Bathroom Updates
The bathroom that has worked fine for fifteen years and has not been touched in twenty. The vanity that sits two inches too low for anyone over five-foot-eight. The acrylic tub surround that was state-of-the-art in 1998 and yellows in a band where the showerhead has run for the last decade. The powder-room toilet that has wobbled at the front bolts since the second owner moved in. The rental bath the property manager just fielded the third complaint about. Bathroom updates is the trade for everything between a fresh re-caulk and a full down-to-the-studs remodel — finishes, fixtures, vanities, tile patches, tub-to-shower conversions, packaged refreshes, and the waterproofing repairs that catch a leak before it eats the subfloor. Handis runs the project as lead contractor — demo, carpentry, tile, waterproofing, fixture and cabinet install, finishes, day-to-day coordination — and subs the regulated work to licensed Washington L&I plumbers (in-wall supply and drain, new fixtures with new rough-in) and licensed electricians (new circuits, anything hardwired). Permits are pulled by the appropriate licensed party. From $150 for a single fixture swap to $16,000 for a full guest-bath update.
Services
What Bathroom Updates Covers
Bathroom updates is the residential trade for the work between a single re-caulk and a down-to-the-studs remodel — tile patches and full re-tile, fixture and vanity swaps, tub-to-shower conversions, packaged refreshes for the whole room, and the waterproofing repairs that keep the next leak from eating the subfloor. Six service families, each with its own scope, pricing floor, and licensed-trade handoff. Handis runs the project: demo, carpentry, tile, waterproofing membrane, fixture and cabinet install, finishes, and day-to-day coordination. The regulated work — anything inside a wall on a supply or drain line, any new fixture that needs new rough-in, any new electrical circuit, anything hardwired — subs to licensed Washington L&I plumbers and electricians, and the permit is pulled by the appropriate licensed party. We are honest on the booking call about which scopes need a sub and which finish in a single Handis visit.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Demo the existing alcove or drop-in tub, frame and waterproof the new walk-in shower opening, set the shower pan or build a curbless mortar pan, tile the walls and floor, install the glass enclosure or door, and trim out. The licensed Washington L&I plumber handles the in-wall valve, mixer, and drain re-rough; the licensed electrician handles any added fan, light, or heated-floor circuit. Handis runs the project end to end. From $7,500 for a basic alcove conversion to $16,000 for a curbless walk-in with bench, niche, and glass.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion — alcove demo, waterproof, tile, glass
Shower & Tub Updates
Re-tile, regrout, replacement of damaged tile, frameless and semi-frameless glass door swap, tub spout and trim swaps on the existing valve, refinishing of acrylic surrounds, and add-on grab bars and shelving. The work for a shower or tub that looks tired but is structurally sound. A plumber subs in only when the in-wall valve has to change. From $400 for a single fixture or regrout to $6,000 for a full re-tile.
Shower & Tub Updates — re-tile, regrout, glass, fixture swaps
Vanity & Storage
Remove the old vanity, install a new vanity and countertop, mirror, medicine cabinet, towel storage, and any wall-mounted shelving or recessed niche. The licensed Washington L&I plumber handles the supply and drain reconnect (or any off-set rerough if the new sink does not line up with the old rough-in); Handis does the cabinet set, scribe, plumb to wall, countertop install, and mirror or medicine cabinet hang. From $800 for a simple vanity swap on existing rough-in to $5,000 for a double vanity with new mirrors, sconces, and storage tower.
Vanity & Storage — vanity, top, mirror, medicine cabinet, storage
Fixtures & Finishes
The cosmetic layer — faucet, showerhead, towel bar, towel hooks, toilet paper holder, robe hook, light fixture (lamp swap only), and paint. Faucet and showerhead swaps on existing rough-in finish in a single Handis visit; any in-wall valve change, any new fixture needing new rough-in, and any hardwired light replacement (not a bulb-and-shade swap) route to the licensed sub. From $150 per fixture to $1,800 for a full whole-bathroom finish swap.
Fixtures & Finishes — faucets, showerheads, accessories, paint
Bathroom Refresh Packages
Curated multi-piece updates priced as a package — a cosmetic refresh that swaps every visible finish without touching tile, a powder-room refresh sized for a half-bath, a guest-bath update that re-tiles the wet wall and swaps the vanity and fixtures, and a rental-bathroom turnover for property managers, agents, and investors prepping for the next tenant or listing. Includes Handis project management and licensed-sub coordination. From $3,500 for a rental turnover to $16,000 for a full guest-bath update.
Bathroom Refresh Packages — cosmetic, powder room, guest bath, rental turnover
Waterproofing & Repair
Spot waterproofing repairs, Schluter KERDI membrane patches behind tile, shower-pan repair, tub-spout and showerhead flashing, leak remediation behind a wet baseboard, subfloor patches under a failing toilet flange, and full bathroom re-caulk. The licensed Washington L&I plumber subs in if the leak source is an in-wall supply or drain line; Handis handles every tile, waterproof membrane, and substrate repair. From $300 for a small caulk and waterproof repair to $4,500 for a full pan rebuild and re-tile.
Waterproofing & Repair — membrane, pan, leak, subfloor, re-caulk
Bathroom Updates Pricing
Final pricing depends on bathroom size, the scope selected, existing condition, and whether licensed plumbing or electrical work is in scope. Each sub-category page lists detailed pricing for that family. Licensed-sub fees pass through transparently with the line item named. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us the bathroom and the scope — we will quote the whole project, sub coordination included.
Why Seattle Homeowners Book Handis for Bathroom Updates
Most bathroom-update projects we are asked to fix were started by a single-trade contractor who only saw the part of the work in front of him — the tile setter who left the waterproofing thin behind the valve, the cabinet installer who set the vanity before the plumber rough-in moved, the painter who put two coats over an unmoved mildewed bead. A bathroom is six trades in a fifty-square-foot room, and the only way it finishes clean is for one party to run the schedule, hold the licensed subs to the right sequence, and own the punch list at the end. That is what Handis does. We are not the licensed plumber and we are not the licensed electrician — we run the project and we name the sub by trade on every quote.
One project lead — six trades coordinated in the right sequence
Demo, plumber rough-in, waterproofing inspection, tile, fixtures, electrician trim-out, cabinet set, countertop, finishes. Done in the wrong order, the bathroom does not pass inspection — the waterproofing closes over the un-pressure-tested supply line, the tile goes down before the plumber moves the toilet flange, the electrician trims out before the painter finishes. Handis runs the calendar so each trade arrives when the prior trade is actually done.
Honest licensed-trade handoff, named on the quote
In-wall plumbing supply and drain, any new fixture needing new rough-in, new electrical circuits, and anything hardwired route to a licensed Washington L&I plumber or electrician. We name the sub line by line on the quote so you see exactly what Handis is doing and what the licensed trade is doing. Permits are pulled by the appropriate licensed party.
Waterproofing done right — Schluter or equivalent membrane
Every tile shower or tub surround we build gets a real waterproofing system behind the tile (Schluter KERDI, Wedi, or an equivalent sheet membrane), tied into the curb, the pan, and the niche. The fifteen-year shower failures we are called to repair almost always trace to a single mistake: cement board treated as waterproofing. It is not.
Real protection of the rest of the house
Plastic-zip floor-to-ceiling at the bathroom doorway, runners down every hallway the crew walks, negative-air HEPA scrubber for any tile cutting, daily vacuum and trash-out. The owner of the home does not live with a job-site for the duration of the project.
Insured, background-checked, written project warranty
Handis carries general liability and workers' compensation; every technician has cleared a background screening. Project warranty covers our workmanship for one year — tile, grout, caulk, fixture install, cabinetry, and finishes. The licensed-sub portion (plumbing and electrical) carries its own L&I-trade warranty, also named on the quote.
Estimate
Tell us the bathroom (master, guest, hall, powder, rental), rough square footage, what scope you have in mind (single fixture, cosmetic refresh, full re-tile, tub-to-shower, full guest-bath update), and any known issues — soft floor at the toilet, mildewed grout, a previous leak. We send a clear estimate with the licensed-sub portions named line by line.
What Our Customers Say
Recent bathroom update reviews from verified Seattle-area customers.
Guest bath, full update. New tile in the tub surround, new vanity and quartz top, all-new fixtures, repainted, and the glass door swapped. Handis ran the calendar — the plumber came in for two half-days, the electrician came in for the new fan circuit, the rest was their crew. Five working days, everything finished punch-list-clean.
Tub-to-shower conversion in the master. Demoed the old drop-in tub, framed the new walk-in opening, full Schluter waterproofing behind the tile (they actually showed me the pressure test of the membrane before they tiled), set a curbless pan, glass door at the end. The plumber and electrician were both licensed Washington L&I and named on the quote. No surprises.
Powder-room refresh in a 1920s bungalow. New pedestal sink, new toilet, new mirror and sconces, fresh paint, original tile floor kept and the grout refreshed. The tech took the wobbly toilet off, found the original lead flange had a hairline crack, called the plumber sub for a brass flange swap. Caught what I would have missed.
Rental bathroom turnover between tenants. Cosmetic refresh — new vanity, new toilet, new fixtures, paint, re-caulk, regrout. Three working days. The property manager only had a one-week vacancy window and Handis hit it. New tenant moved in on day eight.
Waterproofing repair behind the master shower. Soft spot at the curb, mildew bloom behind the wall in the closet. They opened the curb tile, found the original cement board had never been membraned, demoed the pan and one foot up the walls, rebuilt with proper Schluter, retiled. Six months and the wall in the closet is bone dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Handis bathroom updates — scope, licensed-trade handoff, scheduling, pricing, permits, and what fits one Handis visit versus a multi-trade project.