06 · Bathroom Remodels
Bathroom remodels with vanities built like fine furniture
Full bathroom remodels around Nashville with furniture-grade vanities, built-in linen storage, and licensed plumbing and electrical.
A bathroom remodel is small in square feet and dense in decisions: the vanity you lean on every morning, the drawer that holds the hair dryer, the tile that has to survive twenty years of steam. We design the whole room, build the vanity and linen cabinetry in our shop, and coordinate licensed plumbers and electricians for everything behind the wall, so one crew is accountable from demolition to the final bead of caulk.
What does a full bathroom remodel involve?
It starts with the layout. Most bathrooms in Nashville were planned around a builder's plumbing wall, not around the people using them, so the first question is whether the vanity, toilet and shower are in the right places. Moving a drain is a real cost, so we weigh it honestly. From there we design the vanity as a piece of furniture: drawer stacks instead of a false front and a door, a pull-out for the hair dryer, a shallow top drawer for the things you reach for every day.
Behind the vanity, the work is demolition, rough plumbing and electrical by licensed trades, waterproofing, tile, then the cabinetry, countertops, plumbing fixtures, mirrors, lighting and paint. We sequence it so the room is closed up and dry before finishes go in. Our shop builds the vanity, linen tower and any medicine cabinet or shelving to your dimensions, so an out-of-square wall in an older Belle Meade home or an off-center window in a Spring Hill build is designed around rather than worked around.
What drives the cost of a bathroom remodel?
Three things move the number more than any others: whether plumbing moves, how much tile the design calls for, and what the fixtures and surfaces are made of. A remodel that keeps the toilet and drains where they are and replaces the vanity, tile and fixtures is a very different project from one that relocates the shower and adds a freestanding tub. Waterproofing, ventilation and electrical for heated floors or a lit mirror add labor even when the finishes are modest.
The cabinetry itself varies with size, wood species, finish and hardware. A painted double vanity with drawer organizers and a matching linen tower costs more to build than a single vanity with two doors, and a stained white oak piece costs more than painted maple. We do not publish price ranges, because a number without a layout is a guess. The free in-home consultation is where we measure, talk through what matters most to you, and give you a real quote.
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
Design and selections come first, and they take as long as the decisions do. Once the design is approved, we build your vanity and cabinetry in our shop while the licensed trades handle permits and rough-in, so the pieces are ready when the room is. Tile, stone and plumbing fixtures have lead times of their own, and we order them early so nothing sits half-finished waiting on a faucet.
On site, a bathroom that keeps its layout moves faster than one that changes it, and a primary bath with a large tiled shower takes longer than a powder room. We give you a schedule before demolition, tell you which days will be loud and which will be quiet, and keep a single crew on the job so the plan does not drift. If you have one bathroom, we plan the sequence so you are without it for as short a stretch as possible.
What makes a bathroom remodel hold up in Middle Tennessee?
Humidity. A bathroom is the wettest room in a house that already sits in a wet climate, so materials matter more here than in a bedroom. We build vanity boxes from plywood rather than particleboard, finish them with a catalyzed conversion varnish that resists water and cleaning products, and keep the toe kick sealed and off the floor line. Doors are frame-and-panel so the wood can move with the seasons without cracking the finish.
The other half is ventilation and sequencing. An exhaust fan sized to the room and vented outside, not into the attic, keeps steam from settling into the finish, and a shower that is waterproofed properly before a single tile goes down is the difference between a bathroom that looks new for years and one that starts to fail at the grout lines. When we walk the finished room with you, we show you what is behind the surfaces, not just the surfaces.
The look
Bathrooms we would be glad to build again
How much does a bathroom remodel cost?
It depends on whether plumbing moves, how much tile the design calls for, and what the vanity, counters and fixtures are made of. A remodel that keeps the layout and replaces the surfaces sits at one end; one that relocates the shower and adds a tub sits at the other. We measure and price the real room during the free in-home consultation rather than quoting from a range.
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
Longer for a primary bath with a tiled shower than for a powder room, and longer again if plumbing moves. Design and selections come first, then we build the cabinetry in our shop while the trades handle rough-in, so on-site time is spent installing rather than waiting. You get a written schedule before demolition starts.
Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel?
Usually yes when plumbing, wiring or walls move, and usually not for a like-for-like swap of a vanity, tile or fixtures. Nashville, Williamson County and the surrounding cities each handle permits a little differently. The licensed plumbers and electricians we work with pull their own trade permits, and we coordinate the inspections so you do not have to.
Do I need a general contractor or a designer for a bathroom remodel?
You need one accountable party who can do both, and that is how we work. We design the room with you, build the cabinetry in our shop, and coordinate licensed plumbing, electrical and tile under one schedule. You are not hiring a designer, then a cabinet shop, then a contractor, and hoping they agree with each other.
Is a bathroom remodel worth it?
For most homeowners, yes, on two counts. A well-built bathroom is used every single day, so the quality of the vanity, the storage and the shower shows up in daily life immediately. It is also one of the rooms buyers and appraisers weigh most closely in Middle Tennessee. We cannot promise a resale figure, but we can build a room that holds up.
Do I need HOA approval to remodel a bathroom?
Usually not for interior work, since most HOA covenants in Williamson County and the Nashville suburbs govern the exterior. Some communities do ask for notice about contractor hours, dumpsters or parking. We ask about your HOA at the consultation and plan the job around its rules so nothing surprises you or your neighbors.
Free in-home design consultation
Let us design the room you actually want to live in.
Tell us about the space. We come out, measure, listen, and bring back drawings, renderings and a written quote. No cost, no obligation.