Bathroom Remodeling in the Rio Grande Valley, TX
Trading your tub for a walk in shower takes five working days. In most slab houses, a recessed pan or a shallow ramp gives you an entry with no step.
We remodel bathrooms across the Rio Grande Valley, from Rio Grande City to South Padre Island. A full gut of a 5 by 8 foot bathroom takes 2 to 3 weeks. You get a line item estimate in writing, and David Aceves measures the room himself before any demolition starts.
What the job includes02
What a bathroom remodeling job with us includes
A bathroom in the Valley fails for reasons a bathroom in Dallas does not. Roof surface temperatures pass 160 degrees in summer, so the attic above your ceiling stays hot. A fan that vents into that attic turns shower steam into condensation over the drywall. Hard water scales valves and clouds shower glass within a few years. Near the coast, in Brownsville and Port Isabel, salt air pits chrome and eats the screws behind a grab bar.
- —Demolition down to the studs and subfloor, hauled off the same day
- —Soft subfloor or water damaged framing replaced before any tile goes down
- —Cement backer board and a waterproofing membrane in every wet wall
- —Shower pan built to a quarter inch of fall per foot toward the drain
- —Supply lines, shutoff valves and the drain replaced while the wall is open
- —Vanity, toilet, tub or shower, mirror, lighting and hardware set and sealed
- —Exhaust fan ducted outside through the wall or roof, never into the attic
- —2 by 6 blocking behind the tile wherever a grab bar might go later
Price range03
How much does bathroom remodeling cost in the Rio Grande Valley?
2 to 3 weeks for a full gut of a 5 by 8 foot hall bathroom
Five working days for a tub to shower conversion. Six weeks when the layout moves and the slab is opened.
Which material holds up best in Valley weather?
| Material | Holds up because | Watch out for | Best for | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porcelain tile | Fits any shower size and is the only surface that does a true curbless entry | Grout needs sealing, and labor is the larger half of what you pay | Full remodels where the shower is the centerpiece of the room | 25 years or more when the grout is maintained |
| One piece acrylic shower | Goes in during a single day and has no grout lines to scrub | Comes in fixed sizes, and the molded curb cannot be removed | Rental units and owners who need the bathroom back fast | 15 to 20 years |
| Cultured marble panels | Smooth walls with no grout, and hard water wipes off with a cloth | Few colors to pick from, and a repair patch always shows | Homes that sit closed half the year and get cleaned rarely | About 20 years |
| Waterproof vinyl plank floor | Survives a spill and feels warmer underfoot than tile in January | Any dip in the subfloor telegraphs straight through the surface | Budget refreshes where the shower stays and the floor changes | 15 to 20 years |
How we work this job04
How does the job actually run?
A written estimate before anything starts, a start date we commit to, and one person responsible from the first walkthrough to the last inspection.
- 01We measure the room and look behind itDavid measures the room and photographs what is there. He checks under the vanity and behind the shower wall for old leaks.Day 1
- 02You get the price in writing, line by lineDemolition, plumbing, tile, waterproofing, fixtures, paint and cleanup each sit on their own line. Fixture allowances are named, so you know what is covered.Before anything is ordered
- 03Demolition and rough inThe room comes down to the studs and the slab. Plumbing and electrical get moved and tested, and the shower pan goes in.Week 1
- 04Waterproofing, tile and paintThe membrane goes over the backer board and gets checked before a single tile is set. Then tile, grout, paint and trim, in that order.Week 2
- 05Fixtures, final walk and warrantyWe set the vanity, toilet and glass, then run the shower for 15 minutes and watch the ceiling below. You sign a punch list and get the warranty on paper.Handover
From the build site05
Which homes has David Aceves helped build?
Homes built by Cuates Construction, with David Aceves on the build. Look at the shower tile, the glass and the vanity work: David plans a bathroom remodeling job with that same eye.
Questions we get06
Questions homeowners ask us about this work
How many weeks does a full bathroom remodel take?
Two to three weeks for a full gut of a 5 by 8 foot hall bathroom. A tub to shower conversion runs about five working days. Moving the drain adds a week, because the slab has to be cut, patched and cured.
Can you build a walk in shower with no step in a slab house?
Yes, in most cases we recess the pan into the concrete or build a shallow ramp inside the shower. The floor still needs a quarter inch of fall per foot toward the drain. We check what your slab allows before we put a number on paper.
Do you have to cut the slab to move the toilet or the shower drain?
Only if the fixture moves more than a few inches. Cutting the slab means saw work, a new drain line, fresh concrete and a day of curing. Keeping the toilet and drain where they are is the single biggest way to hold the price down.
Will my family have a working bathroom during the job?
If your house has a second bathroom, you keep using it the whole time. Water to the house goes off only during rough plumbing, usually four to six hours on one day. In a one bathroom house we plan the order of work so you are not left without a toilet.
Does a bathroom remodel need a city permit and an inspection?
Usually yes, once plumbing or electrical work is involved. McAllen, Edinburg, Brownsville and Rio Grande City each run their own permit desk and inspection schedule. We call your city, pull the permit and meet the inspector on site, so none of that lands on you.
Why does the bathroom still smell damp after we clean it?
Most of the time the exhaust fan is too small, or it dumps into the attic instead of outside. A 5 by 8 foot bathroom needs about 80 CFM of fan, measured and not guessed. We size the fan, duct it through the wall or roof, and put it on a timer switch.
We only live here from November to March. Can the work happen while we are gone?
Yes. You get a walkthrough before you leave, plus dated photos at the end of each phase. The main water valve is shut every day the crew leaves. In an empty Mission or Weslaco house, a slow leak behind tile does the most damage.
A remodeling contractor based in Rio Grande City, working across the four Valley counties. The team is led by David Aceves, whose background is building custom homes, from the slab and the framing to the finish work.
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