Bathroom Remodeling
A bathroom is the smallest room you’ll remodel and the one where inches matter most. Fixture clearances are set by code, not preference, and in a room that’s five feet wide there isn’t much margin. Getting it right is a measuring problem before it’s a design problem.
We remodel everything from powder rooms to full primary suites — tile, plumbing, electrical, glass, finish carpentry — with one team and one schedule.
Small rooms, no margin for error
A toilet needs 15 inches of clearance from its centerline to the nearest wall or vanity, and 21 inches of clear space in front. Those numbers are code, and they’re the reason the vanity you fell in love with may not fit the room you have.
We measure first and design second. Before you’re attached to a layout, you’ll know what the space will actually take — which vanity width works, whether a 60-inch tub fits, where the door can swing. Nobody enjoys finding that out after the tile is ordered.
Waterproofing is the part you never see
The tile is what you look at. The waterproofing behind it is what determines whether you’re redoing this bathroom in eight years or thirty.
We do proper substrate, proper membrane, proper slope to the drain, properly sealed penetrations. It’s invisible work and it’s where the cost difference between a cheap bathroom and a good one largely sits. We’d rather show you that line on the estimate and explain it than quietly skip it.
Ventilation, lighting and the things people forget
Undersized or badly ducted exhaust fans are the most common defect we find in bathrooms, and they cause the mold problems that show up two years later. We size the fan to the room and duct it to the outside, not into a soffit.
Same attention to lighting. Overhead light alone puts your face in shadow at the mirror. Getting light at the right height changes how the room works every morning, and it costs very little to plan for during rough-in.
Aging in place, done without it looking like it
If you’re planning for someone to stay in this house, a bathroom is where that gets decided. Blocking in the walls now for future grab bars costs almost nothing and makes them trivial to add later. Curbless showers, wider doors, comfort-height fixtures and better lighting can all be done without the room looking clinical.
Worth raising even if it’s not today’s problem — the cheapest time to plan for it is while the walls are open.
How a Bathroom Remodel Runs
Every bathroom starts with real measurements, so you know what the room supports before you choose anything.
Consultation and measurements
We walk the room, take real dimensions and tell you what the space supports.
Design and budget
Layout and number together. If something you want doesn’t fit, you’ll hear it here rather than in week four.
Selections
Tile, vanity, fixtures, glass, lighting. Tile especially — quantities need confirming against the actual measurements before ordering.
Permits and ordering
We handle the township. Custom vanities and glass carry lead times worth planning around.
Demo and rough-in
Plumbing and electrical, then inspection before anything gets closed.
Waterproofing, tile and finish
Then fixtures, glass, paint and punch list.
Why Gerlach
We tell you what fits before you fall in love with what doesn’t. Most of the disappointment in a bathroom remodel comes from a selection made before anyone measured.
We price changes before they happen. If a condition behind the wall changes the job, you get the number before we proceed.
And we’re local — Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery County, working in houses with the same plumbing stacks and the same out-of-square walls as yours.
Updating the kitchen too? See kitchen remodeling. Adding a primary suite? That’s part of our additions and whole-home remodels.
Ready to Talk About Your Bathroom?
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
A full gut typically runs four to six weeks on site. A powder room is faster. The long poles are tile work, which can’t be rushed, and inspection scheduling between rough-in and close-up.
What does a bathroom remodel cost around Philadelphia?
A powder room refresh is the low end. A full hall bath gut — new tile, tub or shower, vanity, fixtures and flooring — is substantially more, and a primary suite with custom glass, a freestanding tub and moved plumbing is higher again. Moving plumbing is the single biggest cost driver. We’ll give you a real number for your actual room.
How much does it cost to move the plumbing?
It depends almost entirely on what’s below. If there’s an accessible basement or crawlspace under the bathroom, it’s manageable. If it’s over a finished ceiling or the stack has to move, costs climb quickly. We’ll look before we quote it.
Do I need a permit?
For anything involving plumbing or electrical changes, yes. We handle the application and the inspections.
Can you design a bathroom for aging in place?
Yes, and we’ll raise it even if you don’t. Blocking for grab bars, curbless entries, wider doorways and better lighting are all far cheaper to build in now than to retrofit.
Does a bathroom remodel add resale value?
Bathrooms and kitchens are consistently the two rooms that return the most, though you rarely recover the full cost. If resale is the main goal, tell us — it changes which choices are worth making and which aren’t.
Do you handle the design as well as the build?
Yes. One team from the first measurement to the punch list.
Serving Philadelphia, Bucks County and Montgomery County
We work throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. If you’re nearby and not listed, ask — we may still be able to help.