Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterFast, Reliable Bathroom Remodeling Across Laguna Hills
Bathroom remodeling in Laguna Hills typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 for a full job, with walk-in shower installs starting around $4,500 and tub-to-shower conversions around $3,500. Older hillside tract homes here were built on cut-and-fill pads, and opening up a 1970s bathroom nearly always turns up something the original builder left behind: a cracked shower pan, an undersized header, or framing that was never strapped for earthquakes. That’s why we price the surprises before they happen, with allowances in writing and every change order signed before we touch anything. We’re Barrett & Sons Construction, and if you’re planning a remodel anywhere in the 92653 or 92654 ZIP, call Tom Barrett’s team at (877) 610-1318. We’ve been doing this since 1998, and the owner still answers his own phone.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Laguna Hills’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
Laguna Hills homeowners tend to ask the same two questions before they sign anything: who is actually going to show up, and will the price change once the walls are open? We answer both the same way every time. Tom Barrett and his sons run the crews. You will not get a franchise dispatcher sending strangers in a wrapped van. You’ll get the same family that put our name on the truck, the contract, and the permit.
We have spent nearly three decades working Orange County’s hillside tracts, and we know what a Laguna Hills remodel turns up. The original grading here left downslope fill sides that were often under-compacted. That settlement cracks shower pans, tilts subfloors, and shifts rough-in locations. A contractor who quotes a bathroom remodel without factoring that in is quoting a number that will not survive the first inspection. Our quotes include allowances for exactly that. If the floor needs re-leveling, the allowance covers it. If it doesn’t, you keep the money. That’s how Bathroom Remodeling should work.
Every job we finish in Laguna Hills is backed by the 90-Day Done Right Promise, written on the contract, not buried in fine print. If something’s not right, Tom comes back. One call. And every eligible job gets permits pulled and inspections signed, because the permit inspector works for you, not for me, and I like it that way.
Our Bathroom Remodeling Services in Laguna Hills
Full Bathroom Remodeling
A full bathroom remodel in Laguna Hills usually means gutting a 5-by-8 or 6-by-9 bath in a 1970s two-story tract home and rebuilding it to modern Orange County code. That includes waterproofing, new subfloor, new fixtures, and a rough-in that passes the City of Laguna Hills Community Development inspection. We’ve done enough of these to know the permit will flag undersized headers and unstrapped cripple walls before we can close anything up. We plan for it. Our full remodels start at $9,000 and run up to $28,000 depending on the size, fixtures, and what the walls reveal.
Walk-In Showers & Shower Remodeling
Walk-in shower installation is one of the most requested jobs in Laguna Hills, especially for homeowners who want to age in place without a tub curb to step over. We install curbless or low-curb showers with proper slope, bonded mortar beds, and frameless glass enclosures. On homes near the El Toro Road corridor, we always check the slab for settlement before we set the pan, because a tilting floor will crack a new shower pan within a year if nobody fixes it first. Walk-in shower installation runs $4,500 to $12,000.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Converting a tub to a shower in Laguna Hills is a practical upgrade for the original 1970s bathrooms that came with a single tub-shower combo. The job usually takes three to five days once the permit is in hand. The catch is what’s behind the tub surround: many of these homes have original drywall that was never waterproofed, plus framing that may not be strapped. We open the wall, inspect it, and write any necessary framing upgrade as a change order before we proceed. Tub-to-shower conversion runs $3,500 to $10,000.
Vanities, Tile & Fixtures
Whether you’re replacing a single vanity or re-tiling the entire bathroom, we install materials you can actually look up. For vanities, we work with KraftMaid. For solid surfaces, Cambria. For tile, we’ll spec the right underlayment and waterproofing for a hillside slab that moves with the seasons. A standard vanity installation runs $800 to $3,000, and tile work gets priced by square footage after we inspect the subfloor. In Laguna Hills, that inspection matters more than in flatter cities, and we will not skip it.
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 Laguna Hills
We stock and install materials from brands our customers can verify, not mystery products off a van. On bathroom jobs across Laguna Hills, we regularly work with Kohler fixtures, KraftMaid vanities, and Cambria solid surfaces. On the hardscape side, we carry Techo-Bloc and Belgard. The point is simple: you should know exactly what you’re paying for, and you should be able to look it up before you sign. If you have a specific brand in mind, tell us when you call, and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s the right fit for a hillside slab in the 92653 ZIP or the 92654 ZIP.
Common Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Laguna Hills Homes
- Settlement cracks in original shower pans. Homes on cut-and-fill pads along Paseo de Valencia and El Toro Road shift more than the original builders expected. We frequently find shower pans cracked along the downslope edge, which means water has been leaking into the subfloor for years before anyone noticed.
- Unstrapped cripple walls and undersized headers. 1970s framing predates modern Orange County seismic code. A permit inspection will catch this, and we’ll need to sister studs or add strapping before we can pass rough-in and close the wall.
- Failed waterproofing behind original tub surrounds. Many original tub-shower combos were installed over plain drywall. By now, that drywall is often swollen, mold-stained, or crumbling. We strip it to the studs and rebuild with proper board and membrane.
- Expansive clay movement under the slab. Laguna Hills sits on clay soils that swell in wet winters and shrink in dry summers. That seasonal movement telegraphs through tile and grout joints unless the floor is properly floated or leveled first.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Laguna Hills, CA
Here’s what a bathroom remodel in Laguna Hills actually costs, line by line. These are the numbers we quote before we open a single wall, and they hold unless the inspection finds something the original builder left behind, in which case you’ll see it in writing before anything changes.
| Service | Typical Price Range in Laguna Hills |
|---|---|
| Full Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 - $28,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500 - $12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500 - $10,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800 - $3,000 |
What moves the number is usually what’s behind the tile: framing repairs, re-leveling a settled floor, and the code upgrades a permit triggers once walls are open. We write allowances into the contract for exactly those unknowns. If the allowance isn’t used, it comes off the final bill. If the allowance isn’t enough, you’ll get a written change order before we do anything else. An allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll give you a free, no-obligation estimate in writing, with scope in writing, allowances in writing, and change orders in writing.
We Also Serve Cities Near Laguna Hills
Our Laguna Hills crews regularly work in Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, and Coto De Caza. If you’re just outside the city line, call us and we’ll tell you straight whether we can get to your job this week. Same crews, same written pricing, same 90-Day Done Right Promise.
Serving Laguna Hills, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Laguna Hills 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 Laguna Hills
A permit on a 1970s Laguna Hills bathroom will most often trigger seismic strapping for cripple walls, correction of any undersized headers above the tub or shower opening, and GFCI-protected circuits that meet current Orange County building code. It may also require upgrading the exhaust fan to meet current ventilation standards. We budget for these items as allowances in the original contract, so they don’t become surprise charges at the end. The inspector works for you, not for me, and I’d rather fail an inspection for something we caught early than pass one for something we hid. Call (877) 610-1318 to walk through your specific home and what its permit will likely trigger.
Yes, you can get a level tile floor, but the subfloor has to be corrected first. The drop is differential settlement, common on the downslope fill side of Laguna Hills homes where the original 1970s grading was never fully compacted. We’ll measure the drop, then write a line item for self-leveling underlayment or a bonded mortar bed before any tile goes down. Skipping that step means your new tile will telegraph cracks within a year. On one two-story tract home in the 92653 ZIP near El Toro Road, our pre-construction inspection found the post-tension slab had tilted 3/4 inch toward the rear yard. We re-leveled the floor, re-roughed the drain, and the frameless glass shower we installed is still dead level. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact estimate on your floor.
A typical draw schedule for a full bathroom remodel in Laguna Hills is 30% at contract signing, 30% after demolition and rough-in pass inspection, 30% after tile and fixtures are installed, and the remaining 10% after final inspection and walkthrough. Allowances are reconciled at the end, before the final draw. If we didn’t use the full re-leveling allowance because your floor was sound, that money comes off the final bill. If we found something and used a change order, you’ll have signed it before the work happened. No surprises at the end. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll put the full draw schedule in writing before you commit.
Yes, you still need a permit in Laguna Hills even if you’re keeping the drain in the same spot. The City of Laguna Hills requires a permit for any plumbing fixture change, and the inspector will check waterproofing, valve depth, and framing. We have had homeowners ask us to skip it, and we won’t. The permit is what protects you when the work is done, and the inspector’s sign-off is your proof that the waterproofing is actually behind those tiles. Our tub-to-shower conversions run $3,500 to $10,000, permit included. Call (877) 610-1318 for a written quote.
If we find load-bearing framing damage behind the tub surround, we stop, take photos, and write you a change order with the exact scope and price to fix it before we do anything else. This is common in 1970s Laguna Hills homes where a leaking tub surround has been rotting a header or a bottom plate for decades. We sister the damaged studs, replace the header if needed, and get the rough-in inspection signed before we close the wall. You’ll approve the number in writing first. No surprise invoices. That’s the whole point of doing it this way. Call (877) 610-1318 with any other questions about your specific bathroom, and we’ll give you a straight answer.
If you’re ready to stop guessing what your Laguna Hills bathroom remodel will actually cost, call Barrett & Sons Construction at (877) 610-1318. We’ll schedule a free estimate, walk the job with you, and put the numbers in writing. Scope in writing, allowances in writing, change orders in writing. Tom Barrett answers his own phone, and his sons run the crews. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Laguna Hills since 1998.