· Michael Blair
A bathroom packs plumbing, electrical, ventilation, waterproofing, tile and carpentry into the smallest room in the house. The sequence is dictated by what has to be inspected before it is covered, and deviating from it means opening finished work.
Demolition and discovery
Everything out to the studs where the layout is changing. This is where surprises surface — rotted subfloor at the toilet flange, old galvanised supply, a joist someone notched badly for a drain.
A contract should state how discoveries are priced. In Nashville’s older stock, finding something behind a bathroom wall is the expectation rather than the exception.
Rough-in, then inspection
Plumbing rough-in first, because drain lines have the least flexibility and everything else routes around them. Then electrical, then ventilation ducted to the outside rather than into the attic.
Rough-in inspection happens before anything is closed. That is the point of the permit: an inspector sees the work while it can still be corrected cheaply.
- Demolition and structural repair
- Plumbing rough-in
- Electrical rough-in, including GFCI and any AFCI
- Ventilation ducted outside
- Rough-in inspection before closing walls
Waterproofing is its own stage
Cement board or a foam backer, then a waterproofing membrane in the wet area. This is not the same as a moisture-resistant drywall, and it is the layer that decides whether the shower lasts.
A shower pan should be flood-tested before tile goes on. It takes a day and it is the only opportunity to find a leak before it is behind ceramic.
Finishes and the long tail
Tile, then grout and cure, then vanity, fixtures, glass and paint. Shower glass is usually measured after tiling rather than before, which adds a wait most schedules underestimate.
Plan on three to five weeks for a full bathroom in a Nashville house, longer if the layout moves or if custom glass and stone are involved.