For small businesses in the Corridor, bigger is not always better

When it comes to Corridor bathrooms, these days it seems bigger isn't always better.

'We are seeing a trend of bathrooms downsizing to accommodate ease of use and care,” said Mary Jo Kloft, showroom manager at Master Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning in Cedar Rapids. The 28-year-old company handles service and installation of new products related to plumbing, heating and air conditioning, including bathroom remodeling projects.

Kloft said many homeowners these days are undertaking bathroom remodeling projects that involve removing an existing tub-shower combination and simply installing a shower in its place.

Another trend, Kloft said, is replacing standard height toilets - 14 to 16 inches high - with comfort-height stools - 17 to 19 inches high.

Rob Hajek, president of building and remodeling for Home Repair Team in Cedar Rapids, agreed that clients planning to stay in their homes longer are undertaking remodeling projects to make their home more ideal for their wishes.

'The aging in place population wants showers only,” he said of the remodeling projects Home Repair Team, a repair company in business since 1998, has worked on.

Walk-in showers, he noted, are very popular as well.

'People want a large open shower with glass and either natural lighting or can lights inside the shower area,” he said.

Other popular materials and enhancements range from Vikrell - a hard, fiberglass material used in pre-made shower modules - to custom tile work, cut stone floors and decorative glass incorporated on walls.

Pricing on bathroom remodeling projects truly varies, Kloft said.

'An average cost is hard to determine because of the many choices and project varieties, such as a whole bath remodel versus replacing just one fixture, or a custom tile shower versus a pre-made unit,” she noted.

Hajek said Home Repair Team did note during the recent recession that some homeowners were spending less on projects overall. Today, clients will spend anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000 on a bathroom remodel project, and upward of $15,000 to $30,000 for a master bathroom remodel.

And not unlike many small business owners, local remodelers struggle to maintain a competitive advantage over national chains.

'I would say the biggest challenge in our industry today is the fact that homeowners can buy products from big-box stores at a lesser cost,” said Kloft.

But local remodelers didn't see a dramatic decline in number of projects in recent years.

'Our business is quite consistent,” Kloft said, noting the importance of their service work when they do have slower remodeling project requests. 'We are usually working on one or two a week, some extensive involving additions to homes or installing a bath in a lower level where there was not one before.”

Home Repair Team has employees working on 25 to 30 bathroom remodeling projects per year.

'We are typically busier from April through December with January, February and March as our slowest times,” Hajek said.