A bathroom remodel combines water, structure, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, waterproofing, tile, cabinetry, and finish transitions in a small occupied area. Forest Grove handles structural, mechanical, and plumbing review while electrical work is coordinated separately, so a complete proposal assigns every trade, permit, inspection, selection, and closure decision before demolition.
Document existing moisture and layout, demolition limits, framing and substrate repairs, fixture and electrical plans, ventilation, waterproofing system, finishes, permit and trade assignments, inspection hold points, selections, access, change control, tests, and the complete handoff record.
Record leaks, staining, loose finishes, grout and sealant failures, soft flooring, fixture movement, odors, condensation, fan performance, water pressure, drain behavior, outlet and lighting locations, clearances, and access. Take dimensions and note adjacent rooms below and beside the bathroom. This condition map separates cosmetic preferences from defects that must be corrected before new cabinets, tile, or paint hide them.
Dimension walls, doors, windows, fixtures, clearances, niches, glass, cabinets, lighting, switches, receptacles, accessories, and storage. Confirm door swing, shower entry, toilet space, vanity use, and maintenance access. A moved fixture can affect framing, drain slope, venting, supply, electrical zones, heat, waterproofing, floor buildup, and permits. Obtain one coordinated layout instead of allowing each trade to price a different interpretation.
Forest Grove's Building Division provides structural, mechanical, and plumbing review and inspections and publishes an electronic permitting process. Give staff the address and true scope, including walls, windows, plumbing relocation, new bathroom creation, ventilation, and electrical changes. The agreement should name the applicant for each permit, plan responsibility, corrections, inspection scheduling, opening access, and final approval before finishes cover regulated work.
Identify retained fixtures and finishes, salvage items, hazardous-material questions, dust separation, floor and stair protection, debris route, daily cleanup, temporary toilet needs, shutoff windows, and secure storage. Specify whether walls and floors open to a defined line or until sound material is reached under written approval. Protect adjacent bedrooms and hallways from becoming uncontrolled work areas simply because the bathroom footprint is small.
Map wet materials and identify the active source: plumbing, shower containment, exterior entry, condensation, or historic damage. State what is removed, dried, cleaned, or evaluated by another qualified party. Establish substrate and framing conditions needed for closure and record them. New waterproofing cannot correct an active leak outside its boundary, and finish warranties should not be asked to cover damp or unsound material left behind.
List each fixture, valve, drain, vent, supply, shutoff, access panel, water-heating implication, and penetration. Confirm rough-in dimensions from selected products before piping is fixed. Include pressure or leak testing, shower pan or receptor interfaces, fire and draft sealing where relevant, and fixture operation. A fixture allowance should identify what connection work is included and what product differences could change walls, cabinets, power, or schedule.
Develop the lighting layers, switching, receptacles, fan control, mirror and cabinet power, floor heat if selected, and equipment circuits with the licensed electrical trade. Confirm product loads and locations before framing and tile. Keep required clearances and protected locations visible on the plan. The proposal should include electrical permit and inspection responsibility rather than treating devices as a finish-only allowance.
Document fan capacity basis, sound preference, intake path, duct material and route, termination location, backdraft control, insulation where needed, controls, and access for service. Verify the route before purchasing a fan or closing the ceiling. Acceptance should demonstrate operation and exterior discharge. A quiet fan with a crushed, disconnected, or recirculating duct does not solve bathroom moisture.
Name substrate, preparation, slope, drain or receptor connection, membrane, seams, corners, penetrations, curb or curbless transition, niches, benches, movement joints, setting materials, grout, and sealant boundaries. Keep components compatible under the selected system. Schedule the manufacturer-required or agreed test before tile. Photograph the finished membrane and transitions because the most important shower work becomes invisible at completion.
Track fixtures, valves, drains, tub or shower components, tile, profiles, grout, cabinetry, top, sink, faucet, mirror, glass, lighting, fan, accessories, paint, and hardware. For each, name purchaser, approved model, decision date, delivery check, storage, and substitution process. Rough-in products must be approved before walls close; glass and tops may require field templates later. One final selection deadline ignores those dependencies.
Demolition can reveal decay, nonconforming framing, obsolete wiring, incompatible piping, or missing ventilation. Require a photograph, measured condition, proposed response, trade and permit effect, price, schedule change, and approval before added work. Record credits too. This preserves urgency without turning an open room into permission for undocumented work or for covering a condition before the owner understands it.
Review drainage, fixture flow, hot and cold operation, leaks, shower containment, fan discharge, outlets and controls, heat, door and drawer clearances, glass, sealant, tile transitions, paint, trim, accessories, adjacent restoration, and cleanup. Collect permit finals, concealed-work photographs, product manuals, warranties, care instructions, spare finish materials, and the resolved punch list. Keep the waterproofing and shutoff locations with the home record.
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The City provides structural, mechanical, and plumbing plan review and field inspections.
Forest Grove publishes an electronic application and inspection process for residential work.
Oregon CCB provides consumer tools for checking construction-contractor license information.
| Decision point | Scope requirement | Acceptance evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Layout stays but finishes change | Define retained rough-ins, substrates, waterproofing, and finish limits | Open-condition photos and finish acceptance |
| Fixture moves | Coordinate plumbing, venting, framing, electrical, and permit review | Approved rough-in and inspection records |
| Shower is rebuilt | Name one compatible drain-to-wall waterproofing system | Flood or system test and concealed photos |
| Ventilation is weak | Measure route and specify fan, controls, duct, and termination | Airflow or operating evidence and final inspection |
| Damage appears after demolition | Use a bounded investigation and written repair decision | Moisture record, measured change, and approved closure |
Compare investigation, measured quantities, demolition, access, protection, materials, regulated trades, permits, inspections, testing, restoration, cleanup, and closeout on the same basis. Keep concealed conditions behind a bounded investigation and written approval point. A low allowance or isolated unit price is not a complete proposal when the final assembly and adjacent restoration remain undefined.
It depends on the actual structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical work. Give the City and responsible trade jurisdiction the address and coordinated scope.
Choose products affecting thickness, layout, waterproofing, drain, niches, and rough-ins early; final quantities can be confirmed after approved field conditions are known.
Pause at a safe point, document moisture and damage, define source control and repair, state cost and schedule effects, and obtain written approval.
Compare substrate, slope, drain connection, membrane, seams, corners, penetrations, test, setting materials, movement joints, and concealed-work evidence.
The prime agreement should assign coordination, permit, inspection, schedule, and correction responsibilities for every regulated trade.
Include the fan and control, intake path, duct route, exterior termination, backdraft control, insulation where needed, power, and operating verification.
Name the included product budget and connection scope, decision date, tax or delivery treatment, markup, and how substitutions change rough-ins or schedule.
Keep permits and finals, concealed-work photos, waterproofing test, product manuals, warranties, care instructions, shutoff locations, and punch-list closure.
Share the address, room measurements, condition photos, layout goals, fixture preferences, building age, access limits, and finish priorities so contractors can compare the same result.
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