Bathroom remodeling in San Ramon, CA

Bathroom remodeling in San Ramon

A bathroom remodel in San Ramon lives or dies on what you cannot see: the waterproofing behind the tile and the slope under it. Tile is the part you pick out. The layers beneath it decide whether the room stays dry. We are a licensed and insured remodeler based in Brentwood. Our bathroom remodeling page has the general overview.

The decisions that decide a bathroom

Shower, tub or both

Be honest about how you bathe. A tub that nobody uses takes up the space a larger shower could have. A single bathroom that serves a family may still need the tub. This is the biggest layout choice, and it sets the plumbing work.

Waterproofing behind the tile

Tile and grout are not waterproof. Water passes through grout, so the shower needs a waterproof layer behind the tile, and the floor needs a pan that slopes to the drain. A shower that skips this can look fine for a while and then rot the framing. It is the failure we see most in old bathrooms.

Ventilation

A fan that is too weak, or that vents into the attic, leaves moisture in the room. Plan the fan and where it vents before the ceiling is closed. A bathroom that stays damp grows mold on the paint and the grout.

Fixtures and what is behind the wall

Set the valve, the niche and any blocking for grab bars or a bench before the wall is covered. Adding them later means cutting into finished tile.

How bathrooms fail when done badly

• Soft floor around the tub or showerWater got past the finish and into the subfloor.
• Cracked grout linesMovement or a poor base under the tile.
• Water pooling on the floorThe slope toward the drain was not built in.
• Mold on the ceilingThe fan is undersized or vents into the wrong place.

What San Ramon's building office publishes

San Ramon permits come from Building and Safety Services in the Community Development Department. The city publishes a Bathroom Alteration handout, separate from its kitchen one, on its forms and handouts page. We use it when we plan a bathroom and confirm the specifics for your address before work begins.

The city also lists work that does not need a permit, based on the California Residential Code. It names painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work, and minor plumbing leak repair. A bathroom that only gets new tile and a new vanity top falls on that side. Rebuilding a shower, moving drains or adding circuits is a different kind of work and is not what the list describes, so we ask the city. Applications go through the online portal, and the city says it returns voicemails within one business day.

How our San Ramon bathroom projects run

1. We visit and look at the room, including the floor and walls around the wet areas.
2. You get a written scope and a free estimate.
3. We confirm permit needs with the city.
4. Demolition shows what is under the old tile. If the framing or subfloor is damaged, we tell you and price the repair before going on.
5. Rough plumbing and electrical, then waterproofing, tile, fixtures and paint, managed by one team.

Nearby towns

We also work in Danville, Alamo and Pleasanton. Back to our San Ramon remodeling page, or see kitchen remodeling in San Ramon.

San Ramon bathroom remodeling questions