What's Behind the Tile Matters More Than the Tile
A bathroom works a lot like the hull of a boat. The finish you see is only as good as the waterproofing underneath it. A shower can look fine for years while water seeps through tired grout and into the subfloor. By the time a tile cracks or the floor feels soft near the toilet, the plywood under it has usually started to rot.
Marin's housing makes this common. Plenty of homes here went up between the 1950s and the 1970s, and a lot of those bathrooms still have their original drain lines and no real exhaust fan, just a window nobody opens in January. Wet winters and coastal fog do the rest. That's why every remodel we do starts with what's behind the walls, not the tile catalog.
Bathroom Remodeling Services
Bathroom RemodelingFull remodels, taken down to the studs when the walls call for it. New waterproofing, plumbing, wiring, tile, vanity and fixtures, with the permit pulled and the work inspected.Bathroom Remodeling →
Primary Bathroom RemodelingThe bathroom you use every morning. Bigger showers, double vanities, better light and real storage, planned around how you actually get ready.Primary Bathroom Remodeling →
Small Bathroom RemodelingHall baths and powder rooms where every inch counts. Wall-hung vanities, recessed niches and the right tile size make a small room feel bigger.Small Bathroom Remodeling →
Walk-In Shower InstallationLow-curb or curbless showers with frameless glass, a built-in bench and storage niches. Waterproofed from the drain up before a single tile goes on.Walk-In Shower Installation →
Tub-to-Shower ConversionPull out the tub you never use and put a walk-in shower in the same space. It's a smaller project than a full remodel and changes how the room works every day.Tub-to-Shower Conversion →
Accessible Bathroom RemodelingGrab bars anchored into the framing, curbless showers, comfort-height toilets and wider doorways, so the bathroom keeps working as your needs change.Accessible Bathroom Remodeling →Why Marin Homeowners Call Us
- We fix what's under the finish. If the subfloor is soft or the old galvanized pipe is rusting through, you hear about it before the tile goes in, not after.
- Permits and inspections are part of the job. We pull the permit, schedule the inspections and build to the code Marin's inspectors check, from GFCI outlets to tempered shower glass.
- You get a clear written estimate. The scope, the materials and the price are on paper before any work starts.
How It Works
- Call or send the form. Tell us your town and what you'd like done to the bathroom.
- In-home estimate. We come out, measure, look at the condition of the floor and walls, and talk through layout, tile and fixtures with you.
- Written estimate and permit. You get the scope and price in writing. Once you sign off, we pull the permit and order materials.
- Build and final inspection. Demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, waterproofing, tile and fixtures. Most full remodels take three to six weeks once work starts, and the job ends with the final inspection.
Thinking about a bathroom remodel? Call (415) 964-3417 for a free in-home estimate.
Call (415) 964-3417Bathroom Remodeling Across Marin County
We remodel bathrooms all over Marin, and the houses here aren't built the same. An Eichler bathroom in San Rafael's Terra Linda neighborhood sits on a concrete slab with radiant heating pipes running through it, so moving a shower drain takes careful planning. Older homes in Sausalito and downtown San Rafael tend to have plaster walls and cast-iron drain lines near the end of their life. In Mill Valley and Larkspur, a lot of bathrooms sit over a hillside crawlspace, which is where the damp framing usually turns up. And the ranch houses across Novato mostly need the same three things: a real exhaust fan, updated wiring and a shower that isn't a fiberglass insert from 1975.
Common Questions
Most full bathroom remodels in Marin land somewhere between $25,000 and $75,000, and a large primary bath with custom tile and glass can go past that. Small hall baths and tub-to-shower conversions usually sit toward the lower end. The biggest swings come from moving plumbing, the tile you pick, and how much hidden damage shows up once the old walls come out. You get a written number after we've seen the room.
Once work starts, most full remodels take three to six weeks. Demolition and rough plumbing go quickly. Tile, inspections and custom glass are what stretch the schedule, since frameless shower glass gets measured only after the tile is finished. Permit approval comes before all of that, and how long it takes depends on which building department your address falls under.
If you're moving or adding plumbing, changing wiring or rebuilding the shower, yes. Paint, a new mirror or new towel bars usually don't need one. Kentfield and Greenbrae are unincorporated, so permits there go through the County of Marin, while San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley and the other towns run their own building departments. We handle the permit either way.
Usually, yes. A standard five-foot tub alcove leaves plenty of room for a comfortable walk-in shower with a low curb or no curb at all. The new shower gets a pressure-balancing valve so the water temperature doesn't jump when someone flushes, and any glass door or panel has to be tempered safety glass. We check the drain location and the floor framing during the estimate.
An updated bathroom is one of the rooms buyers look at hardest, and in Marin's market a dated one tends to get noticed. That said, we'd rather you remodel for the way you live than for a resale number nobody can promise. If you're planning to sell soon, tell us at the estimate and we'll keep the choices simple and broadly appealing.
Yes. Common changes are grab bars anchored into the wall framing, a curbless shower with a fold-down seat, a comfort-height toilet and lever handles in place of knobs. Wider doorways help if a walker or wheelchair is in the picture. Our accessible bathroom remodeling page covers what's involved and how we plan it around your home.