Bathroom Remodel – Richboro, PA
This Richboro project started with a cracked Whirlpool jet tub — not a design preference, but a structural failure that required immediate attention. The crack forced the removal of the tub and all surrounding tile, which the homeowners used as the opportunity to update the bathroom properly rather than patch it. What followed was not a straightforward fixture swap: the replacement tub required sideways installation due to the tight fit in the 90-square-foot space, which meant temporarily removing and reinstalling the toilet to make room for the maneuver. And a baseboard HVAC register that had to be replaced turned out to be a size that was no longer manufactured, requiring a custom sourcing solution on-site.
What This Project Included
- Removal of a cracked Whirlpool jet tub
- Removal of all surrounding tiles
- Sideways tub installation requiring temporary toilet removal and reinstallation
- New modern replacement tub
- New tile installation throughout the tub surround
- Sourcing and replacement of discontinued baseboard HVAC register
When the Project Is Driven by Failure, Not Preference
Most bathroom remodels in this portfolio were driven by a homeowner wanting to improve a space that was functional but dated. This one was different — the existing Whirlpool jet tub had cracked, making it non-functional and requiring replacement, whether or not the homeowner was ready to remodel. Once the tub and surrounding tile were coming out, the decision to do the project properly rather than replace only the minimum was an easy one.
This kind of remodel — driven by a failure event rather than an elective update — is worth understanding separately. The scope is defined by what failed and what has to come out with it, not by what the homeowner chose to upgrade. That is what kept the contract value at $6,500 for 90 square feet: the scope was targeted at the tub zone, not a full bathroom gut.
The Sideways Tub: A Field Problem Solved on Site
The replacement tub was the same nominal size as the Whirlpool it was replacing, but the tight spatial conditions of the bathroom — the relationship between the tub alcove, the toilet position, and the doorway — meant the new tub could not be brought in and placed upright in the conventional orientation. It had to be brought in sideways and rotated into position once inside the room.
Getting a tub in sideways requires temporarily clearing the path it needs to travel through the room. In this case, that meant removing the toilet — disconnecting the water supply, removing the wax ring seal, lifting the toilet clear of the floor, and setting it aside while the tub was maneuvered into position. Once the tub was placed correctly, the toilet was reinstalled: new wax ring, reconnected supply, properly reset. This is the kind of field problem that does not show up in the scope document but has to be solved correctly, because reinstalling a toilet incorrectly leads to a leak — either at the floor or at the supply connection — that may not be visible until after the homeowner has been using the bathroom for weeks.
The Discontinued HVAC Register
During the project, the baseboard HVAC register that had been in place with the original bathroom required replacement — either because of damage during the tile work or because it was incompatible with the updated tub position. The specific size of the register was no longer manufactured.
A discontinued component in a finished room is a real problem with a straightforward solution: find the closest standard size that can be made to work, modify the opening if necessary, and install it in a way that reads as finished rather than patched. This is not a complicated resolution, but it is the kind of on-site material problem that requires the contractor to make a decision, source a solution, and execute it cleanly rather than stopping the project or leaving the homeowner with a visible gap.
Tile Work Around the New Tub
Once the tub was in position, new tile was installed on the surrounding walls. The tile selection was chosen to give the bathroom a fresh, contemporary look that was cohesive with the existing bathroom finishes rather than introducing a dramatically different palette. The tub surround was the primary tile zone for this project — walls in the direct tub area — with the goal of producing a finished bathroom that looked like the tub had always been there.
What This Project Shows
The Richboro project is a useful example of what a focused, problem-driven bathroom remodel looks like at $6,500 for 90 square feet. It is not a full gut. It is not a cosmetic refresh. It is a specific zone — the tub and the wall tile around it — addressed correctly, with two on-site problems (the sideways installation and the discontinued register) solved without drama. The value of that execution is not visible in the finished room, which is exactly the point. A bathroom where the tub is level, the toilet is properly sealed, and the HVAC register fits is a bathroom that works. A bathroom where those things are compromised shows up as a problem later.
Bathroom Remodeling in Richboro and Bucks County
Richboro is a community in Northampton Township, Bucks County, with significant residential development from the 1970s onward. Whirlpool and jetted tubs were common in master bathrooms built in the 1980s and 1990s, and many of them are now at or past the end of their mechanical and structural life. A tub failure in one of these bathrooms typically triggers exactly the kind of project described here: targeted removal, careful replacement, and tile refresh around the new fixture.
Belmax Remodeling works throughout Richboro and the broader Bucks County area. For more on our bathroom work, see our bathroom remodeling service page. Homeowners in Richboro can also visit our Richboro bathroom remodeling page for more completed local projects.
Considering a Similar Project?
Tub replacements with surrounding tile refresh in a 90-square-foot bathroom, without a full gut, typically fall in the $5,500–$8,500 range in Bucks County, depending on tub choice and tile selection. This Richboro project came in at $6,500, completed in December 2024. To discuss what your bathroom would involve, request a free estimate.