I'm Steve, founder of Purpose Design + Build, and this is a straight answer for anyone in Chicago who wants to know what the bathroom remodel process actually looks like with us: what happens between your first message and the finished room, what the design consult locks before anything is built, and the questions worth asking any contractor before you hand them your bathroom.
Summary
- A bathroom is a full renovation on a real timeline, not a one week makeover. That changes how the project starts.
- It starts with an estimate, a ballpark range within two business days.
- Next is a paid design consult, with an in-person visit, that locks the plan and the budget before anything is built.
- Tile, glass, vanity and fixtures get specified together, and the trades are sequenced and managed so the finish reads as one room.
- Bathroom renovations start at $20,000 on the makeover menu. Nothing gets built until you approve.
- Purpose Design + Build is a licensed General Contractor with the City of Chicago and pulls permits under its own license.
Why a Bathroom Is a Full Renovation
On my makeover menu, the accent wall, the fireplace, the built-in and the closet are one week installs once the design is locked. Kitchens and baths are on the menu too, but they are full renovations on a real timeline, and I say that up front because pretending otherwise is how renovations turn into stress with a deposit.
A bathroom is a small room with a lot of trades in it. Tile, glass, plumbing fixtures, lighting and a vanity all have to land in the right order, in a space where a few inches matter. The menu describes the job as "a full bath: tile, glass, vanity, and fixtures specified together, with the trades sequenced and managed so the finish reads as one room, not four decisions." That last phrase is the whole point. Most bathrooms that feel off were built as four separate decisions.
The Bathroom Remodel Process, Step by Step
The process is the same every time: listen, design, match, build. Here is how it runs on a bathroom.
- Estimate. Tell me about the bathroom at /estimate, or call or text (773) 322-1257. I send a ballpark range within two business days, so you know early whether we're in the same conversation.
- Paid design consult and an in-person visit. For a bath, the next step is a paid design consult, and I book an in-person visit to see the room. You tell me what you're thinking, and I ask questions until I understand what you actually want, not just what you think you can afford.
- Design. We design it together: layout, materials, finishes, mood. You see it before it is built, including in 3D. This is where the plan and the budget get locked.
- Approve. Nothing gets built until you approve.
- Match. I match the project with the builders and trades that fit it. The right people for the job, not whoever is available.
- Build. I manage the entire build: timelines, communication, quality and budget. You get updates and you get answers the whole way.
What the Design Consult Locks
The design consult is the step people ask about most, because it is paid and because it comes before any construction. Here is why it sits there. The way I see it, most surprises in a bathroom start as a detail nobody decided. Locking the scope, the plan and the budget before the first day of work is what keeps the build from turning into a running list of change conversations.
- The plan. Where everything goes, and how the room works.
- The specification. Tile, glass, vanity and fixtures chosen together, as one scheme.
- The budget. Agreed before anything is built, not discovered along the way.
Why Everything Gets Specified Together
The tile, the metal finish on the fixtures and the wood or paint on the vanity are talking to each other whether you planned it or not. When they're picked one at a time, the room reads like it was assembled. When they're chosen together, it reads like it belonged to the house. If the vanity is custom cabinetry, it gets designed in the same pass, not ordered after the tile is already up.
Questions to Ask Any Bathroom Contractor in Chicago
Whoever you hire, these are the questions that tell you how the job will go. Here is how I answer them.
- Are you licensed, and whose license are the permits pulled under? Purpose Design + Build is a licensed General Contractor with the City of Chicago, license TGC146780, Class E, and pulls permits under its own license. The City of Chicago Department of Buildings is the place to look up requirements for yourself.
- Who designs it, and who builds it? With design build, one studio owns both, so there is one plan, one budget and one point of contact.
- When is the budget locked? With me, in the design consult, before anything is built.
- Who are the trades, and who schedules them? I match the trades to the project and sequence them, so you are not the one coordinating who shows up when.
- How will I know what's happening? You get updates and answers through the whole build. If a contractor can't tell you how they communicate before the job, that is your answer.
What Clients Say About the Process
"I had a great experience working with Steve. The results are incredible and I felt like he was really engaged and collaborative throughout the whole process. This is the second project my family has had with Steve and I'd be happy to work with him again." Jonathan A.
"Purpose Design Build was great to work with from beginning to end. The planning process was smooth, install seamless and the final product, beautiful. I highly recommend them!" Leslie O.
The Bathroom Renovation is one of six projects on the home page with a before and after you can drag across, and the full set is on the portfolio.
Bathrooms Across the North Side
I'm local. You'll see me head-nodding to house music walking my dog, or at a Coffee + Design meetup. I work across Andersonville, Edgewater, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Lincoln Square, Logan Square, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Ravenswood, Old Town, North Center, Roscoe Village, Rogers Park, and the North Side generally. The full list is on the neighborhoods page.
Not Ready for the Bathroom Yet?
That's fine. Trust is earned project by project, and the makeover menu exists so you can see how I communicate and design on a one week project before you hand me a full renovation. When you're ready, it's the same team for the bathroom. If you want the other side of the decision, I wrote about what a bathroom renovation is worth last week. As I said there, we have never seen more joy than the day we finish a bathroom renovation.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Bathroom Remodel Process
How much does a bathroom renovation cost with Purpose Design + Build?
Bathroom renovations start at $20,000, as listed on the makeover menu on the home page. Your number depends on your room and the scope, so request an estimate and I send a ballpark range within two business days.
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
It is a full renovation on a real timeline, not a one week install. The timeline depends on your room and the scope, so it gets worked out for your bathroom rather than quoted from a blog post.
Why is the design consult paid?
Because it is real work, and it is the step that locks the plan and the budget before anything is built. It is what keeps a bathroom from becoming a series of surprises halfway through.
Do I need to know what I want before I reach out?
No. The first step is listening. Tell me what you're thinking, what bugs you about the room now and how you use it, and we design it together from there.
Do you pull permits?
Purpose Design + Build is a licensed General Contractor with the City of Chicago, license TGC146780, Class E, and pulls permits under its own license.
Which neighborhoods do you work in?
Andersonville, Edgewater, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Lincoln Square, Logan Square, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Ravenswood, Old Town, North Center, Roscoe Village, Rogers Park, and the North Side generally. The full list is on the neighborhoods page.
If there's a bathroom you've been putting up with, tell me about it at /estimate, or call or text (773) 322-1257. HMU if you've got design ideas.