Plan a home remodel in four stages, in this order: decide how the room has to work, fix the layout, route the systems that serve it, then choose finishes. Reversing that order is where money disappears — tile bought before the plumbing plan, appliances bought before the electrical load is known. Everything downstream of layout is cheap to draw and expensive to change.
A renovation rarely fails because someone cut a stud wrong. It fails because a decision was made out of order, months earlier, on paper. The tile was chosen before anyone knew where the drain was going. The cabinet order went in before the appliance specs were confirmed, and the run came back an inch short.
Most homeowners hire the work out — 86 percent of kitchen renovators and 84 percent of bathroom renovators hire at least one professional, most often a general contractor.[1][2] But hiring is not planning. A contractor can only build the decisions already made; the ones left open at signing become change orders later, at a worse price.
This guide sets out the sequence a remodel follows, what a competent contractor asks before quoting, what a written scope must contain, and where central Ohio's housing stock changes the answers.
What is the right order of decisions in a remodel?
Four stages, one direction: use case, then layout, then systems, then finishes. Each stage bounds the next.
Use case is the question nobody asks aloud: what must this room do that it does not do now? Two cooks or one. A tub for a toddler, or a shower for a knee that no longer bends. It is the only free stage, and the one most often skipped for a photo.
Layout answers it in plan. About half of kitchen renovators change their layout, and just over a third of bathroom renovators do.[1][2] Systems follow — drain and vent routing, gas, ductwork, circuits, panel capacity — upgraded by 44 percent of kitchen and 61 percent of bathroom renovators.[1][2]
Finishes come last, and Ohio's code says so without meaning to. Painting, tiling, cabinets and countertops are exempt from building approval; structural alterations and any electrical, plumbing or mechanical work are not.[3] Finishes never answer to an inspector, which is why they are the only stage safe to decide late.
| Stage | What it locks | Cost to reverse |
|---|---|---|
| Use case | Everything downstream | None — this stage is free |
| Layout | Systems, permit scope, schedule | Highest: redesign and re-permit |
| Systems | Wall and floor openings, inspections | High: walls open, or already closed |
| Finishes | Budget and lead times | Low, until the order is placed |
What does a good contractor ask on the first call?
An estimate is only as good as its inputs, and a contractor quoting a kitchen off a room name and a photo is guessing. These questions move the number, and all should come before a price.
| The question | Why it moves the price |
|---|---|
| Property type and size | Access, protection, and how much of the house is disturbed |
| Bedroom and bathroom counts | Whether you can live in the house during the work, driving phasing |
| Were the electric or plumbing ever updated? | The biggest swing. A fuse panel or galvanized supply means a trade scope nobody quoted |
| Rough room dimensions | Quantities: tile, drywall, cabinet linear feet, labour hours |
| Who supplies the finishes? | Owner-supplied tile and fixtures move money out of the contract, and risk onto you |
| Where is the house? | Age and jurisdiction. Columbus ages in rings outward, and permit offices differ |
Location matters more here than in most markets. Columbus Public Health notes that most homes inside the I-270 outer belt predate 1978.[4] A Clintonville or German Village address predicts plaster and undersized service in a way a Powell or Hilliard address does not.
Electrical is the input homeowners underestimate most. A kitchen requires at least two dedicated 20-ampere small-appliance circuits before any specialty appliance.[5] An induction range and a built-in oven each want their own. See electrical load calculation.
How do you plan a kitchen remodel with a contractor?
Start with the work zones, not the island. The NKBA's kitchen planning guidelines set the clearances any designer should draw to: a work aisle of at least 42 inches for one cook and 48 for more than one, a 36-inch walkway, and a sink–range–refrigerator triangle totalling no more than 26 feet with no leg shorter than 4 feet or longer than 9.[6]
Those numbers decide whether an island fits before anyone prices a countertop. In a typical 11-by-13-foot central Ohio kitchen, the island that looks right in a rendering leaves a 34-inch aisle — a corridor, not a kitchen.
What moving a fixture costs
Moving a sink means a new drain at the required pitch, a vent that still ties in legally, and rerouted supply — see plumbing relocation. A gas range means a new gas line and a hood termination through wall or roof. On a slab, each grows again.
The honest counter-position: a kitchen that keeps its plumbing wall and spends the difference on better cabinetry usually works better than one that moved the sink and bought stock boxes to pay for it.
Order appliances before cabinets: shop drawings depend on exact appliance dimensions, and a late substitution is a modification charge at best. For cost depth see the columbuskitchencost.com guides and kitchen cost estimator, then bring the numbers to a kitchen remodeling conversation.
What has to be settled before a bathroom remodel starts?
Bathrooms are small, so every clearance is a decision. The NKBA's bath guidelines recommend 30 inches of clear floor space in front of each fixture where code requires 21, and 24 at a shower entry; a toilet centreline at least 18 inches from any wall or fixture against a 15-inch code minimum; and a shower interior of at least 36 by 36 inches where code allows 30 by 30.[7]
The gap between guideline and code minimum is the whole argument in a small bathroom. Code-minimum is legal; the guideline is comfortable. Which one you are buying is a planning decision.
Moving the toilet, and the tub question
Relocating a toilet is the most expensive small move in a house: a new closet flange, a redrawn drain at pitch, often a new vent, with the floor open and, upstairs, the ceiling below. Ohio's code exempts resetting a water closet only where no more than one fixture is replaced and no pipes rearranged.[3] Move it and you are in permitted territory.
Tub-to-shower deserves a straight answer. If it is the only tub and you may sell to a family, removing it costs you at resale. If it is a third bathroom and nobody has bathed in six years, the tub stores towels. Only 5 percent of renovators relocate a bathroom entirely.[2]
For fixture-level cost detail see the columbusbathcost.com guides and bathroom cost estimator. Start at bathroom remodeling.
What belongs in a written scope of work?
Nobody picks up a tool before there is a written scope of work. Ohio's Attorney General is specific about what a home improvement contract should contain: a complete description of the work and materials, start and completion dates, written approval for any change, any warranty, the total cost and payment terms, and a requirement that the contractor obtain all permits and inspections. It also advises three written estimates and warns against large down payments.[8] The Federal Trade Commission adds: no work before a signed contract, and contracts signed in your home carry a three-day right to cancel.[9]
Allowances and exclusions
An allowance is a placeholder for something not yet selected. It is honest when it names a real product at a real price and says what happens when you exceed it; it is a sales tactic when set low enough to win the bid.
Exclusions are the other half: a scope listing only inclusions lets everyone assume the rest. One that says plainly what is not in the price — no abatement, no structural repair found behind plaster, no appliance supply — makes a legitimate change order defensible.
The cheapest of three quotes is almost always the one missing scope. Compare line by line, not by total, and read cost-plus versus fixed price before choosing a structure. Ours is on the pricing page.
Design-build, design-bid-build, or managing it yourself?
Three ways to organise a project, decided early because the choice determines who draws the plan.
| Method | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Design-build | One contract covers design and construction | Fewer competing prices — verify the pricing structure |
| Design-bid-build | A designer draws it, contractors bid the drawings | Gaps between drawing and field become change orders |
| Owner-managed | You hire and schedule the trades yourself | Sequencing, inspections, and liability for both |
Research favours the integrated model. A study of 212 projects completed between 2008 and 2013 found design-build averaged 3.8 percent less cost growth and 1.7 percent less schedule growth than design-bid-build.[10] That data comes from larger commercial work, so read it as direction rather than a promise about your bathroom — but the mechanism scales: the builder is in the room while it is drawn.
Owner-managed carries a warning. The NAHB advises a 10 percent contingency on a typical project and 20 percent for owners acting as their own general contractor, who commonly finish around 20 percent over.[11] Only about one in five kitchen renovators hires trades directly without a project manager.[1]
Who is on the team
Name three roles before work starts. The contractor representative is your single point of contact from first call to punch list. A skilled-trades site lead runs the day-to-day. You name an owner's representative — one household member authorised to decide, because two decision-makers with different answers is how a schedule dies. See also design-build.
When do you need drawings, a permit, and a selections deadline?
Drawings are needed the moment anything moves — not architectural drawings for a bathroom, but a dimensioned plan, an elevation of each fixture wall, and a fixture schedule. Work from a sketch and the gap between what you pictured and what gets built surfaces at the worst moment.
The permit line is clearer than most homeowners expect. Ohio's residential code requires approval before anyone alters a dwelling or works on an electrical, plumbing or mechanical system, and specifically exempts painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and countertops.[3] A like-for-like vanity and tile refresh is generally unpermitted; moving the toilet, opening a load-bearing wall or adding circuits is not.
Columbus issues permits through Building and Zoning Services, and a permit authorises the work described in the submitted plans — another reason the scope is written first.[12] Central Ohio jurisdictions differ, and plumbing review does not always sit with the city; our permits and inspections guide covers seven. See also mechanical permit and rough-in.
Selections deadlines
Every selection has an order date, and the order date — not the install date — is the deadline. Cabinetry, custom countertops and specialty appliances need lead time built backwards from installation, one deadline each, written into the schedule at contract. A selection a week late does not delay the job by a week; it delays it by a week plus the trade's next available window.
How much contingency should a remodel budget carry?
A budget without a contingency is a wish. The NAHB advises 10 percent on a typical project, rising to 20 percent for an owner acting as their own general contractor.[11] On pre-1978 central Ohio housing — most of what sits inside I-270[4] — the upper end is the realistic one. Set it aside as money, not optimism: it funds the joist someone notched in 1962, not the upgraded tile you saw halfway through.
It helps to know which work returns money. The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report put a midrange minor kitchen remodel at a national average job cost of $28,458, recouping 112.9 percent of its cost at resale.[13] That is a 2025 national average, not a Columbus quote, but a useful reminder that the modest version of a project often out-earns the ambitious one. Our guide to spending well goes further.
Planning a custom home
New construction runs the same sequence with one addition: lot, plan and budget must agree before the footer is poured, because none can be changed cheaply afterwards. The NAHB's 2024 construction cost survey found construction costs averaged 64.4 percent of a new home's sales price, the finished lot 13.7 percent and builder profit 11.0 percent.[14] A plan drawn for a flat lot and built on a slope absorbs its own budget in foundation work. See custom homes and new construction.
What are the most common planning mistakes?
The same handful, roughly in order.
- Choosing finishes first. Tile decided before the layout is tile decided twice.
- Buying appliances before understanding the panel. Circuit count is a design input, not a detail.[5]
- Vague allowances. An allowance without a named product is a deferred argument.
- Two decision-makers. Name one owner's representative and let the contractor act on those answers.
- Assuming a cosmetic refresh stays cosmetic. Open a 1950s wall and the scope frequently changes.[3]
- Adding work mid-project. The most expensive way to buy anything.
A decision checklist before you sign
- The use case is written down, and the household agrees with it.
- A dimensioned plan exists and its clearances check against the published guidelines.[6][7]
- Every fixture that moves is identified and its trade scope priced.
- The scope lists inclusions, exclusions, named allowances, and who supplies what.[8]
- The permit path is identified by jurisdiction, and the contractor is filing it.[12]
- Every selection has an order deadline, and a contingency is funded and named.[11]
- One contractor representative and one owner's representative are named.
Central Ohio adds a wrinkle: a Westerville or Delaware project may answer to a different permit office than a Columbus one, and a 1920s Clintonville bungalow and a 2015 Dublin build are different trades. For larger scopes see whole-home remodeling and home additions, and our post on vetting a Columbus general contractor.
Frequently asked questions
How long should planning a kitchen remodel take?
Longer than most homeowners expect, and it is time well spent. Layout and systems decisions should be finished before demolition, and every long-lead selection ordered before the crew arrives. Planning that runs longer than construction is normal; the alternative is discovering an unmade decision with the walls already open.
Should I pick tile and fixtures before or after hiring a contractor?
Gather references early, commit late. Finishes are the only stage exempt from building approval, which is why they can safely be decided last.[3] Choosing tile before a plumbing plan exists risks buying for a layout that changes. Bring inspiration to the first meeting and selections to the order deadline.
Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Columbus?
It depends what moves. Ohio code exempts painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and countertops from approval, and allows a water closet to be reset where no pipes are rearranged.[3] Move the toilet, add circuits or open a wall and a permit is required. Columbus issues permits through Building and Zoning Services.[12]
Is design-build better than hiring a designer and contractor separately?
A study of 212 projects found design-build averaged 3.8 percent less cost growth and 1.7 percent less schedule growth than design-bid-build.[10] The trade-off is fewer competing prices, so verify the pricing structure instead. Design-bid-build still suits complex work where true price comparison matters more than speed.
How much should I budget for surprises?
The NAHB suggests a 10 percent contingency on a typical project and 20 percent if you act as your own general contractor.[11] In central Ohio, where most housing inside I-270 predates 1978,[4] the higher end is the safer assumption. Fund it as real money and do not spend it on upgrades.
Who should buy the materials, me or the contractor?
Either works if it is written down. Owner-supplied finishes move money out of the contract and the risk of a short, damaged or discontinued order onto you. Contractor-supplied means one party owns the problem. What matters is that the scope says which items fall on which side.[8]
What is the minimum size for a shower?
Code allows an interior of 30 by 30 inches, or 900 square inches, with 80 inches of headroom at the showerhead. The NKBA recommends at least 36 by 36 inches and 24 inches of clear floor space at the entry.[7] The gap between those numbers is the difference between legal and comfortable.
Read this alongside Spending Well, which weighs which upgrades earn their cost, and Renovation Timeline, which covers sequencing and living through the work.
Sources
- 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study — Houzz Share of kitchen renovators changing layout (53%) and upgrading systems (44%); 86% hire a professional, 50% a general contractor, 19% hire trades without a project manager.
- 2025 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study — Houzz Share of bathroom renovators changing layout (36%), upgrading ventilation, heating or plumbing systems (61%) and relocating the bathroom entirely (5%); 84% hire a professional.
- Ohio Administrative Code 4101:8-1-01 — Residential Code of Ohio, Administration — Ohio Board of Building Standards Section 105.1: approval required to alter a dwelling or to work on electrical, plumbing or mechanical systems. Section 102.10: finish work exempt; resetting a water closet exempt only if no more than one fixture is replaced and no pipes rearranged.
- Lead Education and Poisoning Prevention — Columbus Public Health, City of Columbus Most homes inside the I-270 outer belt are pre-1978, and pre-1978 housing is likely to contain lead-based paint.
- IRC Section E3703.2 — Small-Appliance Branch Circuits — International Residential Code (via UpCodes) A minimum of two 20-ampere-rated small-appliance branch circuits is required for kitchen receptacle outlets.
- Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards — National Kitchen & Bath Association Work aisle 42 in. for one cook and 48 in. for multiple cooks; walkway 36 in.; work triangle no more than 26 ft total with legs of 4 to 9 ft; 32 in. clear doorway.
- Bathroom Planning Guidelines with Access Standards — National Kitchen & Bath Association Recommended 30 in. clear floor space against a 21 in. code minimum (24 in. at a shower entry); toilet centreline 18 in. recommended vs 15 in. code; shower 36x36 in. recommended vs 30x30 in. or 900 sq in. code; 80 in. headroom at the showerhead.
- Consumer Tips: Home Improvement — Ohio Attorney General What a home improvement contract should contain, three written estimates, written approval for changes, contractor obtains permits, and cautions on large down payments.
- How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam — Federal Trade Commission Signed written contract before work begins; keep change orders and payment records; three-business-day right to cancel contracts signed in the home.
- New Research Shows Design-Build Continues to Deliver Projects Most Efficiently — Design-Build Institute of America Study of 212 projects completed 2008-2013: design-build averaged 3.8% less cost growth and 1.7% less schedule growth than design-bid-build, with faster overall delivery.
- Determine Your Budget — National Association of Home Builders A 10% contingency fund is commonly advised, rising to 20% for owners acting as their own general contractor, who often finish about 20% over.
- Get or Track a Building Permit — City of Columbus, Ohio Columbus issues permits through Building and Zoning Services; a permit authorises the work described in the project plans and description.
- 2025 Cost vs. Value Report — Zonda Midrange minor kitchen remodel: national average job cost $28,458, 112.9% of cost recouped at resale.
- Cost of Constructing a Home — 2024 — National Association of Home Builders Construction costs averaged 64.4% of a new home sales price, the finished lot 13.7%, and builder profit 11.0%.
Planning a kitchen, bath or whole-home remodel in Columbus?
iSpec LLC is a residential general contractor and custom home builder in Columbus, Ohio. When you are ready to talk about a real project, the first call is free.