Remodeling For Retirement – Primary bath

Buck Lake, Tallahassee

Sam Burton, Project Manager

Stephanie Jen, Designer

Final Project Cost: $86,536

Project Start Date: Feb. 1, 2024 Project Completion Date: July 21, 2024
The project finished on time. Click here for a detailed cost and timeline breakdown.

Audio Summary – Remodeling For Retirement

AI Audio Summary: Remodeling For Retirement

Summary of more than 124 project logs

Project Summary:

A wonderful couple in the Buck Lake area remodeling for retirement.

No one likes garden tubs anymore. They take forevery to fill and the jets are often moldy. The good news is removing them leaves a lot of room for other improvements.

One of the main goals for this project was to allow the client to ‘age in place ‘ so we removed their garden tub and replaced it with a large, barrier free, walk in shower.

We originally did two budgets for this client. One was for just removing their garden tub and updating their shower. The other was for a complete remodel of the whole bathroom. Ultimately they chose to remodel the entire bathroom, though they did reuse a few elements from the old bath like the mirrors and lighting.

Remodeling For Retirement: Before/After

Drag the slider to see this project transformation!

The bulk of the project was removing the garden tub so we could install a barrier free, walk in shower

McManus Kitchen and Bath is a full service remodeling company with an in-house design team and showroom right here in Tallahassee, FL. Contact us to schedule a consult.

Key Updates:

remodeling for retirement master bathroom with blue vanity, quartz top, and flowers – Hughes Bath

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Barrier Free, walk in shower
New vanity and countertop
Added grab bars and raised toilet height

cNew bath flooring
cUpdated lighting and ventilation
cImproved storage

The barrier free shower was a key part of the project and the main reason for the remodel. The updated lighting and ventiallation made a big difference as well.

Quote from The Clients:

“Thanks Sam! We appreciate all the attention to detail. I’m so glad McManus was recommended to us as everything from the design process through completion went so smoothly and we love our new bathroom!”

Client Testimonial

Design and Planning

Process: Our initial design and budget consult includes 3D concept drawings and a good better best budget for your project. This gives us a pretty good idea of what the project might look like and help to create a more accurate budget. We also continue to explore options in the design phase.

Before Plan

The original bath had a large corner tub that was never used. The main pupose of the remodel was to remove the tub and replace it with a walk in shower.

Before: The large garden tub wasted a lot of space

Initial Estimate

The initial estimate for this project was $86,900

Final Design

During design the clients decided the extra cost of the island was well worth it so the desinger created some new options for them that included widening the opening between the kitchen and living room.

They also decided against new floors in the living room and doing tile in the kitchen instead of wood.

Process: After you have approved your initial concept and budget the design process begins, starting with our designers visiting your home. We have between 2-4 design meetings in our showroom to finalize all the details of the project, including a fixed price contract and a detailed project calendar.

remodeling for retirement 3D rendering of master bathroom layout – Hughes Bath

Updated Concept: Added island, changed french doors, added windows and opened up living room wall.

Final Budget

After all the design work was done and materials selected the final budget was just slighly less than the original estimate at $86,536.

Materials and Fixtures

Our Favorite Things

Every project has a few things that really make it stand our or were special to the homeowner. Here are our favorites.

Accent wall with Teak Bench and Towel Storage

Cambria Quartz Countertop

“I’m blue da da dee da da….”

Shower niche in the main wall and half wall

Materials and Fixtures Used in This Project

Cabinets and Counters

- Frameless Cabinets by Decor Cabinets.
  - PP470 Doorstyle
  - Color: Santorini Blue
- Cambria Archdale Quartz Countertops

Flooring and Tile

- Portmore Sky Blue 3×8 Tile in Shower from Tilebar
- Bedrosians Le Cafe half hexagon tile on shower floor and back wall
- Mapei sea salt grout

Fixtures and Accessories

- Delta Linden Faucets
- Toto Drake II Toilet
- Delta Linden In2uition Showerhead
- Kohler Lighting Artifacts Vanity light
- Panasonic 100 CFM, .5 sone ceiling fan.

Project Challenges

Challenges And Solutions During Construction

There were a few issues on this project, nothing too serious but it did cause some delays.

Schedule Issue: Tile installer

The tile installer had scheduling conflicts that caused delays in the project. To accommodate this, other tasks were rescheduled. The project manager also worked with the tile installer to try and adjust their schedule to minimize the delay. Ultimately the delay did not affect our completion date.

Change Order: Woodrot Discovered

Wood rot was discovered behind the old shower during demolition. This required reframing work and a change order for the cost of replacing the damaged studs. The project manager kept the homeowners updated on the situation and worked with the framing crew to assess the damage and provide a cost estimate.

Tile Shortage

There was a shortage of the gloss mosaic tile for the shower walls and niches. This was because the order quantity was calculated incorrectly. We were able to get an extra box of tile quickly.

Overall, the project manager, Sam Burton, effectively addressed these challenges by:

* Communicating with the homeowners and keeping them informed of any issues or delays.
* Working with subcontractors to adjust schedules and accommodate unforeseen problems.
* Finding solutions to design or material issues that arose during construction.
* Ensuring that any necessary repairs or replacements were completed promptly.

Project Timeline and Final Costs

Project Timeline

Like most of our project this one started right on time. Though we had a few hiccups along the way we still compelte the project on time.

Total project length was 8 weeks (We finished on schedule).

Proposed project start date: Feb 19th, 2024
Actual Project Start Date: Feb 1th 2024

Proposed Completion Date: July 22nd, 2024
Actual Completion Date: July 21st, 2024

We build a detailed project calendar for every project. It is kept updated by the project manager and you can access it in your online project portal.

Summary of Project Costs

Initial Estimate: $86,899

Fixed price proposal: $86,536

The final budget came in just under the estimate cost

Change Orders: $0.00

The was a change order for the woodrot found after the shower was removed. However we had some contigency funds in the budget so we covered the cost.

FInal Project Cost: $86,536 (includes all client change orders)

Cost Breakdown

Installation Labor 35% 35%
Materials and Fixtures 25% 25%
Design and Project Management Costs 20% 20%
Sales Tax and Shipping 4% 4%
Overhead and Profit 10% 10%
Change Orders 3% 3%

Project Photos and Video

Project Video

View all videos of this project on Our YouTube Channel

Before Photos

Final Project Photos

remodeling for retirement master bath with blue vanity and walk-in shower – Hughes Bath

remodeling for retirement single vanity with round mirror and light fixture – Hughes Bath

remodeling for retirement shower bench with towels and accent tile – Hughes Bath

bathroom vanity and shower with blue tile walls – Hughes Bath

remodeling for retirement walk-in shower with blue tile and grab bar – Hughes Bath

shower niche with white geometric tile accent – Hughes Bath

quartz countertop with chrome faucet and blue backsplash – Hughes Bath

McManus Kitchen and Bath sample budget spreadsheet showing good, better, and best pricing options for cabinetry and countertops

Ready to Explore Ideas?

Our Design and Budget Consult Provides

- 3D drawings to help you visualize options
- A detailed estimate of materials and labor
- A chance to review material and fixture options in our showroom

Our Consult Process Schedule a Consult

Written by: Paul McManus

Paul is owner and President of McManus Kitchen and Bath Remodeling in Tallahassee, FL. He also speaks regularly on remodeling best practices at conferences across the country and Co-hosts the Design Build Remodel Podcast.