Design
Bathroom Renovations in Calgary
A leak behind the tile is the single most common expensive problem we found in Calgary homes. It's invisible for years, and then it isn't.
We visit your home, then you get a written price and a start date.
McAra Design + Build gives you a fixed price for a bathroom renovation before any work begins. A main bathroom kept in its existing layout, with a tub and a tiled surround, is the simplest job. A curbless shower, moving the drain, a heated floor, or making the room bigger is what pushes the price up.
The waterproofing system, the fan and the vent run are listed as their own items you can read, not guesses buried in a per-square-foot price. You get a fixed number in writing before anything starts.
What's included
Everything in the scope, itemized.
- 01Layout and fixture plan
- 02Demolition and disposal
- 03Plumbing modifications
- 04Electrical and lighting
- 05Ventilation and ducting
- 06Waterproofing system
- 07Tile and stone
- 08Vanity, counter and fixtures
- 09Paint and trim
- 10Permits and inspections
What we check that others don't
What we check that others don't.
- §1
The waterproofing behind the tile, not just the tile itself. Tile isn't waterproof, and neither is grout. What sits behind them is the real job — the waterproof membrane, its seams, the corners and the joint at the curb. We name the exact system we're using in the scope, and we take photos of it before the tile covers it up.
- §2
A fan sized to your actual room, and where that fan vents to. A fan that's too small leaves moisture in the room long enough to soak into the drywall and framing. A properly sized fan that dumps that moist air into the attic instead of outside is even worse. We size the fan to the room and make sure the duct runs all the way outside through a proper hood.
- §3
The floor under the toilet. This is the most common spot where a slow leak has already caused damage you can't see. A toilet that's been wobbling for years rots the wood floor around it and the beam below. We pull the toilet and look before we quote the floor, not after the tile is ordered.
- §4
What your supply and drain pipes are made of, and whether they should be replaced while the wall is open. Poly-B water pipe and old galvanized steel or cast iron drain pipe are cheapest to replace in the two days the wall is already open. Once the tile and waterproofing are in, replacing the same pipe means tearing the room apart all over again.
- §5
How much the floor flexes, checked before tile goes down. Tile and stone crack when the floor moves underneath them, and the crack follows the floor joist. We check the size and spacing of the joists against what you're installing, and add extra support or a flexible underlayment where the numbers call for it.
- §6
Whether mould that keeps coming back is a ventilation problem, not a cleaning problem. Mould that returns in the same corner every winter is telling you about airflow and cold surfaces, not about the cleaner you're using. We find the cause and fix it in the scope, so the new finishes don't just repeat the old problem.
How long it takes
Three to five weeks on site.
A bathroom kept in its existing layout takes about three weeks on site. Moving the drain, going curbless, or adding a heated floor pushes it closer to five.
How long it takes to get tile and stone in stock decides the start date more often than the trades do. We order and take delivery before demolition, so the room isn't sitting open waiting on a shipment. Both the start date and the finish date are in the contract.
Under this pillar
Sub-services.
The bathroom off the bedroom, planned around how two people use it.
A tub out, a waterproofed shower in, drain and floor handled properly.
Drainage, venting and waterproofing below ground.
We put it in writing.
- A fixed price
- agreed before we start, and it doesn't move unless you change the scope.
- A completion date
- in the contract, not a range, not a best guess.
- A workmanship warranty
- if it fails because of how we installed it, we fix it. No argument, no invoice.
Most renovation guarantees are a paragraph of conditions. Ours is three commitments you can hold us to.
Questions people ask before they book.
- McAra Design + Build gives you a fixed price for a bathroom renovation in writing before any work begins. A main bathroom kept in its existing layout with a tub and tiled surround is the simplest job; a curbless shower, a moved drain, a heated floor or a larger room pushes the price up.
- Three weeks for a bathroom kept in its existing layout, and up to five weeks when the drain moves or the shower goes curbless. McAra Design + Build orders tile and fixtures before demolition starts so the room is never sitting open waiting on a delivery, and both dates go into the contract.
- You need one as soon as plumbing or electrical is changed or a wall moves. Replacing fixtures in their existing spots generally doesn't need one. McAra Design + Build includes permits and the inspections that go with them in the fixed price, not as something added on partway through the job.
- Almost always ventilation, not cleaning. A fan that's too small, one that vents into the attic instead of outside, or a duct that's come apart, leaves moisture in the room long enough to settle on the coldest surface. McAra Design + Build sizes the fan to the room and confirms it vents outside before the pattern can repeat.
- Only if the waterproofing behind the tile is built properly, because a well-built tiled shower lasts decades while a poorly built one fails inside the wall where nobody can see it. McAra Design + Build treats an acrylic surround as the right choice when the budget is tight, and says so plainly at the walkthrough.
Related
Where people go next.
Get a free in-home quote.
We visit your home, then you get a written price and a start date.
What are you planning?
Or call Chris directly: +1 (587) 837-3113