“How long will my bathroom be torn up?” It’s the first question almost every homeowner asks — and a fair one, since you still have to shower somewhere.
The honest answer: most bathroom remodels take between one and three months from the first day of demo to the final walkthrough. A simple guest bath is on the shorter end. A large primary bath with custom tile, glass, and a big shower is on the longer end.
A realistic week-by-week timeline
Every project is a little different, but here’s the usual rhythm:
- Week 1 — Demo and rough-in. We tear out the old bathroom and open up the walls. Plumbers and electricians rough in anything that’s moving.
- Week 2 — Waterproofing and prep. This is the most important week, and the one you can’t see. More on that below.
- Weeks 3–5 — Tile and finishes. Tile goes up on the floors and walls, the shower takes shape, and the room starts to look like a bathroom again.
- Weeks 5–7 — Vanity, fixtures, glass, and paint. The vanity, mirror, lights, and shower glass go in. Custom glass often has a lead time, so we measure early.
- Final week — Punch list and walkthrough. We fix every small detail and walk it with you before we call it done.
The week that decides everything
Here’s the part most people don’t know: the waterproofing week determines whether your bathroom lasts.
A bathroom is the wettest room in your home. If the shower pan slopes wrong, or the waterproof membrane behind the tile is skipped to save a day, the tile can look perfect and still be failing behind the scenes. You won’t see it until there’s a stain on the ceiling below — and by then it’s expensive.
This is exactly why we do our own tile and waterproofing instead of handing it to the cheapest sub. Spending an extra day on the layers you’ll never see is the difference between a bathroom that lasts 25 years and one you’re redoing in five.
What makes a project take longer
- Custom glass and tile have lead times — we order early to avoid delays.
- Moving plumbing (like converting a tub to a walk-in shower) adds time but is often worth it.
- Older homes sometimes need surprise repairs once the walls are open.
The good news is that a real contractor can tell you your timeline up front and keep you posted every week so you’re never left guessing. That’s how we run every job.
Curious what your bathroom would take? Tell us about it or read more on our bathroom remodeling page.