How Long Does a Bathroom Remodel Take in Georgetown?
The short answer
Most full bathroom remodels in Georgetown run three to five weeks of on site work. A hall bath with a tub and a simple tile surround sits at the short end. A primary bath with a curbless shower, a freestanding tub, moved plumbing and new electrical sits at the long end, sometimes six weeks or more.
That clock starts the day demolition begins. The planning and ordering phase happens before it, and it is usually longer than the construction itself. That surprises people, so it is worth explaining the whole sequence rather than just the loud part.
Before week one: planning, selections and permits
Budget four to eight weeks between the decision to move forward and the first day of demolition. Three things happen in that window.
First, the layout gets settled. Moving a toilet or a shower drain changes the plumbing work under the slab or in the joists, and that needs to be decided before anyone orders anything.
Second, you pick materials. Tile, grout, vanity, countertop, sink, faucets, shower valve, glass, lighting, mirror, exhaust fan, paint. All of it. We do not start demolition until the long lead items are in hand or have a firm delivery date. Tile that shows up in week three stops the job cold.
Lead times vary a lot. Stock tile and a stock vanity can be days. A custom vanity, a stone top or a specialty tub can be six to twelve weeks. Shower glass is always made after the tile is set, never before, so that one is baked into the end of the schedule.
Third, permits. Work that changes plumbing, electrical or structure generally needs a permit and inspections from the City of Georgetown, and the permit timeline is outside anyone's control. If you are in a neighborhood with an HOA, exterior work like a new vent or window would add another approval step, though most bathroom work stays inside.
Week 1: demolition and rough in
Day one is protection and demolition. Floor paths get covered, the doorway gets sealed off as well as it reasonably can be, and the old tile, tub, vanity and drywall come out. A small bath can be gutted in a day. Two days is common.
This is also when the house tells you the truth. Older Georgetown homes, especially anything near the square or built in the mid century, often show rotted subfloor under an old shower pan, galvanized supply lines, a drain that is not where the plans assumed, or wiring that is not up to current code. Newer homes out in the subdivisions hide less, but they are not immune.
Once demolition is done, plumbing and electrical rough in starts. New supply lines, new drain location if the layout changed, shower valve set, new circuits, fan vented, lighting and outlet boxes placed. Framing changes happen here too, like building a shower curb, a bench or a niche.
Week 2: inspections, waterproofing and board
Rough in gets inspected before anything gets covered. That inspection has to pass before we close the walls. If something needs correction, it gets corrected and reinspected, which can cost a day or two.
Then insulation where it applies, drywall or cement board, and waterproofing. The waterproofing step is the one that matters most and the one you will never see again. Shower pan sloped correctly, waterproof membrane on the walls and floor of the wet area, seams and corners sealed, and on many jobs a flood test on the pan.
Do not rush this week. A tile shower that leaks takes everything with it, and the repair is a second remodel.
Week 3: tile
Tile is the longest single stretch and the hardest to compress. The work goes in layers with cure time between them. Floor tile, wall tile, niche and bench, then grout, then sealing where the material calls for it.
Pattern drives the hours. A straight stack of large format wall tile moves fast. Herringbone, a mosaic floor, a chair rail band, mitered outside corners and a tight pencil border all take longer and cost more in labor. Tile size matters too, because small tile means more grout lines and more time.
Expect four to eight working days here on most bathrooms. At the end of it, the glass measurer comes out and the shower enclosure goes into fabrication. Figure one to three weeks for glass to come back, which is why final completion often trails the rest of the work.
Week 4: fixtures, vanity and paint
Now it goes back together. Vanity set and leveled, countertop installed, sink and faucet plumbed, toilet set, shower trim and door hardware on, mirror hung, light fixtures wired, fan grille on, baseboard and door casing installed, then caulk and paint.
Final plumbing and electrical inspections happen in this stretch. Paint usually comes last or near last so the fresh walls do not get scuffed by everything else.
Week 5: glass, punch list and clean
The glass gets installed when it arrives. We walk the room with you, you make a list of anything that bothers you, and that list gets fixed. Common items are paint touch up, a caulk line that needs redoing, a drawer that needs adjusting, a sticking door.
Then final clean and the bathroom is yours.
What actually stretches the schedule
- Selections made late, or changed after demolition starts
- Long lead materials, especially custom vanities, stone tops and specialty tile
- Hidden damage found at demolition, most often rotted subfloor or old plumbing
- Permit and inspection timing, including a failed inspection that needs a revisit
- Changing the layout mid job, which sends plumbing and electrical back to the start
- Shower glass fabrication after tile is complete
Planning around it
If this is your only full bath, decide ahead of time where you are showering for a month. The toilet and vanity are out of service for most of the job. Work hours, dust control and access all get settled before day one so there are no daily surprises.
Ask any contractor you talk to for a written sequence like this one, with the inspection points marked. A schedule that cannot name what happens in week two is not a schedule.