Having recently contracted two showers, I would familiarize yourself with the process as if you were going to build the shower yourself. I found out too late it was crucial to be familiar with the lingo/process in order to follow the conversation on how they would be constructing the shower.
There are different ways of doing it. Don't wait until after your tile has set to find out you wish it had been done a different way. Sometimes the most confident and trust worthy people only read the back of the bucket and don't download the online instructions.
This happened to me today! My guy had used Acrylpro over redguard. The back of the bucket has extensive directions and he read them all - it is only on the online spec sheet that it says you cannot use it over a waterproofing membrane (redgaurd).
He was as ticked as I was and now worried about all the showers he had previously said, "I've done this a lot and it's never been a problem" about. We pulled the tile out together and I scraped and washed while he prepped.
There's also a chance we may run into trouble for using the redgaurd at all if my bathroom walls have poly behind them like the rest of the house.
Point is - a shower has a lot of potential to go seriously wrong since it involves water and water vapor.
A handshake is fine for some people but you have no way of knowing if the person in front of you is one of them. Or, even if completely trustworthy, up on every last detail. I don't work well with people who say, "trust me" since there's no understanding that while they may be fabulous and they know it, I don't - yet. Plenty of people do it on a handshake, but I much prefer to have all the info we have both formally agreed upon, in one place.
So - you asked for details, not whether you need a contract. Here's my experience ...
A contract that spells out how the shower will be constructed would be helpful, if you're willing to familiarize yourself with the terms and process, otherwise it's kinda useless.
Asking who will be responsible for letting you know when what materials will be needed would be helpful. (For my first shower I would ask 'what do you need from me' for two weeks followed by silence and then at 5pm he would tell me he needed the tub tomorrow.)
Will they provide you with a list of what you need to make decisions about and when your deadline is? (Like, tub, sink, etc.) Or are they used to working with a designer that lines that up for them? Are they assuming you'll go to home depot and pick in stock items? Are they choosing the materials for you? If so, are the exact materials specified down to the type of granite to be used? Will they make sure the whites of your tub and shower go together? What if you want to upgrade, how is the price differential figured?
Ask who will be doing the drywall and what level finish it will be. Is it a level 5 finish? If not, paint ready? (What does that mean to them? You can look up the standards but maybe they don't go by those standards.) One GC crafted fabulous sharp corners, whereas my dedicated drywall guy did a sloppy job and my ceiling has rounded edges that scream 'drywall tape', and will, forever. Does the job include painting?
Ask if there are options you haven't considered, but should - like radiant heat under the tiles or building drawers into the eaves or insulating under the tub, etc.
I've written too much already - but there is a lot to know. Keep digging.
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Small bathroom
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