Remodeled bathroom with a tiled walk-in shower, the kind of work done in Commack, New York

Alec's Construction remodels bathrooms in Commack (11725), working out of the yard in East Patchogue. A bathroom job here starts with what is behind the walls and under the floor — the drain lines, the venting, the subfloor and how the room gets rid of moisture — because those decide what the new room can be before anyone picks a tile.

Bathroom Remodeling in Commack

Commack houses were built mostly in the 1960s and 70s on generous lots, and their bathrooms were sized for that era: a hall bath, often a small bath off the main bedroom with a stall shower, and a powder room downstairs. A common request now is to enlarge the main-bedroom bath by taking in a closet or part of the hall, which turns a remodel into an alteration with framing, plumbing and electrical changes. In a colonial that bath usually sits over a first-floor room, so a larger shower means drain work inside the floor joists and a careful look at how much those joists can be cut. Commack is divided between the Town of Huntington and the Town of Smithtown, and here the split matters: Huntington requires sealed plans from an architect or engineer for larger alterations, so an expanded bath on the Huntington side can need drawings that the same job across the line would not.

What We Look at First in Commack

We start by confirming the town from the address. Then we check which way the joists run under the bath, because a new drain running with the joists is a simple job and one running across them is not. We also open up the closet or hall being absorbed to look for ducts, wiring or a plumbing chase that would have to move.

Bigger Houses, More Bathrooms

The wooded hamlets have larger houses — colonials, splits and custom builds from the 1960s through the 1990s — and they usually have more than one bathroom: a hall bath, a primary bath and a powder room. The remodel is often the primary bath, and the questions are about space and plumbing rather than squeezing.

Second-floor bathrooms sit over finished rooms, so waterproofing matters twice: a failed shower pan stains the ceiling below. A bonded waterproofing membrane under the tile and a flood test before the tile goes down are the right standard.

Older primary baths from that era often have a large corner tub nobody uses and a small shower beside it. Removing the tub for a larger walk-in shower is the most common request. The fan, the circuit for heated floors, and the water heater's capacity for a bigger shower all get checked before the plan is final.

Tiled shower and vanity in a remodeled Long Island bathroom

What a Bathroom Remodel Includes

Demolition comes first, down to the studs on the wet walls and to the subfloor under the tub or shower. That is when we see the real condition of the drains, the supply lines, the subfloor and the framing, and anything rotten or leaking gets fixed before it is covered again.

Then the rough work: plumbing moved or replaced, blocking for grab bars and the vanity, wiring for lights, outlets and the fan, and a fan duct run all the way outdoors. The shower gets cement board and a waterproofing membrane, flood-tested before the tile. Tile, fixtures, vanity, paint and trim follow, and the room is cleaned and walked with you before we leave.

Permits in Commack

Commack straddles the Town of Huntington and the Town of Smithtown, and the two do not file the same way. Huntington requires plans sealed by a licensed architect or professional engineer for alterations over ten thousand dollars; Smithtown does not have the same threshold. A cosmetic refresh usually needs no permit, but moving plumbing, adding a bathroom, changing the layout or new electrical work is permitted work in Suffolk, and we file it before the walls are closed.

Alex walks the house in Commack, photographs what he finds and gives you a written scope in the order the work has to happen — whether or not you hire us. Call (631) 312-7441 to set up a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Commack house is on the Huntington side. Does a bathroom remodel need drawings?

It depends on scope. If the fixtures stay in place and nothing structural changes, it is usually finish work and no permit is needed. Once the job moves plumbing, alters framing or enlarges the room, it is filed, and the Town of Huntington requires sealed plans from an architect or engineer for alterations above its cost threshold. We tell you which side of that line your plan falls on before anything is drawn.

How do you keep a new bathroom in Commack from getting mildew?

With ventilation and waterproofing. The exhaust fan is sized to the room and ducted outdoors, ideally on a timer or humidity switch so it keeps running after the shower. Behind the tile, a bonded membrane keeps water out of the walls. Most mildew problems trace back to a weak fan or one vented into the attic.

Can you convert a tub to a walk-in shower in Commack?

Yes, and it is the most common bathroom request we get. The tub comes out, the drain is moved to suit the shower, the walls are rebuilt with a waterproofing membrane, and the floor is sloped to the drain. A low curb or a curbless entry are both possible, depending on the floor structure.

Who issues the permit for bathroom remodeling work in Commack?

Commack straddles the Town of Huntington and the Town of Smithtown, and the two do not file the same way. Huntington requires plans sealed by a licensed architect or professional engineer for alterations over ten thousand dollars; Smithtown does not have the same threshold. A cosmetic refresh usually needs no permit, but moving plumbing, adding a bathroom, changing the layout or new electrical work is permitted work in Suffolk, and we file it before the walls are closed.

Related Guides

Work With Alec's Construction

This page is written by the crew that does the work. See Alec's Bathroom Remodeling service — layout, waterproofing and ventilation planned before the first tile. One crew from the first walkthrough to the last inspection.

Also in Commack through the cold months: Kitchen Remodeling and Basement Finishing.

Also Serving Commack

Talk to Alec's Construction About Bathroom Remodeling in Commack

We come out, look at the house, photograph what we find and put a written scope in your hand. No pressure, no obligation. Working across Suffolk County since 2018.

Or call (631) 312-7441

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