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,…

Short answer: Our bathroom contracts can say that the plumbing and electrical “will remain the same.” That line tells you the work does not move the pipes or wires. It does not tell you what is behind the walls, or what happens when someone opens them. Read it as a promise about location, not a promise about condition. What the…

Short answer: In our bathroom contracts, two optional lines mention an outlet: one for an advanced toilet and one for an LED mirror. Both lines name the outlet, but not the product, the wiring or where the outlet goes. That is normal for a price list. It is not enough to plan from, so decide both products and both locations…

Short answer: find out what the wall is carrying and what runs through it before you plan anything else. If it may be load-bearing, have a structural engineer look at it. In Massachusetts, cutting away a substantial part of a wall, or removing a structural beam or load-bearing support, needs a building permit. Plumbing, gas and electrical changes inside the…

Short answer: In our bathroom contracts, a heated floor shows up as one line in the optional add-ons list, and the line is short. It says “Heated flooring installation” and stops there. It does not say what kind of heating, where the control goes, or what the floor will sit on top of. That is fine for a price list.…

Short answer: Many of our contracts say trash removal is included, in a handful of set phrases. Far fewer say anything about dust, protecting the rest of your home, or cleaning up. That does not mean it does not happen. It means that if it matters to you, you should ask for it in writing before demolition day. Trash: the…

Short answer: Nobody can see everything inside a bathroom wall before it is opened. A contract can handle what turns up in three ways: put the repair in the scope, say it will be quoted separately, or say nothing at all. Our contracts do all three, so read this part of yours before you sign, and ask what happens when…

Short answer: The last stage of a bathroom remodel is a run of small jobs: set the vanity and the toilet, mount the mirror and hardware, put in baseboards, paint, clean up and walk the room together. They are small, but they are the part you see and touch every day. Before the work starts, read the end of your…

Short answer: In many of our bathroom contracts, the Tiling line covers the shower: wall tile and floor tile in the shower area, then grout. The tile for the rest of the bathroom floor is often on a different line, Flooring, though some contracts write the floor into the Tiling line instead. Neither line says how high the wall tile…