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

Alec's Construction remodels bathrooms in Setauket (11733), 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 Setauket

Setauket bathrooms range from 1700s houses to 1970s colonials, and the approach changes with the age. Around the village green and along Main Street and Old Town Road, the 1700s and 1800s houses sit on stone foundations with framing never designed for plumbing, so every bathroom in them is a later insertion. Floors sag, walls lean out of plumb, and drain lines have been routed through beams in ways that weaken them. A remodel there is as much carpentry as tile. Running a fan duct through a slate or cedar roof on one of these houses is something to avoid, so we look for a wall route instead. South toward Route 25A, the 1960s and 70s colonials under oak and tulip trees have ordinary second-floor baths due for updating. Along Shore Road and the low harbor streets, the mapped flood zone applies to any bath on the lowest floor.

What We Look at First in Setauket

We settle the building department early, since most of Setauket files with the Town of Brookhaven at Independence Hill, while the Village of Poquott and the Village of Old Field run their own. In the old houses we look closely at the beams and joists under the bathroom for past cuts made for pipes. In the newer colonials we check the subfloor at the toilet and tub.

Older Houses on the North Shore Hills

The harbor hamlets have a lot of older houses — village houses, early colonials and post-war capes on sloped lots — and older bathrooms hide older plumbing. Cast-iron stacks and galvanized supply lines are common, and galvanized pipe narrows from the inside until the shower runs weak. When the walls are open, that is the cheapest moment to replace it.

Older floors are rarely flat. A bathroom floor that has dipped over decades needs the subfloor and the joists checked and leveled before tile goes down, or the tile cracks along the low spot within a season or two.

Plaster walls are another difference. They are solid and quiet, but they do not take a modern waterproofing system the way cement board does, so the wet walls of the shower are usually opened to the studs and rebuilt properly, while the dry walls can often be kept and repaired.

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 Setauket

Setauket and East Setauket file with the Town of Brookhaven at Independence Hill in Farmingville; the Village of Poquott on the harbour and the Village of Old Field to the west run their own building departments. The harbour-front and Conscience Bay streets are in the mapped flood zone. 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 Setauket, 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 Setauket house is from the 1800s. Can a bathroom be added without damaging its character?

Usually, with care about where it goes. We look for a spot where the drain can reach the stack without cutting major beams, often over or beside an existing bath or kitchen. Fixtures and tile can be chosen to suit an older house, and exhaust can go out a side wall instead of an old roof. The structural work, reinforcing joists and leveling floors, happens out of sight before the finishes go in.

Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Setauket?

It depends on the scope. Replacing fixtures and finishes in place usually does not need one. Moving plumbing, adding a bathroom, changing walls or adding circuits does. We tell you which side of the line your plan is on during the walkthrough and file the permit if it is needed.

How do you keep a new bathroom in Setauket 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.

Who issues the permit for bathroom remodeling work in Setauket?

Setauket and East Setauket file with the Town of Brookhaven at Independence Hill in Farmingville; the Village of Poquott on the harbour and the Village of Old Field to the west run their own building departments. The harbour-front and Conscience Bay streets are in the mapped flood zone. 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 Setauket through the cold months: Kitchen Remodeling and Basement Finishing.

Also Serving Setauket

Talk to Alec's Construction About Bathroom Remodeling in Setauket

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.