Most Evanston associations want a scope of work, proof of insurance naming the association, and sometimes an engineer's letter if plumbing is moving. Buildings often set work hours and require elevator reservations. We assemble that package and submit it during design, so approval isn't the thing holding up your start date.

Sometimes, and it depends on the waste line rather than the wall. Toilets need proximity to the stack and adequate fall in the drain. In a two-flat or condo that stack is shared, so relocating it isn't only your decision. We measure the existing rough-in and tell you what's realistic before you fall in love with a layout.

For interior bathroom work, usually not. Review applies to exterior alterations on landmarks and properties within Evanston's historic districts, so a new vent termination, an exterior fan penetration, or a window change can trigger it. We confirm your address status early and handle any submission rather than finding out mid-project.

To an exterior wall or through the roof, depending on your unit's position. Never into a joist bay, soffit, or attic, which is unfortunately common in older buildings and causes moisture damage over time. If your unit sits in the middle of a building, we plan that route during design because it affects where the fan can go at all.

Yes, and we do a lot of that here given Northwestern's calendar. Turnover windows are tight, so we pre-order materials, confirm the association's work rules ahead of time, and build a schedule that ends before the next lease starts. Tell us the handover date at the estimate and we'll tell you honestly whether it's achievable.

Often, partly. Evanston delivers strong pressure to the street, so weak flow upstairs is nearly always the supply piping inside the building, usually old galvanized that's narrowed with scale. Replacing the branch serving your bathroom helps. If the vertical riser is the bottleneck, that's a building-level fix, and we'll say so rather than overselling the result.

Containment barriers, negative air, floor and hallway protection, and a demolition schedule that respects the building's quiet hours. In shared buildings we also introduce ourselves to the neighbors on either side before the loud days. Most complaints come from surprise, not from noise itself, so we handle that upfront.

Yes. Bathroom work that moves plumbing, adds circuits, or alters framing requires a permit, and inspections follow. We pull it, schedule the inspections, and meet the inspector ourselves. You get the documentation at closeout, which matters later if you sell a unit and a buyer's attorney asks whether the work was permitted.

It varies widely by building type. A condo bath with the fixtures staying put sits at one end. A vintage home bath with relocated plumbing, new venting, and floor heat sits at the other. We give a fixed written number after measuring, with allowances spelled out, so you're comparing actual scope instead of a per-square-foot estimate.