Bathrooms fail from the inside out. A cracked grout line or a missing membrane lets water into the framing, and by the time it shows on the ceiling below, the damage is done. That is why Ramos General Building treats every bathroom remodel as a waterproofing project first and a design project second. We remodel bathrooms across Oakland and the East Bay, and remodeling work we complete is covered by our 2-year warranty.
Bathroom remodeling services
From a single hall bath to a primary suite, our bathroom work includes:
- Tub-to-shower conversions. Removing an old tub and building a walk-in shower with a proper pan and drain.
- Tile showers. Waterproofed walls and floors, niches and benches, then tile set straight and grouted clean.
- Vanities and fixtures. New vanities, counters, sinks, faucets and toilets.
- Ventilation. Exhaust fans sized for the room and vented to the outside.
- Floors. Subfloor repair where needed, then tile or resilient flooring.
- Aging-in-place details. Blocking for grab bars, lower thresholds and wider openings.
What goes behind the tile
The parts of a bathroom you never see do the most work:
- Framing and subfloor. Flat, solid and dry. We replace soft or rotted sections before anything else goes in.
- Plumbing rough-in. Valves, drains and supply lines set at the right heights and inspected.
- Waterproofing. A continuous membrane on shower walls and floors, with the corners, niches and seams treated so water has nowhere to go.
- Ventilation. The fan and duct installed before the ceiling is closed.
- Finishes. Tile, glass, vanity, fixtures and accessories.
Permits and older Oakland bathrooms
Oakland requires a building permit for every bathroom remodel, issued before work begins. If walls or window sizes change, zoning review is added, and some projects need small project design review. Every Oakland building permit also requires an approved construction waste recycling plan.
Older East Bay homes bring their own conditions. Crawlspace moisture can rot floor framing, galvanized supply lines may be near the end of their life, and homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint on walls and trim. We look for these during the free estimate so they are part of the plan, not a surprise mid-project.
Planning your new bathroom
Start with how the room is used. A family bath needs storage and durable surfaces; a primary bath may call for a larger shower and double vanity; a guest bath can be simple and clean. If you are adding a bathroom as part of a bigger project, see home additions or ADU construction. Updating the kitchen at the same time? Our kitchen remodeling page covers that work.