A kitchen and bathroom remodel changes how your home works every day, and these are the two rooms where remodeling quotes differ the most. Before you ask for prices, decide the size of the job in each room, the order the work happens in and what every bid should list. Then post your project free and compare bids from verified local pros, side by side.
Kitchen and bathroom remodel: together or one at a time?
Both work. It depends on how long you can live with the disruption and how many decisions you want to make at once.
| Both rooms together | One room at a time | |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | One project, one crew schedule and one round of permits and inspections. | Two shorter projects, with a break in between. |
| Trades | The plumber, electrician and tile setter come once for both rooms. | Each trade comes back for the second room. |
| Daily life | More of the house is torn up at the same time. | You keep one working room while the other is done. |
| Decisions | Cabinets, tile, fixtures and finishes for both rooms up front. | Decide one room, learn from it, then do the next. |
If the house has only one bathroom, keep it working as long as you can: ask pros how many days it will be out of use and plan around those days.
Which room should you remodel first?
- The room with a problem: a leak, soft floor, mold or failing plumbing comes first, because water damage spreads.
- The room you use the most: if both are sound, start with the one that bothers you every day.
- Planning to sell: ask a local real estate agent which room matters most for homes like yours before you choose.
- Shared walls and pipes: if the kitchen and a bathroom share plumbing, doing both together can mean opening the walls only once.
Pick the size of the job in each room
Every company prices what it thinks you want. Say which of these you mean, room by room, so the bids match.
| Job size | Kitchen | Bathroom |
|---|---|---|
| Full remodel | New layout or everything replaced: cabinets, countertops, plumbing and electrical as needed, flooring, lighting and appliances. | Gutted to the studs: plumbing, waterproofing, tile, tub or shower, vanity, toilet, fan and lighting. |
| Partial update | Same layout: new countertops, backsplash, cabinet doors or paint, sink, faucet and lighting. | Walls and tile stay: new vanity, faucets, toilet, mirror, lighting and paint. |
| Repairs | Leaks under the sink, loose cabinets, damaged countertops, an outlet or light that stopped working. | Re-grout, re-caulk, cracked tile, a running toilet or a dripping faucet. |
For the details of each room, see the kitchen remodel guide and the bathroom remodel guide.
The right order of work
Most remodeling headaches come from doing things out of order, like finishing tile before the plumbing behind it is done. The usual order:
- Plan and measure: layout, finishes and the list of what changes.
- Permits: plumbing and electrical changes usually need one; ask each pro who pulls it.
- Demolition: with dust contained and the rest of the house protected.
- Pipes and wires: new or moved plumbing, the shower valve, circuits and outlets, while the walls are open.
- Inspection: before the walls close.
- Walls and floors: drywall, cement board and any floor leveling.
- Waterproofing: the shower floor and walls get a waterproof layer before any tile.
- Cabinets: base and wall cabinets go in, level and secured.
- Countertops: measured after the cabinets are in, then installed.
- Tile and backsplash: floors, shower walls and the kitchen backsplash.
- Fixtures and appliances: sinks, faucets, toilet, vanity top, lights and appliances.
- Paint and final walk-through: touch-ups and a list of anything left to finish.
Watch the bathroom version in 45 seconds: bathroom remodel steps in the right order.
Living through a kitchen and bathroom remodel
- A temporary kitchen: a table with a microwave, a kettle, a coffee maker and the fridge moved to another room makes the weeks without a kitchen much easier.
- Dust: ask how the work area will be sealed off and how the floors on the way in will be protected.
- Water and power: ask when the water or power will be off and for how long.
- Deliveries: cabinets, tile and appliances need a dry place to wait, often the garage.
- Kids and pets: plan where they stay while the crew works.
Order long-lead items early
Cabinets, special-order tile, appliances and glass shower doors can take weeks to arrive, and countertops can only be measured once the cabinets are in. Ask each pro which items to order first and how a late delivery changes the schedule.
A remodel with many trades and decisions is easier with one person keeping the schedule. If you want help with that, see renovation project managers.
What a good kitchen and bathroom remodel bid lists
- Scope, room by room: what is replaced, what stays and what is repaired.
- Demolition and haul-away: what comes out and who hauls it.
- Plumbing and electrical: what is new, what moves and the permits that go with it.
- Cabinets and countertops: brand or type, material, edge and who measures.
- Waterproofing: the method for the shower, named, not just "included."
- Tile: the areas covered and the setting materials.
- Fixtures and appliances: each one listed, and who supplies it.
- Allowances: amounts set aside for items you choose later; low allowances make a bid look cheaper than it is.
- Schedule and payments: start date, how long each room is out of use and payments tied to finished stages.
- Warranty: the workmanship warranty in writing.
Good questions to ask remodeling pros
- Can I see photos of kitchens and bathrooms you have remodeled?
- Who will be at my house each day, and who do I call with questions?
- If you find rot or an old leak when the walls open, how will we decide on the extra work?
- Which items should I order first, and how long do they take to arrive?
- How many days will I be without a kitchen or a working bathroom?
More on choosing the right pro: how to choose a contractor.
Get bids on your kitchen or bathroom remodel
Describe each room, add photos and measurements, and share your ideas, even rough ones. Verified local pros send bids you can compare side by side, you can ask questions by message, and there is no obligation to hire. Post your kitchen remodel or post your bathroom remodel for free.