The Bathroom Remodel Planning Checklist: What to Specify, Inspect, and Refuse to Sign

Picture a homeowner who did everything right. She hired a licensed general contractor, paid every invoice on time, and wrote the final check the day the last fixture went in. Four months later, a certified letter arrived from a tile supplier she had never met. The supplier had never been paid, and there was now a lien against her house. That is the kind of failure this bathroom remodel planning checklist is built to prevent, and it has nothing to do with tile color.

Most planning guides online walk you through paint palettes, vanity finishes, and hardware. None of that is what causes a remodel to go wrong. Remodels go wrong because of a change order nobody signed, a drain line that was never resized for the fixtures added to it, a rough inspection that got skipped, and waterproofing that failed silently behind tile you can no longer see. This is a bathroom remodel checklist for homeowners who have already made the decision and probably already have a bid on the kitchen table. You are not swinging the hammer. Your job is different: specify the right things before the contract is signed, verify the right things while the walls are still open, and know exactly what to withhold payment for.

How to Use This Checklist

According to Houzz’s 2025 U.S. Bathroom Trends Study, a survey of 1,737 US homeowners, 84% hire a professional for a bathroom renovation. This guide assumes you are one of them. It contains no installation instructions, because you are not installing anything.

This guide is for you if:

• You have a contractor selected or a signed bid in hand.
• You want to catch problems on paper, before they are framed in.
• You plan to stay in the home rather than flip it.

You will want a different guide if you are still asking:

• What will this cost? See our breakdown of bathroom remodel costs in 2026.
• How long will I be without a bathroom? See how long a bathroom remodel takes.
• How is the work actually done? See our step-by-step guide to remodeling a bathroom.

The organizing idea

This checklist is not sorted by room feature. It is sorted by when a decision becomes irreversible. Some choices you can reverse for the cost of a weekend. Others close permanently the moment drywall goes up, and reopening them means demolition. The whole point of planning is to catch the second category before it closes.

There are three things you are doing, in order.

One important caveat about codes

Every code figure in this guide comes from a national model standard: the International Residential Code (IRC) published by the ICC, the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), the International and Uniform Plumbing Codes, ASSE valve standards, Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) guidance, ANSI and TCNA tile standards, EPA WaterSense specifications, and NKBA design recommendations. Model codes are not law until a state or municipality adopts them, and jurisdictions adopt different editions and write their own amendments. National standards are the floor. Your local building department is the authority. Treat every number here as the minimum you should expect, then confirm the specifics with your inspector or contractor.

Section 1: Lock Down the Contract Before Anyone Swings a Hammer

Most checklists put budget first. This one puts the contract first, for a simple reason. A budget problem costs you money. A contract problem can cost you the title to your house. Renovation budgets overrun often enough that most experienced contractors treat it as the default rather than the exception. A meaningful share of those overruns are not bad luck. They are the predictable result of a scope of work vague enough that two people could read it and picture two different bathrooms.

Write a Scope of Work That Cannot Be Argued With

“Remodel master bathroom” is not a scope of work. It is a wish. A scope that protects you names specific actions, specific quantities, and specific standards. Compare the two versions below.

Insufficient: Remodel master bathroom. Install new tile, vanity, and fixtures.

Sufficient: Remove existing subfloor to joists. Install crack isolation membrane meeting ANSI A118.12. Install 24 linear feet of custom maple cabinetry including all soft-close hardware per Exhibit A. Install pressure-balancing shower valve conforming to ASSE 1016, high-limit stop field-set to 120°F.

The difference is enforceability. The first version gives you nothing to point at when the work disappoints you. The second lets you say, this is what we agreed to, and this is not it.

Name standards, not just materials. Any contractor can install “a waterproofing membrane.” Only a specific standard, such as ANSI A118.10, ASSE 1016, or an HVI-certified fan rating, tells you what you actually got. Standards are the vocabulary that turns your preferences into obligations.

Attach exhibits. Fixture schedules, model numbers, finish selections, and cabinetry drawings should be attached to the contract and referenced in it. If it lives only in a text message, it is not in the contract.

Key takeaway: If it is not written down with a number or a standard next to it, it is not in the contract.

Set the Change Order Rule Now, Not Mid-Project

Changes are inevitable. Surprise invoices are not. Your contract should require that every deviation from the original scope, whether you requested it or the job site forced it, is documented in writing, priced, and signed by both parties before the work proceeds. Not after. Not “we will settle up at the end.”

Two situations trigger change orders, and they feel very different.

1. You change your mind. You saw a different tile. Straightforward: price it, sign it, proceed.
2. The job site changes your mind for you. Demolition exposes rot in the joists. The existing wiring is knob-and-tube. Now there is urgency, a crew standing around, and pressure to just say yes. This is exactly when a pre-agreed process saves you, because the rule was set when nobody was under pressure.

Also specify who can authorize. If your spouse tells the tile setter to shift a niche six inches, is that a change order? Decide now.

Key takeaway: The signature comes before the work. Every single time.

Mechanic’s Liens: How a Paid-in-Full Homeowner Still Loses

This is the risk almost no remodeling guide explains, and it is the one that can actually cost you your home. Here is the mechanism. You pay your general contractor. The general contractor is supposed to pay the plumber, the tile setter, the electrician, and the supply house. If the GC does not pay them, whether because of cash flow trouble, mismanagement, or worse, those unpaid parties have a legal claim. Not against the GC, but against your property. You can pay in full and still end up with a lien on your title. A lien clouds the title, which can block a sale or refinance, and in the most severe cases it can support a foreclosure action.

The protection is a lien waiver, and there are two kinds.

Two rules matter more than any others here.

1. Collect from everyone, not just the GC. A waiver from your general contractor does nothing about the tile supplier’s claim. You need waivers from every subcontractor and every material supplier on the job.
2. Never release final payment without unconditional waivers in hand. This is your entire leverage. Once the check clears, you have none.

⚠️ State law varies significantly. Lien deadlines, preliminary notice requirements, and waiver forms differ from state to state, and several states prescribe statutory waiver forms that must be used exactly as written. Confirm your state’s specific rules. Your state contractor licensing board is a good starting point, and a real estate attorney is worth an hour of billing on a large project.

Permits and Who Is Actually Responsible for Pulling Them

Permitting is set locally, so the honest answer to “do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel” is to ask your building department. That said, here is the general pattern across most US jurisdictions.

Usually requires a permit:

• Moving or adding plumbing fixtures
• New or altered electrical circuits
• Removing or modifying walls
• Converting a half bath to a full bath

Often does not:

• Like-for-like fixture swaps in the same location
• Painting, cabinet refacing, accessory replacement

Pull permits in the contractor’s name, not yours. A permit in your name can make you the responsible party for code compliance on work you did not perform. A contractor who prefers your name on the paperwork is telling you something about their licensing status. Unpermitted work has a long tail. It surfaces during resale inspections, it can complicate insurance claims, and it becomes a defect you own rather than one the contractor keeps.

Key takeaway: Unpermitted work is a defect you inherit.

Section 2: Fund the Contingency Before You Fund the Finishes

You will find full cost breakdowns in our 2026 bathroom remodel cost guide. This section covers the one budget item that belongs in a planning checklist, because it is a decision rather than a price: the contingency fund. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry and most experienced remodelers advise setting aside 10% to 20% of the total project budget for the unforeseen. For older housing stock, push toward 25%.

The age threshold is an industry rule of thumb, not a rule. But it reflects something real. The older the house, the more likely demolition exposes something that has to be fixed before work continues. Homeowners in the Northeast and Midwest, where a large share of the housing stock predates 1970, should plan on the higher end.

What the contingency is for:

• Hidden water damage behind the tub surround
• Mold discovered inside the wall cavity
• Dry rot in subfloor joists
• Wiring that must be brought up to current code once it is exposed
• Drain lines that turn out to be undersized or corroded

What the contingency is not for:

• The upgraded tile you saw in week two
• Heated floors you decided you wanted after all
• A second sink

That distinction is the whole game. The contingency has to be pre-funded and ring-fenced: actual money you have decided in advance not to touch. The most common failure pattern is not the emergency itself. It is discovering the emergency after you have already spent the buffer on upgrades, and then downgrading your finishes to cover a repair.

Section 3: Verify Your Layout Against the IRC Before It Is Framed

Here are the numbers to take a tape measure to. Do this on the drawings tonight, before framing, when a fix costs a conversation instead of a demolition day. One distinction that competitors consistently blur, and it matters: the IRC states requirements, while the NKBA publishes recommendations. Both are useful. Only one will fail an inspection.

Toilet, Bidet, and Vanity Clearances

The 15-inch side clearance is measured from the centerline of the fixture, not from the edge of the bowl. This is where homeowners misread their own plans and end up an inch short. The centerline runs vertically through the middle of the trapway and seat. Measure horizontally from there to whatever is closest: wall, vanity side panel, tub apron, or shower glass. The 21-inch frontal clearance is measured to the nearest wall, fixture, or door. Door swings count. A door that clips the front of the toilet by two inches is one of the most common and most infuriating inspection failures, because fixing it means moving either the door or the drain.

On double vanities, code and design guidance say different things. The IRC requires 30 inches minimum between adjacent fixture centerlines. The NKBA recommends 36 inches. Thirty inches will pass. Thirty-six inches means two adults can brush their teeth without bumping elbows. Also worth knowing: these dimensions are measured to finished surfaces, meaning after tile, after drywall, and after the cabinet face. A layout that works to framing can fail once the finishes go on.

Check these four numbers on your plan tonight: toilet centerline to nearest obstruction (15 in.), clear space in front of the toilet including door swing (21 in.), shower interior dimension (30 in.), and total shower area (900 sq. in.).

Shower Size and Ceiling Height

A shower compartment needs at least 900 square inches of interior cross-sectional area and a minimum interior dimension of 30 inches, measured from finished surface to finished surface, excluding valves, showerheads, soap dishes, and grab bars. That required dimension has to be maintained from the top of the threshold to a height of 70 inches above the drain outlet. There is a useful exception in the code. A compartment can drop to a 25-inch minimum dimension if the total cross-sectional area reaches at least 1,300 square inches. That flexibility can rescue a tight layout.

Ceiling height in a bathroom must be at least 6 feet 8 inches. Over a shower or tub fitted with a showerhead, that clearance has to be maintained across an area of not less than 30 inches by 30 inches at the showerhead. Two practical notes. First, 30 by 30 is the legal floor, not a comfortable shower. The NKBA suggests 36 by 36 as a practical minimum for one adult. Second, framing must be larger than the finished dimension, because backer board, waterproofing, thinset, and tile all eat into the interior. A shower framed at exactly 30 inches will finish under code.

Key takeaway: A shower that looks big enough on a floor plan can still fail once it is tiled.

Safety Glazing in Wet Locations

Glass near water is heavily regulated, because bathrooms are one of the highest slip-and-fall risk areas in the home. Under IRC R308.4.5, glazing in hazardous wet locations must be safety glazing, which means either tempered or laminated glass. That includes shower and tub enclosures, shower doors, and glazing where the bottom exposed edge is less than 60 inches vertically above a standing or walking surface. There is an exception worth knowing before you order. Glazing more than 60 inches away, measured horizontally from the water’s edge of the tub or shower, is not treated as a hazardous location, regardless of how low the bottom edge sits. In a large primary bath, a window on the far wall may fall outside the requirement entirely. It is a two-part test, vertical and horizontal, and your inspector applies both.

The reason is the failure mode. Standard annealed glass breaks into large, sharp shards. Tempered glass is heat-treated so that it disintegrates into small, relatively blunt granules. In a room where people are wet, barefoot, and moving, that difference is the difference between a bruise and an ambulance. Here is how to verify it yourself. Safety glazing carries a permanent etched designation, usually in a corner of the pane, identifying who applied the designation, the type of glass, and the safety glazing standard it complies with. Look for it when the glass is delivered, not after it is installed and the designation is buried behind a frame.

Key takeaway: Check the etch before installation, not after.

Section 4: Build In Aging-in-Place Access While the Walls Are Open

This is not a section about decline. It is a section about not paying twice. In the 2025 Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, more than two-thirds of homeowners (68%) said they consider special needs in their bathroom projects, up four percentage points year over year. Of those addressing needs today, 41% are focused on aging household members, while 49% are planning for future ones. Among accessibility features, low-curb showers lead at 52%, curbless showers account for 28%, and wet rooms now make up one in six renovated bathrooms (16%).

The economics here are lopsided in a way that is worth understanding clearly.

The single highest-value item in this entire article

Install solid wood blocking behind the drywall wherever a grab bar might ever go: behind the shower walls, beside the toilet, and along the tub. It costs almost nothing during rough-in. It requires demolition to add later. And it means that if you ever need a grab bar, whether after a surgery, a bad winter, or twenty years from now, it can be anchored into structure in an afternoon rather than into drywall anchors that will pull out under load. Ask your contractor to photograph the blocking locations before drywall goes up, and keep those photos. You will not remember where it is in fifteen years.

Other low-cost inclusions

• Curbless (zero-threshold) shower entry removes the single most common trip hazard in the room and leaves wheelchair access possible.
• Comfort-height toilets are easier to sit down on and stand up from, with no aesthetic penalty.
• Lever-style faucet and door handles are usable with a closed fist, wet hands, or arthritic joints.
• A seated space in the shower, even if it is just a fold-down bench.
• Layered lighting, including at the vanity. Aging eyes need substantially more light.

A note on ADA: ADA standards govern public accommodations, not private homes. You are not required to meet them in your own bathroom, and many ADA dimensions, such as the 60-inch turning radius, are impractical in a typical residential footprint. Use ADA figures as a useful reference for what genuinely accessible looks like, not as a residential requirement.

If accessibility is a primary driver, ask whether your contractor holds a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) designation. It is a credential you can ask for by name.

Section 5: The Systems Behind the Walls

Everything in this section becomes inaccessible the moment drywall goes up. That is the entire reason it deserves your attention now rather than later. Ask your contractor one question before anything else: which code edition is this jurisdiction currently enforcing? NEC adoption runs on a three-year cycle, and many jurisdictions lag by a cycle or two. Plumbing code is split regionally between the IPC and the UPC. The answer determines which specific requirements apply to your project.

Electrical: Dedicated Circuits and GFCI Protection

Under NEC 210.11(C)(3), a dwelling requires at least one 120-volt, 20-amp branch circuit supplying bathroom receptacle outlets. The requirement exists because bathrooms host unusually high-draw appliances for their size. Hair dryers and curling irons pull hard, and sharing that load with bedroom outlets on a 15-amp circuit produces nuisance trips at best.

There is a wrinkle worth knowing. Under the 2020 and later NEC, the required 20-amp circuit is restricted to serving countertop and work-surface receptacles. If that circuit serves only a single bathroom, it may also supply other equipment in that same bathroom. If it serves multiple bathrooms, it supplies receptacles only. Your electrician will know the local interpretation. The point is that “just tie it into the existing circuit” is not a compliant answer.

Separately, all bathroom receptacles require GFCI protection under NEC 210.8(A). A GFCI device continuously compares the current flowing out on the hot conductor with the current returning on the neutral. If those do not match, meaning current is finding another path to ground, possibly through a person, it opens the circuit in a fraction of a second. It is one of the few safety devices that reliably prevents a fatality, and it costs very little.

Key takeaway: If your existing bathroom shares a circuit with bedroom outlets, this remodel is the moment to fix it. You will not get another chance without opening walls.

Drain Sizing: What Drainage Fixture Units Mean for You

Plumbing systems are not sized by guesswork. They are sized by Drainage Fixture Units (DFU), a standardized value assigned to each fixture that represents its expected discharge load.

Add up the DFU load on a drain line and the code tells you the minimum diameter that line must be. The number matters most when you are adding fixtures, such as converting a half bath to a full bath, adding a second sink, or adding a bidet. Each addition raises the cumulative load, and at some point the existing horizontal branch drain is no longer large enough to carry it.

Here is what happens if nobody checks:

• Chronically sluggish drainage that no amount of plunging fixes.
• Repeat blockages.
• P-trap siphonage. When an undersized or poorly vented line develops enough negative pressure to pull the water seal out of a trap, the barrier between your bathroom and the sewer line disappears, and sewer gas enters the room.

That last one is a health issue, not an inconvenience, and it is very difficult to diagnose after the fact.

Ask this in writing: “Was the existing branch drain recalculated for the new fixture count, and does it meet the required diameter for the resulting DFU load?” Contractors who do this properly will have an immediate answer. The question itself tells you a lot.

Anti-Scald Valves and the 120°F Limit Stop

When a toilet flushes or a washing machine fills, cold water pressure to the shower drops momentarily. Without a compensating valve, the mix swings hot. The injury that follows is usually not the burn. It is the fall. The startle reflex in a wet, hard-surfaced enclosure produces broken hips, wrists, and heads, which is exactly why this is a code requirement and not a comfort feature. Codes require shower and tub-shower valves to be automatic compensating valves conforming to ASSE 1016. Two technologies qualify.

• Pressure-balancing valves use an internal diaphragm that senses the pressure differential between hot and cold supply. When cold pressure drops, the valve throttles the hot side to hold the ratio steady.
• Thermostatic valves sense the actual temperature of the mixed output and adjust the blend continuously, holding a set temperature regardless of pressure swings. More precise, and more expensive.

Now for the part that gets skipped. ASSE 1016 valves include a field-adjustable high-limit stop, and codes require it to be set so that maximum output does not exceed 120°F (49°C). This is a manual step performed by the installer, on site, before turnover. It is not set at the factory. It is genuinely, routinely forgotten.

Key takeaway: Ask your plumber to confirm the limit stop was set, and test it yourself with a thermometer at turnover.

Sizing the Exhaust Fan

Undersized ventilation is one of the most common and most consequential shortcuts in residential bathrooms. It produces mold, peeling paint, and rotted framing on a delay long enough that nobody connects cause to effect. The IRC sets a floor: bathrooms require local exhaust of at least 50 CFM intermittent or 20 CFM continuous. But code minimum and correct sizing are different things. The Home Ventilating Institute method is what you actually want.

Bathrooms up to 100 sq. ft.: 1 CFM per square foot. An 8 by 10 bathroom is 80 sq. ft., so 80 CFM minimum. One caution on small rooms: the square-footage math can return a number below the code floor. A 40 sq. ft. powder room calculates to 40 CFM, which would not comply. Never specify below 50 CFM, whatever the arithmetic says.

Bathrooms above 100 sq. ft.: size by fixture count.

• Toilet: 50 CFM
• Shower: 50 CFM
• Bathtub: 50 CFM
• Jetted tub: 100 CFM

A large primary bath with a toilet, walk-in shower, and freestanding tub totals 150 CFM. That can be one 150 CFM unit or separate fans over each fixture. HVI notes that an enclosed toilet compartment needs either an operable window or its own fan. Look for the HVI-Certified label. It means the airflow rating was independently tested rather than claimed. Real-world airflow also drops with duct length and elbows, so a fan rated at 100 CFM on the box may move considerably less through a long, twisting run.

⚠️ The shortcut that causes the most damage: exhaust must terminate outside the building envelope through rigid or semi-rigid duct. The IRC (Section M1505) explicitly prohibits discharging bathroom exhaust into an attic, crawl space, or other interior area. Venting into an attic dumps warm, saturated air against the cold underside of the roof deck, where it condenses. The result is sheathing rot and attic mold that can take years to surface and thousands to remediate. Physically trace the duct and confirm where it exits the building.

HVI also recommends running the fan during bathing and for at least 20 minutes afterward. A timer switch handles this and costs very little.

Section 6: Waterproofing, the Step You Will Never Be Able to Inspect Again

There is exactly one window in which you can verify the waterproofing in your shower: after the membrane goes on, before the tile goes over it. After that, it is a matter of faith for the next twenty years.

Tile and grout are not waterproof. Water moves through grout joints and into the assembly behind, which is why the membrane underneath is the actual barrier. When it fails, water wicks into the subfloor and wall studs by capillary action and does its damage slowly, invisibly, and continuously: rot in the framing, mold in the cavity, and eventually structural repair that dwarfs the cost of the original remodel.

The two standards to name in your contract

ANSI A118.10 covers bonded waterproof membranes for use beneath ceramic tile and stone. Certification testing includes evaluation of the membrane’s ability to hold water without penetration. This is the standard for your shower walls and pan.

ANSI A118.12 covers crack isolation membranes. Buildings settle and concrete slabs shrink, while tile is rigid and will telegraph any movement below it as a crack. A118.12 membranes are elastomeric. They decouple the tile from the substrate, absorbing lateral movement and bridging cracks in the subfloor rather than transmitting them upward through your finished floor.

Some products meet both standards. Your contract should say which standard applies where.

Liquid vs. sheet membranes

Liquid-applied membranes are rolled, brushed, or troweled on in multiple coats and cure into a seamless barrier. They are forgiving around complex geometry such as niches, benches, and curbs. But coverage rate matters enormously, and an installer applying too thin a coat produces a membrane that looks finished and is not.

Sheet membranes are bonded to the substrate in panels. Thickness is factory-consistent, which removes the coverage-rate risk, but seams and corners require correct treatment.

For steam showers, vapor permeance becomes critical, because steam drives moisture through assemblies that handle liquid water fine. If you are building a steam shower, the membrane specification is a different conversation and belongs in writing.

The flood test: your one chance to verify

Before tile goes down, the shower pan should be plugged, filled, and left to sit while someone watches the space below for leaks.

Plumbing codes require a shower pan or liner water test, though the required duration varies by code and jurisdiction, and some are as short as 15 minutes. The industry reference for flood testing horizontal waterproofing is ASTM D5957, and major membrane manufacturers generally direct installers toward a 24-hour test once the membrane has fully cured. Cure time itself is typically 24 hours or more depending on product, temperature, and humidity.

Fifteen minutes tells you very little. Twenty-four hours tells you something real.

Specify this in your contract and verify it happened. Be present for the fill, or require timestamped photographs at fill and at drain, plus a written confirmation from the installer that no leakage was observed. Tiling over an untested pan is the single riskiest thing that will happen in your bathroom, and it is completely preventable.

Section 7: Specify Fixtures for the Next Twenty Years

Fixture selection usually gets discussed as a style question. Two aspects of it are not: what the fixture costs you to operate, and whether it requires structure inside the wall.

WaterSense: What the Label Actually Certifies

WaterSense is an EPA program, not a manufacturer marketing label. To carry it, a product must use at least 20% less water than the federal baseline and pass independent third-party performance testing. Self-certification is not permitted.

The performance testing is the part worth understanding, because it answers the objection most people actually have. Labeled showerheads are tested for spray force, spray coverage, and pressure compensation across a range of household water pressures, not just flow rate. Labeled faucets must still deliver at least 0.8 gpm at low pressure so they remain usable for shaving and washing. If you tried a low-flow fixture in 1995 and hated it, that was a different regulatory era with no performance floor. According to the EPA, user perceptions of early low-flow models were generally poor, and there were no universally accepted criteria for measuring showerhead performance at the time. The label exists precisely because that generation of products damaged consumer trust.

The EPA estimates the average family saves about 2,700 gallons a year by switching to WaterSense showerheads, plus more than 330 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually from reduced water heating. One local note: several states enforce fixture flow limits stricter than the federal baseline, and a handful restrict lavatory faucets below 1.2 gpm. In those states this is not advice. It is what is legal to sell and install. Confirm before ordering.

⚠️ Pairing matters. When installing a showerhead below 2.5 gpm, confirm the shower valve is rated to protect against scalding at that lower flow rate. Ideally, the valve and showerhead combination is verified by the manufacturer.

Floating vs. Freestanding Vanities: A Framing Decision, Not a Finish Decision

This belongs in a planning checklist rather than a design article for one reason. A floating vanity has to be decided before the drywall goes up.

A floating vanity carries the full weight of the cabinet, the countertop, the sink, and everything stored in it, all cantilevered off the wall. That load has to land on solid blocking installed between the studs during rough-in and sized appropriately, particularly with a stone top. Standard drywall anchors are not a substitute and will eventually fail. You can change the finish on either style later. You cannot change how it mounts.

Key takeaway: Choose before the walls close, or the choice gets made for you.

Section 8: The Build Sequence and Your Inspection Checkpoints

You are not supervising the trades. You are verifying at defined moments. For how the work itself is performed, see our step-by-step bathroom remodeling guide. For realistic durations, see how long a bathroom remodel takes. What follows is where you show up and what you check.

1. Demolition and site prep. Confirm dust containment is in place and floor protection runs the full path from entry to bathroom. Confirm the crew has located and tested the water shutoff, and that you know where it is too.
2. MEP rough-in. Your highest-value checkpoint. Verify drain sizing against the new fixture count, confirm the dedicated 20-amp circuit exists, and trace the exhaust duct to where it exits the building. Photograph everything, including grab bar blocking, before anything covers it.
3. Municipal rough inspection. A hard gate. Ask to see the signed inspection record or permit card. Building inspectors are the closest thing you get to a free, independent quality audit on this project, paid for by your permit fee. Most homeowners never think to ask for the results.
4. Drywall and backer board. Confirm cementitious backer or an approved tile backer in wet areas, and moisture-resistant board elsewhere. Standard drywall in a shower is a defect, not a shortcut.
5. Waterproofing and flood test. Be there, or require timestamped photos at fill and drain plus written confirmation of no leakage. This is your last look at the assembly.
6. Tile and grout. Confirm thinset and grout cure times were respected rather than compressed to hit a schedule, and that porous natural stone was sealed.
7. Trim-out. Confirm the ASSE 1016 high-limit stop was set to 120°F, and bring a thermometer. Confirm GFCI devices trip and reset. Confirm the exhaust fan model matches the specified CFM.
8. Punch list and final inspection. Walk it in daylight with the water running. Then, and only then, move to final payment.

⚠️ Never let this happen: drywall going up before the rough inspection is signed off. If the inspector cannot see the work, it may have to come back down at your expense, and the inspector is under no obligation to take anyone’s word for it.

Section 9: Before You Release Final Payment

This is the moment you opened the project protecting yourself against. Work through it deliberately.

• [ ] Punch-list walkthrough completed in daylight, with water running. Run every fixture. Fill and drain the tub. Check the shower for standing water, which indicates a slope problem. Open every drawer and door.
• [ ] Final municipal inspection signed off, with documentation in your possession.
• [ ] Unconditional lien waivers collected from the general contractor, every subcontractor, and every material supplier.
• [ ] Warranty documentation transferred, including the workmanship warranty in writing, plus manufacturer warranties and registration for fixtures, fans, and valves.
• [ ] Product documentation handed over, including model numbers, finish codes, and grout color for future repairs.
• [ ] As-built notes recorded, including photographs of blocking locations, shutoff valve positions, and the routing of anything behind the wall. Save these somewhere you will find them in a decade.

Every item on that list is easy to obtain while you still hold the final payment, and difficult to obtain afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be on a bathroom remodel planning checklist?

A useful checklist covers four things beyond design: contract protections (a detailed scope of work, a written change order process, and lien waivers), code compliance (fixture clearances, electrical and plumbing requirements, ventilation sizing), verification points (rough inspection and waterproofing flood test), and a pre-funded contingency of 10% to 20%. Design decisions matter, but they are not what causes a remodel to fail.

Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel?

Usually yes, if you are moving plumbing, altering electrical circuits, or changing walls. Like-for-like fixture swaps and cosmetic updates often do not require one. Requirements are set locally, so confirm with your building department. Permits should be pulled in your contractor’s name, and unpermitted work can create problems at resale or during an insurance claim.

What is the minimum code clearance required around a toilet?

The IRC requires at least 15 inches from the toilet centerline to any side wall, partition, or vanity, and at least 21 inches of clear space in front of the fixture to the nearest wall, fixture, or door. Adjacent fixtures need 30 inches minimum between centerlines. Measure from the centerline rather than the bowl edge, and remember that door swings count against the 21 inches.

What is the minimum size for a shower under US building code?

Under IRC P2708.1, a shower compartment needs at least 900 square inches of interior cross-sectional area and a minimum interior dimension of 30 inches, measured to finished surfaces. An exception allows a 25-inch minimum dimension if total area reaches 1,300 square inches. Frame larger than 30 inches, since backer board, waterproofing, and tile all reduce the finished dimension.

Does a bathroom shower door have to be safety glass?

It has to be safety glazing, and tempered is the usual way that gets met. IRC R308.4.5 covers hazardous wet locations, including shower and tub enclosures and glazing with the bottom edge less than 60 inches above a walking surface. Laminated glass also qualifies. Annealed glass breaks into sharp shards, while tempered breaks into small granules. Look for the permanent etched designation in a corner of the pane at delivery, before installation hides it.

Do bathrooms require a dedicated electrical circuit?

NEC 210.11(C)(3) requires at least one 120-volt, 20-amp branch circuit supplying bathroom receptacles. Under recent code editions, that circuit is restricted to countertop and work-surface receptacles, with an exception permitting other loads when it serves a single bathroom. All bathroom receptacles also require GFCI protection. Adoption varies by jurisdiction, so confirm which NEC edition is enforced locally.

How do I calculate the correct CFM for a bathroom exhaust fan?

For bathrooms up to 100 square feet, HVI recommends 1 CFM per square foot, so an 80-square-foot bathroom needs 80 CFM, though never specify below the 50 CFM code floor even if the math returns less. Above 100 square feet, size by fixture: 50 CFM each for toilet, shower, and bathtub, plus 100 CFM for a jetted tub. A large bath with all three standard fixtures needs 150 CFM. Look for the HVI-Certified label, which means the rating was independently tested.

Can a bathroom exhaust fan vent into the attic?

No. The IRC prohibits discharging bathroom exhaust into an attic, crawl space, or other interior area, and it must terminate outside the building envelope. Venting into an attic pushes humid air against the cold roof deck, where it condenses and causes sheathing rot and mold. This is a common shortcut and an expensive one. Trace the duct yourself and confirm where it exits.

What is an ASSE 1016 shower valve, and why is it required?

It is an automatic compensating valve, either pressure-balancing or thermostatic, required by code for shower and tub-shower installations. It prevents temperature spikes when a toilet flushes or an appliance draws water. The real hazard is not the burn but the fall that follows the startle reflex. ASSE 1016 valves include a field-adjustable high-limit stop that the installer must set to a maximum of 120°F before turnover.

What is a drainage fixture unit, and do I need a bigger drain?

A Drainage Fixture Unit (DFU) is a standardized value representing a fixture’s expected discharge load. A lavatory is 1 DFU, a tub or shower is 2, and a private water closet is 3. Cumulative DFU load determines the required drain diameter. If you are adding fixtures, such as converting a half bath or adding a bidet, the existing branch line may need upsizing. Ask your contractor to confirm the recalculation in writing.

What is a shower pan flood test, and how long should it run?

The drain is plugged, the pan is filled with water, and the space below is monitored for leaks. Plumbing codes require a pan test, but durations vary, and some are as short as 15 minutes. The industry guide for flood testing horizontal waterproofing is ASTM D5957, and membrane manufacturers commonly direct installers toward 24 hours after full cure. Be present or require timestamped photos, because this is your last chance to verify.

What is the difference between ANSI A118.10 and A118.12?

A118.10 covers bonded waterproof membranes, the barrier that keeps water from reaching your subfloor and studs. A118.12 covers crack isolation membranes, which are elastomeric and decouple rigid tile from a moving substrate so that settlement cracks do not telegraph through your finished floor. Some products meet both. Your contract should specify which standard applies in which location.

What is a mechanic’s lien, and how do I avoid one?

It is a legal claim against your property filed by a subcontractor or supplier who was not paid by your general contractor. Because the claim attaches to the property rather than the GC, you can pay in full and still face a lien. Prevention is procedural: require conditional lien waivers with every progress payment, and unconditional waivers from every party before final payment. Rules vary meaningfully by state.

What is the difference between a conditional and an unconditional lien waiver?

A conditional waiver is signed before payment clears and only takes effect once it does, which makes it appropriate for progress payments. An unconditional waiver takes effect immediately and permanently gives up lien rights, so it should only be signed after payment has cleared. Collect unconditional waivers from the general contractor, every subcontractor, and every material supplier before releasing final payment.

How much should I set aside as a contingency fund?

Plan on 10% to 20% of the total project budget, rising toward 25% for homes built before 1990. It exists for what demolition uncovers: water damage, mold, rot in subfloor joists, and wiring that must be brought to current code. Keep it separate and untouched. The most common failure is spending the buffer on upgrades early, then downgrading finishes to cover a real repair later.

The Short Version

A bathroom remodel is not one big decision. It is a series of small ones that quietly become permanent at predictable moments: when the contract is signed, when the drywall goes up, when the tile covers the membrane, and when the final check clears. Planning is simply the work of catching each one before it closes.

If you take four things from this entire checklist:

1. Install grab bar blocking while the walls are open. It costs almost nothing now and requires demolition later.
2. Witness the flood test, or require timestamped proof. It is your only look at the waterproofing.
3. Confirm the 120°F limit stop was set on the shower valve. It is a manual step, and it gets skipped.
4. Collect unconditional lien waivers from everyone before the final payment leaves your hands.

None of this requires you to understand construction. It requires you to show up at four or five specific moments and ask for specific things, in writing, before the work is buried. Download the printable version of this checklist and take it to your next contractor meeting. The questions in it are ordinary questions that any competent contractor will answer without hesitation. How readily they answer will tell you a great deal. Still working out the numbers or the schedule? Our guides to bathroom remodel costs in 2026 and realistic bathroom remodel timelines cover the ground this checklist deliberately leaves out. And if a bathroom is the first of several projects, our kitchen remodel timeline for US homeowners applies the same checkpoint logic to the other room most likely to disrupt your household.