Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable Bathroom Remodeling Across Silver Lake
A bathroom remodel in Silver Lake typically runs $9,000-$28,000, and on hillside parcels it almost always requires navigating LA’s Hillside Ordinance before a single wall moves. Barrett & Sons Construction has been remodeling bathrooms here since 1998, and we know what the city plan-check pathway looks like when your lot slopes past 15%. Most Silver Lake homes sit on that kind of terrain. Call (877) 610-1318 and Tom Barrett will walk you through what your specific hillside lot means for your remodel, before you spend a dollar on tile.
The houses around Silver Lake Reservoir, up Micheltorena Street, and through the stair streets off Redcliff and Westerly were built anywhere from 1910 to the 1960s. They’re Craftsman bungalows with raised foundations, Spanish Colonial Revival courtyards, and a dense pocket of mid-century modernist flat-roofs that Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler’s contemporaries put on the map. Each type of construction brings its own set of plumbing, drainage, and waterproofing variables into a bathroom remodel. That’s why we scope every job in writing before we knock down a stud.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Silver Lake’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
Barrett & Sons is not a franchise. Tom Barrett started the company in 1998, and his sons run the crews that work in Silver Lake. When you call (877) 610-1318, a live person answers. Not an out-of-state call center. Not a voicemail that takes three days to return. We publish Tom’s name, address, and license number because he wants you to look them up before you sign anything.
We’ve watched Silver Lake change over the last two and a half decades. We’ve remodeled bathrooms in 90026 for homeowners who paid a national outfit a deposit and got a different bill at the door when the crew showed up. That doesn’t happen with us. Every scope, every allowance, every price change arrives as a written change order before work happens. An allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. That’s Tom’s line, and he means it.
Silver Lake homeowners tend to ask harder questions than most. They have to. The hillside lots, the historic districts, the constant pressure of stormwater moving downhill toward Sunset Boulevard. We respect that. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, that’s why I like him. Tom says it on almost every job. It’s the clearest way to explain why we pull permits on every eligible remodel and why we don’t treat inspections as an inconvenience.
Our Bathroom Remodeling crews are background-checked and uniformed on every visit. The same names show up day after day. If something’s not right after the job, one call brings Tom back. The 90-Day Done Right Promise is written on every contract, not buried in fine print.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Services in Silver Lake
Full Bathroom Remodeling
A full bathroom remodel in Silver Lake means going down to the studs, moving plumbing where the hillside allows, and rebuilding with materials that can handle the neighborhood’s unique microclimate. Wind-driven rain from the Santa Anas pushes moisture into walls that flat-street neighborhoods never deal with. We plan for that. Every full remodel starts with a written scope and an honest conversation about what your foundation and slope allow.

Walk-In Showers & Shower Remodeling
Walk-in showers dominate Silver Lake bathroom remodels because the neighborhood’s aging bungalows and mid-century flats rarely have the square footage for a big soaker tub. We build curbless showers with proper slope-to-drain, using Schluter waterproofing membranes at every wet wall. If your home is a 1950s post-and-beam on a hillside, we check the flat-roof parapet above the shower before we touch tile. That’s where wind-driven moisture gets in.

Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Converting a tub to a walk-in shower is the single most popular job we do in Silver Lake. Older homeowners want the low threshold; younger homeowners want the clean lines. The challenge on hillside lots is the original cast-iron drain plumbing, often run through concrete-block or cripple-wall foundations that predate modern seismic code. We reroute drains with a licensed civil engineer’s drainage plan when the slope triggers the Hillside Ordinance. That keeps the city from slapping a stop-work correction on the job.

Vanities, Tile & Fixtures
Silver Lake homes blend original architectural character with modern fixtures. We install vanities that fit the room’s scale, tile that holds up to decades of use, and fixtures from Grohe and Sterling because they’re brands you can look up. If you have original 1920s tile worth preserving, we’ll do selective demolition and rebuild around it. If the tile’s shot, we’ll replace it with something that respects the house’s vintage.

What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Silver Lake
We stock and install brands our customers recognize. On bathroom jobs in Silver Lake, that means Schluter waterproofing systems, Grohe fixtures, and Sterling tub and shower units. We carry these because they hold up to the neighborhood’s humidity swings and because you can verify the brand with a quick search. Being in the hills above the reservoir means moisture moves differently through these old houses. Installing products from brands like GAF and Schluter gives us confidence the waterproofing will hold through a Santa Ana season. We keep common parts and finish materials staged for Silver Lake jobs because the drive up to Micheltorena or Redcliff isn’t one we want to make twice for a missing drain flange.
Common Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Silver Lake Homes
- Stop-work corrections from LA’s Hillside Ordinance. A contractor pulls a standard bathroom remodel permit on a hillside lot without a grading plan. The city issues a stop-work correction because the slope exceeds 15%. The project stalls for 4 to 6 weeks while the paperwork catches up. We pull the grading plan and verify the plan-check pathway before any crew arrives.
- Water intrusion at the flat-roof parapet above the bathroom. This is distinct to Silver Lake’s mid-century modern flat-roof houses. During Santa Ana-driven rain, wind pushes moisture under the parapet flashing and it drips down into the shower ceiling below. If the parapet isn’t rebuilt before the remodel closes, the new tile will blister in a year. We look at what sits above every bathroom we open up.
- Non-bolted or cripple-wall foundations under load-bearing walls. Many Silver Lake hillside homes still have original foundations that predate modern seismic code. When a load-bearing bathroom wall gets modified without addressing that foundation, lateral movement cracks the new tile and voids the warranty. We assess the foundation before any load-bearing work is scoped.
- Original single-wythe masonry walls complicating plumbing reroutes. The 1920s and 1930s Spanish Colonial and Craftsman stock in Silver Lake often has masonry walls that are one brick or block thick. Moving a toilet or shower drain through those walls takes structural care and a drainage plan that accounts for the hillside. We bring in a licensed civil engineer when the slope demands it.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Silver Lake, CA
Bathroom remodel pricing in Silver Lake spans $9,000 to $28,000 for a full job. Small bathroom remodels run $5,000 to $12,000. Walk-in shower installation costs $4,500 to $12,000. A tub-to-shower conversion typically falls between $3,500 and $10,000, and bathroom vanity installation runs $800 to $3,000. Here’s the line-item breakdown:
| Service | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000-$28,000 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,000-$12,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500-$12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500-$10,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800-$3,000 |
Hillside lots push costs toward the upper end. A grading plan from a licensed civil engineer, drainage reroutes, and deepened-pier foundation work add real line items. So does any HPOZ review if your home falls within a historic preservation overlay zone. We write all of that into the estimate before work starts, so there are no surprise invoices. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free, written, line-item estimate on your Silver Lake bathroom. You’ll also get our Free Second Opinion on Any Written Estimate if you’ve already got a bid from another company.
We Also Serve Cities Near Silver Lake
Barrett & Sons Construction serves Silver Lake and surrounding neighborhoods including Echo Park, Koreatown, Los Angeles, and Hollywood. If your home sits on the edge of 90026 or in a neighboring zip code, we’re still close enough to meet you on-site and put together a real estimate, not a phone-guess. Projects are coordinated from our Los Angeles office, and our crews serve Silver Lake locally.
Serving Silver Lake, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Silver Lake area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Bathroom Remodeling in Silver Lake
Yes, in many Silver Lake homes, you do. If your lot slopes past 15%, LA’s Hillside Ordinance triggers a separate plan-check pathway even when you’re not adding square footage. If the remodel moves any plumbing or adds a window that changes drainage, the city can require a grading plan and a drainage study before approving the permit. We check the slope on every Silver Lake job before we file anything. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll tell you if your specific parcel hits that threshold before you spend money on plans.
Because flat-roof homes in Silver Lake collect wind-driven rain at the parapet, and if that parapet sits above the bathroom you’re remodeling, it has to be addressed before the new ceiling and tile can close. That means flashing repair, possibly a parapet rebuild, and coordination with the bathroom’s waterproofing membrane. Original single-wythe masonry and post-and-beam framing also make plumbing reroutes more labor-intensive than in a standard stud-framed flat lot home. These aren’t surprises we spring on you; they’re written into the estimate before we pull the first permit. For an exact number on your flat-roof home, call (877) 610-1318 and ask for a free estimate.
Yes, it can. We’ve done tub-to-shower conversions on 1960s post-and-beam hillside homes near the Silver Lake Reservoir where the original walls were single-wythe concrete block. The key is planning the shower drain reroute through the foundation area with a licensed civil engineer’s drainage plan and using a proper waterproofing membrane like Schluter at the wet wall. The block stays; the plumbing and waterproofing get rebuilt to current code. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free quote on your specific bathroom.
Moving a toilet or shower drain on a Silver Lake hillside lot almost always costs more than on a flat lot because the drain lines run through deeper pier or concrete-block foundation areas, and rerouting them requires engineering, possibly a grading plan, and more labor hours to access the subfloor. You’re looking at the difference between a $9,000 bathroom remodel and a $16,000 one, depending on the lot and the plumbing stack location. We scope that in writing before the estimate so you know what you’re paying and why. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll come look at the crawlspace or foundation first.
You might. Silver Lake holds one of the densest concentrations of 1920s-1950s California modernist architecture in the country, and some homes fall within Historic Preservation Overlay Zones. If your home is a contributing structure, even interior work can trigger HPOZ review when it affects character-defining features like original tile, windows, or wall placement. Our Silver Lake bathroom remodels start with a check of the property’s historic status because a stop-work correction is the last thing anyone wants mid-demolition. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll verify whether your home sits in an HPOZ before we build the scope.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Silver Lake since the company’s founding in 1998. Proudly serving local communities for over 29 years, owner-operated from day one. Call (877) 610-1318 for your free bathroom remodeling estimate in Silver Lake. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself.







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