Hello,

I'm considering buying a condo in Boston and one of the sticking points is whether I can convert a bonus room into a nice bathroom. I've attached a floorplan of the condo, and if you look at the bonus room, it is adjacent to a bathroom. When I spoke to a friend of mine, he mentioned that it might be hard to scrap the existing bath to make a larger bath due to drainage issues and cement floors (it's on the second floor but I don't know what is under the bathroom floor).

Since I am new to this, I am looking for a list of questions to ask, so that I go into the transaction with eyes wide open. Can someone help me? Also, should I hire an architect to see what is possible?

Regards,

Alon Landa

Hi Alon,
As a plumber who has spent a good part of his life as foreman or super on mid and highrise condos in the Tampa Bay Area this question is right down my alley. You're going into a great high end condo with a dynamite floor plan.
The first thing you must do is get permission from the condo association to do a addition such as you propose. Have you studied the Condo Docs? THe next thing to ascertain is how the drainage went in. Sometimes we installed the drainage in a drop ceiling in the condo underneath,( this would mean getting permission from the owners to tear up their ceiling) but sometimes we roughed in on the floor and, after it passed inspection, a finished floor was poured over it. This would make it almost impossible to run more drainage unless you platformed the floor and either tiled or made another pour over the wood platform. Either way we are talking major surgery.
I wouldn't hire anyone until I knew such a project was both possible and permissible. Please keep me in the loop with this. Perhaps I can help. Regards, Tom

Thanks very much, Tom.

Assuming the condo association allows me to modify the bathroom, how do I check on the drainage that went in for the condo? Do I hire a someone to investigate, look at blue prints?

Also, assuming it is major surgery, but permissible, can you help me estimate the cost in making modifications (ballpark)?

Thanks again for your help,

Alon

Thanks very much, Tom.

Assuming the condo association allows me to modify the bathroom, how do I check on the drainage that went in for the condo? Do I hire a someone to investigate, look at blue prints?

Also, assuming it is major surgery, but permissible, can you help me estimate the cost in making modifications (ballpark)?

Thanks again for your help,

Alon

To figure how the drainage was roughed I would go to the condo beneath you and check the kitchen and bath areas for dropped ceilings.
As for estimating the cost I don't do this without being on site to see for myself the material needed and then only if one of my crews were going to do the job so I would have some idea of the time and labor involved.
What I could do, however, is to assist you in laying out the fixtures for the least amount of complications of installing the remodel.
Get your ducks in a row with the Condo Association and if necessary the unit below you and click on back. Good luck, Tom