Completed Bathroom Reconstruction Case Study
Big Horn Remodeling rebuilt this Downtown Las Vegas bathroom after concealed plumbing from an unpermitted house flip failed and caused significant water damage. The insurance-managed scope included remaining demolition, tub removal, an approximately eight-inch shower expansion, drain relocation, repiping, an added shower control, water-supply calculations, waterproofing, a 24-hour pan test, tile, glass, vanity installation, and finish work.
The active construction scope was completed in 30 days for approximately $30,000. This page documents one completed project; for broader planning, service scope, and pricing guidance, see Big Horn Remodeling's bathroom remodeling in Las Vegas service page.
What this project proves
The Starting Point: A Failed Flip And An Unfinished Insurance Rebuild
The plumbing failure was hidden behind the shower mixer valve. The homeowner had purchased a flipped property, but the prior bathroom renovation had been done without permits and with poor workmanship. About a year after move-in, a poorly made copper coupling failed behind the wall and released water into the assembly.
The insurance carrier sent a remediation company to dry the space and remove damaged materials, but remediation took out only roughly the lower two feet of shower tile. Substantial demolition, investigation, reconstruction, and finish work still remained when Big Horn became involved. The homeowner had also changed contractors after the first selected contractor made little progress over two to three weeks.
Concealed failure
The failed copper coupling sat behind the shower mixer valve, where the problem was not visible during normal use.
Project takeover
Big Horn took control of the remaining scope, permit path, inspection sequence, material coordination, and completion schedule.
Layout Correction: Removing The Tub To Expand The Shower
The original wet-room layout placed a tub inside the shower area. While a tub can work in a wet room with enough space, it made this shower feel unnecessarily confined. Big Horn removed the tub and used the recovered space to increase the shower footprint by approximately eight inches.
The change was not a full structural redesign. It corrected a practical layout problem while the room was already open for reconstruction, giving the finished bathroom clearer circulation and a more comfortable shower footprint.
Technical Scope: Correcting The Hidden Work Before Rebuilding The Finishes
This was not a simple tile repair. Before the visible finishes could return, Big Horn had to complete the remaining demolition, correct the source plumbing condition, relocate the drain, rebuild the shower system, coordinate the permit and inspection sequence, and create a new waterproofed assembly.
Plumbing Permit, Rough Inspection, And A 24-Hour Pan Test
Big Horn pulled a plumbing permit because the project changed concealed plumbing, including the shower drain location, repiping, and an additional shower valve and control arrangement. The permit documentation also needed to show that the existing water supply could support the rain shower and second shower outlet when used at the same time.
The rough or top-out inspection kept the new lines, drain relocation, and repiping visible for review before the work was covered. After waterproofing, an inflatable test ball was placed in the drain and the shower pan held water for 24 hours before tile was installed. For broader guidance on similar permit triggers, see Big Horn's bathroom permits and inspection planning.
Waterproofing: Build And Test The Assembly Before Tile
The waterproofing strategy combined a Kerdi shower-pan system with DensShield wall board, AquaDefense membrane in the wet areas, and felt reinforcement at the seams. The sequence was deliberate: finish the concealed plumbing, prepare the substrates, waterproof the assembly, verify the pan with a 24-hour water test, and only then move into tile and glass.
Finish Selections: Green Tile, Graphite Flooring, And Brushed-Gold Details
The client selected finishes that keep the room bright while giving it a warmer contrast: a gray floating double vanity, white countertop and backsplash, graphite floor tile, glossy green shower walls, brushed-gold fixtures, and frameless glass. The completed room also includes paired framed mirrors, clear-glass vanity lights, a recessed niche, a rain shower, and a handheld shower.
Why A Small Matte Shower Mosaic Was A Practical Safety Choice
The homeowner was elderly and wanted a shower floor that felt less slippery in daily use. Big Horn recommended a small-format matte mosaic because the additional grout joints create more texture underfoot than a large polished tile with fewer joints. The choice supported traction without turning the bathroom into an institutional-looking accessibility project.
The main bathroom floor uses the larger graphite tile for a cleaner visual field, while the shower changes to the smaller matching mosaic where wet-foot traction matters most.
Insurance Bid Process And Contractor Takeover
The insurance carrier asked the homeowner to obtain three bids from reputable local contractors. Big Horn was the middle bid. The homeowner selected Big Horn based on prior familiarity with the company, its online reputation, clear pricing, and confidence in the proposed solution.
The work was not merely tile installation. It required stabilizing a stalled project, creating a complete scope for labor and materials, coordinating the permit and inspection sequence, solving the plumbing and layout issues, and delivering a completed bathroom within the required timeframe.
Timeline: 30 Active Construction Days
Big Horn completed the active reconstruction in 30 days. The schedule was aggressive for a takeover project involving demolition, permitted plumbing, inspection timing, waterproofing, a 24-hour pan test, tile installation, fixture trim, vanity work, and frameless glass.
Project Investment: Approximately $30,000
The completed project investment was approximately $30,000. That figure reflects this specific insurance-related reconstruction, including remaining demolition, tub removal, shower expansion, permitted plumbing, drain relocation, repiping, water-supply calculations, waterproofing, pan testing, tile, vanity, fixtures, glass, labor, materials, cleanup, and finish work.
A completed-project example
Finished Result: A More Open Bathroom On Corrected, Tested Plumbing
The final bathroom is brighter, more open, and more useful than the confined wet-room layout that failed. Removing the tub gave the shower approximately eight more inches, while frameless glass preserves sightlines through the room. The floating vanity keeps more floor visible, the white countertop balances the graphite floor, and the brushed-gold fixtures add warmth against the green tile.
More importantly, the visible finishes now sit over corrected and inspected plumbing, a documented shower-water-supply plan, a rebuilt waterproofing assembly, and a shower pan that held water for 24 hours before tile.
Homebuyer Lesson: Verify The Work Behind A Flipped Home
A recently flipped home can look finished while still containing unpermitted or poorly executed work behind the walls. Before purchasing, buyers should ask which permits were pulled, which licensed trades completed plumbing and electrical work, whether wet areas were waterproofed and tested, and whether inspection records exist for concealed changes.
After purchase, unexplained moisture, loose trim, inconsistent caulking, slow drains, unusual valve behavior, staining, or repeated repairs deserve attention. A permit record does not guarantee perfection, but it creates inspection checkpoints and reduces the risk that critical concealed work was completed without oversight.
Project Location Map
This project was completed in the Downtown Las Vegas and central Las Vegas area. The exact street address is withheld for client privacy.
Related Project And Planning Links
Moisture and pan-test example
Compare this project with Big Horn's Tule Springs tub-to-shower conversion for another moisture-damage and 24-hour water-test case.
Shower expansion example
Review the primary bathroom remodel with a marble shower for a different tub-removal and shower-expansion project.
Bathroom planning hub
Use the bathroom remodel service page for broader planning, waterproofing standards, and pricing context.
