If you live in Sheboygan and you are planning a kitchen or bathroom remodel, you have probably already noticed that the hard part is not picking tile. It is finding a contractor who will show up, tell you the truth about the job, and still be answering the phone when the last cabinet door is hung.
Bartow Builders is based in Manitowoc, a short drive up the lakeshore, and we remodel homes across Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties. This article covers what a good kitchen or bathroom remodel in Sheboygan should look like from the homeowner’s side — and the questions worth asking any contractor, including us.
Kitchens and bathrooms are the hardest rooms to remodel
There is a reason these two rooms cause the most stress. They pack more trades into less space than any other part of the house. Framing, electrical, tile, cabinets, countertops, fixtures and finish carpentry all have to happen in a set order, often in a room you use every day.
When that order slips, the job stalls. The countertop cannot be measured until the cabinets are set. The backsplash cannot go up until the countertop is in. A single late delivery can leave you without a working kitchen for an extra week. So the most important thing a contractor brings to these rooms is not a particular product. It is the ability to run the sequence.
Bathroom remodeling in Sheboygan, WI: what to settle first
Most bathroom decisions come down to a few early choices that drive everything else.
Keep the layout or change it? Leaving the toilet, shower and vanity where they are keeps the job simpler. Moving them opens up more design options but touches more of the house. Decide this first, because it shapes the rest of the plan.
Tub or shower? Many homeowners are trading a tub they never use for a larger walk-in shower. If there is only one tub in the house, think about who might need it later before taking it out.
Think about the long run. A low or curbless shower entry, solid backing in the walls for future grab bars, and a slightly wider door cost little to include during a remodel and a lot to add afterward. Brandon Bartow is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) through the National Association of Home Builders, and it is worth raising on any bathroom remodel.
Our bathroom remodeling page walks through how we run these jobs from start to finish.
Kitchen remodeling in Sheboygan: where the decisions really are
Kitchen plans tend to start with finishes, but the decisions that drive the job come earlier.
How you actually cook. Where you prep, where the dishes pile up, where people stand when they are in the way. A layout built around that works better than one built around a photo.
Cabinets first. Cabinets set the layout, the storage and a large part of how the room feels. Countertops, backsplash and hardware follow from them, so they are worth deciding together rather than one at a time.
Walls that stay or go. Opening a kitchen to the next room is a common request. Whether a wall can come out, and what it takes, is a structural question that needs an answer before design goes any further.
You can see how we approach kitchens on our kitchen remodeling page.
Questions to ask any contractor in Sheboygan
Whoever you hire, these questions get past the sales conversation quickly.
Who will be my single point of contact? You want one name, and that person should know your job.
Who does the work? Ask which parts are done by the contractor’s own people and which by outside trades, and how long they have worked together.
What does the written scope include? A clear written scope before work begins protects both of you. Vague paperwork up front means arguments later.
How are changes handled? You will change your mind about something. Ask how changes are priced and approved before they happen.
Can I see finished work? Photos are a start. A real project you can look at is better. Our project galleries show kitchens and bathrooms we have finished.
Hiring a builder from up the lakeshore
Distance matters less than people expect along the lakeshore. What matters is whether a contractor runs your job the same way wherever it is — the same paperwork, the same point of contact, the same standards. Ask any contractor who is not in Sheboygan how they handle that. Bartow Builders has been building and remodeling in this part of Wisconsin since 1999, and our earlier article on building and remodeling in Sheboygan County covers what to know about working in the county more broadly.
Common questions
Can I stay in my house during a kitchen remodel?
Most people do. Plan a temporary kitchen somewhere else in the house — a microwave, a coffee maker and a place to wash dishes go a long way.
Can you remodel a bathroom and kitchen at the same time?
Yes, and sometimes it saves time because the trades are already on site. It also means more of the house is torn up at once, so it is worth talking through.
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
It depends on the size of the room, whether the layout changes, and how fast selections are made. A good contractor gives you a schedule once the scope is settled, not before.
Talk to us about your kitchen or bathroom
Tell us what is not working in the room today and what you want it to do. We will come look at it and tell you plainly what it involves. Start at Let’s Get Started, or call 920-682-7100.