Chicago bathroom remodels projects are similar to kitchen remodels when it comes to the time it takes for planning and build out. On average, the entire plan-design-build-finish cycle can require as much as six-months.

The more you’ve planned ahead, and the more experienced professionals you use, the less time the total project will take.

Plan time for these 6 factors when designing a Chicago bathroom remodel

Here are some of the things that will make a project stretch beyond your calendar comfort zone.

An older home or a home without proper ventilation

While we do our best to account for the “unforeseeable” when planning a construction calendar, you just never know what those unforeseeables might be until you get into the interior spaces. If you live in an older home, there’s a chance we’ll break into interior walls and find outdated electrical work or plumbing work that isn’t up to code. If that’s the case, we have to re-do it all so the project passes required building inspections. Similarly, poorly ventilated homes may have mold or mildew issues that cause structural rot. This will need to be cleaned up, sterilized and repaired before we move on.

Read, Preparing For the Unexpected…, to learn more along these lines.

Unique tiles and/or ornate tile work

Are you sourcing rare tiles from a sustainable mine in Papua New Guinea? Have you created a stunning, custom design for your tiled shower and soak tub area? Anything that has to be specially sourced – from tiles, to exotic cabinet wood, to designer plumbing fixtures - or that requires more intricate labor will take longer than the standard lead times.

Changing the layout

Working with the existing layout always requires less time than a complete overhaul. When layouts are changed or altered, we often have to add or redesign the electrical and plumbing work. We might also have to frame and build additional structural components. That being said, if a new layout will improve the flow and efficiency of your bathroom, it’s well worth it. Assuming you and your bathroom designer have planned well, extra time should be accounted for in the initial job schedules and project calendar.

Custom bathroom cabinets

Custom cabinetry will have a longer lead-time than semi-custom or refaced options. This lead-time is even longer when you’ve chosen an exotic wood or unique finish details. More extensive cabinet projects take longer as well. Again, this should all be accounted for in the initial project schedule.

Glass shower enclosures

There are multiple benefits to installing glass shower enclosures. In addition to style and popularity, glass shower doors open things up showcases the intricate tile work. To make them picture perfect, shower enclosures can’t be measured or ordered until the tiling is complete. Once they’re ordered, the tempering process tacks on an extra week and half. Again, assuming you know what you want, this should all be accounted for in the scheduling.

Change orders

Anytime you change your mind about something in the middle of the project, you risk delaying the finish date. Small changes may only tack on days, but some changes can add weeks or even a month or more, depending on what the change is.

Notice the common theme here? Proper planning and knowing what you want ahead of time means all of these items (minus the unexpected snafus) can be built-in to the initial build out schedule so you aren’t taken by surprise along the way. Choosing the right design-build team is one of the best gifts you can give yourself when it comes to experiencing an efficient and timely Chicago bathroom remodeling experience.