Montclair houses are big in ways that matter to a contractor. They have tall ceilings, deep porches, original woodwork that people love, and bathrooms that were squeezed into spaces never meant for them. Owners here seldom ask for one small update. They ask what it would take to turn a dated kitchen, a cramped hall bath and an awkward primary suite into rooms that match the rest of the house.
This page is written for that kind of project. It covers how to think about phasing, how a curbless shower fits an old floor, what happens when old tile comes off concrete, and what the numbers look like as typical 2026 planning ranges as of October 2026. Your written quote sets the final price.
A large house changes the question from "what does this room cost" to "in what order should we do the rooms." A few principles help.
Many owners start with the kitchen because it affects everyone, then move to the primary bath, then secondary baths over the following seasons. Others bundle the kitchen with a mudroom or butler's pantry because walls are open anyway. Both can work; the key is a master scope that shows how the phases connect so work done now does not have to be ripped out later.
Montclair's larger homes make real primary suites possible, sometimes by borrowing a bedroom, a closet or a sleeping porch. When space allows, the wish list often includes a double vanity, a freestanding tub, radiant floor heat and a curbless shower.
A curbless shower has no raised threshold. The floor of the shower sits level with, or slightly below, the bathroom floor and slopes gently toward the drain. The result looks seamless, and it is easier to enter and easier to clean. It is also more demanding to build, because water has nowhere to stop except the drain.
In a wood-framed house, that usually means lowering the shower area relative to the rest of the floor. The carpenter may need to notch or reframe joists within what the structure allows, sometimes with an engineer's guidance. After that comes a sloped base, a continuous membrane that covers the whole wet zone, a linear or point drain, and tile selected for traction. Our article on curbless shower installation in an NYC apartment explains the build in detail, and the principles carry straight over to a Montclair house.
Electric radiant mats under tile make a cold bathroom comfortable. They sit in the thinset layer and need a dedicated circuit and a thermostat. Plan them with the tile layout so cuts and fixtures do not interfere.
Natural light from an old window is a gift, and a waterproof, code-compliant way to keep it in a shower area is worth planning. A quiet exhaust fan vented outside, a recessed medicine cabinet and deep drawers in the vanity improve daily use more than a showy fixture.
Older Montclair houses often carry multiple layers: tile over mortar bed over plank, or tile over concrete in basements and additions. Taking it out is its own project.
In basements, mid-century additions and some slab areas, tile is bonded to concrete with thick adhesive. Removal involves chipping, scraping or grinding, then patching and leveling. It is loud, dusty and physical. Our guide to removing tile from a concrete subfloor walks through the methods and the repairs that follow.
Cutting and grinding tile and concrete creates fine dust that can contain respirable crystalline silica. The federal OSHA silica standard calls for wet cutting, vacuum dust collection and respirators where needed. We plan dust control into demolition, and we seal off the work area so dust does not follow you through the house.
Once the old floor is out, the new floor needs a stable base. On wood framing, that may mean added plywood, cement board or an uncoupling membrane that lets the subfloor and tile move independently. Our tile underlayment and decoupling membranes explained article compares options so you can see why the right layer depends on span, subfloor and tile size.
These are typical 2026 planning ranges for the New York metro area, not quotes. A written, itemized quote governs. Larger rooms, custom work, hazardous materials and access move prices, and Montclair projects often sit toward the upper end because of room size and finish expectations.
| Item | Typical 2026 planning range |
|---|---|
| Full bathroom renovation | About $30,000-$60,000+ |
| Kitchen remodel | About $25,000-$85,000+ |
| Tile installed, floors | About $20-$45 per sq ft |
| Tile installed, bath walls and shower | About $30-$80 per sq ft |
| Kitchen backsplash installed | About $30-$90 per sq ft |
| Tile removal | About $4-$12 per sq ft |
| Waterproofing membrane system | Adds about $3-$10 per sq ft |
| Subfloor prep and leveling | About $2-$8 per sq ft |
| Selective demolition and haul-away | About $8-$30 per sq ft |
To explore your own numbers, try the bathroom renovation budget planner, and see the NYC renovation cost guide for 2026 for regional comparison.
A big, beautiful house deserves a contractor who understands what is at stake. The wrong move in a curbless shower leaks into a ceiling below. The wrong grinder without dust control turns a basement project into a house-wide cleanup. The wrong assumption about a load-bearing wall becomes a structural repair.
Here is what a licensed, insured team brings:
Our in-house design-and-build team carries each phase from drawings to the final coat of paint. If your plans reach beyond the kitchen and bath, ask about our luxury apartment renovations in Montclair, or see how we approach older homes in our historic restoration work in Montclair.
In New Jersey, building permits are issued by the municipal construction office under the Uniform Construction Code, which is administered by the NJ Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards. Structural, plumbing and electrical work typically need permits and licensed trades. Because scope determines requirements, call the Montclair construction office before assuming something is exempt.
Montclair has several historic districts and many period homes. Local historic review can apply to exterior changes such as windows, porches, siding and additions. Interior kitchen and bath work is usually less restricted, but anything visible from the street may be reviewed. Ask the township whether your address is in a designated area before you design.
Home improvement contractors in New Jersey must register with the Division of Consumer Affairs. You can review the program at NJ Consumer Affairs. Our general permit guide explains the thinking behind permits, though its examples center on New York City.
A Montclair kitchen often has to do three jobs: weeknight cooking, large gatherings and a place for homework and mail. Layout decisions follow from that.
Keep the sink, range and refrigerator close enough to move between them easily, and leave landing space beside each. In a large kitchen, a second prep sink or a beverage station on the far side of an island keeps guests out of the cook's path.
Allow generous clear space around an island so two people can pass. If the room is too narrow, a peninsula or a table-height work surface can offer the same function without crowding.
Quartz and porcelain slabs resist stains. Natural stone adds character and needs maintenance. Floors in a busy kitchen should be durable and kind to feet. Tile, engineered wood and certain luxury vinyl products all work if the subfloor is prepared properly. When floors continue into adjoining rooms, our premium flooring installation in Montclair service helps keep transitions clean.
In big Montclair houses, the best kitchen improvement is sometimes the room next door. A butler's pantry with a second dishwasher and open shelving keeps clutter out of sight. A mudroom with hooks, benches and a durable tile floor catches wet boots before they reach the kitchen. Both rooms are small enough to finish in a short window and are natural places to use tile that would be too costly for a whole floor. Plan electrical outlets, a small sink and a floor drain only if the plumbing allows, and set floors with a waterproof substrate so winter slush does not reach the framing.
| Stage | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Site visit, selections and quote | 1-4 weeks |
| Permits and any local review | Weeks to months, depending on scope |
| Long-lead orders (cabinets, stone, glass) | 2-8 weeks, ordered in parallel |
| Bathroom construction | 3-6 weeks |
| Kitchen construction | 6-12 weeks |
Whole-floor projects stack those figures, though careful sequencing overlaps trades. A curbless shower may add a few days for framing and a longer cure for the pan. Allow time for decisions as well: tile, plumbing fixtures and lighting choices made late can hold up the whole crew.
Our process starts with a thorough site visit, because big houses hide a lot. We trace plumbing, review electrical capacity, check framing and measure rooms with the whole project in mind, even if you start with only one.
From there our design-and-build team produces an itemized quote with clear lines for demolition, structural work, waterproofing, tile, cabinets, counters, mechanical upgrades and paint. We highlight which items are allowances and which are fixed, so you know where the number could move.
During construction, we protect finished areas, control dust and keep a daily rhythm that respects the household. Lead-safe practices apply to older painted surfaces, and suspect materials are tested before disturbance. We coordinate inspections with the township, and we keep you informed of what comes next.
We also take the long view. If you plan to renovate over several years, we document what is behind each wall we open, label shutoffs and circuits, and leave you with a clear record of what was done. That makes the next phase faster to price and safer to build, and it protects the investment you have already made. Our crews arrive on time, work in an organized way and treat a family home with the care a family expects.
When the work is done, we walk every room, test fixtures and finish the punch list. If you want the finished rooms painted to match the rest of the house, our interior painting services in Montclair can handle that under the same contract.
We serve Montclair, Essex County, New Jersey, ZIP codes 07042 and 07043, plus surrounding towns and the rest of northern and central New Jersey within roughly a 50-minute drive of New York City.
Montclair's housing includes large Victorians, colonials and homes within historic districts, usually with generous lots, driveways and room for staging. That makes access easier than in dense Hudson County towns, though older framing, plaster and period details make demolition more careful. For a sense of how different the work is in tighter markets, see our pages for Hoboken and Jersey City, or browse New Jersey renovation contractors near NYC. For a general overview of tile, read our tile installation guide.
Whether you are planning a single bathroom or a multi-year sequence, the first step is the same: a site visit and a written quote.
There is no pressure and no obligation. The estimate is free, the quote is itemized so you can compare it with any other bid, and we are glad to talk through phasing, finishes and trade-offs before you decide anything. The clearest benefit of a first visit is learning what is possible in your house and what it is likely to cost.
We donate 5 percent of total project cost to a nonprofit of your choice. When you are ready, request your free estimate and tell us about your Montclair home.