Bathroom Work We Take On in Bothell
Full Bathroom Remodel
Most homeowners calling about a full bathroom remodel in Bothell have a rambler or split-level from the 1970s or 80s, with the original fiberglass tub unit still in place. We take the room down to the studs, check the subfloor for soft spots, and plan new plumbing, tile, and a vanity in one pass. Decide early on the shower pan size and faucet layout, since those two choices drive where the plumber sets the rough-in.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
A tub to shower conversion Bothell homeowners ask for most often comes from not using the tub anymore, or needing an easier step-in. We pull the old tub, check what's behind it, and set a new shower pan with a waterproofing membrane underneath. In older Bothell homes with galvanized supply lines, we usually end up replacing that section of pipe once the wall is open anyway.
Walk-In Shower
A walk-in, curbless shower needs a lower subfloor or a slight slope built into the framing, so it's easier to plan during a full bathroom remodel than to add on its own. We set large-format porcelain tile on these floors, since fewer grout lines means less chance of water finding its way through. Grab bar blocking goes in at this stage, even if you skip the bars themselves for now.
Vanity and Storage Updates
Floating vanities come up a lot in newer townhomes, where bathroom footprints run tight. Swapping a vanity usually means moving the sink drain and supply lines a few inches, which is simple once the wall is already open during a bathroom renovation.
Plumbing and Fixture Work
Any bathroom remodeling job that touches the tub, shower, or toilet location brings up the house's existing plumbing. We've opened mid-century walls and found cast-iron drain lines still doing their job, and 1980s walls with polybutylene supply pipe that gets swapped out as a matter of course once it's exposed.
Remodeling for the Homes Bothell Has
Bothell's housing stock centers on homes built around 1992. Most homes in the area date between 1970 and 2000. That means a lot of mid-century ramblers, split-levels, and 1990s suburban houses, plus townhomes and condos concentrated near Downtown Bothell and along the main transit corridors, while single-family subdivisions dominate surrounding areas.
Pull the tile off a bathroom from this stretch of years and you'll usually find one of two setups. Mid-century bathrooms often have cast-iron drain piping, galvanized steel supply lines, a tile mud bed set over wood framing, and no real ventilation - those rooms were built before anyone worried much about exhaust fans. Bathrooms from the 1970s and 80s usually have a fiberglass tub-shower unit, polybutylene supply lines, tile set right over drywall or greenboard, and an exhaust fan that's either missing or was never sized right.
None of that is a reason to skip a remodel - it just changes the plan once we see it. A mud-set tile floor over wood framing needs the subfloor checked and leveled before new tile goes down. Galvanized or polybutylene supply lines get replaced while the wall is open. A bathroom with no exhaust fan gets one added, which matters more here than almost anywhere else given how damp Puget Sound winters are on an unvented room.
Newer townhomes bring a different problem: tight 5x8 layouts with a builder-grade tub-shower unit and ventilation tied into shared ducting that serves more than one unit, so swapping a fan means checking how it connects to the rest of the building.
Planning Your Bothell Bathroom Budget
Homeowners researching bathroom remodeling Bothell costs usually want to know what pushes the number up and what keeps it down.
- Layout changes: Moving a drain or supply line to relocate a toilet or shower adds plumbing work, which affects cost more than almost any other decision.
- Tile area and pattern: A floor-only job takes less labor than tile running up the walls or a patterned large-format layout.
- Fixture level: A builder-grade tub-shower unit installs for less than a custom shower pan with a glass enclosure.
- Hidden damage: Bothell homes from the 1970s through the 90s often have galvanized or polybutylene supply lines and sometimes soft subfloor under old mud-set tile; replacing what we find adds to the scope.
- Permits: What permits are needed depends on whether the work touches plumbing, electrical, or walls, and that gets confirmed before a final number is set.
A free in-home estimate is the only way to see your actual bathroom and get a real number instead of a guess.
Paperwork We Handle in Bothell
The City of Bothell Community Development Department issues residential building permits for incorporated homes in Bothell. Applications go in online through the MyBuildingPermit portal. A permit is generally needed for plumbing relocation, new electrical circuits, wall modifications, and new mechanical ventilation - so moving a drain, adding a circuit, or putting in a new exhaust fan usually triggers one. Simple swaps, like replacing a vanity in the same spot without moving plumbing, often don't.
Once a permit is pulled, inspections follow the work: a plumbing rough-in inspection, an electrical inspection, a framing inspection, and a final inspection before the room is signed off. Electrical permits and inspections for Bothell addresses go through the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, separate from the building permit. We apply for permits and schedule the inspections as part of the job, and permit costs depend on the scope of the work, which we confirm with you upfront.
Our Bathroom Remodel Process
- Free in-home estimate. We look at the existing bathroom, check what's visible behind the tile where we can, and talk through what stays and what changes.
- Design and material choices. You pick the layout, tile, vanity, and fixtures; we confirm what plumbing and electrical work that layout calls for.
- Permit application. We apply through the MyBuildingPermit portal for any work that needs a permit, before demolition starts.
- Demolition. Old tile, tub, and vanity come out, and this is when we see what's really in the walls and floor.
- Rough-in plumbing and electrical. Supply lines, drains, and wiring get set or replaced, then inspected before anything closes up.
- Framing and subfloor work. Any structural or subfloor fix happens here, followed by the framing inspection.
- Waterproofing, tile, and fixtures. Shower pan, membrane, tile, vanity, and fixtures go in.
- Final inspection and walkthrough. The inspection gets signed off, and we go through the finished room with you and close out the punch list.
Every Part of Bothell
We work across Bothell, WA, including ZIP codes 98011 and 98021. That covers Downtown Bothell and Midtown, where townhomes and condos are common, out through North Creek, Canyon Park, Maywood, Beckstrom Hill, Fitzgerald, Canyon Creek, Brickyard Road, Queensgate, Bloomberg Hill, Red Barn, Queensborough, Brentwood, Crystal Springs, Shelton View, Westhill, Waynita, Simonds, Norway Hill, Country Village, and Lake Pleasant. Older single-family subdivisions with larger lots tend to sit in areas like Norway Hill and Crystal Springs, while newer, denser development clusters near Downtown Bothell and the transit corridors. Wherever your house sits, sloped terrain and drainage patterns common across Bothell's hillsides can mean extra attention to moisture control in a ground-floor bathroom.