Five Essential Steps Before You Order Plumbing Fixtures – The Waterhouse Way
Five Essential Steps Before You Order Plumbing Fixtures for your Kitchen, Bath, or Laundry Room Renovation – The Waterhouse Way
Plumbing fixtures are a wonderful way to add personality to your space!
Fixtures can be both functional and beautiful, but if you haven’t done this before (and many of us haven’t!), it can be easy to make mistakes.
Can it actually be fun to shop for toilets and faucets?
Absolutely! If you choose your fixtures with careful planning, with an expert as your guide, you can erase all the guesswork and end up with the room of your dreams.
If you’re ready to move forward on your renovation journey, just follow these five essential steps before you order your plumbing fixtures to ensure that this part of the process is simple and stress-free. Waterhouse bath & kitchen studio offers an entire world of stunning fixtures, all with multiple design options, finishes, and configurations, and now you’ll be ready to navigate it.
With our help, of course!
Step One: Plan—then start window shopping!
The first step to planning for your plumbing fixtures is knowing what you need. In your renovation planning sequence of events, choosing your fixtures often comes after you have a floor plan established. This is important in terms of identifying not only what fixtures you are sourcing but also how many of each and what sizes will work best for your space.
If you don’t have an established floor plan yet and your renovation is looming, this is the time to get that plan ready before moving on to Step Two.
A plumbing showroom pre-shop early in your planning process could help you home in on the style, color, and type of fixtures you would like to incorporate into your renovation project. This can be especially helpful if you want to get a sense of what is available before you commit to your forever fixtures. So, it’s not just window shopping—it’s research! No appointment necessary for a pre-shop – make sure to allow 30-60 minutes (maybe more if it’s a whole-house renovation) and don’t forget to bring your camera and a note pad to record your findings.
Step Two: Make a wishlist (and take measurements!)
Look at your floor plan and make a list of all the fixtures you need and want to include. Next, note the sizes. Size does matter in this case, and it is very important to make sure that the size of your favorite fixtures matches the plan for your renovation. No matter how much we might want to, the Waterhouse team (as skilled as we are) can’t make a 60-inch vanity fit in a 42-inch nook.
Waterhouse Pro Tip: If you are including a tub in your bathroom renovation, you will need to know what size, shape, and type will fit into your bathroom. Another key size to note is your kitchen sink base cabinet width. You might fall in love with a 36-inch-wide apron front sink but find out once you get home that you have a 30-inch sink base cabinet. Understanding your size constraints ahead of your shopping trip will save you from making costly mistakes later.
To help guide your shopping adventure, Waterhouse has created handy checklists for plumbing projects.
Download, print, and fill these out before you shop so that your in-showroom experience can be focused on the important things: choosing style, type, and color – you know…the FUN stuff.
KITCHEN
- Sink
- Sink Base Cabinet Size
- Drop-in/Top Mount
- Undermount
- Apron Front/Farmhouse
- Workstation
- Single or Double Bowl
- Material: Stainless Steel? Granite Composite? Cast Iron? Fireclay?
- Matching Drains/Strainers/Disposal Flanges
- Faucet
- How many holes are in your current countertop (if you’re not replacing)?
- Bar/Prep Sink
- Bar/Prep Faucet
- Pot Filler
- Hot Water Dispenser
- Cold Water Dispenser
- Carbonated/Sparkling Water Dispenser
- Water Filtration or Reverse Osmosis System
- Garbage Disposal
- Air Switch
- Soap/Lotion Dispenser
- Other Accessories
- Sink Grid
- Cutting Board
- Colander
- Drying Rack
- Glass Rinser
- Cabinet Hardware
- Lighting
PRIMARY BATH
- Sink(s)
- Drop-in/Top Mount
- Undermount
- Vessel
- Pedestal
- Console
- Sink Faucet(s)
- Matching Drain
- Tub
- Size – Width, Length, and Depth
- Drop-in/Alcove/Freestanding?
- Left-hand, Right-hand, or Center Drain?
- Whirlpool or Air bath?
- Aroma or Chromatherapy?
- Tub Filler
- Matching Drain and Overflow?
- Tub/Shower Enclosure
- Showerhead
- Hand shower
- Hand shower Bracket or Slide Bar
- Shower Controls/Valves
- Body Sprays
- Shower Base/Pan
- Size: Length, Width, and Height
- Shower Walls
- Shower Drain
- Shower Door
- Steam Shower
- Toilet
- One or Two Piece?
- Elongated or Round?
- Standard or Comfort Height?
- Rough-in Size? 10, 12, or 14-inches?
- Left or Right-side Trip Lever?
- Bidet/Bidet Seat/Smart Toilet
- Vanity
- Size (Height, Width, and Length)
- Vanity Top
- How many holes in your current vanity top (if not replacing)?
- Storage
- Mirrors/Medicine Cabinets
- Lighting
- Ventilation Fan
- Heated Towel Rack
- Accessories
- Towel Bars
- Towel Rings
- Tissue Holder
- Robe/Towel Hooks
- Shelving
- Cabinet Hardware
- Grab Bars
GUEST OR SECONDARY BATH
- Sink(s)
- Drop-in/Top Mount
- Undermount
- Vessel
- Pedestal
- Console
- Sink Faucet(s)
- Tub
- Size – Width, Length, and Depth
- Drop-in/Alcove/Freestanding?
- Left-hand, Right-hand, or Center Drain?
- Whirlpool or Air bath?
- Aroma or Chromatherapy?
- Tub Filler
- Matching Drain and Overflow?
- Tub/Shower Enclosure
- Showerhead
- Hand shower
- Hand shower Bracket or Slide Bar
- Shower Controls/Valves
- Rain shower
- Body Sprays
- Shower Base/Pan
- Size: Length, Width, and Height
- Shower Walls
- Shower Drain
- Shower Door
- Steam Shower
- Toilet
- One or Two Piece?
- Elongated or Round?
- Standard or Comfort Height?
- Rough-in Size? 10, 12, or 14-inches?
- Left or Right-side Trip Lever?
- Bidet/Bidet Seat/Smart Toilet
- Vanity
- Size (Height, Width, and Length)
- Vanity Top
- How many holes in your current vanity top (if not replacing)?
- Storage
- Mirrors/Medicine Cabinets
- Lighting
- Ventilation Fan
- Heated Towel Rack
- Accessories
- Towel Bars
- Towel Rings
- Tissue Holder
- Robe/Towel Hooks
- Shelving
- Cabinet Hardware
- Grab Bars
POWDER ROOM
- Sink(s)
- Drop-in/Top Mount
- Undermount
- Vessel
- Pedestal
- Console
- Sink Faucet(s)
- Toilet
- One or Two Piece?
- Elongated or Round?
- Standard or Comfort Height?
- Rough-in Size? 10, 12, or 14-inches?
- Left or Right-side Trip Lever?
- Bidet/Bidet Seat/Smart Toilet
- Vanity
- Size (Height, Width, and Length)
- Vanity Top
- How many holes in your current vanity top (if not replacing)?
- Storage
- Mirrors/Medicine Cabinets
- Lighting
- Ventilation Fan
- Heated Towel Rack
- Accessories
- Towel Bars
- Towel Rings
- Tissue Holder
- Robe/Towel Hooks
- Shelving
- Cabinet Hardware
- Grab Bars
LAUNDRY ROOM/MUDROOM
- Utility Sink
- Utility Sink Faucet(s)
- Storage
- Lighting
- Heated Towel Rack
- Accessories
- Robe/Towel Hooks
- Shelving
- Cabinet Hardware
- Pet Wash station
OUTDOOR PLUMBING NEEDS
- Outdoor Shower
- Pet Wash Station
- Gardening/Potting Station
Step Three: Book an appointment at your friendly neighborhood plumbing showroom – that’s Waterhouse, silly!
Waterhouse absolutely recommends making an appointment once you’re ready to make your selections. This will guarantee that you will have expert guidance while you shop in our showroom. Our expertise and perspective will help to make your experience efficient and MUCH less overwhelming.
If you can, please send over your wishlist and any other key information, like the styles you prefer, colors you love, and any other special requests or needs so we can fully prepare for your visit.
A little extra planning can turn a potentially stressful showroom visit into a fun experience!
Step Four: Ready for the showroom? Show up prepared.
You can (and should) prepare for your Waterhouse showroom visit.
Three things your Waterhouse Sales Specialist will ALWAYS ask for:
- Your shopping list
- Physical samples of the materials going into the space—tile samples, countertop samples, paint color, etc.
- A concept image or two of the overall design plans – your “INSPO” photos
These items will come in handy when you are choosing your fixture metal finish. You might go into the showroom knowing you want a polished brass finish, but your Waterhouse Showroom Specialist might look at your finish materials and recommend another finish that will coordinate better.
The more information we have about your style and color preferences at the start of your visit, the more efficient and productive your visit will be! Make sure to let us know about any other requests:
Do you share the bathroom with a VERY tall spouse?
Do you have small children?
Pets?
Anyone in the home have any mobility issues?
Step Five: Plan your budget.
It is helpful to have a budget in mind before your shopping trip.
Perhaps you have your eye on a high-priced bathroom faucet, but your total budget is in the medium range. If we have a good idea of your budget comfort zone, we can help build a package that pairs your coveted higher-priced faucet with a low to mid-cost shower trim that coordinates beautifully and ultimately keeps you at or under budget. Top of Form
Wow.
That’s a LOT of information to take in, even for the experts.
Let the seasoned pros at Waterhouse bath & kitchen studio take the guesswork and stress out of your renovation project.
Waterhouse bath & kitchen studio.
Inspire. Guide. Elevate.
