There is a thousand questions it seems in a bathroom renovation. They come at home owners fast and often.

I can see the stress level in my clients as the job pushes on. Sometimes it's to much to do in one sitting so we will break out the questions in small patches.

Always start your bathroom remodel with a plan and an end look in mind.

WWW.Houzz.com is the best place to gather research material. Add pictures to your Ideabook of what you like and review often with your GC.

It is easy to point to a picture and say "I like this because..." and much harder to understand "How much projection do you want your Lav Faucet to have?"

Did you remember the mirror? Did the counter top guys cut out the extra wood in the cabinet? Can the plumber get at the setting collar?

So much to consider.

Break out these points slowly - but be ready for a lot of questions...

JW

JW - I completely agree with having a plan and an end look in mind. I had my design and had ordered and had all materials on site at the beginning of the job with the exception of the Silestone and shower glass because the Silestone could not be ordered until the templates were complete and the shower glass could not be ordered until they were able to measure after the Silestone threshold was installed. But even though I thought I was organized there are still so many small details I had not thought of, like how wide do you want your mirror?

I think it would be great if contractors could come up with a checklist to give to homeowners at point of hire with all the details that they may need to consider. It could be explained that they don't have to decide on all of these things right away but would at least give them a heads up on stuff they may not think about until they get the question. My brain requires order to methodically plan, others thrive in chaos and do best under pressure but most of us would benefit to some extent from a checklist I think. Or maybe I'm just being OC! :-)

Here is another example that seems so obvious now, my contractor asked if I wanted the light fixtures centered over the sinks. After a few minutes thought and looking at a few photos on houzz.com, (love that site), I said yes. I did not think to consider that our right sink is fairly close to the wall and now it looks like the 4-light fixture will almost touch the wall. Sigh.

I found that they often asked me for decisions on what I did not care about but would go ahead without asking on stuff that mattered to me (and often, on things I had referred to already but they had forgotten). I was around much of the time for the reno and it did not make a difference if I were home or not because they might call with insignificant questions on my cell or not ask when I was there. I would try to pass by every so often but also stay out of their way. I think there sometimes is no rhyme or reason.
The light fixture can be moved if need be. I had a few of mine moved (when they had not asked prior to installation) and found they rarely would guess right on placement if they had been trying to match what I wanted without asking me. I found that what is common sense to me does not always seem so logical to the crew.
It is your house, your money and should be done your way.

They haven't installed the light fixtures yet, I already told my contractor they may need to be moved but I want them installed first so I can see if it will be a problem. I'm thinking I might be better off trying to find smaller fixtures than move these because if they are moved they will no longer be centered over the sinks which I think would look weird.
Unfortunately there are some things that can not be redone, like faucet holes.

DoggieMom your comments about the light fixtures is a common one. Many people like to see how it looks and then make a second or final decision on what to do.

This causes a chain reaction. Electrician has to move wires, dry wallers have to come back, more painting needs to be done. Who protects the tile floor? Who pays for the extra call backs? How does the drywaller fit these changes into his current schedule?

Lighting is a key element in bathroom design. Once the room is gutted a mechanical design (HVAC) and a plumbing waste/vent design needs to be made. With these large items worked out a lighting plan can be made. Sometimes to center a light in a shower or over a sink - more demo and framing needs to be done.

Sometimes clients are on the fence about this or that. Sound. Steam Lights. Some time fixtures are a long ways off. Plan for this. Install extra wire. Install Fish wire.

Here is how we start a project.

We get a concept of the end look. (www.houzz.com)
We work out a price for demolition and disposal of the current bathroom.
We demo and dump.
Key trades come and bid on the new changes.

Framing repairs and modifications
HVAC - Fan's, Heating and Cooling lines.
Plumbing Waste and Vent Lines
Electrical Rough In's
Water Lines
Electrical Lines
Back Framing for drywall
Inspections - Plumbing, Gas, Electrical, Low Voltage and General
Insulation
Vapour barrier (6mil poly)
Inspection - Insulation and Vapour barrier
Dry Wall and Backer boards
Cabinets ordered
Finishing trades begin...

JW

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We've had a couple of granite counters installed and have always been asked where we wanted the faucet to go. Truth be told, with what the material costs, I would have been pretty upset if they hadn't especially if it was wrong.

I've also participated in many a thread where people who've experienced exactly what you have were advised by the majority to get it replaced. If you were present and available during the installation, then not asking you was an error on the installers part. In a nutshell, he didn't follow proper protocol and the installation is wrong as a result. When an installation is wrong, you do have the option to make them replace the counter so you can have the faucet where you want it. Hopefully, you've not paid for the entire project yet, or you at least paid with a credit card so you have some recourse with the company who installed it.

If it was recently installed, then now is when you need to decide if it's worth it to you to bring it up. Does it change the overall look of the space? Does it affect the functionality and/or your comfort of use? If it does, then don't let it slide. Just because they are professional installers doesn't mean they have the right to make your decisions for you. While it may not be the easy road, having it replaced will at the very least provide you with what you were actually paying for.

You have a great tip in this post for folks ordering vanity light fixtures to measure the space first.
My vanity light is right up against the wall in all my three small bathrooms and I don't mind. You need a lot of light at the mirror and I like having three bulbs instead of the two that a more narrow fixture would have had. So right up against the wall is ok in my book and you get the centered symmetry you need to have too.

I ended up exchanging my 4-light fixtures for 3-light fixtures. I really wanted 4-light but getting the 3-light saved 8 inches, 4 on each end so the fixtures fit nicely and are still centered over the sinks which I feel is important from a design perspective.

Hi Doggiemom -

I hope you are getting things resolved to your satisfaction. I just wanted to add regarding the faucet projection...the po's of our home remodeled our tiny masterbath, and it's very attractive. However, the faucets, and their placement, provide minimal projection over the sinks. As a result, you can't wash your face without water going everywhere! I am constantly drying off the counters. I thought it was a matter of small sinks until I was shopping for sinks for our hall bath. When I related our problem to the salesman, he suggested I check the projection of our faucets - and he was spot on. Adequate projection will keep the water in the sink where it belongs. Just something to keep in mind :3)

the countertop installers should not have drilled holes without reading install instructions! many faucets come with specifications detailing reach projection! i would pursue seeing if they will change out the countertop, since it was their error!
if the faucet was not provided to countertop installers, i would just find a different faucet with a shorter spout reach...i think it would be a real pain using a sink regularly with too long a faucet reach into the sink!