Bathroom remodeling in Anchorage has to keep shower moisture out of an attic that already wants to ice-dam. A fan dumped above the insulation builds the next ceiling stain while the furnace runs for months. An outside-wall bath can freeze a supply the rest of the house never notices. Under the floor is often a crawl, not a basement you can stand in. Start by saying where the water is going.
Open an exterior wall or a roof penetration during the long daylight, not in the dark with the heat struggling. A surround that stays on an interior wall can wait. Say which one you are buying. Tile over a wet stud will mark no matter how new the room looks. Find the end of the fan duct while the ceiling is open.
Many older baths in this city are small, with a stack that shares space with the heating plant. Moving the toilet means the joists and a drain you should see from the crawl if you can. A molded base and a tiled shower are different failures later. If ice-dam water and shower water are hitting the same wall, fix the roof path first or the new work will stain.
Blocking for a grab bar matters if the tub is the obstacle in the only bath. A curbless entry may mean a cut floor, which is a decision for the first conversation, not the last. The water heater has been working all winter and may quit when the new valve demands a long shower. Mention that. If the house goes dark for weeks, say so before new traps are installed.
Say the part of town, tub or shower, and whether the layout stays put. Mention an attic fan, an icing window, or a line in an outside wall. The crawl matters if that is the only access. Say if the ceiling below is already stained. You do not need a drawing to start. Call the number on this page.