What ‘Install a New Vanity’ Really Includes in a Bathroom Remodel Contract
Short answer: When a bathroom contract says “a new vanity will be installed,” that line covers more than the cabinet. In the contract we looked at, the same sentence includes the framing and finish of the wall behind the vanity, the plumbing, the faucets and the drain. The size, the brand and the finish of the shelf are still open, and the contract does not settle them.
What the line says
One older bathroom contract lists the vanity as item seven in its bathroom scope. The wording is: “frame the wall behind the vanity (38″ tall) and install tile or marble on top of it to make it a shelve [sic], a new vanity will be installed, including new plumbing, faucets, and drain.”
Read it in parts. The first part is about the wall. A new wall is framed behind the vanity to a set height, here 38 inches, with a shelf on top that can be tiled or finished in marble. The second part is about the cabinet itself, a new vanity. The third part is about the water: new supply lines, new faucets and a new drain.
Nothing in that sentence names a vanity size, a model, a faucet style, or the material of the shelf. Those choices are real, and they change the cost and the look.
What the line leaves out
- The size and model of the vanity. “A new vanity” does not say how wide it is or whether it is a cabinet, a floating unit or a pedestal. A different width can move the drain and the supply lines, so this choice comes before the framing.
- The vanity’s own top. The line does not mention one. The tile or marble in the line goes on the framed wall, as a shelf, not on the cabinet. The choice between the two finishes has different costs, different care, and a different edge detail at the wall, and the line does not decide it.
- The faucet and the drain type. “Faucets” and “drain” are listed without a style or a size. Ask whether the price includes the faucet you want, or only a basic one.
- What the wall hides. Framing a new wall behind a vanity means work inside the wall. If the wall or the floor under it is rotted, the framing line does not say how that is found or priced. See our note on hidden damage when the walls open for that part.
Why the wall matters before demolition
The framing is the part of this line most people miss. The new wall sets the height of the shelf behind the vanity, so the vanity and the faucet have to fit against it. If the framing is set before the vanity is chosen, that fit can be wrong, and the fix is a rebuild.
That is why we suggest settling three things before the old vanity comes out: 1. Pick the vanity size and the model, and get its exact dimensions in writing. 2. Choose the finish for the shelf on the new wall, tile or marble, and confirm who orders it and when it arrives. 3. Confirm the drain and supply locations with the contractor while the wall is still open, so the new vanity lines up with the plumbing.
Once the work is open, you find out what is behind it. Rotted framing, a soft subfloor or old supply lines all show up then, and each one can change the scope.
Checklist
- Read “install a new vanity” as a line about the wall, the cabinet and the plumbing together
- Get the vanity size and model in writing before demolition
- Pick the finish for the shelf, tile or marble, and who orders it
- Confirm the faucet and drain are the ones you want, not a basic default
- Ask how hidden damage behind the wall will be found and priced
- Get any change to the vanity size or the shelf in writing before it is built
FAQ
Does “install a new vanity” include the countertop? The line does not mention a countertop. The tile or marble in it goes on top of the new framed wall, as a shelf. Ask whether the vanity comes with its own top. A separate countertop needs its own line, its own price and its own confirmation.
Does the vanity price cover the plumbing? In that contract, yes: the line says “including new plumbing, faucets, and drain.” Ask whether the same is true for your contract, and whether the price assumes the existing supply and drain locations stay where they are.
Can the vanity size be changed after the contract is signed? Yes, but a different width or a moved location is a different scope. Ask how the change is priced and approved before the wall is framed.
Sun Shore Construction is a general contractor in Greater Boston. We are licensed and insured, and we show proof on request.
Planning a bathroom remodel? Get a free in-home estimate: call us or fill out the form on sunshoreconstruction.com.
