Contractor Checklist: Pre-Remodel Prep for Kitchens and Baths

Remodels succeed or stall long before cabinets are ordered or tile is set. The legwork you do as a contractor during planning and pre-construction shapes everything that follows, from dust control to final punch. Kitchens and baths carry extra pressure because they mesh structure, services, and surfaces in tight quarters. You want a space that looks effortless and performs under daily abuse. The checklist below reflects how seasoned crews set that table, with particular notes for kitchen remodeling and bathroom remodeling in established Midwest housing stock. If you work as a contractor in Lansing MI and the surrounding area, you’ll recognize the quirks of 1940s plaster, 1970s plumbing updates, and Michigan winters that test every vent and seal.

Start with the building, not the brochure

Beautiful concept boards are useful, but the house gets a vote. Early walkthroughs should be done with a flashlight, a moisture meter, and a skeptical eye. I like to begin in the basement or crawlspace. You can read a lot about a kitchen or bath from below: deflected joists under fridges, hacked joists under tubs, fernco fittings hanging in the breeze. If the subfloor lines are uneven or there’s an odor that hits you before you reach the stairs, assume hidden damage until proven otherwise.

In Lansing and similar markets, I often find three layers of kitchen flooring, a sheet vinyl from the 80s over lino over 1x plank. That stack affects finished floor height at transitions and clearances for appliances. In baths, cast iron tubs may have settled, pulling away from the wall tile and leaving a leak path. None of this is a reason not to proceed. It’s a reason to measure risk honestly and budget for the more probable surprises.

Client intent, living patterns, and non-negotiables

On paper, most people want the same things: more storage, better lighting, less clutter. The nuance comes out when you watch how they live. I ask clients to keep a short usage diary for a week. How many people cook at once, how often they bake, what small appliances live on the counter. For a bath, I ask when the shower runs longest, whether they soak, where hair tools plug in, and whether they can give up a linen closet for a larger shower. The answers inform layout choices more than any trend list.

Budget prioritization follows naturally. A client who bakes twice a week needs counter landing zones and a quiet mixer cabinet more than a waterfall edge. A family with one bathroom needs speed and redundancy during construction. When I worked a small bathroom remodeling Lansing project near Old Town, the homeowners valued a heated floor and a taller toilet over a niche-packed shower wall. We reallocated tile costs to the floor heat and everyone slept better.

Scope and limits: write them down

Creeping scope kills schedules. I write a preconstruction memo that distinguishes baseline scope, alternates, and explicitly excluded items. It keeps decisions visible and prevents last-minute swaps that ripple through trades.

For example, swapping a slide-in range for a 36-inch gas cooktop and wall oven late in the game sounds small. In practice it changes electrical requirements, cabinet sizes, ventilation CFM and ducting, and sometimes hood clearance to a window casing. In a bathroom, moving the toilet six inches may mean a new branch in the main stack and a joist repair where the old flange sat. Spell it out, price it, and tie it to a date when choices become final.

Structural reality: floors, walls, and loads

Kitchens and baths put concentrated weight on relatively small footprints. Stone tops, islands, tubs full of water, and tile all add up. Before a single cabinet drawing is locked, I run joist calculations. An 80-gallon tub can add 650 to 700 pounds when filled with a person in it. Old 2x8s spanning 12 feet might be fine, but not if there’s prior notching or a missing blocking bay under the tub. In a 1955 ranch on the west side of Lansing, we sistered two joists under a new alcove tub and added solid blocking under a refrigerator nook to stop a subtle bounce that would have cracked grout.

Walls deserve the same care. Kitchens sometimes carry a pollen of soffits and lowered ceilings. Before you promise a clean open kitchen, confirm whether that soffit hides vent stacks, bath fan ducts, or an ancient BX cable spider. When removing a wall, confirm whether it bears load. In older houses, stairs or roof lines can push surprising loads into interior partitions. If there’s any doubt, involve an engineer. The fee is cheaper than adding steel after drywall.

Mechanical systems: capacity and code

Think of mechanicals in terms of capacity and compatibility. Many homes in the Lansing area bathroom remodeling lansing mi still carry 100-amp panels. A modern kitchen might call for two 20-amp small appliance circuits, a 240-volt range, a dishwasher, microwave, disposal, undercabinet lighting, and a future-proof line for a beverage center. Bathrooms need dedicated 20-amp GFCI-protected circuits, lighting on separate switches, and vent fans that actually move air in January.

Dryer vents and bath vents often terminate into the attic in older homes, which is a recipe for mold. A proper bath fan should vent to the exterior with smooth-walled duct, sealed connections, and a termination that won’t ice up. If the bath sits in the center of the house, plan the route during preconstruction, not after drywall. In winter, long bath fan runs in unconditioned space can sweat. I wrap those ducts with insulation and specify fans rated for the run length.

For plumbing, check supply size and water quality. Hard water is common, which chews through cartridges and leaves scale on new shower glass. Recommend a softener if the client doesn’t have one. For drains, older cast iron stacks are a love-hate story. They are quiet and durable, until a single cracked hub leaks in the wall. If the bath remodel opens the stack, consider replacing to the nearest joint you can reach comfortably. It’s easier now than later.

Ventilation and makeup air for kitchens

Range hoods generate debate. The larger the CFM, the better it clears smoke and moisture, but at some point you need makeup air to replace what you pull out. Local code often requires makeup air around 400 CFM and above. If your client wants a 900 CFM pro-style hood, you are planning for a powered makeup air damper tied to the hood controls and tempered air if you don’t want an icy draft. In a Lansing winter, drawing 600 cubic feet of 10-degree air into a kitchen is a lesson you only want to learn once. When a client insists on high CFM but cooks lightly, consider a quieter, right-sized unit and emphasize capture efficiency over raw draw.

Duct runs matter more than brand names. Short, straight, smooth metal duct to the exterior with a gentle elbow beats a tortuous run every time. If the layout forces a long path, upsize the duct diameter and calculate equivalent length. Transitions hidden in soffits become permanent once cabinets go in, so plan and pre-build that chase.

Waterproofing strategy that survives years, not seasons

Waterproofing failures are the most expensive callbacks. Pick a system and own it. For tub surrounds and showers, I favor a continuous membrane approach, either a sheet system with factory corners or a liquid-applied membrane with sufficient mil thickness, not the quick coat some crews slap on. Cement board is not waterproof. It is a good substrate that needs a barrier on the wet side. For niches, preformed pans save heartache and time.

Slope directions get surprisingly little attention. Shower floors need a consistent quarter-inch per foot slope to the drain. Linear drains simplify tile layout but force rethinking the floor joist direction and subfloor thickness. I still remember a Victorian bath in REO Town where we rotated the drain to align with joists, avoiding a notch that would have haunted the house.

At tubs, pay attention to the transition from tub deck to wall tile. If there is no tub tiling flange, add one or choose a unit that includes it. That joint is where amateur waterproofing fails, and it is often at knee height where splash hits hardest.

Electrical planning for real daily use

Lighting improves both safety and pride. Layer it. General lighting with cans or low-profile surface fixtures, task lighting under cabinets, and a few accent spots where it counts. I often specify a 4000K source in kitchens to balance daylight and stainless hues. In baths, 2700K to 3000K near mirrors flatters skin tone. Vanity lights should be placed so faces are illuminated from both sides or a broad even source, not a single downlight that creates raccoon eyes.

Outlets deserve just as much thought. In a kitchen, space them within code but bias placement to where real appliances land. Plan for a plug inside a pantry or broom closet for a stick vacuum. Add an outlet in a cabinet for a charging drawer if the family’s phones cluster on the island. In bathrooms, put a GFCI outlet near the vanity but avoid cord drape over sinks. If there’s a bidet seat, that outlet needs to be GFCI and often on the left or right depending on the hose layout, not dead center behind the tank.

Materials: lifespan, lead times, and install realities

The specs list tells only part of the story. You need to understand what it’s like to cut, fasten, and maintain the materials you recommend.

Quartz counters install quickly and avoid sealing, but not all quartz tolerates high heat. Educate clients to use trivets. Natural stone brings drama and requires sealing and edge care. Porcelain slabs can be stunning in showers and as counters, but few fabricators in smaller markets are set up to handle them, which affects schedule.

Tile size drives layout and labor. Large format tile shortens grout lines but demands a flatter substrate. If the floor is out of plane, you earn nothing by forcing 24 by 48s into a room that wants 12 by 24s. For shower floors, small mosaics give grip on slopes. When clients push for large tile on a floor that slopes to a linear drain, test it dry on site. If lippage looks bad at the dry fit, it will look worse when grouted.

Cabinet lead times vary. Stock lines might be two to four weeks. Semi-custom can run eight to twelve, and custom can stretch further. In the height of building season, tack on extra. If you’re scheduling an eight-week kitchen, make sure your cabinet ship date arrives before you demo. I have seen too many jobs languish because a single specialty panel went missing and a pantry couldn’t be closed.

Permits, inspections, and local nuance

Every jurisdiction reads the book a little differently. In Lansing proper, inspectors tend to emphasize electrical safety and venting details in kitchens, and they will look closely at GFCI and AFCI protection, hood make-up air thresholds, and bath fan termination. Some townships nearby may be stricter on structural changes. I get permits early and invite inspectors in for a pre-inspection conversation when the scope is unusual. They appreciate being consulted, and you learn what they care about before you frame.

For homeowners searching for a contractor Lansing MI to handle kitchen remodeling or bathroom remodeling, ask how they navigate permits. A confident answer signals experience. The best bathroom remodeling Lansing crews I’ve seen are those who can show you previous inspection sign-offs and explain why they located a fan here and not there.

Logistics, neighbors, and dust

Remodeling is theater production mixed with carpentry. If you want a clean show, choreograph. Decide where materials will stage, where the dumpster sits, and which entry becomes the job entrance. Protect floors from the door to the work area. Zip walls at the edges of the workspace minimize dust drift, but the real win is source capture, not only barriers. Use a negative air setup with a HEPA extractor during demo. Sub out drywall sanding to a finisher who uses vacuum sanders, or do it yourself with proper extraction. You’ll finish faster because you’re not cleaning twice.

Neighbors matter in tight streets. In downtown Lansing, alleys are narrow and driveways shared. Leave a note with start dates, expected working hours, and a contact number. A neighbor who knows what to expect is less likely to complain about a parked trailer for two weeks.

Temporary setups that keep people sane

Losing a kitchen or the only shower can break a good mood fast. On kitchen remodeling Lansing MI projects, I set a temporary kitchen in a garage or dining room with a folding table, microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker, and a big plastic tub for dishwashing in a laundry sink. Move the fridge just once if you can, and protect floors on the path. For bathrooms, a temporary shower can be a lifesaver, but often the fix is schedule tightness, not a workaround. If the home has just one bath, plan a Friday demo, set the shower pan or tub Monday, tile Tuesday and Wednesday, grout Thursday, and install fixtures Friday. It’s a sprint, but it respects the household.

Measuring, templates, and rough-in precision

Measure twice is a cliché because it saves money. I measure three times for appliance openings. That fridge spec with a 1/8-inch clearance on each side is a trap. House walls are rarely perfect. Leave real breathing room and plan side filler panels that can adjust.

For vanities with vessel sinks, faucet spout reach must match bowl diameter. I’ve seen beautiful combos where the water barely clears the rim. Mock it up on a workbench with cardboard cutouts. For wall-mounted faucets, set rough-in so the finished tile surface lands at the valve’s sweet spot. That means adding the tile and thinset thickness to your measurement before roughing the depth. Nothing kills momentum like opening a finished wall to move a valve by half an inch.

Tile layouts deserve a dry run. Centering a shower niche between studs looks good on paper until you see where grout lines fall. I tape tile to walls before backer board goes up, mark centerlines, and shift stud blocks to land the niche in a meaningful place.

Lead, asbestos, and other silent guests

If the home predates 1978, assume lead paint until testing proves otherwise. Kitchens and baths often have multiple layers of old finishes. Use EPA RRP practices. Negative air, proper containment, and HEPA vacuums protect everyone. Asbestos can hide in old vinyl floor tiles, mastics, and pipe insulation. If your crew suspects it, stop, test, and abate with a licensed contractor. The cost stings, but the risk isn’t theoretical.

Weather, humidity, and seasonal moves

Michigan seasons play a role. Winter air is dry, which can shrink wood and make new cabinet doors shift. Summer humidity can swell doors and slow thinset cure times. I store wood products on site for a few days to acclimate, keep the space near operating temperature, and avoid scheduling critical grout or hardwood finish days when the humidity spikes. During winter, protect pipes in exterior walls of baths. If the only logical vanity wall is exterior, build a service chase and insulate behind the plumbing, not around it.

Communication cadence and decision boards

Remodels involve a stack of small decisions that become large when neglected. I run weekly site meetings with the client, ten to twenty minutes, at a predictable time. We walk the space, confirm what happened, what’s next, and which decisions are now urgent. A simple decision board on site holds paint chips, tile, lighting, and hardware. If a change request comes up, I price it quickly and log it, then move on. Surprises lose their sting when they’re managed in the open.

Schedules that absorb hits without collapsing

A schedule is a prediction, not a guarantee. Build in buffers at the handoff points: after demo, after rough-in inspections, after tile delivery. These are the moments most likely to slip. If you’re a contractor, explain these buffers to clients so they understand you’re not wasting time, you’re absorbing risk. For a typical kitchen, I’ll pad three to five days across the whole schedule. For baths, two to three. If nothing slips, you finish “early,” which is to say on time.

Punch, warranty, and teaching the space

At the end, walk with blue tape and a short list, not a novel. I prefer two passes: one with the client, one after subs fix items, then a final check. Provide a packet with appliance manuals, maintenance notes for counters and tile, and the paint and grout colors used. Teach the client the space. Show them the GFCI reset locations, how to remove and clean the hood baffles, how to squeegee a shower, and where the main shutoffs sit. Warranties feel more valuable when paired with clear instructions.

A compact pre-remodel checklist for kitchens and baths

Verify structure and services: joist sizing, subfloor condition, load walls, panel capacity, vent routes, water pressure, and drain condition. Lock scope and selections: appliances, fixtures, hood CFM and makeup air plan, cabinets, counters, tile, waterproofing system, lighting layout. Plan logistics: staging, protection, dust control, dumpster, parking, neighbor notice, temporary kitchen or bath strategy. Coordinate trades and inspections: permit path, rough-in windows, inspection timing, special order lead times, and critical path buffers. Document everything: dimensioned drawings, rough-in heights, finished floor elevations, valve depths, outlet locations, and change orders.

Lansing-specific notes that pay off

Homes in the Lansing area straddle several eras. In Eastside neighborhoods, you’ll find original plaster, narrow studs, and shallow plumbing walls. In newer subdivisions, you’ll see engineered joists and better panel capacity but long spans that make floor flatness a concern for large format tile. When you market kitchen remodeling Lansing MI or bathroom remodeling Lansing MI services, lead with your familiarity with these patterns. For small bathroom remodeling Lansing projects especially, a thoughtful layout and storage strategy beat square footage. Recessed medicine cabinets, pocket doors when wall structure allows, and a single-slab vanity top with an integrated sink can make a compact bath feel deliberate, not compromised.

Clients searching for the best bathroom remodeling Lansing will look for proof that you sweat the details outlined above. Show them jobs where you resolved venting in winter, sistered joists under a clawfoot tub, or delivered a tight schedule in a one-bath home. The pre-remodel prep is the signature. It doesn’t sit on a shelf, but everyone feels it.

When the prep is right, demo day feels quiet. Trades arrive in order. Appliances fit without grinding cabinet sides. Showers drain as intended, and mold never gets a foothold. That’s not luck. It’s the product of dozens of calm decisions made before the first tool leaves the truck.

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Pub: 15 Aug 2025 13:28 UTC

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