Great question — bathroom remodels are tricky enough, but when it’s your only bathroom, minimizing downtime is everything. Let’s break this down into logical order of operations and who you’ll need for each step so you can plan efficiently.
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Recommended Order of Work
1. Preparation & Demolition
- Remove tiles (floor and wall).
- Take out bathroom fixtures (toilet, sink, tub/shower).
- Trades: General contractor or demolition crew (sometimes plumbers help disconnect fixtures).
2. Structural Changes
- Move the internal stud wall back 30 cm to square off the room.
- Trades: Carpenter or general contractor.
3. Openings in External Wall
- Replace the window.
- Install the ventilation fan (cutting through the external wall).
- Trades: Window installer for the window; HVAC contractor or electrician for the fan.
4. Electrical & Plumbing Rough-ins
- Install new lights (rough-in wiring).
- Adjust plumbing for new fixtures (if locations change).
- Trades: Licensed electrician and licensed plumber.
5. Plastering / Drywall
- Patch walls and ceiling after structural/electrical/plumbing work.
- Trades: Drywaller or plasterer.
6. Tiling
- Tile walls and floor.
- Trades: Tiler (sometimes general contractors handle this too).
7. Fixture Installation
- Toilet, sink, vanity, tub/shower, etc.
- Trades: Plumber (for water connections), carpenter (for cabinetry/vanity).
8. Final Electrical
- Install light fixtures, switches, fan cover.
- Trades: Electrician.
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Who You'll Need (and How to Coordinate)
- General Contractor (GC): If you want one point of contact, hire a GC. They’ll coordinate demolition, carpentry, tiling, plastering, and sometimes even window replacement.
- Specialists you’ll still need:
- Plumber: Disconnect/reconnect fixtures, rough-in new plumbing.
- Electrician: Rough-in and final install of lights, fan, outlets.
- Window Installer: Replace the window.
- HVAC/Electrician: Ventilation fan install (sometimes electricians handle this fully).
- Optional: If you don’t hire a GC, you’ll need to schedule each trade yourself in the order above.
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Minimizing Downtime (Since It’s Your Only Bathroom)
- Pre-order all materials (tiles, fixtures, window, fan, lights) so trades aren’t waiting.
- Schedule trades back-to-back:
- Demo → wall move → window/fan → rough-ins → plaster → tile → fixtures → electrical finish.
- Temporary solution: If possible, arrange a portable toilet or shower access elsewhere during the 1–2 weeks of heavy work.
A GC will be able to handle all the pieces to ensure a hassle free renovation.
