Newly tiled walk-in shower in a remodeled Long Island bathroom

Alec's Construction remodels bathrooms in Babylon, Suffolk County — full guts, tub-to-shower conversions, layout changes and the plumbing, ventilation and waterproofing behind them — working out of the yard in East Patchogue. Bathrooms are indoor work from the first day, which is why they run through our winter calendar.

Bathrooms in Babylon

Babylon village bathrooms range from the original tiled baths in the 1920s colonials north of Montauk Highway — pedestal sinks, hex-tile floors, cast-iron tubs worth keeping — to the post-war hall baths on the canal streets. The canal-side houses that took water in 2012 often had the bathroom rebuilt quickly at the time, and a decade on the quick rebuild is what needs redoing properly.

Old-House Bathrooms Were Fitted In, Not Designed In

In the village cores the bathrooms were added to houses built before indoor plumbing, which means the drains and vents run wherever they could be made to fit and the floor joists were notched to make them fit. Opening the floor in one of these bathrooms tells you what the job really is — sometimes a joist sistered here and there, sometimes a floor system that has to be rebuilt before it can carry a tiled shower.

Some of these bathrooms have original tile and fixtures worth keeping. We will tell you honestly which, and we bring the village building department in from the start on any plumbing alteration.

What a Bathroom Remodel Is, in Order

1. Demolition to the studs, and an honest look at what is behind the walls and under the floor. 2. Rough plumbing and electrical — drains, vents, the valve, a dedicated circuit for the fan and the outlets, and the fan ducted to the outside. 3. Inspection, before anything is closed. 4. Cement board and a waterproofing membrane in the wet areas, a proper pan under the shower. 5. Tile, then the fixtures, then the vanity, the trim and the paint.

Framed and insulated Long Island basement wall going up in winter

Permits in Babylon

The Village of Babylon runs its own building department separately from the Town of Babylon, so which one applies depends on the address. Replacing fixtures in place does not usually need a permit; moving plumbing, changing electrical or altering framing does. We file for what needs it and get the rough inspection before the walls close.

Book It for the Winter

One bathroom at a time, the materials ordered before the demolition, and a usable toilet and shower every night if the house has only one. A remodel that starts in January is done before the spring.

Free walkthrough in Babylon. Alex looks at the floor, the plumbing wall, the fan and the layout, and you get a written scope and the photographs whether or not you hire us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the original tile in my Babylon colonial bathroom worth saving?

Sometimes, and it is worth an honest look before it is demolished. The 1920s tiled bathrooms in Babylon village have hex-tile floors and wall tile set in a mortar bed that has lasted a century because it was done properly. If the substrate is sound and the layout works, restoring it — regrouting, replacing broken tiles, new fixtures — is a real option. If the floor is soft or the layout has to change, it comes out. We will tell you which on the walkthrough.

Can a tub be converted to a walk-in shower?

Yes, and it is the most common request. The tub comes out, the plumbing wall is opened to move the drain and the valve, a proper shower pan and a waterproofing membrane go in, and the shower is tiled with a curb or curbless depending on the floor framing. Grab bars, a bench and a niche go in at the framing stage, not after.

Does a bathroom remodel need a permit?

Replacing fixtures in place generally does not. Moving plumbing, changing the electrical, altering the framing or changing the layout does, in every Suffolk town and village. We file for the work that needs it and get the rough inspection before the walls are closed, because a bathroom that fails inspection after the tile is on is an expensive bathroom.

How long does a bathroom remodel take?

A full gut of a standard hall bath is a few weeks of work once the materials are on site — demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, inspection, cement board and waterproofing, tile, fixtures, trim and paint. The variable is the materials lead time, which is why we order everything before demolition starts so the house is not without a bathroom while a vanity ships.

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Work With Alec's Construction

This guide is written by the crew that does the work. See Alec's Bathroom Remodeling service — full gut renovations, tile, plumbing and vanities. Licensed and insured on Long Island, one crew start to finish, free walkthrough and a written estimate inside 48 hours.

Booking the cold months now: we also handle Kitchen Remodeling and Painting.

Get a Free Estimate from Alec's Construction

Working across Suffolk County since 2018, one crew from start to finish. We come out, look at the actual job, and put a written number in your hand — no pressure, no obligation.

Or call (631) 312-7441

No cost, no obligation. We reply the same day.