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Tiled bathroom remodel with a properly waterproofed shower surround

Remodeling, By A Builder

Bathroom Remodeling

The part of a bathroom that decides whether it lasts fifteen years or leaks in three is the part you never see.

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  • Licensed CA General B #1112902
  • Fully Insured
  • Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties
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The short answer

A bathroom remodel in San Jose typically runs $22K–$30K typical, and $20,000 is our floor — taken to the studs and waterproofed properly. We do not bid the $10,000 version, because the part that decides whether a bathroom lasts fifteen years or leaks in three is the part you never see: the waterproofing behind the tile. If you are comparing quotes and ours is higher, the question worth asking the other bidder is which waterproofing system is included and who inspects it before the tile goes on. Moving the toilet, tub or shower means moving drain lines, which is the single biggest swing in a bathroom budget.

Licence
CA General B #1112902
Bond & insurance
$25,000 bond, insured
Permits
We pull and close them
Where
Santa Clara & San Mateo

Waterproofing is the whole job

Every failed bathroom we've opened up failed the same way: water got behind the tile because the substrate and the waterproofing were wrong. Tile is not waterproof. The membrane behind it is, and that is where cheap bids save their money.

We take bathrooms to the studs so the framing and subfloor can actually be inspected, fix what the water already did, then rebuild with the substrate and waterproofing done to spec. It costs more than a surface refresh. It also doesn't come apart.

Scope

What a bathroom remodel involves

Demolition to the studs

So framing, subfloor and any existing water damage can be seen rather than guessed at.

Structural repair

Rotted subfloor and framing replaced before anything new goes over it.

Plumbing & electrical

Supply, drain and venting brought to current code while the wall is open, with GFCI protection and proper exhaust.

Waterproofing

Correct substrate and a continuous waterproofing membrane at the pan and surround. The invisible part that decides everything.

Tile & fixtures

Set on a surface that was made flat first, with slope to drain that actually drains.

Finishes & walkthrough

Vanity, glass, paint and trim, then a punch list walked together.

Where a bathroom budget actually goes

Where a bathroom budget actually goes
ChoiceEffect on costWhy
Fixtures stay where they areLowestNo drain relocation
Move the vanitySmallSupply and drain move a short distance
Move the toiletSignificantThe drain line and often the subfloor have to change
Tub to walk-in showerModerateNew pan, waterproofing and drain height
Second-storey bathroomAdds scopeAccess to the drain runs through the ceiling below
Waterproofing systemNot optionalThe failure point; it is inspected before tile
Niches, benches, glassModerateEach is a separate waterproofing detail

Common Questions

Straight answers

What does a bathroom remodel cost in San Jose?
$20,000 is our floor, and a typical full bathroom runs $22,000–$30,000 depending on size and finish level. We don't bid the $10,000 version, and that is deliberate rather than a pricing accident — at that number the money has to come out of the substrate and the waterproofing, which is the part that decides whether the room lasts fifteen years or leaks in three. If a bid comes in far under ours, ask specifically which waterproofing system it includes and who inspects it.
How long does a bathroom take?
A few weeks for a standard bathroom, and it isn't continuous work — there are inspection holds and material lead times. We give you a realistic schedule rather than an optimistic one.
Can you just re-tile without the demolition?
We generally won't. Tiling over a substrate we can't verify means warrantying work built on something unknown. If the existing waterproofing is sound we'll tell you — but we won't assume it.
Why is your floor $20,000 when I have been quoted $12,000?
Because of what is behind the tile. Our floor covers taking the room to the studs and installing a proper waterproofing system before anything decorative goes on. The cheaper bid is usually cheaper on exactly that layer, which is the layer that decides whether the bathroom lasts fifteen years or leaks into the ceiling below in three. Ask the other bidder which waterproofing system is included and who inspects it before tile. The answer is informative.
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
Three to five weeks for a typical full bathroom taken to the studs, assuming materials are on site before demolition. The sequence is unforgiving: demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, inspection, waterproofing, inspection, tile, then fixtures and finish. Two of those steps are inspection holds, and no amount of crew solves a waiting inspector.
Can you move the toilet?
Yes, but it is the most expensive fixture to move. The toilet drain is the largest line in the room and it runs through the floor structure, so relocating it usually means opening the subfloor and sometimes altering framing — on an upper floor that means working through the ceiling below. Moving a vanity is a small change; moving a toilet is a structural conversation.
Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel?
If you are replacing fixtures in place and retiling, often not. Move plumbing, alter framing, add circuits or convert a tub to a curbless shower, and yes. The waterproofing and the rough plumbing are inspected before they are covered — which is precisely why an unpermitted bathroom is impossible to verify later, and why it becomes a problem when you sell.
Are you licensed, bonded and insured?
Yes — California General Building (B) license #1112902, a $25,000 contractor bond, and an active workers' compensation policy with The Hartford. Verify the license on the CSLB registry. Certificates of insurance are available on request.
Do you handle the design?
We build your vision — we're not designing the place with you. But "we don't design" does not mean "you're on your own for plans." We coordinate the architect and structural engineer who produce your stamped permit set, including Title 24, and they submit to the city portal. That is a line item we price and manage — on an ADU it runs about $10,000 and it is in the estimate, not a homework assignment we hand you.

On ADUs we can also start from a standard design and give you a materials list, which is usually the faster and cheaper route.

What we won't do is sit and choose your layout, cabinet doors and finishes with you. That is interior design, it is a real skill, and it isn't ours — if that's the help you want we'll say so up front rather than three weeks in.
How do allowances work?
An allowance covers work nobody can honestly price until something is opened up. Those are billed at actual cost, and whatever isn't spent comes off your final invoice. We'd rather show you the unknowns than bury them in a padded fixed price.

Process

How a bathroom remodel actually runs

  1. Scope and the fixture question

    Whether fixtures stay where they are decides most of the budget. Moving a vanity is small. Moving a toilet means opening the subfloor and sometimes altering framing — on an upper floor, through the ceiling below.

  2. Selections before demolition

    Tile, fixtures and glass get chosen and on site before we open anything, because a bathroom is a small room where one missing item stops every trade.

  3. Demolition to the studs

    Our floor is $20,000 because this is where it starts. You cannot waterproof correctly over someone else's guesswork.

  4. Rough plumbing, electrical, inspection

    Drain and supply relocations, circuits, ventilation. Then an inspection hold, before anything is covered.

  5. Waterproofing and its inspection

    The part that decides whether the room lasts fifteen years or leaks in three. It is inspected before tile goes on, and that sequence is not negotiable — it is also the honest answer to why a cheaper bid is cheaper.

  6. Tile, fixtures, glass, punch list

    Tile, then fixtures, then glass measured to the finished opening. Final inspection where permitted, then a walked punch list.

Deposit is capped at $1,000 by California law. Milestone draws follow the work — see how payments work.

Before you sign anything

Worth reading first

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Service Area

Where we build

Permit process, plan check and utility requirements change at every city line. Each page covers what's actually true where you're building.

Tell us about your project

Book a 30-minute discovery call and we'll tell you what's realistic — scope, budget and timeline — whether or not we're the right builder for it.

Book a Project Discovery Call Call (408) 597-2733