Frequently Asked Questions – And Answers!

We’ve grouped your most common questions into two categories: Pricing and Services.

Common Pricing questions are addressed first, with Services questions immediately following.

 

 

 

 

 

PRICING:

Q:  How do your prices and services compare to other Houston contractors?

A:  We are a bathroom-focused specialty contractor offering high-quality builds with a simplified process.  Our projects are nicer and more detail-oriented than what you get from bath franchises and general contractors, but we are not limited to the luxury end of the market, either.  We work with homeowners who love their home and aren’t looking to hire just anyone; our clients want close, professional guidance through design, selections, and building, to help them achieve the bathroom remodel that’s right for them.  Our prices reflect the professionalism, expertise, personal service, and attention to detail that are our hallmarks.

As custom bathrooms and showers come in all shapes and sizes, our typical client spends anywhere from $15k-50k or more, depending on the scope of work.  Larger bathrooms and fancier projects often exceed this range.  If you’re only looking for a very basic shower replacement or tub-to-shower conversion with a robust build quality, this starts at $10,000.

Q:  Are you solely focused on luxury bathrooms?

A:  No.  We’ve remodeled bathrooms in many different types of properties, with our clients’ home values ranging from $250,000 – $5MM.  One thing our clients have in common is that they are not just looking for a plain old bathroom remodel to get them by.  They either want a really special space that’s 100% customized to them, or they want a very reliable partner who will take excellent care of them, or both.  

 

Q:  What does a bathroom remodel cost?

A:  According to Zonda Media’s 2023 Cost Vs. Value Report, which you can download for free at costvsvalue.com, a mid-range, pull-and-replace guest bath remodel with basic finishes averages almost $24,000 in the Houston metro area.  When gathering pricing and ROI data for this project, the following description set was used:

“Update existing 5×7-foot bathroom. Replace all fixtures to include 30×60-inch porcelain-on-steel tub with 4×4-inch ceramic tile surround; new single-lever temperature and pressure-balanced shower control; standard white toilet; solid-surface vanity counter with integral sink; recessed medicine cabinet with light; ceramic tile floor; vinyl wallpaper.” ©2023 Zonda Media

By all acounts, the bathroom remodel described here is a very small bathroom with very basic finishes.  Far and away, the vast majority of our clients expect higher-grade finishes than this, for larger bathrooms than the 5′ x 7′ example described above.  In short, it is very easy to exceed this figure when working with a professional bathroom remodeler to build a project you’ll be proud of.  In fact, we’ve built very few guest bath remodels below $25,000, unless our client was performing a significant amount of the work on their own.

According to this same Cost Vs. Value Report, an upscale master bath remodel in Houston averages around $75,000.  With this in mind, we suggest that folks wanting to undertake a full-scale master bath remodel for a 15′ x 15′ or larger bathroom, budget at least $60,000.  For fully-custom master bathroom projects, the sky is the limit – some of these projects end up well over $100,000, with no hard ceiling.

Many remodelers will not give you realistic prices like these up front; instead, they start with a lower figure and play the “change order” game.  They do this by initially telling you what you want to hear, so that once you award them the job, they have leverage to manipulate you through an ambiguous written (or verbal) scope of work.  Beware of this practice!  At Simplicity, we provide accurate information and set realistic expectations up front, so you can understand what your project costs and what is involved to achieve what you want.  

In keeping with this, here are some general pricing guidelines, based on five different project types we commonly build:

 

Projects	Price Range	Examples
Level 1	$5,000 – 7,500	Minor cosmetic updates and small-scope projects such as bidet installs, vanity countertop replacements, and door widening.
Level 2	$9,500 – 22,000	Most shower remodels, tub replacements, and tub-to-shower conversions.
Level 3	$25,000 – 37,500	“Pull and replace” guest bathroom remodels, Jack and Jill baths, large or upscale custom showers, and many handicap access bathrooms.
Level 4	$40,000 – 60,000	Upscale guest bath remodels, limited-scope master baths, and “pull-and-replace” master bathroom remodels
Level 5	$60,000 – 100,000+	Custom master bath remodels and upscale bathrooms.

 

For larger and more involved projects, we will not be able to give you an exact, fixed price until your project has been fully developed through our design and selections process.  Our design team is available to work on  project types ranging from custom shower remodels to master bathroom “gut” jobs, or multi-bathroom home projects.

In developing  price for your project, the first step is to determine your scope of work and desired finish level – for example, are you just looking for a basic, functional tub to shower conversion or are you wanting a complete makeover of a guest bathroom with upscale fixtures and custom tile work?  This will help narrow down a general budget range, and from there, we can work together to define the particulars and select the exact materials, colors, and finishes to build out your project.  Give us a call when you’re ready to get started, and we’ll begin the process of walking you through your options.

Q:  What does a shower remodel cost?

A:  The cost to remodel a shower depends primarily on the level of professional you hire for this project.  Most Houston contractors who claim to be “bath specialists” or “shower specialists” do not actually have the level of experience and knowledge most homeowners expect when they seek the services of a true specialist.  This is due, in part, to the fact that in Texas, there is no licensing for general contractors, or the tile trade, so literally anyone can claim to be anything, and it’s ultimately up to the consumer to sort through the mess of variedly-qualified contractors in this arena.  Accordingly, not all showers are built the same.

There are many potential problems you can have with shower, including leaking tile, improper drainage, poor layout, bad grouting, and plumbing leaks, just to name a few.  And although we can all agree in principle that every shower remodel should perform properly and not leak (duh), in practice, there are many people who pay for a shower remodel more than once, in a short period of time – especially in Houston.  We say this with confidence because we’ve remodeled many showers all over the city that were already remodeled by other contractors within the last two years.  These contractors either went out of business, scurried off to another town, or were unwilling to properly service their warranties when there was a problem.  These problems aren’t solely limited to small companies or “one-man bands” either – a number of larger bath-focused businesses and franchises have gone out of business in Houston over the last decade, rendering their “lifetime” shower warranties worthless.  With this in mind, the cost of hiring actual specialists who can do this job correctly, and provide a robust warranty they will be around to service, is an investment in your peace of mind.

Understandably, many Houston homeowners start with the expectation that a “normal”-size shower remodel will be somewhere between $5,000 – 10,000, but no more. There are a quite a few websites and internet articles written by folks who do not run an actual business in this industry, stating that shower remodels start at $3,000, or $5,000, etc.  These figures are very misleading.  Those small budgets are really for DIY (“Do It Yourself”) shower remodels, which almost no one wants to do.  You may find an out-of-luck “tile guy” who says he’s willing to do something in that range, but you are going to have difficulty getting all facets of the work done properly and “to spec”:  demolition, haul-away, wall preparation, plumbing, waterproofing, tile layout, tile cutting, tile setting, grout, and silicone.  You will also be your own designer, procurement manager, project manager, and warranty department (AKA your own general contractor!).  Again, almost no one wants to remodel their shower this way, so these numbers are unrealistic for the typical DFM (“Do it For Me”) homeowner most professional shower remodeling companies serve.

With all this in mind, in the 2020s, proper shower builds from reliable professionals are going to start in the $10,000 range – and that’s for small and very basic shower remodels.  Even the “one-day” plastic bath franchises are starting around this price now, although they won’t tell you until you sit through their kitchen-table sales pitch.  In reality, many average-size shower remodels will end up well beyond this, in the $15,000 – $20,000 range or higher, once your chosen options and special features are factored in, and existing conditions are accounted for.  Again, most contractors will not tell you this up front.  There is a widespread belief in the remodeling industry as a whole that straightforwardly educating and informing homeowners will scare them off and send them to competitors, who will simply “bait and switch” them through the old school sales process.  At Simplicity, we do not subscribe to this point of view.

TL;DR – If you are in the market for a shower remodel or replacement, we recommend shopping for excellence, integrity, and expertise, not a low price, so that you are not stuck having to pay for the same shower twice, or suffer through an awful experience at the hands of a poor contractor.  Small showers are going to start around $10,000, while mid-sized shower remodels are most commonly built in the $15,000 – 20,000 range when it’s all said and done, although some are less.  If you are looking to combine the footprint of a small, “phone booth”-type shower and an adjacent tub (a setup commonly found in builder-grade master bathrooms throughout Houston), these very large showers start at $25,000.

 

SERVICES:

Q:  Can a tile shower be properly waterproofed AND low maintenance?

A:  Yes, tile can be waterproofed correctly, and built in such a way as to be low maintenance and long-lasting, assuming you hire the right professional for this work.  Many “mud-set” showers were built this way 50 years ago, but this capability has largely been forgotten by the tile trade, which has been a victim of the push for “better-faster-cheaper” in housing construction.  Fortunately, there are new methods and products that are easier to teach and learn, which can yield similar results.  One of these methods is the German-engineered Schluter Kerdi system that we use at Simplicity Bath.  Although it takes years or even decades to master the art of tiling, we can train up a skilled tile setter on Schluter Kerdi methods within a few days.  This system ensures that behind all of your beautiful finished tile work, a properly-waterproofed substrate will prevent moisture and moisture vapor from ever getting into the walls and wreaking havoc.

In addition to our high-quality waterproofing system, we also use a high-end grout that doesn’t require sealing – ever – along with 100% pure silicone in all shower/wet area corners and expansion joints, which is inorganic and not a food source for the pesky mold and mildew that loves to grow in showers.  These special materials lower your total maintenance requirement and reduce cleaning time. 

We do a ton of tile work, and we do it differently, and better, than the vast majority of contractors. When built correctly with high-grade setting materials, tile is one of the nicest surface coverings you can have in your home. For the tile showers and bathrooms we build, we adhere to TCNA guidelines (Tile Council of North America).  The TCNA has created, managed, and updated tile installation standards for decades, even though most Houston tile installers have never heard of them, and do not own a TCNA handbook.  Find out more on the TCNA’s website, tcnatile.com.

For homeowners who want tile showers, walls, and floors, we begin our process, as always, by offering guidance and education.  If beautiful stone tile that has to be re-sealed every few years is too much hassle or too expensive for your project, we have other tile options that are lower maintenance.  If the idea of any grout whatsoever is unappealing, we can pivot to our solid surface wall systems to eliminate grout.  Whatever you’re looking to accomplish in your bathroom, give us a call and we’ll do our best to help you find an attractive, long-lasting solution.

Q:  Do you offer anything easier to clean than standard tile, that isn’t a “faux”-looking product or thin plastic?

A:  We hear this often, and we have several solutions.  Your lowest-maintenance options are going to be our solid wall systems (such as Onyx Collection), with each wall comprised of one slab of material that is templated and custom-cut onsite, rather than many small sections pieced together, as with tile.  While eliminating all maintenance is impossible, our slab wall systems can be easier to maintain than standard tile.  We offer several different versions of these systems, ranging from 3/8” solid surface panels to custom thin stone slabs which can be backlit for an extremely unique, modern look.  We do not offer plastic “cover-up” products that are installed on top of old tile, nor “one day bath” retrofits, which involve a number of quality compromises in the name of speed.

For customers who want to stick with tile, but still want to cut down on cleaning hassles, there are several things we can do to reduce the overall maintenance of a tile shower.  For some customers, we will install a solid shower base to reduce shower floor maintenance, while keeping tile for the walls; for other customers, we’ll install tile for both the floors and walls, but reduce the size of the grout lines while increasing the size of the tiles.  In addition, we offer several high-end grouts which are easier to clean and maintain than standard grouts, and we exclusively install pure silicones for all corners and expansion joints.

See our Products section for more info on the shower wall material options we offer.

 

Q:  Will you install something over my old tile?

A:  No, and for good reason.  If you have rotted studs, pest problems, mold, or plumbing issues, these will persist after your new plastic cover-over or spray-on is installed.  Since we are in the business of doing things correctly, rather than cheaply, we do not offer thin plastic “cover-up” products that do not address potential issues behind the walls.  Give us a call if you’d like to discuss a complete shower or bathroom remodel, with a full tear-out and rebuild using dust-conscious work practices and higher-quality building materials such as tile, stone, or solid-surface slabs.

 

Q:  Do you offer a warranty?

A:  Yes we do, and we’re here to help.  If you have any trouble with a product or system we’ve installed, give us a call and we’ll get you taken care of.  For most of our products, the manufacturers will send us a replacement part, and we’ll schedule your installation once it arrives in our hands.

Q:  I’m only looking to replace a countertop and sink fixture in my guest bathroom, and I want to leave my existing cabinets alone.  Is this too small a job for you?

A:  We are happy to do these smaller projects.  While we often replace vanity tops as part of larger jobs, we do offer standalone vanity and vanity top replacements in Houston proper.  We can help you select materials, inluding the countertop, sink, faucets, and any new hardware or accessories that are part of the project.

Q: We have elderly relatives moving in soon, so we need a standard-sized tub taken out and a walk-in shower installed.  How quickly can you turn something like this around?

Q:  I own a restaurant that needs some tile work.  Do you offer this?

A:  Of course!  Although many of our clients are residential homeowners, we also complete bathrooms and tile work for nicer restaurants, hotels, offices, and senior care facilities.  In fact, most commercial restrooms, even in high-end restaurants, are prime examples of awful tile work and could use some of our professional “help”.  This usually stems from the builder or developer’s unwillingness to pay enough to get the job done right the first time.  The result is an irritating eyesore of improper layouts, bad tile-setting, and poor grout work that is very noticeable to your clientele for years to come.  From this perspective, it is ABSOLUTELY worth spending the extra money to get the job done correctly.  At Simplicity, we use high quality materials and proper installation techniques, so there won’t be any trouble down the road, and if there is a problem, we will take your call and address any issues.  If that dependability, reliability, and quality are more important to you than a cheap bid, we’re the guys for the job.

Q:  My tile shower pan is leaking and I need it fixed, but I don’t want to replace the shower walls.  Can you do that?

A:  This is a common question.  It seems like you could simply cut the tile base out, correct the problem, retile the area, and call it a day.  Unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated than that.  Repair jobs for other people’s work are something we can’t do, as there are too many potential issues with seaming the old and new waterproofing that’s behind the tile, amongst other concerns.  In order to warrant our work, we insist on completing only full shower tear-outs and remodels.  This way, we can guarantee that your new shower will be a complete, watertight system that is built to the same high standards all the way around.

If you do find someone to repair only the shower floor, we have found that the repairs often fail within a few short years.  Shower floors aren’t like car parts – they cannot simply be pulled and replaced.  A shower’s waterproofing functions as an integrated whole, and it is very difficult to spot-replace sections of a shower without creating other long-term issues.

Q:  Do you offer glass repairs, glass replacement, re-caulking, fixture and faucet repairs, tile repairs, or cultured marble repairs?

A:  We do not offer these services.  We are a bathroom remodeling company, and as such, our specialty is remodeling, not repairs.

Q:  We remodeled another bathroom a few years back, and the work took months.  Is that normal?

A:  No, unless we’re doing a large master bath remodel or there are significant issues with your home’s plumbing.  This question usually comes from customers who have experienced a disorganized contractor who ran into problems he or she didn’t know how to properly address.  Meeting reasonable timetables with these projects is a function of the contractor’s organizational and project management skills, as well as his or her knowledge of potential issues and how to address them.  We recommend working with a sharp, educated contractor who communicates clearly and can explain in detail how any problems on your job will be addressed.

Q:  Can we purchase our own materials and just have you install everything?

 A:  The short answer is that we prefer to provide everything.  Candidly, when homeowners buy their own materials, this approach can be problematic.  We understand if a client buys a special accessory in their own, but we would greatly prefer to provide all of the major fixtures and materials for your job.  This way, you can depend on us to ensure that everything is sized and ordered correctly for your exact application.  This is part of the reason you hire professionals like us – to ensure that snags and hassles are minimized, and that the details are left to our trained professional eyes.

Here’s an example of why this can be an issue.  Some time ago, we worked with a client who had visited a discount house and purchased a particular ceramic tile with a high-gloss finish.  Even after being informed that the tile’s finish tended to crack and flake at the edges when cut, they still wanted us to build their shower walls from this tile and “do our best” with it, since they had bought it at a deep discount.  Unfortunately, this was a discount tile for a reason.  Just as we feared, when we cut the tile, the finish flaked badly and the cut edges exposed more of the orange-brown ceramic base color underneath than was expected.  The client ended up having us paint the edges of the tile to help cover up the areas where the finish had flaked, so their discount tile ended up not being a great cost-saving option after all.

We will go to great lengths to avoid these kinds of situations by informing and having up-front conversations with our clients.  Just like working with any other professional, when you trust the person you work with and rely on their expertise to guide you, the outcome is typically much better!

Q:  How do I start the process?

A:  Our first step is to schedule a phone consultation to discuss your needs, wants, goals, and budget – and most importantly, what you’re looking for in a remodeler.  We’ll listen to what you’re trying to accomplish, then ask a few questions of our own; if you’d like, we can then move on to step two – an on-site consultation.  You can simply give us a call to start, or fill out a form on our Contact page.

At our site visit in your space, we’ll dive deeper into feasibility and space planning, and discuss concepts and ideas.  We typically conclude our meeting by offering you either a proposal for work or a proposal for design.  Once the prosposal is approved, we’ll get started with selections, ordering, and execution planning.

For larger and more involved projects, we will need to get our design team involved as early as possible to get your project going in the direction that’s right for you.