BATHROOM REMODELING
Bathroom Remodeling Contractor in
Alhambra, CA
With more than 10 years of experience, ARD Remodeling remodels bathrooms for homeowners in Alhambra, CA, from a new vanity and faucet to a rebuilt tub or shower area. Three local facts shape the plan: the age of the building, the mineral content of the water, and whether the work stays inside the existing walls or opens the framing. The free estimate sorts those out first, so the route through the city is clear before tile is chosen.
- Free estimates
- Tub, shower and vanity
- Watertight walls
- Clear written scope
Water
Alhambra's water and the finishes that cope with it
The city's 2025 water quality report says about 70 percent of the supply is local groundwater and 30 percent is imported. It lists total hardness at 240 ppm in the groundwater and 234 ppm in the imported water, and says mineral-rich water can build up scale on pipes, appliances and fixtures. For a new bathroom, that means choosing finishes you are willing to keep up.
Surfaces that wipe clean
Glass, tile and faucet finishes are matched to how much cleaning you want to do.
Parts you can reach
We favor fixtures whose aerators and cartridges can be reached and swapped later.
A softener is your call
The report notes that some households install one. If you have one, tell us so the plumbing plan allows for it.
ALHAMBRA ROUTING
Do the walls stay, or does the framing open?
A planning guide built on the city's routing table, not a ruling. The Building Division decides which approvals apply.
Walls and framing stay as they are
- The table marks a residential remodel without framing for the Planning Division only
- Fixtures, tile, vanity and finishes change inside the existing layout
Framing is opened or moved
- The table adds the Fire Department, Public Works and the Utility Division
- The table does not define framing, so we confirm with the Building Division when a plan touches studs, joists or drains
Waterproofing and drywall
The city's FAQ lists drywall work and interior waterproofing among projects that need plan approval before a permit. A new shower usually involves both.
At the estimate we compare your plan with the table and tell you which column it probably lands in.
Older homes
Bathrooms from before 1950, and what the tile may hide
The city's housing plan shows 54 percent of owner-occupied homes built before 1950. In a bathroom that old, tile and plaster can cover earlier repairs, so we look at the pipes, the wall behind the tile and the floor around the tub before the scope is final. The plan also notes that lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, which is one more reason we ask for the year the home was built.
Tell us what you know
Earlier plans, invoices and photos of past repairs show what has been changed.
Lead in old plumbing
The city's water report says lead in drinking water comes mainly from service lines and home plumbing. It lists the Utilities Department's testing line, (626) 570-3259.
The tub drain and overflow
On an older tub, the drain and overflow get a look before new tile goes up around it.
TUB OR SHOWER
Three ways to handle the bathing area in an older bath
Choose before framing and waterproofing are planned, because it changes both.
Tub-shower combination
Best for: The only bathtub in the home
- One valve and one drain serve both uses
- A tiled or solid surround on three walls
Keep in mind: A curtain or a single panel is easier to keep clear than a track door.
Walk-in shower in place of the tub
Best for: A second bath where the tub rarely gets used
- Opens up floor area in a small room
- Tile to the ceiling, with a niche
Keep in mind: The drain usually moves and the floor is rebuilt to slope, which can open framing.
Keep the tub, renew the rest
Best for: A sound tub in a small room
- New wall tile, valve and spout around the existing tub
- Floor and vanity updated to match
Keep in mind: The old drain and overflow are checked before tile goes up.
State law
California's fixture rule, for a house or for a unit
As enacted in 2009, SB 407 covers residential property built and available for use on or before January 1, 1994. For a single-family home, the permit applicant replaces all noncompliant fixtures as a condition of final permit approval. For a multifamily building, a permitted alteration to a room that holds noncompliant fixtures calls for replacing all of them in that room, and 44 percent of the city's housing units are multifamily.
What counts as noncompliant
A toilet rated above 1.6 gallons per flush, a showerhead above 2.5 gallons per minute, or an interior faucet above 2.2 gallons per minute.
Planned into the scope
When your home qualifies, the replacement fixtures are listed in the written scope from the start.
STORAGE THAT FITS
Storage for a bathroom with little floor space
Older bathrooms are often compact, and the room usually gains more from its walls than from its floor. We plan recessed shelves, a slim linen cabinet and towel hooks with the plumbing and tile layout, so storage is built in once the walls are open.
- Recessed shelvesNiches set between the studs hold towels and jars without using floor area.
- A narrow linen cabinetSlim enough for a small room, deep enough for spare towels and supplies.
- Hooks at the right heightHooks and bars go where a hand falls, not just where a stud allows.
When the hall bath serves the whole household
Before demolition we go through the stages with you and mark which ones shut off the water or block the room: opening the walls, plumbing and waterproofing, tile, and final fixtures. Then you can arrange showers elsewhere.
Line up a backup
A relative's bathroom or a gym can cover the gap. Settle it before the first day.
Tell the building
In a condo or apartment, ask your association or manager about shut-off notice and protecting hallways and floors.
BEFORE WE MEASURE
What helps us scope your bathroom
Rough answers are enough.
- 1Roughly when the house or building was built
- 2Whether you own a house, a condo or a unit in a multifamily building
- 3Whether this tub is the only one in the home
- 4Where the shut-off valves are, if you know
- 5Photos of the room from the doorway, and of the ceiling
- 6Your association's rules on work hours and shut-offs, if you have one
A rough answer works. We sort out the rest at the visit.
MORE IN THIS CITY
More Remodeling in Alhambra
Service overviewKitchen RemodelingBeautiful kitchens that bring together thoughtful design, quality materials and expert craftsmanship.See the service 
Service overviewFlooring & TileStylish, durable, and professionally installed flooring and tile for every room in your home.See the service 
Service overviewTile InstallationFloor, shower, backsplash and patio tile installed on a properly prepared surface, with clean layouts and neat grout lines.See the service 
Service overviewWhole-Home RenovationsDesign, construction and finishing details brought together into one carefully coordinated project.See the service 
Service overviewLighting InstallationRecessed lights, pendants, chandeliers, under-cabinet and outdoor lighting, wired safely and placed where it matters.See the service 
Service overviewPaintingFlawless finishes, lasting beauty, and attention to detail in every interior and exterior painting project.See the service
All remodeling in AlhambraEverything we do in this city, on one page.START WITH A PHOTO
Is the tub, the tile or the plumbing the problem?
Tell us what bothers you about the bathroom. We will say how far the work probably goes and which city checkpoints it touches.
HOW IT WORKS
How a bathroom remodeling project runs
Step 1
Look at the room and the pipes
We check the room, the visible plumbing and any signs of earlier repairs.
Step 2
Settle the layout and write it down
Tub or shower, tile, vanity and fixtures are chosen together and written into the scope.
Step 3
Match the plan to the city's table
We note whether the walls stay put or the framing opens, and what that means for the city's review.
Step 4
Build, then walk it with you
Plumbing, waterproofing, tile and fixtures go in order, and we walk the finished room with you.
Good to know
Before you start in Alhambra
Every point below comes from the source shown on its card, with the date we last checked it. Rules change, so confirm anything that affects your project directly with the source.
- Official source
Which departments see a remodel
The City's Building Plan Check Process FAQs include a table of common scopes and the approvals each needs. A residential remodel without framing is marked for the Planning Division only. Residential additions and remodels with framing are marked for Planning, the Fire Department, Public Works and the Utility Division, plus school-district approval for an addition of 500 square feet or more. The FAQ lists drywall work and interior and exterior waterproofing among common projects that need plan approval before permit issuance, and says it is the applicant's responsibility to obtain all required department and agency approvals.
City of Alhambra, Building Plan Check Process FAQs (PDF flyer) Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
What the city says about its water
The 2025 Annual Water Quality Report says the city's main source (70 percent) is local groundwater from the Main San Gabriel Water Basin, with 30 percent from a Metropolitan Water District connection. Its unregulated-substances table lists total hardness as CaCO3 at 240 ppm in the groundwater (range 160 to 290) and 234 ppm in the MWD supply (range 189 to 280). The report calls hardness a quality issue rather than a safety concern; the Utilities Department number for testing is (626) 570-3259.
City of Alhambra, 2025 Annual Water Quality Report Checked 2026-10-30 - Official source
How old the housing is
In the FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan's year-built table (2016-2020 American Community Survey), 6,590 of 12,130 owner-occupied units, or 54 percent, were built before 1950. The plan's condition section says the federal government prohibited lead-based paint on residential property starting in 1978 and assumes units built before 1980 are at higher risk of containing lead.
City of Alhambra, FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan, MA-20 Condition of Housing Checked 2026-10-30 - California law
The state fixture rule, as enacted
As chaptered, SB 407 (2009) applies to residential and commercial real property built and available for use on or before January 1, 1994. It defines a noncompliant fixture as a toilet using more than 1.6 gallons per flush, a showerhead above 2.5 gallons per minute, or an interior faucet above 2.2 gallons per minute. Section 1101.4(a) makes replacement of all noncompliant fixtures by the permit applicant a condition of final permit approval for single-family homes.
California Legislature, Senate Bill 407 (2009), chaptered text Checked 2026-10-30
FAQ
Bathroom Remodeling questions in Alhambra
Direct answers to what homeowners ask us most. If your question is not here, call or send a request.
- Alhambra
- Permits
- Clear scope
Does the city treat a bathroom with new framing differently?
Its routing table does. A residential remodel without framing is marked for the Planning Division only, while remodels with framing also route to the Fire Department, Public Works and the Utility Division. The Building Division decides which column applies.
If my building dates from 1994 or earlier, what happens to the old fixtures?
State law reaches residential property built and available for use on or before January 1, 1994. For a single-family home, the permit applicant replaces noncompliant fixtures as a condition of final approval. For a multifamily building, it applies to a room that needs a building permit and holds noncompliant fixtures.
Does Alhambra's water affect which finishes you suggest?
It does. The city's 2025 report lists total hardness of 240 ppm in groundwater and 234 ppm in imported water, and says mineral-rich water can build up scale on fixtures. We go through glass, finishes and upkeep at the estimate.
Can I swap my only tub for a shower?
Often, once we have looked at the framing, the drain position and what you want from the room. If it is the only tub in the home, think about whether a future owner would expect one.
Is there an ARD bathroom project I can look at?
The Projects section has a Spa-Style Bathroom Remodel in Pasadena, with a freestanding soaking tub beneath a large picture window, a frameless glass shower with a niche, warm stone tile, a floating walnut double vanity and brushed brass fixtures. It is one example from another Los Angeles County city, not a promise of a particular look for your home.
Service area
Bathroom Remodeling near Alhambra
We work across Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Call or send a request and we will confirm your address.
Prefer the full overview?
Bathroom Remodeling: main service page
READY TO GET STARTED?
Planning a bathroom remodeling project in Alhambra?
Tell us about your home and your plans. We will confirm the details and set up your free estimate.