Bathroom Remodeling in Richardson, TX
How old Richardson bathrooms really are
| Built | Share of Richardson homes |
|---|---|
| 1950s | about 7% |
| 1960s | about 17% |
| 1970s | about 20% |
| 1980s | about 11% |
| 1990s | about 14% |
| 2000 or later | about 31% |
What can be behind an older bathroom’s walls
Every house is different, but these are the conditions worth planning for in a mid-century bathroom:
- Tile set in a thick mortar bed. Older tile work was often installed over heavy mortar rather than modern backer board, which makes demolition heavier and changes the floor and wall heights you build back to.
- Aging drains and supply lines. After decades of use, the lines feeding and draining the tub, toilet and vanity are worth inspecting once exposed.
- Little or no mechanical ventilation. If the bathroom relies on a window alone, adding a properly ducted exhaust fan protects the new room from moisture.
- Small, fixed layouts. Hall bathrooms from this era are often compact, so the plan focuses on storage, a better vanity and a cleaner tub or shower rather than more floor space.
Pipes in a mid-century bathroom
- Supply lines: homes from the 1950s and early 1960s sometimes still have galvanized steel water lines, which narrow and corrode from the inside over the decades. Low pressure at the shower or rust-colored water are warning signs. Lines exposed during a remodel can be replaced back to a sound connection.
- Drains: many older slab homes have cast-iron drain lines under the floor. After fifty or more years they can scale, crack or sag. Before a full remodel, a camera inspection of the bathroom drains and the main line shows their condition. Finding a problem before new tile goes down is far cheaper than after.
- Shut-off valves: old valves under sinks and behind toilets often seize. New ones go in as part of any remodel.
Other old materials to test before demolition
Older vinyl floor tile, sheet flooring and their adhesives may contain asbestos (U.S. EPA), and in a 1950s–70s bathroom they sometimes turn up under later layers. The EPA’s advice to homeowners is to leave undamaged material alone. If you suspect it, have a sample tested by an accredited lab before demolition, so the material is handled correctly if it is positive (EPA: Protect your family from exposures to asbestos).
Lead-safe work in homes built before 1978
Under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 must be certified, and their workers trained in lead-safe work practices. For homeowners planning a project in a pre-1978 home, the EPA recommends hiring a lead-safe certified contractor (U.S. EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program). A bathroom remodel almost always disturbs painted walls and trim, so in an older Richardson house this applies directly. Ask any contractor for their EPA lead-safe certification.
Wiring from the late 1960s and early 1970s
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that electrical cable installed between 1965 and the mid-1970s may contain aluminum branch wiring, and that aluminum-wired homes built before 1972 are far more likely to develop overheating connections than copper-wired homes (CPSC Publication 516). A bathroom remodel opens walls and replaces outlets, switches and lighting, so it is the right moment to find out what wiring the house has and to have a licensed electrician correct any problem connections.
Keep the vintage, or start over?
| Option | What it involves | Works when |
|---|---|---|
| Keep and restore | Deep cleaning, regrouting, replacing cracked tiles with salvaged matches, new caulk; new vanity lighting and fan | The tile is sound, you like the period look, and nothing is leaking behind it |
| Keep the tub, replace the rest | A sound cast-iron tub stays (it can be professionally refinished), while walls, floor, vanity and fixtures are new | The tub is in good shape but the rest of the room is not |
| Full remodel | Everything down to the studs, rebuilt with modern waterproofing | Tile is loose or hollow, water is getting behind it, or the room must work differently |
About cast-iron tubs: they are durable and hold heat well, but they are very heavy. Removing one usually means breaking it up in place. Refinishing a sound tub keeps it out of the landfill, though a refinished surface needs gentler cleaning than the original enamel.
The window in the shower
Many 1950s–70s bathrooms have a window above the tub, inside the wet area. It brings in light, but wood frames and sills rot when they are soaked every day. In a remodel, the options are:
- Replace it with a window made for wet locations, such as a vinyl frame with obscure or frosted glass, and slope and waterproof the sill so water runs off.
- Raise or shorten the window so it sits higher on the wall, out of the direct spray.
- Remove it and close the wall, then add light and a fan instead. Replacing or removing a window changes the exterior, which needs to be planned with the permit.
Whatever stays, the waterproofing must wrap into the window opening. A window is the most common weak point in an older shower.
Making a small hall bath work
Hall bathrooms in Richardson ranch homes are often about five by eight feet. More floor space is rarely available, so the gains come from smarter choices:
- a wall-hung or slim-depth vanity;
- a recessed medicine cabinet;
- a niche instead of a shower caddy;
- larger tiles with fewer grout lines;
- a pocket door where the door swing gets in the way;
- good light at the mirror.
Our small bathroom remodel page goes deeper into small-room layouts.
Partial update or full remodel?
| Partial update | Full remodel | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical scope | New vanity and top, toilet, lighting, mirror, paint, possibly flooring | Down to the studs: tub or shower rebuilt, new waterproofing, tile, vanity, lighting, ventilation, flooring |
| Plumbing and wiring | Fixtures replaced in place | Lines inspected and updated, fixtures possibly moved |
| Good fit when | The tub or shower and the structure are sound and you mainly dislike the finishes | Something is failing (leaks, soft floor, poor ventilation) or the room needs to work differently |
In an older home, the full remodel is often the more practical choice, because the hidden conditions above are only fixed by opening the room.
What a full bathroom remodel includes
- The bathing area: a rebuilt tub or shower with a continuous waterproofing system behind the tile and under the pan. See shower remodeling in Richardson, or tub-to-shower conversion in Richardson if the tub is going.
- Vanity and storage: a vanity sized for the room, medicine cabinet or recessed storage, and better counter space.
- Tile and flooring: wall tile and a floor suited to a wet room.
- Lighting and ventilation: layered lighting around the mirror and a ducted exhaust fan.
- Plumbing and electrical: updated supply and drain lines, and outlets and circuits brought up to current requirements.
How a remodel unfolds in an older bathroom
- Before demolition: a camera look at the drains, and testing of any suspect old flooring.
- Demolition, with containment. In a pre-1978 home, lead-safe practices apply to painted surfaces. Whatever the walls and floor reveal is shown to you, and repairs are agreed in writing before work continues.
- Repairs and rough-in: rotted framing or subfloor replaced; supply lines, drains, valves and wiring updated as agreed; a fan duct run to the outside.
- Insulation on exterior walls. Many older bathrooms have little or no insulation in their outside walls, which makes the room cold and invites condensation. While the walls are open, the cavities can be insulated.
- Inspection of the plumbing and electrical before the walls close.
- Backer board, waterproofing and tile, built back to the new floor and wall heights.
- Fixtures, vanity, glass and the final walkthrough.
What drives the cost of an older-home bathroom
- What is found when the room is opened: water damage, rot, old drains or wiring that must be corrected.
- Demolition weight: mortar-bed tile and cast-iron tubs take more work to remove than modern materials.
- How much of the plumbing is replaced: fixtures only, the lines in the room, or a drain repair below the floor.
- Electrical updates: new circuits, GFCI protection and a ducted fan.
- Lead-safe work practices in pre-1978 homes, and testing of suspect old materials.
- Finishes: tile, vanity, fixtures and glass.
A camera inspection of the drains and a careful first visit narrow the unknowns before the estimate. Our bathroom remodeling cost guide explains the general factors.
Permits and the city incentive
Richardson requires a building permit for alterations that modify plumbing, electrical or mechanical systems, which a full bathroom remodel does. The permit details are on our Richardson shower remodeling page.
We pull the required permits and coordinate inspections. If your bathroom is part of a remodel costing $20,000 or more, ask the City of Richardson about its Home Improvement Incentive Program before construction begins. We summarize it on our Richardson tub-to-shower page.
Who does the work
- In-house design and construction team
- Certified General Contractor
- $1 million in insurance coverage
- NKBA affiliation
- 500+ flooring and remodeling projects completed under Sami’s leadership
- Six-time Best of Plano award winner (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023)
- 0% financing available for qualified homeowners
See tile, vanity and fixture options at our showroom, 2830 W. 15th St., Suite 1, Plano (Mon–Fri 11–5, Sat 11–4), finished bathrooms in the project gallery, and how our projects run on the bathroom remodeling process page.
Bathroom remodeling questions from Richardson homeowners
Can you remodel the bathroom in an older Richardson home?
Yes. Older bathrooms just need more planning for what is behind the walls: mortar-bed tile, aging lines, older wiring and, in pre-1978 homes, lead-safe work practices.
Can we keep our vintage tile?
If it is sound and well bonded, yes: it can be cleaned, regrouted and patched, with new lighting and a fan around it. Loose or hollow tile, or water behind it, means it has to come out.
Should we keep our cast-iron tub?
If the enamel and the tub are sound, refinishing it is an option. If the wall tile around it must be replaced anyway, many owners take the chance to change the layout.
What should we do about the window in our shower?
Replace it with a wet-location window and a sloped, waterproofed sill, raise it out of the spray, or close it and add a fan.
Do we need a camera inspection of the drains?
In a 1950s–70s home it is worth doing before a full remodel, so any problem under the floor is found before new tile goes down.
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
It depends on the scope, what is found once the room is opened, inspections and material lead times. Your written estimate includes a schedule.
Can I stay in my home during the remodel?
Usually, yes, especially if there is a second bathroom. Plan for one bathroom to be out of service for the length of the project.
How is waterproofing handled?
In a remodeled shower or tub area, a waterproofing system goes behind the wall tile and under the shower pan before any tile is set. That layer is what protects the house, not the grout.
Are permits required in Richardson?
For a full remodel that modifies plumbing, electrical or ventilation, yes. We handle the permit and inspections.
Do you offer financing?
Yes. 0% financing is available for qualified homeowners.
More answers: bathroom remodeling FAQ.
Plan your Richardson bathroom remodel
Call or Text (972) 746-1575
The Flooring & Remodeling Shop
2830 W. 15th St. Ste. 1, Plano, TX 75075
Serving Plano & North Dallas Suburbs