CHI Good Questions: Which Professional Do We Need?

Pam sent in a good question: "Hi, we need to rehab our bathroom. We're not looking to move anything around, meaning the locations for the tub, toilet and wash basin will stay where they are, but we are going to try to squeeze in a stand alone shower in one corner of the bathroom and so there will be some...

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reconfiguration of the space. Basically doing away with the tiny linen closet and either putting the shower there or pushing the tub into that corner - note that the closet contains the piping for the air conditioning.

Our question is whether or not we need an architect, or perhaps an interior designer for the project to help us assess our space configuration, or if a good contractor can tell us whether or not we can do what we're desiring to do. I don't know at what point a project can be a complete DIY to where it needs professional help. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks."

What do you all think? For a job of this general scope....an architect, interior designer or a good contractor?
Please let Pam know in the comments.

Photo and Related Link: Kathryn's Bathroom Renovation

Comments (16)

installing a new drain and moving ductwork/pipes/hvac stuff sounds big. you definitely don't need an interior designer, but an architect might be necessary for getting plans and permits. my brother's a contractor i can (obviously) recommend in new york... www.petermaslow.com

oh, gold star for me! i just noticed this is a chicago thread :)

if you want the job done nicely and need help choosing shower, fixtures etc, you should go with an interior designer who will in turn hire a good contractor (hopefully) to do the work. the designer will be able to look at your current bathroom and show you what will "work" in/with the space and probably even offer some ideas you may not have thought of. They also have access to products and resources which are "to the trade only" that you would not. You would need to find a designer who doesn't mind taking on a small project, which could be the challenge.

If you know exactly what you want, know where to order your items etc, then you could get away with just hiring a contractor yourself.

A good contractor/remodeler will have good ideas for you.

A bathroom designer will probably try to get 10k - 20k out of the job.

we did the same sort of remodel (removed a linen closet from a hallway, installed a big walk-in shower, moved the toilet and made it wall-hung, etc. and used the exact sink as in the picture...)... we did the design work ourselves, and figured out all the issues (e.g., we installed a huge skylight over the shower, and so had to deal with ventilation/possible condensation issues) between ourselves and our (very experienced) contractor.

We established all the design elements, and so all that was left was the technical resolution of those elements (translation: our contractor had to trouble-shoot and figure out how to make it work).

In a small bathroom, I think hiring an architect would be overkill, and "bathroom designers" are usually associated with a showroom, and thus, limit the range of products in their design to what they actually sell.

We did something similar and a good contractor was all we needed. That said, if you are doing a high-end remodel, an architect might be able to come up with something more elegant or cutting-edge. But if you're pretty sure you already have the plan, and just want someone to make sure it's viable and then execute on it, a good contractor is all you need and bringing anyone else in will just raise the price.

From experience, hire a great contractor, not just a good one. Then you both can configure this type of project together. The contractor will give you specs for everything.
Then go shopping for what you want. This means you know your style and where to get those fixtures. If not, hire a designer who can lead you to the correct resources. It will be worth every penny.

Depends in part on what the legal requirements are in your area. A call to your local building department would be a good first step, to find out what you need to submit in order to get a permit for residential alterations in your area. You may or may not need help from a licensed professional (e.g., an architect) to get one.

If you do, then there's your answer; if not, then it's more a question about how comfortable you feel with making decisions yourself about the design. I think metromom has it right. A good contractor should be able to tell you what is feasible, based on both the conditions in your home and your budget; but that leaves a lot of room for subjective aesthetic decisions.

If you want a good reference book to help you start doing your own space planning, good old Architectural Graphic Standards is pretty widely available. It has the most tried and true standard layouts, and can give you an idea of the space things will need--for example, the new shower you're thinking about squeezing in.

That's my bathroom in the photo. I designed it myself and hired a good contractor (I highly recommend Ira at Elite Home Builders 312-617-6806) who guided me well.

Like metromom and sniplet say, if you feel you can make the design decisions yourself, then go for it. If not, hire someone who can.

Like a lot of renovations, I think much of it comes down to how much you want to spend.

you need someone that really understands how to draw. every grout joint line is critical.

the smaller your bathroom is the less forgiveness for mistakes...i am inclined to say hire an architect or a designer with lots of experience especially if you intend to use any expensive fixtures.

but if this is a second bathroom or a bathroom with all inexpensive materials you could design it yourself....but you need to rely on your contractor for details like extending tile 3" beyond the face of the tub for good waterproofing etc. and expect it to look amateur in the end.

also the most important thing is to get a good tile setter. even with a great design and material if you get a sloppy tile setter...it is all over.....

My husband and I are finishing a remodel similar to what you describe. I HIGHLY recommend our contractor--Roy Donoso. He and his wife are both trained in architecture, now he does the general contracting and she does the designing. They can come up with the schematics for you.
http://www.donosoinc.com/

Furthermore, we have never had a problem reaching him by telephone, email or at the job site when we needed something. He and his team of workers are efficient, friendly, trustworthy, and outstanding.

Another idea is that KOHLER (in the merchandise mart) can also help you design and coordinate a remodel for your bathroom. They have a list of their preferred contractors, and for a MINIMAL fee, ($250.00 to be exact) they will come up with an entire layout for you. The only downside is it will all be in KOHLER products. But that's not such a bad thing, they have a beautiful range of choices. I would recommend talking with Sal Cianolo, who is just great.

Hope this helps!

Holy cow. Thank you so much everyone. This has been very helpful. And I sooo appreciate the referrals for the contractors. We have one estimate in but need to get a few more.

We are on a somehwhat tight budget but want to do this right as this is our only (and small) bathroom on the 2nd floor where all the bedrooms are. The easiest way to open the entire space up would be just to forego the tub, but having a young toddler and likely adding one more in the future, we would like to keep the tub but still want the separate shower if possible (I know there's been debates on whether you truly need a tub and for us, we've made the decision that we do). We have definite design ideas (thanks to AT and its resourceful and stylin' commentators!) so we won't necessarily need a designer.

Thanks again!!!

You can find good bath designers through NKBA, the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

FYI, I read this post and contacted Ira at Elite Home Builders.
Took me 2 emails and 4 days to get a response, and
turns out they don't do small remodeling - only gut rehab.

My condo requires license and insurance for any electrical and plumbing work and I am trying to remodel by keeping existing cabinet and just upgrading some stuff(sink,toilet,fixtures, etc), but seems like general contractors don't do small jobs.

Pam's project is probably complete by now, if she took advantage of some great advice given and started right away.

For someone contemplating a project of their own, I've posted a remodeling FAQ at:

http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2009/02/remodeling-faqs.html

It covers the who to hire, how they charge, etc. I've been asked questions like these since I began as a designer five years ago, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to put them all in one place.