Removing A Wall To Open Up A Hall Bath

A new homeowner wanted to update both baths and the kitchen in her forever home as she prepares for retirement. We started with the hall bath, the master and kitchen are coming next year.

Removing a wall separating the vanity and the toilet/shower area and moving the toilet allowed us to install a larger shower and created a better flow for the bathroom. 

Key Updates:

Quote from the client:

“The McManus team leaves me speachless everyday! I am beyond impressed. The whole process has been a delight! ” 

We start each new client relationship with a design and budget consult  to explore design ideas and create a custom budget for the project.

The design concept we create during that process gives us a good idea of what the final project might look like, though changes can and do happen during the design process.

Initial Design Concept

The main goal for this project was to get a larger shower and an updated look. Having a wall between the vanity and the shower created an odd sized room for the shower and toilet that wasted a lot of space.

Initial Budget

The initial budget for this project was $62,498

Before Plan vs Initial Concept

By moving the toilet and removing the wall we were able to create a larger shower and still keep plenty of room for the toilet. 

Our Design Process

Once you approve your initial budget we move into the design process. For this project we had 2 design meetings to finalize all the details.

Changes Made in Design

The layout we agreed on in the concept phase stayed the same but we added a cabinet over the toilet for more storage and instead of half walls in the shower with glass on to the client opted for full height walls in the shower for more privacy.

Final Contract Cost

At the end of the design process we present you with a fixed price proposal for your project. The final contract price for this project was $70,256

Initial Concept vs Final Plan

Some changes to the initial concept were made during the design process…

In the final design we used full height walls for more privacy. We also used a frosted shower door. We added a cabinet over the toilet for more storage.

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.

Extra storage over the toilet is nice but the floor really makes the design. 

Cust niche with a marble shelf. The grab bars match the style of the other shower fixtures. 

Materials and Fixtures Used in This Project

• Fixtures and Accessories
  • Delta Cassidy Faucet
  • Delta Linden shower fixtures
  • Amercan Standard Studio Toilet and Bidet
  • Dauphine Sconce from Visual Comfort
  • Delta Linden Towel bars, rings and grab bars

Pre-construction and Construction Process

Once design is complete we have a ‘handover meeting’ between the designers and project manager to review the final details of your project, including the project schedule.

We order all your materials and our warehouse manager inspects them, labels them and stores them in our warehouse. Your project manager arranges permits and updates our subcontractors.

We will send you regular updates during the pre-construction phase to keep you updated. About 3 weeks before the project starts he will schedule a pre-construction meeting with you at your home.

During construction your project manager is on site every day for quality control, review plans with our installers and trade partners, and to make sure the job site is staying clean and organized.

Project Timeline

This project started right on time and ran on schedule with two small exceptions. The electrican made an error cutting in the boxes for the wall sconces which required extra drywall patching. When the drywall was patched it created an issue with the paint that took about a week to resolve properly. 

• Proposed project start date: Feb 18, 2024

• Actual Project Start Date: Feb 18, 2024

• Proposed Completion Date: May 10, 2024

• Actual Completion Date: May 21, 2024

Challenges And Solutions During Construction

There were just two small issues that caused a delay at the end of the project. 

Challenge 1: Electrician error 

Challenge: The electrican made a mistake cutting in the boxes for the sconce lights, they made the hole too large. 

Solution: This was not big deal, we just had to have our drywall installer return to patch the holes. 

Challenge 2: Mysterious paint issue

Challenge: However after the patches were made and we had the painter touch them up the paint started to bubble. We could not figure out why. The client was very sensitive to smell so we could not use an oil based primer to resolve the issue. 

Solution: It took some trial and error but we finally figured out how to fix the issue. 

Summary of Project Costs

Initial Estimate:  $62,498

This was the estimate we presented at the end of our design and budget consult. It include a mix of Good and Better selections.

Fixed price proposal: $71,086

The total cost at the end of the design process. About 8% more than the initial estimate.

Reasons for increase/Decrease:

Labor costs for this project increased due to adding full height walls in the shower and framing for a medicine cabinet. Material selection came in higher because of the additon of a medicine cabinets and cabinet over the toilet. 

Change Orders and Credit

There was on small change order when the clietn requested additional cabinet pulls for her living room cabinets. 

There was a credit that was paid to the client because her countertop remnant cost less than expected. 

FInal Project Cost: $70,256

Final project cost was about $800 less than planned due to the countertop remnant costing less than expected. 

Cost Breakdown

Project Video

Summary of video

Shower tour

Before Photos

Final Project Photos