Contractor Questions for a Bath Remodel

Planning to Renovate a Washroom or Upgrade a Bathroom

A Lowe's associate in a red vest talking to a customer looking at vanities in a Lowe's store.

When you’re planning a bathroom renovation or a bathroom project, you can do a lot of the work yourself or you can hire a professional to handle it from start to finish. In this article we’ll give you tips to help you plan a large bathroom upgrade or renovation with a professional bathroom remodeling contractor. However, many of the principles and considerations are the same, whether you need to hire a contractor for a bathroom remodel, you’re doing the work yourself or you just need to replace a toilet.

While many bathroom upgrades can be DIY projects, some work requires a permit, inspections and/or a licensed professional bathroom remodeling contractor. Check with your local building authority for details on the requirements for your area.

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Who to Hire for a Bathroom Remodel

Once you decide to let a professional do the work for your bathroom upgrade or renovation, you have a couple of options:

Hire a bathroom renovation contractor or a general contractor for a bathroom remodel.
Let Lowe’s help with your bathroom installation project.

Here are some key questions to ask if you decide to hire a bathroom renovation contractor. Bathroom projects are also available through Lowe’s Installation Services, so see how we can help you with your bathroom project and handle some of these questions.

11 Questions for a Bathroom Remodeling Contractor

Two women talking to a man while looking at a mobile tablet.

1. Do you have a state license number you can provide?
Make sure any bathroom renovation contractor you work with is licensed in your state for the work they’ll be doing. A licensed contractor has completed testing the state requires and has shown an understanding of the requirements for the work they do.

2. Are you insured and bonded?
If a contractor isn’t insured, you might be responsible for any accidents, injuries or damage that occurs during the project. It’s common for contractors to use subcontractors for at least some of this work, so make sure they’re covered by the contractor’s insurance. If the professional is properly bonded, you’ll have some protection from loss if they don’t finish the job or if the contractor doesn’t pay subcontractors. In many cases, state licensing requires a contractor to be bonded.

3. Have you completed this type of bathroom upgrade?
Bathroom projects can involve several different types of work, so make sure the bathroom renovation contractor has experience with all the changes you want to make. Hiring a bathroom renovation specialist or a general contractor for a bathroom remodel typically means subcontractors do some of the work. That’s not unusual, but ensure the subcontractors are vetted and experienced as well.

4. Can you show examples of your work and references from other clients?
If a professional isn’t ready to show their work or has no references, it might indicate a lack of experience or a lack of satisfactory work. You might want to look for another contractor. Bathroom remodeling contractors should be happy to share previous successes with you.

5. Do you provide warranties on your work?

Make sure you’re clear on what any warranties cover, what they don’t cover and the coverage periods. You’ll also want to understand product warranties for any new fixtures, plumbing, etc.

6. What will you include in the project?
Get details on the work the contractor will be responsible for and make sure you have a breakdown on costs for the work, materials and products.

7. How long will the project take and what happens if there are delays?
Understanding the project length will help you plan for the time the bathroom isn’t available. Delays are always possible, so find out what can slow the work and how the contractor handles slowdowns. Knowing how different bathroom remodeling contractors handle these situations should give you confidence they’ll get the project back on track.

8. Will permits and inspections be necessary and will you set those up?
Updating a bathroom may require permits and inspections. Your contractor should be able to explain the requirements and have a plan for getting permits and scheduling the inspections.

9. What will the work look like day to day?
Find out who’s going to be doing the work in your home and when they’ll be working. Your bathroom will be unavailable for the duration and there may be times when the workers need to turn off power or water. If you know what will be happening and when it will happen, you can make plans to reduce disruption to your family. It’s also a good idea to get details about what happens at the end of the job, so ask about cleanup, disposal of debris, etc.

10. How will we communicate during the project?
Be comfortable asking questions or discussing concerns. A general contractor for a bathroom remodel probably won’t be on site every day to answer questions, so you need to know how to contact them if necessary.

11. How will you handle down payments and payment options?
Understand what you’ll be paying, how you’ll be paying it and when payment is due.

If Lowe’s Helps With Your Bathroom Project

When Lowe’s handles your bathroom installation project, you won’t need to ask many of these questions.

Lowe’s selects licensed and insured professionals from your area and vets them ahead of time, giving you the comfort of working with an experienced installer.
Lowe’s installation projects include a one-year labor warranty.
If you’re in an area where bathroom remodels are available, we’ll put you in touch with a professional bath specialist to discuss your plans and needs, including any safety concerns.
The design specialist will take measurements and discuss remodeling ideas with you.
Professional, independent installers will complete the project.

See our bathroom installation services.

Lowe’s Bathroom Installation Services

We can help with a wide range of bathroom projects. Available bathroom installation services vary by location, but options may include:

You can purchase some bathroom upgrade products with installation:

Things to Do Before Hiring a Bathroom Renovation Contractor

In addition to preparing questions for a prospective bathroom renovation contractor, you need your bathroom project budget and a plan with as many details as possible.

Set a Budget

Plan the amount you’ll invest in the upgrade. You might need to adjust plans and product selections to fit your budget, but the key thing to remember is to stay on budget. It’s easy for a few overages throughout the project to add up until you find you’re spending much more than you planned.

Of course, base the budget on how much you can afford to spend, but consider a return on investment for the work as well. For example:

If you’re renovating to resell, focus on costs that you can recover when you sell. Some high-end changes might not be worth the return you get for them when selling, particularly if they’re significantly out of line with other homes in the area.
On the other hand, if you plan to stay in your home for the foreseeable future and want to create a luxurious dream bath area, spending more for larger and more expansive changes might give you a different sort of return on your investment: loving the bathroom you create.

You should also make sure you have some of your budget set aside for the unexpected. You may want this to be as much as 20% of your budget. Factors can include:

Wiring that’s not up to code
Mold damage behind drywall
Warped subfloors
Lead paint

Any of these can have a major impact on your budget and put you far over your expected costs if you’re not prepared.

Think about adjustments you’ll need to make to your family’s day-to-day life as well. You might need to create budget lines for hotel costs if you need to be out of the house, renting storage space for items you need to move — any extra living expenses you’ll incur because of the work.

Plan the Specifics

A double-sink vanity in a bathroom and inset images of the vanity, a faucet and a vanity light.

Your plan should have as many details and specifics as possible. Measure your space and map out the products you want to install, including:

Plumbing fixtures
A bathtub or shower
Vanities
Vanity lighting
Sinks
Faucets
Flooring

This information will help you get an accurate quote for the job.

Tip

In addition to your primary product selections, consider having some lower-cost alternatives ready. You may be able to keep on budget by swapping them out and if you have second options ready, you’ll save time.