So you are looking to renovate your bathroom and have no idea where to start or what steps to take. Bathroom renovation is one of our specialties so we may be able to help and point you in the right direction.

A standard bathroom renovation in Vancouver should not take more than 15 working days. Now a day all materials are available to public so choosing your material and fixture is just a mater of budget.

Step 1. Determine what you want. Do your research, look online and find a bathroom that you like.

Step 2. Find a good contractor. Unless you have a good knowledge of renovation and have dealt with sub-trades before, I recommend that you find a good contractor. Always check their references (even better see some of their work) and leave the rest to the pros (make sure you have a good detailed contract in place).

Step 3. Preparing your budget. Since most bathrooms in Vancouver are standard 5’ x 8’, estimating your labour cost is very simple. So the next step is to calculate how much you have left over to choose your material.

This is a very important step .You can easily go over budget by 20% to 40% if you don’t calculate every thing properly. My suggestion is not to go cheap on your labour (fixing a bad work is much more costly than doing it right the first time), and choose good quality material (trust me it makes a huge difference). A good contractor should be able to point you to the right direction for your materials.

Step 4. Designing the space.  If you are planning to update, in other words keep every thing in its place, then you can go ahead and choose your material. On the other hand if you want to expand your bathroom or move any of the fixtures around you’ll need to discuss the possibility with your contractor and you may need to hire a designer to design the space for you.

Step 5. Choosing your Materials. Again as much as your budget allows, choose good quality material that are up to date. You may be able to find some outdated material at 60% off (that the suppliers are trying to get rid of) but then all your efforts and expenses will be for nothing since your bathroom will be considered outdated in couple of years.

If you have problem choosing, your contractor may be able to help you or you may need to hire a designer to give you a hand.

Step 6. Prepare your space. Once you’ve set a date to start your project, you’ll need to prepare your space (your contractor will not be liable for damages to your belonging outside your bathroom). Empty your bathroom, cover your furniture in the adjacent rooms and keep your valuables somewhere safe.

Step 7. Be patient. Murphy’s law “If anything can go wrong, it will.” Things will not always go as planned (i.e., plumber not showing up on time, bath tub leak…), as long as your contractor is keeping his end of the bargain, shows up on time and tries to solve the problems try to work with him.  Don’t lose sight of the big picture, your main goal is to have your bathroom done properly even if it means a few extra days of delay.

Step 8. Deficiency check. After the work is done go over every thing make a list of deficiencies and have your contractor correct them before paying the final installment (usually 25%)

Step 9. Enjoy your newly renovated bathroom.

Contact Zinc Renovation and Design for your Vancouver bathroom renovation project!