A one-day install has no slack in it. There is no day two to absorb a delay, so the small things matter more than they would on a two-week job. None of this is difficult and most of it takes half an hour, but doing it means the day runs the way it is supposed to.

The week before

  • Confirm the date and arrival window with Michael, and confirm who will be home. Someone needs to be present at the start for the walk-through and at the end for the handover.
  • If you are in a condo, handle the building. This is the item most likely to derail a day. Notify the association, submit any required paperwork, reserve the service elevator if one is needed, and confirm the permitted work hours. Some Boca Raton and Highland Beach buildings require several days of notice, and arriving without approval means being turned away at the door.
  • Confirm your finish selection. Panels are ordered to your choice, so this must be settled well before the date.
  • Arrange pets. Doors will be open, tools will be on the floor, and there will be unfamiliar people moving through. A closed room with water and a bed, or a day elsewhere, is safer for everyone.
  • Plan your parking. A spot close to the entrance shortens every trip carrying materials and reduces the time the door is propped open.

The day before

Empty the bathroom completely

Completely means completely. Everything out of the shower and tub, off the counter, and off any shelving on the walls being worked on. Take the contents of the vanity out too, since it may need to be worked around and things stored inside it can shift and break.

Do the same with towels, bath mats, the shower curtain and rod, wall art, and anything hanging on the back of the door. If it can be knocked, it should not be there.

Clear the route

Walk the path from your front door to the bathroom and remove everything from it. Rugs and runners, side tables, umbrella stands, plants, and anything fragile within arm's reach of that route. Panels are long and rigid, and they have to be carried in.

If the route passes a stairwell, a tight corner, or a doorway that is narrower than usual, mention it to Michael in advance rather than on the morning.

Protect what stays

We bring floor protection and lay it, but you know your home. Anything genuinely precious near the route or the bathroom is best moved to another room for the day rather than covered in place.

The morning of

  • Take a shower first, early. Water will be off to the bathroom for part of the day. Get your day started before the crew arrives.
  • Know where your water shut-off is, and tell Michael. If you do not know, find it the day before rather than needing it under pressure.
  • Clear the sink and counter of anything that reappeared overnight.
  • Decide on a second bathroom for the day and make sure it is stocked with towels and soap.
  • Turn off any smart thermostat schedule that would run the air handler hard, and consider closing the bathroom return vent if there is one, which reduces the small amount of dust that does get generated from circulating.
  • Have a plan for lunch that does not require the crew to leave and come back. They will generally work through.

What we bring, so you do not need to

Floor and doorway protection, all tools, all materials, a vacuum, and everything required to remove debris. You do not need to supply anything, and you do not need to clean up afterwards. Every piece of packaging and every offcut leaves with us.

What to expect during the day

There will be noise, most of it in the morning during tub removal and plumbing work. It is nothing like tile demolition, and there is no jackhammering, but it is not silent.

Water to the bathroom will be off for part of the day. Michael will tell you when, and it is generally a few hours rather than the whole day. There will be people moving in and out, so the front door will open repeatedly, which matters in August in South Florida for your air conditioning.

You do not need to supervise. Most clients go about their day, and a few sit in with a coffee and watch, which is entirely welcome.

At handover

Walk the finished shower with Michael properly rather than glancing at it. Ask him when it is ready to use, which is usually the same evening but depends on sealant cure. Ask how to clean it, which takes about thirty seconds to explain. And ask him to leave any usable offcuts, because having matching material on hand turns a future accident into a simple repair.