Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable Bathroom Remodeling Across Berkeley
A full bathroom remodel in Berkeley typically runs $9,000 – $28,000, with small baths starting around $5,000 and walk-in shower installations landing between $4,500 and $12,000. Permits, rough-in corrections on older homes, and finish selections drive most of the spread. Call (803) 680-2547 for a written price before any work begins.
We’ve remodeled bathrooms from the Berkeley Hills down to the flats, and we know what lurks behind the plaster in pre-1950 homes. This page walks you through the real order of operations: demolition, rough-in, inspection sign-off, tile, punch list. We’ll tell you which parts of an older Berkeley home are most likely to change the price once the walls open.
Why Mason Remodeling Is Berkeley’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
Berkeley homeowners call us because we put the price in writing before a single tool is unpacked. You’ll know exactly what the Kohler valve costs, what the Wellborn vanity costs, and what the tile labor costs. No verbal estimate that grows on the final bill. Isaac Pruett leads our team, and every crew member who steps through your door arrives background-checked, identity-verified, and in a clean marked uniform, with a photo ID badge. We send the technician’s name and photo before the visit, so you know who is coming.
Founded in 2004 as part of the Threshold Group family, we’re not a lead-generation service that sells your job to the lowest bidder. We’re the builder who answers the phone, shows up, and handles the complications without drama. A live person answers every call, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including weekends and holidays. No call trees, no voicemail loops, no waiting until Monday.
Styles & brands we work with
Tub to Shower Conversion in Berkeley
A tub to shower conversion in Berkeley is one of the most common projects we do, especially in 1940s and 1950s bungalows where the original cast-iron tub is chipped, stained, or just too deep to step into safely anymore. The job means removing the tub, opening the wall to re-route the drain and vent, bringing the rough-in up to current code, and installing a new walk-in shower with a properly sloped pan and waterproofing. In Berkeley, a tub to shower conversion typically runs $3,500 – $10,000. The spread depends on what we find behind the wall: galvanized supply lines and knob-and-tube wiring both change the scope.
Rough-In and Permits
When we open the wall on an older Berkeley home, the drain and vent are almost never where the new shower needs them. We re-rough in ABS, pull the permit, and schedule the inspection sign-off before any tile goes back. Skipping that permit is a common failure mode we see from other bids, and it leaves the homeowner holding an unpermitted drain when they go to sell.
Shower Pan and Waterproofing
We build the new shower pan with a bonded waterproofing membrane, not a vinyl liner that folds and fails at the corners. Then we install the valve, the Schluter strip (the metal trim that seals the edge where tile meets flooring), and the glass. If you want a frameless glass enclosure, that’s a separate line item we price in the written estimate, not a surprise at the end.
One Day Bath Remodel in Berkeley
A one day bath remodel in Berkeley is a real option when the existing tub footprint works and the subfloor is sound. What it is not: a full gut remodel compressed into eight hours. What it is: installing an engineered tub or shower surround over a prepped, stable base, with a new valve, trim, and sealant, all in a single day. In Berkeley, a one day bath remodel typically falls in the $5,000 – $12,000 range for a small bathroom, depending on whether you’re keeping the existing footprint or making plumbing changes.
Pre-Site Inspection
Before we book a one day bath remodel, we do a subfloor probe. That means we check for dry rot, out-of-level framing, and any movement under the tub. On older Berkeley homes, this step is non-negotiable. A bid that skips it is a bid that will hit a change order after the tile is ordered.
Materials and Finish
Even a one day bath gets specification-grade materials. You’ll choose from Cambria or Silestone slabs, Kohler or Moen fixtures, and Wellborn vanities from our allowances sheet. The allowances are written at realistic levels, so you don’t get forced into a mid-job change order because the allowance was too low for the slab you actually wanted.
Trusted Brands We Service in Berkeley
We stock common parts for Berkeley customers, so a leaking Kohler cartridge or a Moen trim kit doesn’t leave you waiting two weeks for a shipment from the East Coast. We’re spec-grade partners with KraftMaid and Wellborn for cabinetry, Cambria, Silestone, and Caesarstone for surfaces, and Kohler, Moen, Toto, and Grohe for fixtures. That matters when you’re trying to match a 1950s tile pattern or coordinate a new vanity with a period-correct bath. We know Berkeley homes, and we know which brands hold up to the fog, salt air off the Bay, and hard water that comes out of East Bay Municipal Utility District taps.
See the difference
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After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Berkeley Homes
- Knob-and-tube wiring hidden in plaster walls. Pre-1950 Berkeley homes often have original knob-and-tube feeding the vanity wall. It’s not a code catastrophe, but it must be addressed before a new GFCI circuit goes in. We identify it during demolition and bring it up to code as part of the rough-in.
- Galvanized supply lines that have rusted from the inside out. Water pressure in Berkeley showers suffers when 70-year-old galvanized pipes have narrowed to a pencil lead. Re-piping the supply to the bath is a common add-on we quote in the written estimate, not after the wall is open.
- Dry rot and out-of-level framing under the subfloor. Berkeley sits on a marine layer that keeps things damp. Older homes near Codornices Creek or along the flatlands often show subfloor rot once the tub comes out. We probe before we quote, not after the tile is ordered.
- Tile over failed waterproofing. We see showers where tile was set directly on green board in a 1980s flip. Water penetrates, the studs rot, and the homeowner gets a musty smell that won’t go away. Proper waterproofing is not optional, and it’s built into every quote we write.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Berkeley, CA
Berkeley pricing reflects the age of the housing stock and the cost of doing permitted work in Alameda County. A full bath remodel runs $9,000 – $28,000. A small bath remodel is $5,000 – $12,000. A tub-to-shower conversion lands between $3,500 and $10,000, a walk-in shower installation between $4,500 and $12,000, and a bathroom vanity installation between $800 and $3,000. The biggest cost drivers are what we find behind the walls, the finish level you choose, and whether you’re moving plumbing or keeping the footprint.
| Service | Berkeley Price Range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,000 – $12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500 – $10,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500 – $12,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800 – $3,000 |
Every quote is written, line-item, and delivered before work starts. That’s the Threshold Standard, and it’s never waived. Call (803) 680-2547 to schedule a free estimate. Isaac Pruett and our team will walk you through exactly what’s included.
We Also Serve Cities Near Berkeley
Our Bathroom Remodeling crews serve Berkeley and the surrounding East Bay, including Emeryville, Albany, El Cerrito, and Piedmont. If you’re in one of those cities, you get the same written pricing, the same spec-grade materials, and the same verified crew standard. We schedule from our San Francisco Bay Area office, and Berkeley is a core part of our service area. Learn more about our Bathroom Remodeling in Berkeley coverage and what we see in homes across the city.
Serving Berkeley, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Berkeley 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 About Bathroom Remodeling in Berkeley
Any project that moves a drain, vent, or supply line, or changes the electrical in a bathroom, requires a permit from the City of Berkeley’s Building and Safety Division. A tub-to-shower conversion almost always needs one because the drain moves. A full bath remodel always does. We pull the permits, schedule the inspection, and get the green tag sign-off before the job closes. Call (803) 680-2547 and we’ll tell you during the estimate whether your specific scope requires one.
Rough-in corrections on older homes are the biggest price driver in Berkeley. Knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized supply lines, and subfloor rot all add to the labor and material cost once the walls are open. Finish level is the second driver: a Cambria slab and a Kohler valve cost more than builder-grade, and we write allowances at realistic levels so you know the real number upfront. Call (803) 680-2547 for a written quote specific to your home.
A full bathroom remodel in Berkeley takes 3 to 6 weeks from demolition to final inspection sign-off, depending on scope and what we find behind the walls. A tub-to-shower conversion is usually 1 to 2 weeks. A one day bath remodel on a stable subfloor is a single day. We write the calendar into the contract, and we don’t disappear mid-job. Call (803) 680-2547 to schedule a walkthrough and get a realistic timeline.
Yes, if the subfloor is sound and the existing tub footprint works. We probe the subfloor before we book a one day bath remodel, because dry rot and out-of-level framing change what’s possible in a single day. If the probe shows problems, we tell you before we order tile, not after. Call (803) 680-2547 and we’ll schedule the probe.
Your written estimate should itemize every line: demolition, rough-in, permit fees, waterproofing, tile labor, fixtures, vanity, countertop slab, and finish trim. It should state the allowances in real dollar figures, not vague ranges. And it should state what happens if we find knob-and-tube wiring or a rotten subfloor once the walls open. Our written price does all of that, and it’s delivered before any work begins. Call (803) 680-2547 for your free estimate.
Written by Isaac Pruett, Owner at Mason Remodeling, serving Berkeley since 2004.
