How a bathtub to shower conversion job runs, step by step
Step 1. The call and the site visit
You call or fill out a form, and we set up an in-home visit, usually within a few days. At the visit we measure the bathroom, look at the tub, the drain, and the walls, and talk through the options that fit the space. This runs about 45 minutes to an hour.
Step 2. The written quote
Within a few days of the visit, you get a written quote covering scope, materials, timeline, and payment schedule. No number gets quoted over the phone before we've seen the bathroom. Full detail on what's included is on the service page.
Step 3. Selections and ordering
Once you sign the quote, you pick tile or surround, valve trim, and any fixtures from the categories in the quote. We order materials and confirm a start date, typically two to four weeks out depending on the season and what's on order.
Step 4. Permits
We pull the plumbing permit, and a building permit if the job needs one, before any demo starts. This usually takes one to two weeks and runs alongside material lead time, so it rarely adds to your calendar. Inspections follow the Massachusetts State Building Code, so the process holds even if the town changes how it's administered.
Step 5. Demolition and protection
Before anything comes out, we protect the path from your door to the bathroom and seal off the work area. The old tub, surround, and tile come out down to the framing, and we check the drain and subfloor. This is a one-day step on most jobs.
Step 6. The build
This is the longest stretch: plumbing rough-in, framing for the pan or curb, waterproofing, then tile or surround installation. Most builds run three to five working days depending on the option you picked and what turns up once the wall is open.
Step 7. Inspection and punch list
The plumbing inspector signs off on the rough-in before we close the wall, and again at final. Once the build is done, we walk the job ourselves and fix anything that doesn't meet our own standard before we call you in. This usually adds a day, sometimes shared with the last day of the build.
Step 8. Final walkthrough and warranty
We walk the finished bathroom with you, run the water, check the drain, and go over care and maintenance. You get the warranty terms in writing at this visit, not buried in the original contract.
How We Handle Change Orders
If something turns up once the wall is open, a rotted subfloor, an old drain line that won’t pass inspection, we stop and write it up: what we found, what it takes to fix, and what it costs. You get that in writing before we touch it. Nobody is asked to make a decision standing in a demolished bathroom with a number said out loud and no paper behind it. If you don’t approve it, we talk through the alternative before anything continues.
How We Keep Your House Liveable
Dust stays in the work area. We seal the doorway and run containment for anything past a same-footprint swap, and floor protection runs from your entry door to the bathroom for the length of the job. On Arlington’s narrower lots and two-family streets, especially around East Arlington and the Heights, we confirm parking before the start date, since a lot of these blocks run on resident permits or a shared driveway, and we’re not taking the spot you need to get your own car out. Crew hours are typically 8 to 4, Monday through Friday, and the house gets left broom-clean at the end of each day rather than sitting mid-mess overnight.
If a question comes up mid-job, you call the same number you started with, 857-420-4742, or use the contact page.
