What homeowners look for before they call a bathroom remodeler

A bathroom remodel starts long before the first phone call. The homeowner has lived with the old room, saved up, scrolled photos and asked around. By the time they search, they want a remodeler who looks proven and easy to work with.

Who homeowners hire

Houzz surveyed 1,619 U.S. homeowners on Houzz about their bathroom projects for its 2026 Bathroom Trends Study, published in September 2026. It found that 89% bring in at least one professional, up 5 points from the year before.

Who they hire	Share
General contractors	52%
Bathroom remodelers	23%
Bathroom designers	14%
Interior designers	12%

Why they finally do it

The same study asked why homeowners renovate. The top reasons:

• they cannot stand the look of the old space (47%),
• the old room is wearing out (35%), and
• they finally have the means (29%).

When homeowners removed a tub, 79% made the shower bigger.

That points to the pages worth building. A homeowner who is tired of the old room wants to see what a new one could look like. If you build walk-in showers or turn tubs into showers, give that work its own page with real before-and-after photos.

What they are told to check

The Federal Trade Commission tells homeowners to consider only contractors who are licensed and insured, and to get recommendations from people they trust. Its other advice:

• Get more than one estimate. A written estimate should describe the work, the materials, the completion date and the price.
• Get a written contract. It should list the contractor’s name, address, phone number and license number, an estimated start and completion date, and any promises made along the way.
• Do not pay the full amount up front.

A homeowner who follows that advice will look for those things on your site before they call.

Make your proof easy to find

Show your license and insurance details where your state requires a license, on your site and your profile.

Explain your estimates. Say what your written estimate includes and when the homeowner gets it.

Explain your contract steps. Walk through how a project goes from first visit to signed contract to start date. Leave cost, permit and financing details for the conversation with each client.

Share references. Offer them on request, and say so on your site.

Tell project stories. For each finished bathroom, show the before and after, the main change and how long it took.

Search for the room, find the remodeler

Google’s ad data shows about 90,500 searches a month in the U.S. for “bathroom remodel near me,” and about the same for “kitchen remodel near me.” A clear page for each room you remodel, with your towns named, helps the right people find you.

Ask for reviews that tell the story

BrightLocal’s 2026 survey found that 74% of consumers check for reviews posted within the last three months. For a remodeler, the best reviews describe the experience, such as clear updates, a clean site and finishing when promised.

• Ask when the project wraps, during the final walkthrough.
• Reply to every review and thank the client by first name.
• Never pay for reviews or offer a reward for one. Google’s review policy prohibits incentives.

Your checklist

• A page for each room you remodel, with before-and-after photos
• A page for walk-in showers or tub-to-shower work, if you do it
• License and insurance details easy to find
• Your estimate and contract steps explained in plain words
• References offered on request
• Project stories with the before, the after and the timeline
• A review request at every final walkthrough