A bathroom remodel is a sequence. Some of the most important work — framing repairs, plumbing, waterproofing — is covered up a few days later. That is why it matters what gets checked before each step closes, and what you get to see.
This guide explains the stages every Showerly project moves through in our project system, what happens in each one, and exactly which rules the system enforces. We keep the two apart on purpose: some things are how we run the work, and a few are rules the system will not let anyone skip.
The seven stages
Every project follows the same order:
- Scheduled
- Demolition
- Waterproofing / prep
- Installation
- Finishing
- Walkthrough
- Final approval — yours
A stage cannot start until the stages before it are closed. Only two stages can be marked "not needed": demolition (for example, a Smart Bath upgrade with nothing to tear out) and waterproofing/prep (for jobs with no wet-area work). Every other stage is completed in order.
Before anything starts
- Scope and price in writing. Your quote is built from measurements taken at the free in-home visit. Scope and price are signed before work starts, and they change only through a change order you approve in writing.
- A start date. The Scheduled stage cannot be closed until the project has a start date.
- Your cancellation period. No work stage starts until your 3-day cancellation period has ended, and materials are ordered after it ends.
Demolition
The old surround, tub or floor comes out and the space behind it is exposed. This is where hidden problems show up: rot, water damage or framing that needs attention.
If we find something nobody could see before, work stops, it is photographed, and you get a written change order with the exact price. Nothing additional is done until you approve it in writing.
The day demolition starts is also the day the second payment (30%) is due. On jobs with no demolition, it is due the day work starts.
Waterproofing / prep: the photo checkpoint
This is the layer that keeps water out of your walls and subfloor, and the one nobody can see once tile or panels go up.
What the system enforces: the waterproofing/prep stage cannot be marked complete until at least one photo of it is in your Proof Pack. No photo, no next stage.
Flood test on tile shower pans: On every Crafted Tile shower, and on any package with a tile shower floor, the pan is flood-tested: it holds water for at least 24 hours, the result is recorded with a photo in your Proof Pack, and the waterproofing/prep stage can't be closed until the latest flood test passes. A test that fails is repeated.
On tile builds, the waterproofing is a bonded membrane that meets ANSI A118.10, installed according to the membrane manufacturer's instructions. On acrylic and composite systems, the prep follows the system manufacturer's instructions.
Installation and finishing
Tile or panels, fixtures, accessories and glass go in, then grout, caulk, trim and cleanup. Your project keeps being photographed for your Proof Pack as the work moves forward.
When a plumbing or electrical permit is required, the NC-licensed plumber or electrician who performs that work pulls it, and we coordinate the process and the inspections your city or county requires.
Walkthrough
We walk through the finished bathroom with you: fixtures, glass, grout and caulk lines, and cleanup. Anything that isn't right gets written down and fixed. Closing the walkthrough is what opens the last stage.
Final approval: yours
The project is complete only when you approve it, and you sign that approval yourself in your project portal. Your approval starts your 1-year labor warranty, and only then is the last 30% due.
What you get to see
- Your stages. Your private project page shows each stage as it moves: not started, in progress, done or not needed.
- Your Proof Pack. Photos of your project, including the waterproofing/prep stage before it's covered.
- Every change in writing. Any change to scope or price comes as a change order you approve before the work.
What this is not
We don't have a separate inspection company checking our work, and we don't claim one. Permit inspections, when a permit is required, are done by your city or county. The checkpoints our system enforces are the waterproofing photo and, on tile shower pans, the flood test; the rest of this guide is how we run the work, stage by stage, and what you can verify yourself.
Questions?
Ask Mat-Black, our AI agent, any time, or book a free in-home visit. If you are comparing contractors, our guide How to Choose a Bathroom Remodeler in Raleigh: 6 Questions to Ask has the questions to bring.