takes out. In an apartment building that path is the hallway and the service elevator, which the model agreements say may be used only at the times the superintendent directs.
Inspections and tests	Wiring, plumbing and framing are inspected before the walls are closed, and the insulation after it goes in. Under the Plumbing Code, a shower floor built in place has its liner filled with water and watched for at least 15 minutes before any tile is laid. Where a permit was filed, the city’s inspections and final sign-off close the job.
What demolition uncovers	Until the plaster is stripped nobody can see the framing or the old pipes. If they need work, you get it in an itemized report, with a change order for you to approve.
Changes after the start	Under the model agreements, once the building has approved the plans the work may not be changed without its written approval again. A change of mind in the middle of the job can mean a second round with the building.
The building’s own deadline	The model consent letter names a date by which the work must be complete, and the model agreements let the building charge for each working day beyond it.

Before the first day of work

Our schedule begins with the permit acquired and the construction schedule established. The time before that, while a board reviews the plans or the city reviews a filing, belongs to other people, and we cannot promise it on their behalf. What we can do is our part: we get the plans and the board approval in order and check back with your building so that everything goes smoothly. How that works in a co-op is on our co-op renovation page.

How to keep your bathroom at the short end

• Ask your managing agent for the alteration agreement and the work rules before you set any dates.
• Decide the layout, and whether any fixture moves, before the estimate.
• Choose and order the vanity, the medicine cabinet, the tile and the fixtures before demolition.
• Be there for the electrical walk-through, so the positions of lighting, switches and outlets are confirmed once.
• Answer change orders quickly. Everything is in an itemized report, so you can see what you are approving.
• Plan where you will wash. The water and the toilet are disconnected at the start and connected again in the last stage.

Our bathroom remodel checklist article is a good companion to this list. If a kitchen is part of the same project, see the kitchen remodel timeline; both schedules are introduced on our timelines page, and finished rooms are in the bathroom gallery.

Questions people ask