Home improvement is one of the best investments you make. Whether it’s a kitchen or bathroom remodel, you can see a significant return on your investment and some tax breaks for doing the remodel itself. When it comes to accurately estimating downtime for that room, it can be a challenging task. Unexpected occurrences may happen, that can throw your schedule for a loop.
Accurately estimating is more critical for bathroom remodeling if you only have one full bathroom in your home.
Overall Timing
An average bathroom remodel depends on the size of the bathroom. Master bathrooms take, on average, between 4-6 weeks to complete (not including weekends). Guest bathrooms take, on average, 3-4 weeks (not including weekends). These estimations are assuming all circumstances are optimal.
Unexpected circumstances can occur, depending on the scope of work, as well as items that are simply human nature (like illness). At MW Burke, we order all material upfront and make sure it is in our hands prior to the start date, so we can ensure there are no delays causing the project to sit for days or weeks at a time.
On occasion there may be a delay on an item that will not affect the project timeline, in which case work can commence, however, careful consideration of each item with a lead time is necessary for forecasting a project and preventing a project from holding up the use of your bathroom.
Other Factors to Consider When Estimating Time:
Scope of work - if the project is more involved, like moving plumbing or taking down walls, it’s likely that the project will take additional time. If unforeseen circumstances occur inside the walls, additional time will likely be required.
DIY versus hiring a PRO - It’s likely that if you have a full time job, and plan on remodeling your bathroom yourself, you will only have weekends to do the work. It takes professionals approximately 20-25, 8-10 hour days to complete a non-structural bathroom remodel. Spread that out over the course of a Saturday and Sunday, and you’ll be able to more accurately calculate how long your bathroom will be out of commission.
Material availability - It’s a good idea to ask your contractor when they will order material for your project in order to anticipate any delays. If you’re a DIYer, pick out and order all of your materials out before doing any demo. Once they arrive, demo can begin. Otherwise, you may be left with a torn up bathroom, waiting on a tiny piece of the larger puzzle.
Prepare for the unexpected - both financially and time wise, it’s a good rule of thumb to hold aside 20-30% additional funds for the “in case” situations. Surprises behind the walls happen! These occurrences add time and can add extra expenses as well.
Know your contract - every licensed contractor should provide you with a detailed contract to get work done. Within that contract there are a few key bits of information that must legally (in Virginia) be included. Pay schedule - know your pay schedule and pay on time. Timing - in Virginia, you must have an estimated start date and estimated time to complete on each contract.
Despite all of these factors, a professional and experienced contractor can typically come up with a semi-accurate timeline of events. In addition, they can generally tell you how long the complete remodel would take, especially if they are working with a team of equally experienced subcontractors.
Three Ways To Expedite A Bathroom Remodeling Job
When remodeling your bathroom, you cannot control what's out of your hands. However, there are several factors that you can influence. Here are some factors you can manage to speed up the remodeling project.
1. Make Payments On-Time
As previously mentioned, know your contract and pay schedule. Make accurate and timely payments to keep work flowing. A contractor needs your payments to pay for materials and labor required to progress your project.
2. Make Yourself Available
It would help if you made yourself readily available when you want to complete a remodeling project. Return calls, texts, and emails throughout the project to ensure there are no questions not answered. Communication is always key!
3. Avoid Changes
If possible, avoid making unnecessary changes to the project. Once you've signed the contract, stick to it. The more changes that are made, especially to one area of the project, the more confusion you add to the project. Take time to think about the project as it's laid out in the agreement to proceed smoothly.
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