How to read this guide
No dollar figures appear here. The price of a bathroom remodel in Killeen depends on your room, the products you choose and what the crew finds once the old finishes come off. What this guide does instead is name the decisions that push a bid up or down, explain the order of the work, and list the questions that keep bids comparable.
What pushes the price up or down
- Fixture locations. Keeping the toilet, tub and drains in their current spots is the largest cost control you have. Relocating a drain means opening the floor.
- Tub-to-shower conversions. Taking out a tub for a walk-in shower brings a new pan or sloped floor, new waterproofing and often a new drain.
- Tile coverage. Tile only in the shower, with painted walls elsewhere, costs less than tile to the ceiling. Small mosaic tile takes more labor than large-format tile.
- The shower enclosure. A curtain or framed door costs less than frameless glass.
- Cabinetry and tops. Stock vanities cost less than custom; stone tops vary with the material, edge and cutouts.
- Wiring. A new fan circuit, heated floor, extra outlets or new lighting adds electrical work.
- Ventilation. Running a new duct to a roof or wall cap, or upgrading the fan, may add labor and patching.
Ventilation and Fort Hood/Gray AAF's numbers
NOAA's engineering weather data for Fort Hood/Gray AAF, about 6 miles from Killeen, counts about 1,309 hours a year with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 3,373 hours above 67°F. Those are the numbers to keep in mind when the fan line on your bid looks like an afterthought. On any bathroom job, make sure the bid names the fan model, where it vents, the duct route and the control (timer or humidity switch). A fan that vents into the attic or is too small for the room doesn't count as ventilation.
Supply lines on outside walls
The same NOAA data for Fort Hood/Gray AAF, about 6 miles west of Killeen, lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 4.0 inches per hour and about 16 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year. For a bathroom, the freeze-thaw count is the one to discuss: if a supply line runs in an exterior wall, ask whether it can be moved to an interior wall or insulated while the wall is open, and where the shutoff valves will be. If a new fan or vent cap goes through the roof or an outside wall, ask how it will be flashed and sealed.
Water service and fixtures
Killeen's water is treated surface water that the city buys, drawn from Belton Lake and Stillhouse Hollow Lake in Bell County and delivered through Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 lines. If you're thinking about a softener or filter, test at your tap first and ask the plumber whether the unit needs a drain or a plumbed loop. Either way, choose faucets and valves with standard replaceable cartridges so a worn part is a swap rather than a new fixture.
When demolition finds water damage
Rotted subfloor under an old toilet, a leaking shower valve or soft framing behind a tub surround turns up often once walls and floors are open. Before you sign, ask how the contractor documents hidden damage (photos, written notes), how repairs will be priced and who approves the change order.
If the damage looks like it came from a sudden leak, call your insurer before the area is closed up, and ask the contractor to hold off on covering it until the adjuster has seen it. The Texas Department of Insurance says that for a disputed home or renters insurance claim you can ask for an appraisal or hire a public adjuster, and it takes complaints online or through its Help Line at 800-252-3439, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday.
The work in order
1. Choices first. Fixtures, tile, vanity, glass, lighting and the fan are selected before demolition. Late selections cause most delays. 2. Permits. Ask which permits apply to your scope and who pulls them. Texas has no state general contractor license; for trades Texas licenses, such as air conditioning and electrical, look the contractor up on TDLR's license search, and for other trades ask for the city permit. 3. Tear-out. Old finishes come out, and the crew records anything it finds. 4. Rough-in. Plumbing, wiring and ductwork are moved or added. Inspections may happen at this stage. 5. Waterproofing. The membrane goes on and the pan is flood-tested. 6. Tile and surfaces. Backer, tile, grout, vanity and paint. 7. Fixtures and fan. Faucets, toilet, shower trim, glass and the exhaust fan go in. The fan is tested at the outdoor cap. 8. Walk-through. A final inspection where required, then a punch list before final payment.
Questions for each bidder
- Who does the plumbing work, and who does the electrical?
- Can you show proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- Which waterproofing system do you use, and may I see the flood test?
- How are hidden damage and change orders priced and approved?
- What is the payment schedule, and what does your warranty cover, in writing?