The order of a bathroom renovation

Demolition, then rough-in before everything else

Once the existing surfaces are stripped out, rough-in plumbing is almost always the first trade in, ahead of the electrician and well ahead of the tiler. The supply and drain lines need to be in place while the walls and floor are still open.

It's also the moment when a drain relocation, if one is needed, gets confirmed or turns out to be impossible — not after the tile layout has been picked around a location that won't actually work.

The inspection before the walls close

Before the drywall goes up, the installation is pressure-tested and usually photographed. It's the last point where fixing a mistake costs the price of a visit, rather than the price of reopening a finished wall.

Closing the walls before this step, to save time on the schedule, almost always ends up costing more later.

Tile, cabinetry and the plumber's schedule

The tiler needs the final positions before laying the floor or the walls; the cabinetmaker, before building the vanity, needs to know exactly where the supply stub-outs and the drain sit. The plumber's return visit for finishing — connecting the sink, toilet and faucets — comes after both of those steps, never before.

A project that keeps this order avoids most callbacks; one that scrambles it usually ends up drilling into a module that's already installed.