Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable Bathroom Remodeling Across Kensington
Bathroom remodeling in Kensington typically runs $9,000 – $28,000 for a full renovation, with small bathroom remodels landing between $5,000 and $12,000. We schedule a written, line-item price before any work starts, so you know exactly what the project costs before we open a single wall. Mason Remodeling has served Kensington homeowners since 2004 as part of the Threshold Group family, and our crews know the pre-war framing, galvanized supply lines, and vent stack conflicts hiding behind original tile in this town’s older homes. Call (803) 680-2547 to schedule a free estimate. Isaac Pruett leads our Kensington Bathroom Remodeling team, and he’ll be the one walking your project start to finish.
Why Mason Remodeling Is Kensington’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
Kensington homeowners pick us because we put the price in writing before any demolition, verify every crew member by name and photo before they reach your door, and back the finished work with our 365-Day Done Right Promise. That matters in a town where many homes were built before 1940, and a standard bid often misses what’s actually behind the tile. We budget for exploratory demo on nearly every Kensington bathroom before locking final pricing. Our Bathroom Remodeling team follows a named process we call The Threshold Standard: background-checked, identity-verified technicians who arrive in clean marked uniforms, show a photo ID badge at the door, and are introduced to you by name and photo before the visit.
Response time to Kensington is handled by crews based in the San Francisco Bay Area office, so scheduling is local and direct. We’re not a national call center. A live person answers our phone around the clock, every day of the year, including weekends and holidays. If a repair or installation fails, a second visit is free, no dispute process, no conditions. The written guarantee on every project states its terms plainly: coverage, exclusions, and duration, 365 days from completion date.
Styles & brands we work with
Bathroom Renovation in Kensington
Bathroom Renovation in Kensington means more than swapping a vanity and calling it done. Homes off Arlington Avenue, along the Kensington stretch of Colusa Avenue, and in the streets east of the Arlington shopping district still carry original 1930s and 1940s framing. A real renovation here involves pulling the old tile and subfloor, checking supply lines and the vent stack, then rebuilding wet areas with current code in mind. Kensington homeowners ask for this when a full bath has reached the end of its useful life: cracked grout, a tub that won’t hold finish, storage that doesn’t work. Expect $9,000 – $28,000 depending on square footage, fixture grade, and what the walls reveal.
Full-Gut Scope in Kensington’s Older Baths
We remove everything to studs. That lets us see joist condition under the tub, existing drain placement, and whether the vent stack runs where the new shower valve needs to go. In Kensington’s pre-war homes, this is the point where we either confirm the original rough-in still works or write a change order with a specific number. Our contract includes allowances for specification-grade cabinetry from KraftMaid and fixtures from Moen, so the price you approve is the price that covers the actual materials going into your home.
Wet-Area Rebuild and Waterproofing
Kensington’s fog-heavy microclimate means bathroom ventilation and waterproofing are not cosmetic choices. We rebuild shower pans with proper slope, install cement board or foam board systems behind tile, and use a Schluter strip, the metal trim that seals the edge where tile meets flooring, so water doesn’t wick into subfloor. This is the difference between a remodel that lasts and one that fails in five years.
Small Bathroom Remodel in Kensington
A Small Bathroom Remodel in Kensington typically costs $5,000 – $12,000, and the range reflects something specific to this town: what’s behind the wall. Many small baths in Kensington’s older homes were added later, sometimes without permits, and the framing underneath doesn’t match what’s drawn on any plan. That’s why we don’t price a small bath from a catalog square. We open the wall during the estimate walkthrough when possible, or we include a discovery allowance in the line items so you’re not hit with a surprise invoice midway.
Vanity, Toilet, and Fixture Replacements
For small baths where the existing footprint works, we replace the vanity, toilet, lighting, and exhaust fan while keeping the tub or shower where it is. This is the fastest path in Kensington: less demolition, fewer permit triggers, and a clean result in a tighter calendar. Vanity installation alone lands between $800 and $3,000 depending on size and whether we’re cutting into original plaster.
Tub-to-Shower Conversions in Tight Footprints
Kensington small baths often have a tub shoehorned into a space that never fit it well. Converting to a walk-in shower frees up floor area and brings the room up to modern use. We see galvanized supply lines and vent stack conflicts behind original tile on these projects frequently, so our tub-to-shower conversion pricing of $3,500 – $10,000 includes the rough-in work this housing stock demands, not just the glass and tile.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kensington
We keep common replacement parts and trim kits in local inventory for Kensington customers, which shortens lead times on fixtures and hardware. We work directly with specification-grade partners including Kohler and Moen for faucets and shower systems, Cambria and Silestone for solid surface tops, and KraftMaid for cabinetry. On larger whole-home work, we’ve also coordinated with ADU and prefab partners like Abodu and Dvele for homeowners considering a detached unit. The point is this: you’re not limited to big-box stock when you remodel with us, and you’re not paying a design firm markup to access professional-grade product lines.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterCommon Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Kensington Homes
- Galvanized supply lines behind original tile. Kensington’s pre-war homes often still run galvanized pipe. It corrodes from the inside, restricts flow, and fails without warning when we pull fixtures. We test lines during the walkthrough and flag replacement before the bid is final.
- Vent stack conflicts with non-standard framing. The 1930s bungalows off Arlington Avenue and around the Kensington hills have framing that doesn’t match modern rough-in layouts. A new shower valve or relocated toilet often needs the vent stack rerouted, which is a change order with a fixed number, not an open-ended surprise.
- Unpermitted later additions. Kensington has a fair share of bathrooms added after the original build, and many were never signed off. When we open those walls, we’re not just remodeling; we’re correcting work that a previous owner skipped. That means the permit we pull covers bringing it legal.
- Subfloor rot under original tile. Fog, coastal moisture, and 80-year-old grout mean the plywood under many Kensington bathroom floors has been wet for decades. We budget for subfloor repair in our small bath and full renovation ranges so the tile bed doesn’t fail.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Kensington, CA
The honest range for a full bathroom remodel in Kensington is $9,000 – $28,000. What moves the number: square footage, whether you’re keeping the existing footprint or moving plumbing, fixture and finish grade, and what demo reveals. A small bath runs $5,000 – $12,000. Walk-in shower installation lands between $4,500 and $12,000. Vanity replacement starts around $800.
| Service | Kensington Price Range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,000 – $12,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation | $4,500 – $12,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800 – $3,000 |
We never hand you a verbal estimate that grows on the final bill. The written price we deliver before any work starts includes the scope, the materials, and the allowances for the discovery work Kensington’s housing stock requires. Call (803) 680-2547 to schedule a free estimate. A live person answers, not a voicemail loop.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kensington
Our crews regularly work in Kensington and the surrounding Bay Area communities. For homeowners searching beyond this immediate area, we also serve Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. Scheduling is coordinated from our San Francisco Bay Area office, so Kensington homeowners get local dispatch without the corporate runaround.
Serving Kensington, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kensington 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 Kensington
Yes, in most cases. If you’re moving plumbing, altering the vent stack, replacing the shower valve, or changing the room’s footprint, Kensington requires a building permit and a final inspection sign-off. We pull permits and pass inspections on every project where they apply. Skipping the permit to save time means the next owner inherits unpermitted work and the bathroom must be opened back up to make it legal. Call (803) 680-2547 and we’ll tell you exactly what your project triggers before you sign anything.
Because some bids are priced for a catalog average and others are priced for what’s actually behind Kensington’s original tile. A contractor who hasn’t worked this housing stock may not budget for galvanized supply lines, vent stack conflicts, or subfloor rot. Our bids include discovery allowances for exactly those problems, so the number you approve is the number that covers the real work. That’s why two bids for the same bathroom can differ by thousands of dollars.
A small bathroom remodel in Kensington typically costs $5,000 – $12,000. The range covers vanity replacement, fixture swaps, tile, and the subfloor or rough-in repairs that pre-war homes often need once walls are open. Vanity-only work starts around $800 – $3,000. Call (803) 680-2547 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
A small bathroom remodel in Kensington typically runs two to three weeks. A full gut renovation runs three to six weeks depending on permit review, fixture lead times, and what demolition uncovers. We give you a calendar in the written scope before work begins, and we update it if a change order adds work. We don’t promise same-day or rush construction; this is planned remodeling, and we schedule it properly.
We write a change order with a specific dollar amount and show it to you before doing anything extra. On a 1930s bungalow off Arlington Avenue in Kensington, a homeowner asked us to remodel a small hall bath. When we pulled the original tile and subfloor, we found galvanized supply lines and a vent stack crowded against non-standard framing that the rough-in needed to reroute. We wrote that change order, got approval, rerouted the stack and supply lines, and still delivered the full bathroom renovation with allowances for KraftMaid cabinetry and Moen fixtures. That’s how discovery works on every Kensington job. Call (803) 680-2547 to schedule a free estimate and get your project scoped correctly before demo day.
Written by Isaac Pruett, Owner at Mason Remodeling, serving Kensington since 2004.
