Bathroom remodeling and repair in Oakland

Oakland bathroom remodels start with a permit

Oakland requires a building permit for any kitchen or bathroom remodel, issued before construction begins. For buildings other than a house or duplex, separate mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits are also required, and Design Review can come into play when the work expands the building envelope. A lot of bathroom trouble is smaller than a remodel, though: failed caulk, cracked grout, a toilet rocking on its flange.

Remodel work is contracted through our licensed partner Bay Builder Inc, so the paperwork lines up with the job. For a leak, send photos of the shower corners and the base; re-caulking and regrouting often stop it without tearing anything out. If demolition uncovers soft framing or old damage, you see it and approve the fix before the wall is closed.

Worth knowing about Oakland

• About 76.7% of Oakland's 191,713 housing units were built before 1980, and 37.2% in 1939 or earlier, more than in any later decade.
• West Oakland holds the city's oldest neighborhoods; Oakland Point, today's Prescott, was built up by the end of the 1870s with Italianate, Stick and Queen Anne houses.
• In the hills that burned in 1991, many homes were built on platforms over canyon walls or in levels stepping down the slope, often with the garage at street level.